espar heater vrs Chinese parking heater side by side comparison 

dumbfounded that it seems that no one seems to have a issue with the fact that even happened in the first place. should have never been sold as a gasoline fuel type heater if it does not function as such period. does not matter how or why. the gasoline version was a different part number for the diesel version so one of two things happened. eater the wrong labels were applied to the wrong unit. or they did a 30 second test it didn't blow up and they said ok we can sell this same unit as a different fuel type. either way absolutely awful in terms of quality control that something ever be shipped/sold labled as a fuel type that it wont properly operate on.

This has got to be one of the best side by side reviews I've ever seen, really nice that you took each of them apart to compare the components

I have had lots of experience with the espar and the wabasto heaters that have been installed in european made equipment for many years, and without a doubt they are good heating units. more recently I have gotten a lot of experience with the chinese knock off heater models. NONE on them will dependably or safely run on what we know as gasoline, but only diesel and kerosene... diesel has the highest energy potential, so its the fuel of choice except in extreme cold environments where diesel has a gelling problem, then kerosene is commonly used... the knock off heaters work well right out of the box, although a higher number of them need minor adjustments to run to peak efficiency. (espar and webasto are NOT immune to the same problems, but normally have better quality control before packaging).... but ALL things EVERYWHERE have a potential for problems. I am personally familiar with many installations of the knock off units and have never seen a safety issue or a problem with the unit that couldnt be solved without additional expense (except where the installer damaged something) of the problems I have seen, it it almost always due to the budget minded DIY'er who has very little clue as to what he is doing during the install, in which they would have the same issues attempting to install a $2000 dollar unit of any other brand.. once they are installed correctly, there is no difference in operation or dependability. they heat well with little power consumption. as for the marine applications, they seem to work well and with longevity when thought is put into the location where they will be installed. many boaters in this area use them without issues, and yet the owners who paid 5-10 times more for their espar or webasto bad choose to mouth the knockoffs without cause or reason, claiming they are not as safe. with the experience I have gained in the past 40 years around these types of heaters, I challenge anyone to show any safety issues with the use of the knock off heaters when installed correctly, that are NOT present in the installation and use of an espar or webasto..... I will agree the visual fit and finish inside the unit is not as refined, but then for the amount of money saved and the same results in the end, I will advocate the use of the knockoffs for anyone who is interested in saving money... and when installed correctly, it looks just as good or as ugly as the expensive brands, depending on your point of view...

First time I've seen a comparison between the original and the knock off. Very interesting. Thanks.

Thanks for showing. Now we know what not to buy, ! By the way gasoline is not always meaning gasoline.. it’s often mixed up.. world wide. Use the words ...Benzine, diesel...skip on petrol and gasoline...if you talk to China Gasoline is like gasoil. What is diesel or similar..

I guess the bottom line is you get what you pay for. It’s clear the Espar is the real deal and works as advertised and is clearly built to a superior standard. As someone commented prior, almost no one will disassemble before using and we are eternally grateful for you doing such a thing. How are you going to sleep at night with a Chinese knock-off with it’s clearly substandard build quality to keep you warm? I’d be scared shitless I’d wake up in flames. Hard to sleep at night with one eye open! A fellow may want to cut corners in many ways, heck we all want to save a buck or two when we can, but fire breathing devices and pacemakers is about where I’d draw the line. Thanks Ezra. I just love your videos. I’ve got a 379 EXHD Pete myself and I can’t tell you how many videos I’ve watched of yours and I felt your pain and suffering as I’ve been down that same path myself. Keep up the good work brother...big red is certainly looking fine!!

I've used a chinese one for years in my old reefer I put living quarters in. They now make a espar knockoff which is the same size as the old espar. I plan on ordering one for my truck because I think espar sources their parts from the same factory selling them directly from china now. for 200 bucks instead of $1200 from espar....

I've had my chinese heater for years still works like a charm. Just do a good job mounting it and prep the area well you won't have issues.

Maybe it just identifies itself as a Gasoline heater even though its Diesel. lol.

I would have figured that as soon as you saw a "Glow Plug" in your Chinese unit you would have realized it was, in fact, a diesel. I bought a diesel unit for my gas van. I mounted the tank inside the van. I don't smell any fumes from the diesel. Since this is only used in the winter the fuel oil will never get warm enough to become volatile. Diesel needs to get up to a certain temp before it is like Gasoline. I would also like to add that I have never seen a gas heater that uses a glow plug. Perhaps a spark igniter, or a pilot flame, but never a glow plug.

An easy fix for the exposed electronics is to remove them from the enclosure and put proper connectors, then a dab of silicone to keep things from flapping about. Not that big of a deal.

I got the same model. Using to heat a double garage. Its diesel. They're all diesel. Mine sits in a plastic storage unit outside the garage, so no vehicle vibration problems. It started as soon as the pump got the fuel up. If you have air bubbles, you either had a loose pipe or not properly immersed in the diesel. There was a tank & fuel fitting in the box I got. The are what I am using. The Chinese unit funs every day keeping my shop at 18 deg cell, when its zero outside. Uses about 2 litres per workingg day. Very happy with mine so far. Have a nice day buddy!

I can watch this guy all day don't watch sports anymore don't care for Hollywood this right here is a genius

To me if its Petrol it would have a spark plug. If it's got a glow,heater plug it's Parrafin or Diesel. My operating booklet was missprinted and said petrol but advertised Diesel. Cheers from George and Jane in the UK

EDIT: the thing worked great for 3 weeks and then broke permanently dude to *crappy* wiring. DON'T BUY THE KNOCK-OFF HEATERS, THEY'LL BREAK AND CANNOT BE FIXED. i paid $160, including shipping for an 8kw chinese diesel heater (included 5l tank), and i've been running it for almost 2 weeks now and *I LOVE IT!!!* just finished-up my first 5l fill-up of the tank, and it has been effortlessly keeping my tiny home built in a box truck a _very_ comfortable 75-80 degrees in 20-30 degrees weather. i couldn't be happier.

informative video. we are looking to buying the diesel heaters for our buses. I was not aware of a petrol (gasoline) version. But here in the UK, we can get agricultural diesel aka red diesel which is much cheaper than road fuel as there is little government tax on it. Our vehicles run on Diesel too as diesel is much better than petrol in commercial vehicles

I bought that Chinese knock off because of a review I saw on-line from a guy in Ireland. I have had it hooked up in my shop all winter. My shop is a poorly insulated building in the interior of Alaska. The heater works like a champ. Heats my shop for about 3 gallons a week. Not bad for $189. It was either that or $1,800 for a Toyo stove.

Nice one - a no bs review - very rare these days, thanks.

Great video!!! You saved me a headache later. I'm going to mount this style heater on a high top pickup topper to dry my off road gear over night in the bed of my truck and building a water tank the air will go thru to warm for a portable shower. Then I'm building a frame system for a canvas tent that goes on my flat bed trailer and will pipe the heat to the tent during winter snowmobiling trips. I thought I'd build a gas cap with the fuel line so I could just drop it in the truck tank. Your video help me decide to spend the money on a good one.

the first clue should have been Glow Plug, Gas engine don't have them, Diesels does. Ignore Chinese translation where is said Gasoline

Hey EZ...Nice job with your comparison...I wasn't expecting such an In Depth job ! Good stuff ! Sorry they managed to send you the wrong product ! Liked/Subscribed from Retired Trucker !

I had an espar that broke after 2 years and the part needed cost nearly £200. I bought a Chinese instead ordered from China for £340. 3 years on and still running fine. The same part that cost nearly £200 for espar is £40 for the Chinese. These days you can get the Chinese one for £120 and espar £700. Do the math

I collect camping stoves, Coleman, Primus etc and there are now Chinese knock off's on the market some of them sold as gasoline stoves when in fact they are for kerosene/paraffin/diesel, somethin is lost in translation I guess.

Gasoline WOW, that could have ended badly!

That sticker can get someone blown the hell up!!

The bubbles are causing the surge in the burn chamber. The bubbles are caused by cavitation inside the fuel pump. The impeller inside the pump is spinning too fast, and it is most likely designed for heavier viscosity fuels like diesel of kerosene. Have you tried using a cheap after market electric fuel pump to see if those bubbles disappear. If you do use a fuel pump, and you still get bubbles, it will continue to surge. If you don't have a fuel pump, you can still experiment by using gravity feed. Just make sure you have enough pressure by raising the tank about 10 feet above the heater. Prime the line and see if the surge goes away. You shouldn't have bubbles if the line comes from above and does not drop below the point of entry into the heater. Personally, I prefer diesel for heater fuel, it's less volatile and safer as a result. I hope this helps. Cheers from Winnipeg.

I purchased the Chinese one off Ebay, and I was VERY impressed on the Quality and performance! I have been using it for several months and the diesel use is Very small and extremely safe. I first used a CO Detector and results were absolute "0" unless you open the side door where the exhaust is and it is Exactly same as Espar exhaust.

Gasoline needs a glowplug or spark to ignite fuel. Diesel needs glowplug initially at the start to get going. Once the burn chamber is hot, there is no need for glowplug.

Is this video a joke or something? Those Chinese are all diesel ones, using gasoline can and eventually will just kill You.Perhaps it will work with kerosene, and that would still be safe. Those Chinese ones are actually about double the heating power than Espar or Eberspächer versions, as they are just limited to 2 KW and can easily be tuned to heat more. Anyways, it is hard to find anything anymore that is not actually made in China, no matter what the label says, because the components are made there anyway.

Dam chinese copy everything It may run ok for long time who knows I wouldnt trust it though.. Have Espar for few years now and very eficient reliable,plus I can get service and parts etc if needed

Really good review thanks mate, I'm thinking of buying one and any info like this helps 👌

The bubbles are normal in fuel line.Its cavitation of fuel by dosage pump,completely normal.Id say its diesel unit only.

My Chinese hot tub manual says it's powered by a steam engine... Translation issues I think...

Its actually a 5kw unit with a 2kw label on it !!

The difference is size is how China gets around intellectual property rights. That way when the manufacturer sues the China company the government will say they are not the same and throw the lawsuit out.

It's E - bear - spack- err but your Espar is better. Gonna use that from now on. Thanks for the comparison. Anyone heard of one exploding or gassing anyone ? I fitted my D2 outside the van with the manufacturers box housing. Would do the same with one of these. Doesn't take up valuable inside volume that way and keeps all the fuel, combustion, exhaust and possible shrapnel outdoors ! I agree with the person who said you're a good sport dealing with the iffy comments - an example to us all mate. Happy travels everyone. John

This guy is PRODIGY :D... Heater starter! LOL

1/3 the price is conservative! they're closer to 1/8 the price! The exhaust tubing and transom fitting I need ( going in a boat) cost more than the whole chinese heater did!

Haha, as soon as I saw the glow plug, I suspected. Maybe the Chinese toddler that does the labels didn’t know there was a difference! Lol Personally, I would be afraid to use a gasoline heater. Had too many near death experiences with gasoline. Diesel stinks a bit, but it’s safe. Good video, glad to see this comparison done. I have a Webasto in my rig, but I would try the knockoff in my camper just on price alone. $1000 goes a long way in service and repair lol

Always a good idea to take things apart before you use them ??? The air is coming from somewhere so don't say there are no leaks .

Thanks for the great video. Makes it pretty clear that it would be better to just go with the diesel option. A useful piece of information would be if you could measure the heat output to compare with the difference. I have a hard time trusting a Chinese label for it's heat output if the fuel type isn't even correct.

Thanks for making this video, much appreciated 👍

ok i feel i have addressed this comment way to many times now. this heater was sold as a gasoline heater there was a option between gasoline or diesel, it says its a gasoline heater, it does not run properly on gasoline, it does work on diesel. i will no longer be responding to comments on this unless you have something of value to add to the conversation

You are lucky to be alive. That fuel tubing is utter crap. Read the Espar install procedure, it is very specific and precise

You just reverse engineered that unit just like China did lol

A much needed in depth review! Very glad to see this. Long overdue. Several RU-vid Vanners bought the Chinese model and liked it very much. Chinese model at $130 is 10 times less expensive than Webasto or Espar at $1500. Truma Combi ranges $1800 - $2100!!! Ridiculous! And Truma did not sell direct to you. You had to pay the hefty dealer overhead, which doubled the price. Yes, the German ones are the best, but at what price? This is not a computer. This is a heater. If it heats, and can be operated safely, its a no-brainer. I will never support extortionary prices. I'm so glad the Chinese sellt these heaters so cheap. Might make Truma and others think about realistic pricing and eliminating middle men. Well done on taking it apart. I loved your review!! Make more of these videos please! This area needs to to be explored further.

What part of "Made in China" on everything we grew up with don't people get, most sellers are ordering from Chinese producers, cut out the middleman.

To improve rigidity and moisture issue of the circuit when painted with epoxy resin, this will seal and hold in place components and insulate circuit board

Wow! It’s great to someone who’s not afraid to tear into an item and show just how it’s made and break it down like you did. Great work!

When you said you where gonna compare them, you where not joking lol you took them all apart that’s dedication. Thank you brother

really helpful to see them side by side. that control module needs more protection, i think.

I've run a Chinese diesel heater for a few years now and it has been great from the unboxing. I also use Chinese chainsaw parts with no problems. We all must understand most of what we purchase is made of part made in China or the far East. Like anything, always make sure it's a reputable dealer, read about the product, look at the forums, buy the spares you require.

I thought you were suppose to have the output of the fuel pump pointed downward to make a slight p-trap, so the plunger don't suck air every cycle

The outlet for the fuel comes out of the bottom of the fuel tank! (Pushing weight down) I don't think that tiny pump is meant to be pulling up from 2/3 feet beneath it. Diesel is has a higher viscosity than petrol and that's why your petrol is cavitating and the Diesel isn't. Just a thought anyways. Try putting the fuel and fuel pump at a higher level then the heater

It’s not gasoline, (ie ). Petrol. ITS gas oil = diesel, This is a. Translation mix up. don’t try to run this unit on Petrol ✋

I never seen these run on gasoline

Raise the gas tank over the height of the pump to see if it will prime if so then move back lower to see if stays primed

I've had both Webasto's and Espar's. Both well designed, well made units. Sure, I've had some minor annoyances with them all, but they've always been something that I've not had a problem sleeping with while they ran. Those things from China, I don't think I could fall asleep and count on a knock-off to not gas my ass and poison me while I slept in the truck. Would I use a knock-off to heat up a workshop or a shed or something? Sure. Would I want to rely on one to keep me alive in a closed compartment like a sleeper, and not gas me, overheat, catch fire, etc.? NO. For that purpose, I'd stick with a name-brand, even if they are 3x (or more) the price.

Lemony Snickets, you got it working! Joking aside great video comparison. Thank you.

Its very obvious that you look at your selfe on the camera screen, instead of looking "at the audience", its kind of annoying. Look into the lense, and not on the screen. Just a friendly tip. Nice comparison tho!

i need one of these for the ice fishing shack ! for the price of these buy a couple then you have parts

I believe it’s a diesel heater, Chinese translation problem

Good job on the video driver... Keep that shiny side up, 10-4?

So make a Box for the electronics and save yourself about $500....

Diesel heaters use glow-plugs and gasoline heaters use spark plugs. Just as in any engine. Confusing as hell but that`s the way it is. Btw, this is a 8Kwh heater. You can change the settings for the pump and fan speed on your controller

The diesel heater you bought (39cm) is actually a 5kw heater, rated 1-5kw by the manufacturer (sold as 2kw, 3kw, 5kw and 8kw). It's limited to 2kw by the ECU only. Luckily for you, the controller that came with your unit is able to change those settings (fan speed and fuel pump Hz). You can buy a Chinese unit that is the same size as your D2. They are rated 1-2kw and are only 32.5cm in length. As you say, they are not rated for applications involving water (some people have put them in plastic toolboxes to keep the water out), but other than that they are awesome pieces of kit for the money.

I saw a video earlier, that states that none. of the. chinese heaters are designed to run on gas.......they. only run on desel

700.00 for an Espar or even 1600.00 for an Eberspatcher in Australia and 150.00 per knock off so I could 3 or even 8 for the same price and they keep working for years. Buying chinese stuff is admittedly rotten but espar wants more than an actual house gas heater costs so they simply arent an option for me. I didn't know about petrol modded ones though - interesting.

Look up the gasoline conversion for your espar. It may be compatible with the Chinese one.

Thank you. I have been looking at one of these for a small off the grid guest cabin. Seeing as it will not be subject to the boat/motor vehicle environment I think the Chinese one will work great.i might even build an intake box with a furnace filter to keep any dirt off the heat exchanger. The cabin is only about 100 sqft, but it has R19 in walls and floor and R 50 in the ceiling. I had a small wood stove in it but it was too much heat even at -20F.

The other thing you will probably find out is the Chinese one is a 5KW not 2KW like it says on the box. It's crap that it is diesel not Gasoline as advertised.

I’m taking out all of the propane stuff from my 84 Winnebago I’m going to put a couple of those in

You need to check the size i got a 2.2kw and it is 33cm long works great .

I think my first hint would have been the "glow plug"! I'm no mechanic, but I've never heard of any gas being burned with a glow plug!

For a moment I was upset I didn't get the gas version for my project! How about this van? This is the only mention I have heard...

Now that’s one unusual problem! Did you happen to ask the dealer/manufacturer about the issue. I bet they sent you the wrong heater pr something like that. Good info to know...thanks. 🧐

The Airsonic heater is a Webasto unit in Europe and is manufactured in China, typically the unit has been copied and sold under various trading names by the Chinese. I wonder where China would be as a nation if western businesses didn't use Chinese manufacturers to make there designs as they do. This Chinese copy has been marketed incorrectly as a Gasolene heater which is a typical translation error, and somthing that occurs with copied products which makes there products potentially lethal.

Tell you what comparison I would like to see. The output temperature and airflow of each. Could be crudely compared by passing the output from each, into a pipe of the same size and seeing how far they can blow a vertically hanging sheet of card of paper. Bet the chinese blows harder and hotter given the size difference, whatever the rating says on the sticker. The quality differences are not significantly concerning. The electrics are easier to view and repair, and the unit could be replaced several times over for cost of the D2.

Where's his deloran? This guys great! Will leave a like😀

And this is NOT a diesel or gas engine ( piston, cylinder, High pressure, combustion) . It is a cooking stove with a blower. You should lit it somehow. I prefer matches :)

several parts in the Espar is "Made in China"!

Get what you pay for hope it works, thanks for posting.

I think ... the bubbles in the gasoline flow is being caused by the in-line diaphragm pump. These bubbles are definitely the cause for the surge or sputter. The suction side of the pump is a low enough pressure that it "boiles" the gas inside the pump chamber introducing gas vapor bubbles in the flow. This is the same thing as "cavitation" that happens inside impeller pumps. Diesel fuel only does this at a much lower vacuum pressure. If the fuel is injected directly into the combustion chamber these vapor bubbles cause a change in fuel/air mix. One possible solution MAY be to put an inline fuel filter after the pump - a large diameter one. The flow through these filters traps vapor bubbles which tend to condense back into liquid fuel in the top of the filter housing, but in any case it will prevent the bubbles from entering the injector. Mounting the pump closer to the fuel tank with a shorter and larger diameter intake line or making sure the fuel level is higher than the pump may also reduce the bubbles. P.S. In spite of all the comments, the controller most likely regulates fuel flow based on exhaust heat. It shouldn't matter what fuel you use; kerosene, JP-5, diesel, or gasoline. The combustion chamber does NOT depend on compression of the fuel/air. The difference in the two "types" of burner is most likely the glow plug temperature and seal material in the injection regulator - possibly a smaller injector.

I’d rather spend couple hundred dollars more and be alive cause thing won’t set on fire while I’m asleep lol

Very useful to see and here your video thank you loads

I had a espar heater in two trucks I ran during Montana and North Dakota winters. They worked great. Never forget it on while the truck is running. The thing will smoke like it’s broken or breaking. No experience with made in china junk. I try and avoid all made in china junk Period. End of story.

It's just a typical Chinese - English mistake. It's not for gasoline, none of them are ... they are all diesel ...

There is a trick on how to prime it you have to read it in the district in structions it involves holding the button on the controller

I didnt think gas would burn with a glow plug set up , maybe thats why it doesnt run on gasoline , im not saying it will or wont just dont think thats how gas ignights thats why one uses a spark plug and the other uses a glow plug .

why would it have a glow plug if it were for gasoline?

Now (december 2019) there is a version of the same OrangeDeviceGood which is capable of heating water to heat engine blocks, water tanks and the like....

Dude i luv ur god hair cut...You look like a super vilan..

Glow plug heaters run on deisel I’ve got two installed works very well I recommend them 👍👍👍😬

espar.heaters. start having problems after 2years... last winter I had to have my ..pto blower on to keep truck running for heat..after that company still didn't change settings on truck 4 that auto shut down. ...26 degrees or colder..it's hit or miss with it..... ......good video keep em coming. ..

You are comparing a $1200 heater to a $100 chinese diesel heater, obviously you are going to find differences between the two. I had the Espar before and now the chinese and I'm very happy with it and would no go back to the German one. They both do de same job.

it would have to have a spark plug for gas or it wount lite diesel stays lit off the heat in the chamber so that would never work . did you ever hear anything els about gas heaters i dout they make them ??????

I think a gasoline heater would need a spark plug as a igniter. Diesel heater use a glow plug.

Very cool. Thanks for the video

COMPARISON = ESPAR (RIP-OFF) IS $1500 .00 CHINA $99.00 ive had one espar and 2 china and the 2 china are still running and the rip-off went in the garbage a long time ago. You can get 15 chinas for the price of the one cash cow....

Thanks for the review. It's interesting to see what they look like on the inside. I have a Volkswagen with a gas heater. Made by Espar... and it has a glow-spark plug. Plus the whole unit is different than these. But still working after 45+ years.