Date: Sun, 12 Apr 2020 22:49:36 -0600
Reply-To: OlRivrRat <OlRivrRat@COMCAST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: OlRivrRat <OlRivrRat@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: Chinese Diesel Heater for Vanagons
In-Reply-To: <1706692031.4753100.1586742486004@mail.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252
Richard
Where can more info be found on the "hanging off passenger window" approach ~
ORR ~ DeanB
On 12 Apr , 2020, at 7:48 PM, Richard Koerner wrote:
> Great info and update, Bob. Very glad you are pleased with performance, let's see how they go after a few years. The Kerosene is a nice idea. Sooting up seems to be the main issue with these units. Other issues are the "thump-thump-thump" of fuel pump....but there are plenty of ideas to solve that as well. It is kinda why I liked the "hanging off passenger window" approach; no fuel pump noise, no diesel fuel spill on interior, just use it for winter months and not take up all that space for the rest of the year, easy exhaust of burnt gas out to exterior with little chance of mixing with interior cold air to unit. I think these units have a lot of possibilities. If I lived in a colder place, I would go for it, as opposed to Mr Buddy.
>
> Rich
>
> San Diego
>
> On Sunday, April 12, 2020, 5:57:53 PM PDT, mccullough bob <mbob1950@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I installed a 5kw Chinese diesel unit into my Syncro camper in jan. this year. Cost was ~$100 and installation took some time and thought but worked out well.
> Put the heater under the back seat just in front of the ecu on the far left side. 7 passenger converted camper. Hot air duct where the rear heater used to be.
> Combustion exhaust and intake thru floor. Had to be careful cutting due to AC hoses and Mortar box storage under the floor on both sides of the van.
> Intake air is drawn near the drive shaft and exhaust out the side attached to my rock rail. I decided to burn Kerosine instead of Diesel because it burns clean.
> A lot of people fail to get the mix right with diesel and have smoking problems. Im in Tenn. but like cold weather camping. About a gallon of K1 lasted for 4 days.
> I put my tank up on my roof rack and ran the line down thru the left engine vent. A grommet hole thru wheel well and forward to pump below where the heater is.
> So far it works great. Heats van in 10 min. and then I run it on minimum level and off before crawling in bag. Good investment so far.
>
>
> Bob
>
> http://idiopath2020.wordpress.com <http://idiopath2020.wordpress.com/>
> https://idiopath2019.home.blog <https://idiopath2019.home.blog/>
> http://idiopath2018.wordpress.com <http://idiopath2018.wordpress.com/>
> https://idiopath2017.wordpress.com <https://idiopath2017.wordpress.com/>
>
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>> On 12, Apr2020, at 5:10 PM, Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@SBCGLOBAL.NET> wrote:
>>
>> Not to flip things around "too" much....here is a Vanagon guy who installed Chinese Diesel Heater and seems pretty happy with it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j5qW9kKBLMHe does some rugged winter camping....beyond my skill level and appetite for punishment!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0-aq7PhUNQ&list=TLPQMTIwNDIwMjBCk4mHpPFmBg&index=2
>>
>> On Sunday, April 12, 2020, 2:44:19 PM PDT, Roy Nicholl <rnicholl@nbnet.nb.ca> wrote:
>>
>> Chris:
>>
>> The model you select will be dependant upon the vehicle and the application - i.e. the amount of heat to be generated and how the heater connects into the system. As an example, we use the D5WSC as the parking heater in our work trucks (my Jetta has an older D4 model). In heavy equipment and large trucks, 24v models are often used.
>>
>> Webasto also makes hydronic heaters, though I have no personal experience with them.
>>
>> As Dennis pointed out, in an RV, you would likely prefer one of the Airtronic furnaces that work like a mini forced-air furnaced …. particularly where the T3 campers may already be ducted for one. Additionally, the blowers in these units may be more energy efficient than those on the heater cores in the T3. That said, I had an old D4W about, so when the Webasto furnace packed it in, I installed it. Where we only use the Westy three seasons, the ability to pre-warm the engine is not needed. A furnace would have been easier to fit - since there was already one on the camper (though most of the original duct work is pretty soft).
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>> On 12-Apr-2020, at 18:03, christopher@t3technique.com wrote:
>>>
>>> Do you have a particular model that you like? I ask because there are quite a few different ones to choose from.
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com> On Behalf Of Roy Nicholl
>>> Sent: Sunday, April 12, 2020 11:52 AM
>>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>> Subject: Re: Advice on when to buy propane heater
>>>
>>> David:
>>>
>>> No, they heat the cabin with the engine off. They also do a better job at warming an engine than a block heater.
>>>
>>> It is essentially a small (diesel or gas) fired boiler which is fitted into the coolant circuit. When the heater runs, it circulates the coolant. They are commonly used as parking heaters in diesel trucks and heavy equipment, but can also be fitted to just about any water cooled engine. I have them both in the LT and in the Jetta wagon.
>>>
>>> The control units work on a timer or via a remote. When it’s -30C here in the winter, I set the heater in the truck to start about 20-minutes before I leave in the morning. It first warms the engine block (so when you start the diesel, it’s as warm as if it’s been running for an hour), then it switches the blowers on in the cab and warms the cab. We also use it to warm the cab during lunch at a jobsite.
>>>
>>> Eberspächer also makes diesel and gas furnaces which will heat the cabin space … these have been fitted to many VW Type-2 T1/T2/T3 buses over the generations … though the Webasto was more commonly found on the T3’s bound for North America.
>>>
>>>
>>>> On 12-Apr-2020, at 14:13, David McNeely <davmcneely40@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Hmmm.... . I'm not familiar with these heaters, but from your brief
>>>> description, they sound like they would only work for heating the
>>>> cabin while the engine is running. The heaters the other folks are
>>>> interested in are for heating the camper when it is parked.
>>>>
>>>> On Sun, Apr 12, 2020 at 10:07 AM Roy Nicholl <RNicholl@nbnet.nb.ca> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> My preference is still for the Eberspächer hydronic heaters. Just
>>>>> hook them-up in the coolant run and they’ll warm both the engine and
>>>>> the inside of the vehicle (using the existing heaters and blowers).
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> On 11-Apr-2020, at 20:57, Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@SBCGLOBAL.NET> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Lots of guys are migrating to the Chinese Diesel Heaters. Lots of
>>>>> options with these. Permanent install inside Vanagon; or, hang off
>>>>> passenger side window seasonally (which mostly appeals to me). Some
>>>>> are sorta self-contained....like a box. Others are in pieces...that
>>>>> you sorta put together as you see fit. A myriad of pluses and minuses of course.
>>>>> But, pretty cheap, typically well under $200. Just type into Amazon!
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Heat output seems to be good, and it is dry heat. I thought about
>>>>>> them,
>>>>> and I'm on the Facebook Chinese Diesel Heater site mostly out of
>>>>> curiosity. Based on my camping style, which means in winter I mostly
>>>>> go out to the low humidity desert east of San Diego and the Colorado
>>>>> River and Arizona lowlands, for me the Mr Buddy propane heater works
>>>>> just fine and has never let me down. I mostly need something to just
>>>>> take the chill off a little during dinner time.
>>>>>> But, worth looking into. Best determined by your locale, your
>>>>>> winter
>>>>> camping style, your wallet thickness. Explore the reviews...there
>>>>> are ample.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Rich
>>>>>> San Diego
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Friday, April 10, 2020, 8:59:29 PM PDT, Dennis Haynes <
>>>>> d23haynes57@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Karl,
>>>>>> Thank you for the response and update. Most installs I have done are
>>>>> purchased by others and then I get the job when they give up or it
>>>>> doesn’t work. For some part the RV world still uses the Suburban or
>>>>> Atwood heaters as the industry standard for propane heat. Not as
>>>>> eloquent, compact, quiet or efficient. They just have the market.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Dennis
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>> From: Karl [mailto:tdiguru@westyventures.com]
>>>>>> Sent: Friday, April 10, 2020 11:34 PM
>>>>>> To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@hotmail.com>; Harry Hoffman <
>>>>> hhoffman@IP-SOLUTIONS.NET>; vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>>>>> Subject: Re: Advice on when to buy propane heater
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Thanks for pinging me on this conversation, Dennis, however I am no
>>>>> longer the US representative for Propex. That whole business has
>>>>> moved to Van Cafe / Rocky Mountain Westy as of mid-February. The
>>>>> sources are not what I would call 'limited' as I established the
>>>>> distribution in the US 17 years ago, and there are multiple dealers around the country selling them.
>>>>> In fact, the US market is there largest now! Van Cafe is the go-to
>>>>> company for parts, service, warranty, and market price.
>>>>>> Pricing normally stays the same, the only lower amount might be if
>>>>>> you
>>>>> find a used one.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> That all said, for milder climates the 2000 or 2211 are fine (both
>>>>>> 6500
>>>>> btu). The 2800 for colder temps, say below 20 F., if we are speaking
>>>>> of a Vanagon installation.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Karl
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On 4/10/2020 7:20 PM, Dennis Haynes wrote:
>>>>>>> What size is your new Van? The Propex may not be the ideal choice.
>>>>>>> Now
>>>>> may be a good time to negotiate. There are limited sources as the
>>>>> Manufacture does not really sell them for the US market. Karl is the
>>>>> master for these and I would go to him first for information. There
>>>>> are a few different models now including some that completely install underneath.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> If you want to do some experimenting to see what size heater you
>>>>>>> think
>>>>> you need try using a plug in electric heater as a trial. A 1,500 watt
>>>>> heater yields about over 5,200 Btu/hr. The HS 2000 is 2.1KW in,
>>>>> 1.9kw out or about 6,500 btu/hr. The math is 3,142Btu/KW.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Dennis
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
>>>>>>> Behalf Of Harry Hoffman
>>>>>>> Sent: Friday, April 10, 2020 9:12 PM
>>>>>>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>>>>>> Subject: Advice on when to buy propane heater
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Hi Volks,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I’m thinking of buying a propex for my new van. Since they are
>>>>>>> pretty
>>>>> expensive I’m hoping to find out if anyone know of regular sales or
>>>>> other advantageous times to buy?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Cheers,
>>>>>>> Harry
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>
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