Date: Tue, 16 Nov 2004 23:30:39 -0800
Reply-To: Robert Fisher <refisher@MCHSI.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Robert Fisher <refisher@MCHSI.COM>
Subject: Re: Cabin Heat / Aux Heating / Propane Heater/ camping heater /
pics
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=original
So...
For those of you that run these various sorts of heaters in their campers:
Do you have a carbon monoxide detector mounted in there as well? If not, why
not?
Just curious.
Cya,
Robert
----- Original Message -----
From: "Doug in Calif" <vanagon@ASTOUND.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, November 16, 2004 3:44 PM
Subject: Cabin Heat / Aux Heating / Propane Heater/ camping heater / pics
Well Volks,
Especially those of you who are doing the winter camping thing and are
dealing with the COLD.
Here is a heating idea that I have put together for my bus, that I would
like to share with the group, especially those of you who typically think
out of the box and design your own solutions. This is one of the greatest
values of the list in my opinion. I am constantly getting fantastic ideas
from the group.
I have finally completed another one of my Syncro GL to westy conversion
projects.
The completely "HOME GROWN Primus Lantern mantle fresh air heater". "Ta-da!"
Some of you will surely say I have too much time on my hands which I wish
was the case. Rather, I really really enjoy and get a great deal of
accomplishment from projects like these.
I think it is a shame there are not more "fresh air" heating options for the
vanagon.
I wanted a heater that would completely vent intake and exhaust air to the
outside of the van and would have zero emissions and oxygen depletion inside
the van.
I wanted a heater I could sleep right next to with absolutely zero worry
that I may wake up "dead" from depleted oxygen or build up of carbon
monoxide.
I have looked at pretty much everything out there and the Propex is the one
I really like but its not cheap and I could not install it where I installed
this one in the side body cavity.
I have done some initial tests now with my completed project and I feel I
achieved what I wanted.
By using two Primus lantern mantles re-jetted for the low 1 psi pressure of
the regulated westy tank I am able to generate a decent amount of heat for
the
rear sleeping area of my syncro. I started with a basic ten dollar
electrical box from my local yard birds, seal welded in eight 3/4 inch metal
tubes to act as a fresh air heat exchanger.
I used two hot water heater copper flex lines to vent intake and exhaust air
to the side air duct at the rear of the van. I am using a thermocouple from
a parted out westy fridge to shut off the propane in the event the mantles
should go out. Wood stove ceramic glass for a window in the face, wood stove
door seal rope for the seal of the face. I made a hinged cover to hide the
light from the lamps. 4 inch 107 cfm 12vt box fan draws 1/2 an amp for the
main blower, 10ohmm resistor to gives the fan 2 speeds, a thermal 160 degree
snap switch mounted on the top of the heater box cycles the blower fan on
and off. Webber bbq Pizo ignighter lights the first mantle and once lit,
the 2nd mantle will light from it. I found out the hard way that the unit
would not "draft" as it did on the bench test, once I had installed it in
the van, the box filled up with propane to the level of the pizo before
igniting, my heart is still recovering from that event. I ended up
installing a small 1inch CPU fan to the far end of the exhaust run which I
ran all the way to the top of the air intake behind the plastic louver
intake. You can just barely sense a slight temp change of air at the outlet.
Which means that most of the heat from the mantles is being extracted by the
heater. Installing the combustion fan on the exhaust side and drawing a
"vacuum" on the heater box is the best way to install a combustion blower
because any leakage will draw air into the box and exhaust it. If you
install the combustion blower on the intake and create a pressure to push
the air, any leaks will come into the van. I believe I have a good seal as
with the blower off the mantles use up all the air quickly and go out.
I used bubble foil behind the heater and around the heater to create a
proper air duct for the blower fan to push the air through the heater. I
used fiberglass header wrap on the back of the heater box itself as it gets
pretty warm, also a small section of the body metal behind the heater where
its a bit close. My testing running the heater for long periods show only a
small warming of a few degrees of the body metal when you feel it from the
outside, hardly even noticeable by feel.
The amount of heat is not huge, I do not think you could heat the whole van
effectively unless you had really good insulation and ran the heater for a
long time. It does heat up the back sleeping area pretty well and it uses a
very small amount of battery and propane. I am thinking of a drape at the
end of the bed to trap some of the heat and perhaps a small length of the
new aluminum coated 3 inch dryer vent hose to route the heat under the
covers in severe cold . With both mantles going on high the blower fan
will cycle on and off running for a few minutes to cool down the heater then
off for a few minutes as it heats back up.
I have the corvair gas heater that I will be installing next that is a bit
of a heat monster. It draws a hefty 7.5 amps and blows out significant heat
to heat the whole van in several minutes. I am going to try to incorporate a
hot water coil to its exhaust for heating water in the tank.
My thinking is use the gas heater for major heating and this propane unit
for low draw during the night.
I have the GL back seat and access to the drivers side body cavity for this,
the westy has the closet there. I believe I could design this to work as a
free standing unit that could sit on top of the closed stove sink lid and
route the intake and exhaust to the side slider window for fresh air heat.
You would need to splice into the propane line behind the fridge and hook it
up after cooking etc but I think I could make a nice unit that would work
well and throw light to boot.
What is once only a thought and notion in your head can become a reality.
Pics:
http://users.ca.astound.net/dougfayne/lanternheaterwideshot.JPG
http://users.ca.astound.net/dougfayne/Lanternheatercloseup.JPG
http://users.ca.astound.net/dougfayne/lanternheaterxposed.JPG
http://users.ca.astound.net/dougfayne/lanternheaterplumbing.JPG
http://users.ca.astound.net/dougfayne/nightimelight.JPG
http://users.ca.astound.net/dougfayne/exhaustvent.JPG
Cheers,
Doug
87 syncro conversion
89 wolfy