1:25 Installation Guide suggest heat duct should go STRAIGHT for 10-15 inches out from heater. NO TURNS OR BENDS for 12 inches!!! (I'm a wanna-be van dweller who eat chips and watches RU-vid.) 11:03 OUCH! FIRE HAZARD! Move that plastic fuel line away from hot exhaust tube. Keep electric wires away from heat too. 12:45 That 90 degree bend at outlet is not recommended in install guide. Your temp reads 45C on plastic body at hot air outlet flange. Guess that sounds okay.
Hi Steve! Love the solution with the separate Diesel tank! I had a Webasto Solution in my previous ride and loved it. 🙂 But what I found is that the exhaust gases where very hot too... I was thinking about a solution in using them as an additional heat source instead of letting them get to waste... Sadly there was far not enough space to have a small heat exchanger to also tap into this "waste product". As I now saw your video I was immediately reminded of this! Maybe you can use an air to water heat exchanger to create warm water for your shower or to feed a small boiler as a warm water storeage with it or just use it as an additional heat source for your MoHo. 😄 Don't know if this would be something you'd like to think about, but for "off-gridding" you should be able to get every bit of energy used. 😉😁😆 I wish you a happy new year and a lot of fun roadtripping!! Greetings from Austria!👋
Hi Andreas There is a company called ‘Bobble’ who use the heater air outlet to heat water via a recirculating system which looks very good, but I don’t know of anyone who does similar with the exhaust. ATB, Steve
That’s great but the piston fuel pump on the heaters need the diesel as well say 30/70 to lubricate the pump piston that way the pump will last longer ok 👍
@@1fryatuck must be because of road tax. Is red diesel substantially cheaper? Here in the states you can get up to 75 cents off per gallon if you go for red.
I agree with your choice to stay out of the engine fuel supply. I also agree that the outboard engine fuel tank with quick release is an awesome upgrade.
If you're ever living out of a vehicle, especially in colder climates, redundancy is key. My RV fridge runs on propane 12 volt or 120, I've got propane heaters and electric heaters, I've got options for shore power or the power inverter off the battery Bank, etc.. you always want to be able to stay warm and dry even if one system goes down. If it's 3:00 in the morning and a heater quits while it's negative 10, especially if you're in the middle of nowhere camping.. good luck finding parts or a store open.
The diesel heater is temperamental. I learned that within the first two months after installing it. So I have spare parts on hand if necessary. Being in BFE and the heater goes out and that's all you have is not a fun place to be my friend. So I 100% agree.
@@wideawaketotruth5301 I'm not sure which diesel heater you were using but I've had the same diesel heater for about 2 years in one of my campers and it's ran off a battery Bank that gets charged by solar panels. It's worked flawlessly since day one. Never had a problem with it. I recently transferred it into my current camper because I sold the other one.
Wrinkly Nomad, I'm not sure why your cabin air is "stale" as you repeatedly state (just crack a window if you need a bit of fresh air), but in HVAC systems, we cycle air through the heat exchanger only from within the interior heated space. (in homes this is via a "return register") This is primarily for efficiency, as a heater would have to run much longer if it is heating all cold air from outside. Same thing here. (in really cold weather I would expect yours to run nearly constantly; these coach heaters sip fuel when installed as designed) But more important, critical in fact, I would expect you to get diesel exhaust smells (or worse!) introduced into the coach with the combustion exhaust anywhere near your heater cabin-air intake, even a couple meters away you will get some contamination. Truly, you need the combustion side/heating side of the heater totally isolated outside/inside, not any mix. Good news is you simply need to attach a vent hose to the heater cabin air intake and route it back up and inside the coach (if the Chinese heater has instructions you should see that in the diagram there). Probably then you will realize the small tank was an adequate size too. Not trying to be critical, but you have made an error that could have serious consequences (besides using a ton of extra fuel/energy and shortening the lifespan of the heater). Good luck!
Very nice tank, FYI I have seen. A good few guys using used motor oil with these heaters as they burn so clean they use 2 tanks (20l) oil then 10l kerosene as that apparently burns any carbon build up, one guy did a 1year side by side test 3 heaters 1desil 1 kerasine 1 used oil then broke all three down and there was v little difference between the desil and the oil in build up
You've fitted the fuel filter upside down! the inlet should be at the bottom so that any water/condensation sits in the bottom and cant get drawn up into the heater. Also, better to have the heater draw its air from inside the camper, heats the camper up way more quickly. last thing, best running the heater on kerosene (oil fired central heating fuel) half the price of red diesel. nice job tho.
Hi Gary, These small heaters generally only require a fuel sediment filter, which this is. As a sediment filter it it positioned correctly to protect any particles from reaching the gauze filter and blocking it where the fuel enters the burner chamber. Within the van and motorhome life community I've never heard of anyone having a fuel condensation problem where they have ever had to fit a water separator inline to these heaters and really think it's an issue? The air intake is positioned like this so as to give me fresh hot air into the habitation area, rather than stale recirculated air. Using kerosene is completely possible, but I plan to be fully mobile and travelling in Europe, so generally might be a problem. I fully get your valid points though and thanks commenting 👍 ATB, Steve
Thank you for making another interesting video, it is a very neat project. Quick question: Why take cold air in from outside to heat up rather than recycling the already warm air from inside the cabin? It would make the system much more efficient. Note: I mean the fan intake air, not the combustion intake, that should come from outside to ensure maximum oxygen.
Good question: I want fresh air in the habitation area mainly. These heater are so efficient that the difference between recycled air and outside air temperature doesn't seem to matter unless it's in the single figures outside. If I use it in 0degs conditions then I would change to air inlet hose and make it recirculated. ATB, Steve
Hody, you are aware that your marine tank has a reserve bilt in? The rased hump isolates the fuel, so when the level drops, it becomes two compartments. The one your pickup is in is half the size of the big one. Pull the tank and tip it to alow the transfer of fuel to the smaller side. If you already know this, sorry for taking up your time.
After much thinking about how to reinstall Chinese diesel heater for the long-term I also came up with the notion that a marine fuel tank would be the best option
Excellent video. Editing, explaining.. Everything is just great about it. Im restoring an old caravan and im ripping out the propane heating system and installing a china diesel heater instead. The use of a boat tank is just brilliant. This means you can have two tanks and just switch when one is empty. I think that the diesel heater gives a much drier air than propane heaters, and living in an arctic climat (north of Sweden) i think that´s a good thing. When running propane in the winter it gets really humid in the caravan. Thank you very much for this video!! Best regards, Jimmy.
Hi Thomas, I want fresh, heated air, in the cabin. Not stale recirculated air. However, I might change my mind if it starts to effect the temperature of the outlet air during the winter..! I can still run ducting from the cabin through to the air inlet if this is the case. ATB, Steve
@@TheWrinklyNomads Hi Steve, I didnt worry about too cold air.. But more about the exhaust gases turning during heavy wind or other bad smells you suck in from outdoor during the night (parking over a manhole cover or something...) Greetings from Germany! ✌😊
Brilliant original video and thanks for doing this upgrade,, which I will probably do from the start,, really appreciate someone who is able to clearly explain what they are doing, a great skill indeed, many thanks
Oh my god why would you put the heater air intake outside ( not talking about heater combustion air inlet) Wind blowing right you can get carbon monoxide being blowed in heated and through your RV. Please explain why you did that .
The air intake comes from the cab area the air for combustion comes from outside. I have the same van there is jus enough room behind the passenger seat for the vent
Hi George, People are either in the recirculated or fresh air camp over this one it seems. I have done extension testing on Co2 levels on my installation and I get absolutely no emissions entering the van cabin. The Co2 coming out of the exhaust is at a very low level to start with, gasses would have to travel 1 metre back and down underneath the van and the rise up and go through a channel before it gets to the air inlet. I have a Co2 minitor mounted next to the heater air inlet, another next to the hot air outlet and a further one in the cabin. At first I was concerned if this would be an issue but it seems there are no issues whatsoever with rouge Co2 in the cabin area. Hope that puts you mind at rest and thank you for raising those points. ATB, Steve
Is there any other fuel pump that works on these heaters? I’m on my 3rd pump already and they take about 8 weeks or longer to get another one. Also one time I got a 24 volt pump instead of a 12 volt like I ordered.
Thank you Alan, I have never had to prime the tank at all. Even when I first started up with no fuel in the line. The little pump is mighty powerful and sucked the fuel up form the tank straight away with now problem. ATB, Steve
Marine hosing is the best of the best and large inner diameter the pump CC size on any of these heaters isn't even remotely close to causing starvation issues from the suction of the pump, it's many times greater than what most people or the manufacturers themselves fit or specify to fit as a fuel supply. The yamaha fuel tanks In the UK are the best of the best as far as what you get for your cash fuel hose and fitment wise. You can build one up from a good Yamaha or simmilar tank part and lower grade hosing for maybe a 3rd cheaper and will still work fine for 5+yr. Its the cheapo plastic tanks they thread the lid after too many refills and the breather isn't watertight when shut as its not got the 2 O-ring set up blah blah.. buy the better ones is my advice and btw old British metal tanks work really good on these too with even cheapo fuel hose. They have the heavily metal screw on top of the cap as the breather so are really good if you need a metal can.
Love your idea of removable boat fuel tank. Also how u sealed fittings and heat tested looking for hit spots after burning heater. U r wise and safe and understand why! Thanks. My spare fuel tank can be second marine tank, swapped in full.
So the air intake ( not for combustion ) comes from outside ? Seems like it’s be better if that came from inside as the air inside is likely somewhat warmer than the outside air.
Hi, my reason for taking the air from outside was to great fresh air into the cabin and not to recycle the stale air. So far it has worked well for me with no real impact on the output temperatures. ATB, Steve
Thanks, my boat has one and after watching some of your videos I now know how to operate it. They are pretty noisy (the airflow) but they for sure heat up the pilothouse and cabin with ease. It uses the main 300L tank.
Pulling air in from the outside of the vehicle is less eficient than recyling pre heated air from the inside the vehicle. This is what ive found anyway - ensure your heated air is recycled, this will lessen the load of the heater. You should also ensure the exhasut is a safe disatnce from the HA intake if drawing from outdoors - potenital for poisoning yourself. I presume this fella has routed his exhast off in the other direction, out away from the skirts of the vehicle. Ive been running mine for 3 years now (full time living) with only occasional maintenance. Hot air and ventalation are the keys to good internal climate.
Hi, I have done quite a few tests and found air inlet temperature has very little difference on hot air outlet temperature when the air temp is above 8degC. Under this and there can be upto a 5degC lower hot air outlet temperature. When it was below 0degC outside air there was a significant difference of up to 10degC. SO I agree with you there, it can make a difference, especially in the UK. The big thing for me is: I have no intentions of being in those low temperature..! Generally always in +10degC. This gives me the advantage of always have 'fresh; air passed through into the van, giving me the best of both worlds, hot air and ventilation. But I do agree with you for van life in this country: definitely recirculated air. ATB, Steve
I've watched a few videos about these heaters and it seems to be that you need the fuel pump sitting with the outlet facing upwards slightly to avoid air in the fuel, and that the silencer on the exhaust should be the lowest point in the exhaust system, with the notch in the silencer (the drain hole) hanging down most to avoid moisture building up.
That's quite correct. Fuel pump over 45degs due to pump cavitation and the risk of trapping air bubbles within the pump chamber. As for the silencer. They generally don't last long as this drain hole gets clogged up. But definitely have it pointing down, at least give it a chance...!! ATB, Steve
Best idea I've seen in a long time. Remove the tank via a quick release valve and fill it up outside the vehicle. Brilliant ... Most people that have an indoor tank fill the unit as a stationary unit risking a spill inside.
Only problem I can see is that you are using an outside under van air inlet for the air to be heated. If the wind direction is just right exhaust gasses could be blown into this and contaminate the hot air going into the van. These heaters are normally connected so that the air they heat is taken from inside the van and just recirculated. Any kind of snow drifting would also be a problem
Hi Matthias Fresh air comes in from the outside. When it is very cold, 0 degrees outside, during winter, I block the vent to allow air to be drawn in from the van. I find it's slightly more efficient then.
Yes, I am still experimenting with that. So far a one metre exhaust extension seems to be fine 👍🏼 No sign of bubbles or pump cavitation either at the present angle.
That fuel tank option is great. Makes real good sense, particularly for refueling. Is there a visual option to see how much fuel is left in the tank? Nice one, see ya on the road.
Hi, yes there’s a fuel level gauge on the top with the filling connector. You can see it right here @ 2:00 mins. The tank is certainly a better option for me 👍🏼 All the best, Steve
@@TheWrinklyNomads Great Video. I always thought with those marine tanks that it had to be pressurized with the rubber bulb in order to work. Is this not the case for this application? TIA
I twisted a ball of 5m 0.25mm nichrome wire and placed it in the combustion chamber to expand the heat zone. Fuel vapor burns better as it passes through the high temperature zone. The effect was staggering. The fuel supply had to be restricted as it started to fail due to overheating. An aquarium metal tap had to be installed to limit fuel supply by 50%. Then the output has a 143c airflow at 1.6Hz and with 5l running in 27h in my variant. The fuel burns so well that there is almost no smoke from the exhaust pipe, only weak steam. I suggest you give it a try.
Very interesting... Quite an involved experiment. Fuel consumption would be improved a lot as well I would think. I might give that a test on the bench and see what results I get. Thanks for the info, ATB, Steve
Lol...that was pretty funny! Heat resistant caulk is heat resistant, but it doesn't also make everything you apply it to heat resistant as well! It's not a thermal barrier. That foam would stand up to the heat just the same no matter what type of sealant you put over it. Good job overall though. Thanks for the video
I use central heating oil it's cheaper than red diesel, I also add Lucas fuel injector cleaner occasionally to clean and lubricate as the heating oil has less lubricity than diesel, I currently run it 14 hours a day
I'm having problems even finding red diesel to be honest no garage's around me don't sell it. As it's half the price of road diesel I'd sooner use red. Back in the day in the 80s I could get it delivered in drums but how ever iv seen a RU-vid video on Mells van life he saying it's available at garage's iv yet to see a pump with red diesel and he's in the UK as well Looking forward to more of your videos as they are made in such detailed depth. Keep up the good work
Great video, as we only have a small motorhome on a peugeot boxer chassis I mounted ours in an underslung box. I tapped into the fuel sender which is easy to remove with the correct tool £8 (probably never used it again) and plumbed it with the correct eberspacher attachment, I also used genuine eberspacher exhaust and silencer which I found have made it less noisy. Having paid £600 for an eberspacher on our last van I find the Chinese heater a great option and I don't regret fitting it and have had great service out of it for £90.
Exhaust can go up to 2mts with no ill effects or strain on it as per manufacturers booklet with correct amount of bends no more otherwise back pressure will occur or go to larger pipe .
absolutely brilliant! I was hesitant to tap into either of my fuel tanks in my diesel pickup truck. Your solution will work great and allow me mount everything under the truck bed and out of my small camper shell and still allow me to remove the heater fuel tank when I'm not camping.. only problem I saw it that the steering wheel is on the wrong side of your camper... but I'm sure you'll square that away....
@@cliffbriggs8180 I'm afraid that's wrong. The fuel should enter from the bottom, any debris or water droplets will not make it as far as the filtering medium. And exit from the top. As a mechanic with 50yrs experience, I like to pass on hard earned knowledge to anyone who has an enthusiasm for a subject I've made my living from. I'm not preaching just advising. I hope you take it in the manner it's given.😁
@@garyc205you may have 50 yrs experience in mechanics but that doesn't mean you've been doing it right for 50 yrs. Any filter system, enter into outer bowl exit through inner filter medium.
Great video. With my cdh the display failed due to being powered up all the time and after a few months the display became very dim and only readable at night. This is a common problem with all of the 5 button cdh controllers. I replace mine and also fitted a master switch into the main 12 volt DC line I used a small key switch of a alarm system to avoid someone turning of the heater without shutting down the heater properly. This shuts down the whole heater when not in use ( summer time for instant ). Works a treat and sofar no problems.
Has anyone been able to figure out a fuel pump that is rotary rather than the stock ones that tick all night and keep everyone up all night. Someone could make a fortune if this could be overcome.
You should understand why we can't use a rotary pump from this Australian vidéo. (I had the same question also) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-nRF-B74sDmQ.html
You get better efficiency if you recirculate your interior air through the heater instead of drawing in fresh air all the time. All though 90C is nothing to laugh at in terms of heating.
Hi, I chose this method as I want heated fresh air into the cabin. You are correct, you do get slightly better efficiency using recirculated air but I have found it heats the cabin up with no problem using this method. I think people are either in the recirculated or fresh air camp....!
well, its diesel.. so it won't ignite, even if you put a naked flame to diesel it wont ignite or burn, it needs to be pressurised to burn...its nothing like petrol. its very safe
great video! Thanks for documenting your process. At 10:53 with the quick release system, did you have any dramas like having to re-prime the pump because of getting a little bit of air in the fuel line? I have one myself and am worried about running out of fuel for this reason. I don't have a fuel gauge either that looks like a handy addition :)
So far Iv'e had no problems when refuelling. The valve is self sealing. But I see your point. If you can refuel without disconnecting the tank then that would solve the air issues. ATB, Steve
Fitted one of these in my boat and it is very toasty when on. They are good but with the kit that came I kept the main unit, controller, wiring & dosing pump. Everything else went in the bin as it's typical chinese junk and not fit for purpose. Proper fuel hose, webasto stainless exhaust hose, stainless sealed exhaust & bulkhead fitting and 316 stainless clips & fittings. Still so much cheaper than a eberspacher.
If you find the fuel pump is noisy, you can house it in a small insulated box ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-rP3FOPqtINg.html - you can purchase a quieter pump, but they are not ultra quiet as advertised, but they are definitely quieter. Nice way to get rid of that annoying clicking sound is to insult an area that can house the pump. In your video you've housed yours under the van in an compartment area so you might not hear it, but if it's audible maybe a small insulated box might serve you and your setup! Great video and the new fuel tank is the way to go.
Great upgrade! Instant LIKE and SUBSCRIBE! Very carefully and well done. Thanks for sharing. That dinky little tank that comes with these furnaces are just too little. I live in my RV (caravan for some of you) nine months out of a year on the job at different locations. I really got tired of filling the diesel heater tank. So I built in a 30 gallon tank. And to top it off, I routed the heater directly into the existing propane furnace ductwork. It heats the whole RV and the floor is always warm too. I still have the LPG for backup, but it sucks. The diesel heater runs forever on the large tank and the heat it produces is not humid like propane. Greetings to you in the UK from Alaska.
Question, why didn’t you pipe the inlet air from the cabin, recycling the cabin air would reduce the heat required to maintain the cabin temperature. Having a closed loop reduces the chance of carbon monoxide being sucked into the inlet. I really like your idea of using the 5 Gal outboard tank. I have my 5 K heater mounted on its side in a metal tool box and use inlet & outlet hoses, works well, I also have two motorcycle batteries in the box as well with a 12 volt charger.
Hi John, I want fresh air through to the cabin area instead of stale recirculated air. So far, performance does not drop, even in cold weather. But I have yet to try it in really cold, zero degree, weather.! The unit runs very clean and is positioned well away from the air intake so the chances of exhaust gas returning are low. All a case of trial and error to get the best results I suppose..... Had I not have a lower storage are I would use the metal box method - think that's a good idea. ATB, Steve
@@TheWrinklyNomads You could always put a two way damper in the line like autos & & window A/Cs have. Want fresh air when it's not so cold, open the fresh air side. In really cold weather, close the fresh air intake and recirculate to save the heat you've already paid for.
Very nice upgrade. I just got mine and I'm already replacing the pump with a less noisier model. I'm going to use mine as a add on heat source to my home. I have a wood pellet stove with a thermostat, it works amazing but the pellets are getting too much to carry. I will be testing it out my new heater completely before old man winter arrives. Your upgrade gave me some ideas and I'll see if my thoughts will work.
A big like, I only discovered you today, I'm glad that this happened, everything you do is brilliant, keep it up, success in everything you do, I wish you a beautiful day and what's important to me a long life.
Hi J, I don't think of it as 'cold air'... Instead I prefer to have "fresh air" circulate into the cabin. I have tested this and the efficiency of the burner is hardly compromised at all. The only real time I noticed any changes in the output air temperature was when the outside air was below 5 degree C. But this was not really significant. These burner are really very efficient in their heat transfer. ATB, Steve
Guys, maybe I’m missing something, but the pipe which you’re talking about is a pipe for the combustion chamber: the air that goes through it never gets inside the living space, it goes to the exhaust.
@@hudlistanparagliding - we are NOT taking about the combustible air intake here. Rather the air inlet that then flows over the burning body and exits as hot air to warm the van. Hope that clarifies it…
@@TheWrinklyNomads Ah, okay, got it. Thank you for clarifying. You do the great job with your educational videos. Great tips and informative narration! 👍
Hi Grom, I want fresh hot air in the van, not recycled stale air. I have done experiments on the efficiency of these heaters with both internal and external air intakes and found very little difference in performance when the air temperature is above 5 degrees Celsius. It is only when the outside air is below 0 degrees that you start to see a noticeable change, especially a decrease of the outlet air temperature. However, I don't intend to run my heater at these low outside temperatures anyway...! So, for my particular usage, it's the perfect setup. ATB, Steve
I don't know the rules in europe, but here (US) plastic fuel cans and tanks do not vent out, only in. This causes the tank to pressurize which pressurizes the line and the end device. No thanks. The other problem is fire. If the RV burns, the plastic tank will melt and pour fuel out for a much more intense fire. RV fires have become VERY common with thousands every year. I chose a used steel outboard fuel tank that can be manually vented for use and closed when not in use and while traveling. I also will have a 3 way valve. Main tank, auxiliary tank and off.
I believe that all fuel tanks (in Europe at least) were changed from steel to plastic because in an impact steel joints fracture whereas plastic just deforms and doesn't spill the contents everywhere.
@@gasgas2689 None of which has anything to do with what I said. The subject was portable fuel cans inside a motor home. Vehicle fuel tanks are outside and well below the steel floor.
LOL So the standard issue fuel tank sold with every unit is better in your opinion??? On the marine tank filler screw lid there is a screwable vent plug with a rubber seal. In my opinion this idea is excellent to go with a dinghy fuel tank. It is a tonne more robust, and if the tank would melt in a fire, your motorhome is a write off already by that point.
@@chrisdekock8864 What standard tank with what unit? Motor homes with generators are fueled by the vehicle fuel tank and I wasn't talking about those tanks. They stopped making the vent 2 way on portable tanks. That's one reason why I chose an older outboard steel tank. New and late model portable tanks, including marine tanks, only draw air in and do not vent internal pressure. As far as fire goes, if a motor home is already a write off, I see no reason to add gasoline to a fire. These fires also typically spread to anything near it.
I noticed the tank is divided at the bottom. Seems like this would leave a lot of fuel in the tank that can't get to the pick up tube. I don't know the rules there but in the US gasoline containers are red and diesel are yellow. Might create a problem when refilling if the right people noticed this. Very nice install. Most people would not test temperatures or for carbon monoxide.
Hi, Yes there is a small divider inside, to help prevent low fuel levels sloshing about. Since this video I have slightly raised the back of the tank to allow more fuel to the pickup. This type of tank is a marine tank and only comes in red. There isn't a problem when I fill up at all, never had any problems. The smaller fuel tanks for cars are red or black though. ATB, Steve
The heater's air intake is positioned below the van, which coincides with the exhaust system's location. This presents a notable hazard of exhaust fumes entering the living space. To address this concern, it is recommended to install a distinct intake pipe that draws air from the habitation area. Additionally, it is essential to connect both ends of the heater to the habitation area to ensure safe and efficient operation.
Hi, the actual exhaust tailpipe is over two metres away and 250mm below the burner unit, so in my case there is no chance of any fumes returning into the unit. Plus the addition of several strategically placed Carbon Monoxide alarms ensures I have no worries. However, you make a fair point regarding the recirculation of air within the habituation area. Pulling air in from outside enables me to have fresh, clean air into the van, not any stale recirculated air. The down side of this is the incoming air temperature. Too cold and it has a detrimental effect on actual hot air temperature at the outlet. If below 5degC I see a drop of anything up to 10degC on outlet hot air..! Anything above the 5degC and there is no difference between recycled van air and the outside fresh air. Regarding recommendations: there's really no such thing. You can have both the air inlet and outlet ports open without any ducting at all and still have efficient operation. This setup has been running faultlessly now for over two years..... ATB, Steve
I'm happy to see that it is not a problem for you. I have a troubling situation for my install. Perhaps you have some insight. My motorhome has a sub floor. Do I mount the unit inside? I fear of running the hot exhaust through the subfloor or do I cut a hole in the floor and mount it inside the subfloor. I then would need to run inlet and outlet buck up through the top. Can't decide what's best.
Hey, Great video. I came up with a similar plan of purposefully placing a diesel heater inside one of the compartments in my RV with the similar reasoning you explained in your video after in-depth research. It is awesome to confirm that my plan will work nicely in advance. One question/suggestion though, as the @RemoteWatercraft suggested, I would like to achieve maximum efficiency by recirculating warm/hot air through the intake inlet, rather than taking the cold air from outside directly. Can you connect a tube to the inlet and point it upward toward the ceiling of your compartment or close to the heater toward the outlet pipe? In that way, the compartment will still inhale fresh air through the hole you already drilled out, but the average temperature of the air inside of the compartment will get higher quickly due to the heater burning in the compartment and the hot outlet pipe. Because the compartment is quite small, I think the heater can quickly achieve and sustain a higher average temperature in the compartment within minutes of operation, therefore providing warmer air to the intake. Maybe you can even decrease the size of the hole you drilled out to make sure the temperature of the compartment doesn't get too cold during operation, yet still inhales adequate fresh air from outside. Am I too much focused on the efficiency? I am also considering putting some insulation foam board around the diesel fuel tank to prevent it from gelling. Your take? @@TheWrinklyNomads
Hi Calvin, To be honest, it's easy to become over focused on efficiency as there's no real perfect conditions for these diesel heaters. Open a door or window and the efficiency thing goes to pot..... But you make some good points 👍 But one thing I did find is the actual outside air temperature plays quite a big part in hot air output. Anything over 5 dgegC in has hardly any effect on hot air out, but below this there is a significant decrease in hot air out. I'm still playing around with ducting as well, at the moment I have inlet air ducted from below the seating. Another interesting find is that I have removed the heating casing cap that screws the case together. This actually allows more air into and across the heater and gives a extra few degrees hotter at the outlet. I think it's a case of tuning the heater setup to your specific needs. ATB, Steve
I changed my hose for blowing the hot air out to Double Ply High Temperature Ducting - Red silicone-coated glass fibre fabric this is ideal for suction and delivery of hot air and fumes. The hose that comes with the machine breaks down but this hose being double ply is crush-proof can be bent to 45 degrees and warms the surrounding area along the hose better like raditor pipes. It is around £13 per meter but it will last and it connects to the machine tighter no pop-off anymore when the machine is in space shuttle mode( cut the wires out for 4 inches out of the hose).
I found having such a bend in the Exhaust caused a build up of carbon into the bend, until it clogged all the way up into the machine itself, had to strip and chisel all the crystalized diesel carbon…
I my self have got ride of the propane heater and replaced it with a diesel heater, I was able to install it in the same location as the old propane heater so I fabricated a sheet metal adapter so I can send the hot air into the caravans original heating duct throughout the caravan. I am using a 8KW diesel heater because my caravan is 30 feet ( 9.14 meters ) long with two tip outs
Hi Charles, So far, no problems. Most of the time I tend to fill up with everything still connected, just pull the tank forward a bit and I get the diesel pump nozzle in without a problem.
Ok, I must argue that 1 part of your upgrade is very counterproductive, and that is that you are now using outside air to suck into your heat exchanger which in turn blows the heat to the desired area. Now instead of recycling the already warming air in your camper (much easier to heat) you are sucking whatever the outside temp. is, so if you go camping at 0 degrees' F you are sucking that cold air in making it much harder to heat, where as if you were using the inside air like before you would be sucking in ever warming air. You don't suck air from outside for your house furnace, you have cold air returns, recycling the warm air. YES sucking in outside air for the combustion part is fine.
Although this is true, doing the air intake this way will mean lower humidity air in the camper. Having the air intake inside is like when you set your car to mode on the ventilation system. external air won't have the moisture from the occupants. Now most people will use an extractor fan to keep humidity low, what this external air intake does is negate this, thus potentially yielding less heat loss overall
Hi Tom, My reasons for drawing the intake air from outside is to have fresh air in the cabin and not stale recycled air. I have done several experiments on temperature and there is only a noticeable outlet air temperature. However, when the inlet temperature gets below 5 degrees C you start to see a drop at the hot air outlet. Just as a side note, I don't intend being anywhere with temperatures lower than 5 degrees C anyway...! I'm very pleased with this setup and it really does work well. ATB, Steve
Thank you Don, I have a full video showing how to calculate the exact fuel burn for these heaters here; ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-z8SkKAlOAxU.html ATB, Steve
What a great video, very thorough job. These heaters (all brands) are best run on white diesel, the dye in red diesel does make them coke up more quickly, which all brands of these warm air heaters do. They also coke up more quickly by being run for long periods at low heat. If you can run them on paraffin for an hour once in a while it helps decoke them. The Chinese ones are pretty good and excellent value. Eberspacher and Webasto have had to pay hefty fines for price fixing, it's a myth that theirs are way better quality. Last 11 years I've mainly lived on boats but did a year in a coachbuilt camper, I was amazed how well insulated they are with the sandwich construction & double glazing...
Thank you David, I haven't really done any testing to see how much they coke up, so that's interesting to hear your findings. Although I do always run on full blast at least once a month to help clear them out. Yes, the insulation properties of a motorhome, especially an older on like mine, a very good indeed. Condensation is almost non existent..... ATB, Steve
I got a eberspacher dr and a chinese one and I'd choose the chinese one any day. The eberspacher was always going wrong. Had my chinese for about 2 years now and only changed 1 glow plug.
complete bullshit. that is like comparing a ssangjong with a mercedes. i own both. a webasto and a chinese one. the webasto IS way better quality. being cheaper doesn't mean the chinese one is more economical. its more trouble and fiddling about. lifespan of the fanmotor is not all that great. you take out the chinese unit 4-5 times more often. the webasto is a drop in and forget for 20 years. i also got a webasto BW50 engine preheater. that is from '95 and still runs great. try that with a cheapass chinese copy. the china diesel air heater copys got their place in shed heating ect. but not in truck heating or anything of critical structure. i got the feeling that 95% of the bullshit talking folks never had a genuine unit and just bitch around for them being more pricey. (of course the genuine ones are pricey - webasto and eberspacher invented the whole design after all, so they want their money !)
I like the set up, definitely a plus to run it on marked diesel (non road use died red or green diesel) and put a drop of kerosene and some dipetane fuel additive now and then to keep it clean, with the price of road diesel now.
Yes, if you can get red diesel it's worth doing. I also add a drop of diesel fuel additive each time I refuel. Same stuff I use in the vehicle tank. Seems to really keep things running smooth. 👍
My one I modified and was farting about with I ran NOS through the burner intake the lot. They heat up a good bit if you run a small shot of NOS in when you want to get the burner up over 170 if it's inhaling cold outside freezing air. Had a spare kit NOS smaller bottle kit I bought for a motorbike a while back. Works amazing if your In like -20 weather and on an outside intake. The cold combined with the NOS the burner gains about 15deg temp in 15sec on a single small dry shot and backs down maybe 5deg but still raises you about 10deg burner temp in the cold for about 50pence a shot and only need to do it once per run. For those who think I'm joking about the NOS you haven't had to try start one of these in extreme heat or cold in EXTREMELY high altitude is why.
@@TheWrinklyNomads everyone is terrified of NOS but it's just fake atmosphere I've never known it to cause explosions or the likes but by the same token I wouldn't run too much into any combustible mix on the first go. A little squirt and swe what it does, no harm in that.
One of the most practical RV installations of a diesel heater i have seen. My favorite is the quick connect for the fuel to tank line and the use of a marine fuel tank.
Thank you and thanks for watching. Yes, that quick connection works really well. Sometimes, after I’ve taken the tank for a refill, it takes two tries to get the little bit of air out of the line. But that’s not problem at all…👍🏼
I love that fuel tank. Great choice. The diesel heater community is split between feeding the unit outside air or cabin air. Some like to keep a supply of fresh air coming into the cabin while others find that recirculating the cabin air makes the heater more efficient & use less fuel. I have a thought of capturing some of the wasted exhaust heat by running the exhaust pipe through a long metal can or fabricating a sheet metal plenum for the pipe to pass through. You put an air intake port at one end and a hole with a flange for a duct at the other end. I thought of wiring a bunch of copper scouring pads around the exhaust pipe inside the can & packing it with more copper scrubbers to act as a sort of heat exchanger. Air passing through the chamber would heat up and you could duct it to a storage compartment, a battery compartment, where you store your water, or directly to the cabin itself. The output duct would need a DC fan to draw the air through the system. The fan power could be tapped off the terminal for the blower fan of the heater or operated separately via a thermostat or on/off switch. And lastly, there's a lad in Canada who has a RU-vid channel named "Foresty Forest" and he has a friend who engineered a virtually silent fuel pump for the diesel heaters. Besides being the quietest pump in existence it also allows you to adjust the fuel flow to the heater. I haven't heard what he charges to make them but it's such a great invention that I'm sure they'll be commercially produced in the future.
Interesting idea there Fred. I know you can get a heat exchanger that attaches to the hot air side made by “boble” seems quite good. All in all great heaters eh. 👍🏼
If you don't use outside air for the burner, the unit will draw in the cold air from some place else in the cabin. There by you would lose any efficiency gained.
@@terrystearns1196 The heaters will draw air for the burner from wherever the air intake is placed. The temperature of the air intake for the combustion chamber isn't relevant. I was talking about the incoming air for the heat exchanger. Typically, the heater just sucks the cabin air and recirculates it through the heater. However some people will connect a duct to the intake side of the heater and route it so it draws outside air. Recirculating the cabin air means that the air flowing through the heat exchanger gets progressively warmer as the heater heats up the ambient air of the cabin, and as warmer air passes through the heater it gets progressively warmer as it is heated & expelled through the output duct, making it more efficient than drawing cold outside air. The air that feeds the burner & the air that passes through the heat exchanger are separate systems which is why they are safe to use in closed spaces because no carbon monoxide from the combustion enters the cabin. These heaters work the same way as a residential forced-air furnace but on a smaller scale.
My question is how to connect the quick connect hose to the heater fuel line and if anyone has a link to a video or explanation I will greatly appreciate it! Loved the video, I will definitely get a marine tank!
From the tank it's just a push fit onto the connector spigot and the a jubilee clip to secure and the other end goes to the filter. Then normal nylon pipe for filter to pump. ATB, Steve
Consider WrappingsThat Very Hot Exhaust Line With "2'' x 16.5' Heat Shield Insulation with Ties for Pipe Roll Titanium Motorcycle Exhaust Tape Thermal Protection" AMAZON!
Hi Donald, With this set-up I don't really need to wrap the exhaust as it's all run outside. However, in a previous install I did use a wrap which worked well, so for an exhaust that is partially inside, I agree a good wrap is well worth the trouble..👍
that's badass. red diesel for anybody that doesn't know what that is it's diesel for farming equipment. it's a lot cheaper than regular diesel because it's meant to go in farming equipment. that's a good idea because it's legally you can't put red diesel in a automotive but you can put it in that tank cuz that's heating tank and not your vehicle tank .
With the price of fuel nowadays I'm trying to save where I can..!!! Also I had the spare space below, so that was just right for this upgrade... ATB, Steve
Good video thankyou. Not sure yet which one to buy but I think the separate tank is a good idea as the price of diesel these days is going nuts. Cheers.
Just about to install one of these heaters and your idea of using the marine tank came as a bit of a godsend, I actually have one of those tanks that's sat unused for a few years. Many thanks for the great idea and a brilliant video :-)
Hi Alan Thanks for your kind comments. The tank came with the connector. Pipe I bought separately. I made the compartment a very snug fit for the tank and there’s no movement at all. So haven’t needed to do anything extra. ATB, Steve
