Date:         Thu, 2 Oct 1997 15:59:46 -0400
Reply-To:     PACO <"PACO @ 28th (PACO)%New York Media Group"@MCIMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon mailing list <Vanagon@Gerry.SDSC.EDU>
From:         PACO <"PACO @ 28th (PACO)%New York Media Group"@MCIMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: aux heaters (Long)

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On October 1, 1997 Blake wrote:

>I'm looking into a heater for the winter.
>I think i've decided on the Platinum Cat by Thermal Systems.
>I do have a few questions:

>Is this the heater I want?

Blake, I own this same unit and other than some initial installation problems
I've been very happy with its performance.

>Do I go with the big (6000 BTU) or the small (3000 BTU)?

Definitely the 6000.  It puts out a lot of heat but my '90 Westy isn't all that
well insulated and even though the front will get warm, the back can stay cool.
If I could find a way to insulate the roof and/or sides better I'm convinced
this would help.

>Will I need an aux battery?  How long till my battery dies on me?
>(I do leave the van parked for days at a time, and would want the heater on).

I have a deep cycle aux battery rated at 55 amps.  Off of it I run the interior
light, the heater and a very small TV/VCR combo.   We've found that after a day
of skiing it can be very cozy to curl up and watch a movie with dinner since its
really hard to hang out outside in the dead of winter.

Last year we spent many weekends (2 nights out) this way without running out of
battery power.  I'm just guessing but for the heater alone I would estimate that
a week would be no problem.  As we're escalating our camping from every weekend
to every weekend + sick days + personal days + vacations we splurged for a solar
panel this year so that we could go for weeks at a time.  Hell, if we're lucky
we might never come back to work.

>Should I run another line from the tank under the van, or should I just
>get another tank?

I ran a line from the existing tank.  If you use it for the heater alone, your 3
gallon tank will give you approximately 57 hours of continuous operation.
Obviously this is extended as the heater cycles on and off and goes plenty far
if you don't leave it on when your not in the car.  We frequently turn the heat
down but not off to prevent our water from freezing.  We still have not figured
out how to solve the water problem so we carry jugs but would prefer to use the
tank.  Maybe this will be next years project?

>Where should I put the vent line at and how?
>(I have heard venting it into the wheel well or on the floor.  The
>wheel well sounds bad because wont it get plugged up with snow there?)

My heater is installed behind the passenger seat facing backwards.  The vent
goes out to the wheel well and then down.  I leave it uncapped all winter and
have never had it foul or plug up at all but I do screw a PVC end-cap on for the
summer as it goes 8 months without use and I don't want anything living in
there.

>Anything else that would be useful to know?

Tips:
Cover the propane line with something to keep road debris from dinging it.
Use heavy gauge wire from the battery.
Be careful with clearances.  18" minimum on all sides.  (Includes stuff,
clothes, gear etc.)
Calk and seal everything to prevent drafts and minimize rattles.
Mount thermostat on opposite side of camper.

Good luck.  I can't say enough about how much fun it is to have a Westy that you
use in the winter.

-Clark

PS:  The usual disclaimers apply.  I don't work for thermal systems or anything
like that.