How To Install Diesel Heater In Caravan

When it comes to traveling in common cold climates and heating your van conversion, yous're going to install a camper diesel fuel heater. They are easily down the best option.

But you lot also have two options. To either go with 1 of the more expensive premium brands such as Eberspacher or Webasto. Or to nab yourself one of the increasingly popular cheaper models as nosotros did.

In this web log mail we're going to talk you through, not only why yous should choose this method of campervan heating, but as well lots of really useful tips on how to fit a diesel heater DIY in your van conversion.

Disclaimer: We're not professional plumbers. All the skills nosotros employed in converting our van are completely self taught. So, basically, if y'all follow what we did something goes wrong, that's on you. Only saying.

How Does A Diesel fuel Heater Work?

Diesel heaters are combustion burners that estrus upwardly coils which cold air is sucked over in order to heat information technology up. That hot air is then blown out and in turn heats up the surrounding air.

Whilst they run off diesel as the principal fuel source, these diesel heaters for vans besides need a 12V electric supply to power the pump which injects the diesel into the burner.

Why Choose A Campervan Diesel Heater?

Compared with most other heating options, diesel heaters have both low fuel and depression power consumption. In that location'due south a ability surge at beginning up, then a minimal 1amp per 60 minutes draw during use. And fuel wise they typically use less than 0.half-dozen litres per hour of fuel.

They are incredibly efficient. And what'due south more, this is no different for the budget models.

Premium Five Cheap Diesel fuel Heater

Only to analyze here in terms of the price difference, nosotros're talking about several hundred pound. Well that'due south a no brainer so you might think – only get the cheapest! Well there are a few other things y'all need to consider.

Heat Output

How big the space you are intending to oestrus will dictate whether you lot should opt for a 2KW or 5KW diesel heater. Nosotros take a 5KW heater in our LWB Sprinter, merely if you accept a smaller van 2KW would be acceptable.

Plumbed

You need to decide whether or not you volition plumb the camper diesel heater into your vehicle fuel tank. As already mentioned, we have a separate fuel container in our garage area.

We really didn't fancy messing around with the van fuel tank and didn't want the additional cost of paying someone to practice information technology.

Altitude Use

If you are planning on spending time in winter at high altitude, say skiing for instance, do be aware that the cheaper models of diesel heaters don't work so well over 3000m. And then you may want to consider a premium version that does.

Reliability

Premium diesel heater models will more often than not last longer, and of grade come with a warranty. Although you may need to take it fitted by a qualified person to be valid, then exercise bank check.

Upkeep models have cheaper parts, so are likely to neglect over fourth dimension. Nosotros just figured even if we had to supervene upon it or parts of it after a twelvemonth or two the price saving was worth information technology.

Noise

The pump on the cheaper versions makes a constant clicking noise that some people find annoying. Ours is in our garage area and underneath our mattress and then we don't really detect it, it just blends into the background.

Inexpensive Camper Diesel Heater

The model that nosotros installed in our van conversion is the Triclicks 12V 5KW Air Diesel Heater with 10L tank. It cost simply over £100 and arrived within a week. It'due south in utilise everyday over wintertime and is on its second flavour without any issues.

It's extremely efficient and heats our van space up in around 10 minutes. Plus the remote control that it comes with means we can put it on before we even become out of bed.

There are, however, a few annoyances, at the install stage that you should be enlightened of.

Campervan Heater Instructions

They're crap. And by crap I mean nigh unreadable. At that place's merely so many spelling mistakes and missing words or punctuation. This is a complaint we saw in the reviews of all of the cheaper 12v diesel fuel air heaters.

However, going direct onto the next bespeak…

Diesel Heater Installation

Our camper van heater was relatively straightforward to the install. Well, one time we'd got all the extra parts we needed – we'll come up onto that side by side. And although there are enough of different parts, one time yous start putting them together you lot'll run across they merely really fit together one way.

The electrics literally can't fit together whatever other way because each connexion is a different size/shape.

But in that location are a few common things that people often get wrong when information technology comes to the diesel fuel air heater install. Specifically the positions of the exhaust/inlet pipes and the fuel pump.

Tips For Fitting A Diesel Heater

The exhaust and air inlet pipes need to be pointed in unlike directions underneath the van. This is and then that exhaust fumes aren't just beingness sucked upwards through the air inlet. We couldn't do this with ours as it is located below our sliding door, but ideally the exhaust should besides bespeak out from underneath the van then fumes don't collect.
To prevent build up on information technology, the filter on the air inlet should also non exist facing towards the direction of travel.
On the exhaust muffler there's a modest drain betoken, make sure that is facing down so that information technology can practice its chore.
You should also try to ensure that there isn't a low point in the exhaust pipe. That it is gradually sloping down. This is then that water condensation doesn't build up and cause rust.
In order to be running efficiently, the fuel pump needs to be sabbatum at a slight angle of between fifteen-30 degrees. This is to allow air bubbles to escape.
Exist sure that the filter is also attached the correct way effectually, so that the fuel is going into the mesh basket and not the other way around.
Make certain y'all have acceptable airflow around the internal air inlet side of the van heater.

Watch usa plumbing fixtures our campervan diesel heater here:

DIY Diesel Heater Extra Parts

As already mentioned there's a few actress parts that nosotros would recommend ownership before starting your DIY diesel heater installation.

Mounting Turret

First upwardly a mounting turret. At that place is a mounting plate included in the camper diesel fuel heater kit, but information technology is just a flat plate with several holes in information technology. So if y'all use this you'll have to figure out how to seal whatsoever flooring layers y'all accept. And likewise make certain you drill all the holes in the correct place.

Using a mounting turret is way easier.

Jubilee Clips

Next we'd recommend picking up some better quality jubilee clips. The jubilee clips that came with our camper diesel fuel heater kit weren't groovy. We just couldn't get them to grip properly. So we got some heavier duty ones.

Exhaust Putty

Another diesel heater install tip for getting a proper seal between the frazzle parts nosotros recommend is to use an exhaust putty sealant.

Extra Fuel Piping

We also bought some extra fuel pipe that was a slightly larger diameter than the enclosed fuel pipage. This was to protect the fuel pipe equally it feeds support into the van to the diesel tank and pump etc.

Smaller Fuel Tank

We didn't need to do this, only know that if the fuel tank that comes with the indoor diesel fuel heater kit doesn't fit the space you want it too, you can purchase a smaller, meliorate shaped i.

CO Alarm

The about of import actress to purchase when installing an air diesel heater in your van build is a carbon monoxide alarm.

If you have no idea what carbon monoxide is, information technology's an odourless, mortiferous gas acquired by inefficient fuel called-for. You won't know it's there unless you have an warning fitted.

You merely typically demand one, but nosotros have one in both our living area and garage. It's just an extra precaution because as previously mentioned, we couldn't identify the frazzle facing out from underneath the van.

Van Heater Operation

Only a few things worth noting about our camper diesel heater whilst in operation.

The first fourth dimension that yous employ your van heater make certain that you properly prime it with diesel otherwise you volition damage it. It'southward very unlikely you lot'll be able to decipher how to do this from the instructions, merely there's plenty of YouTube videos explaining how.

And you'll encounter the diesel fuel moving through the pump and fuel pipe and so you'll know information technology's making its mode into the banality.

Unless your diesel fuel air heater installation is the very last thing you do in your van build, like us you'll likely still be turning the electrics off and on to piece of work on them. If you've had your camper diesel heater on, make certain you don't do that until it's completely cooled.

Basically when you turn the diesel air heater off it goes through a circle of called-for at a college temperature to clean itself, then goes through a series of cooling stages. If you disconnect the electricity while it'south doing this you will damage information technology.

If y'all're putting the control display within a cupboard like we have, just bear in mind that is where your thermostat will also exist. So it will be colder than the bodily living space. Nosotros thought nearly putting it in a different place, simply information technology is quite ugly, so not entirely sure where.

And we always utilise the handy remote control to plow information technology on/off and up/down.

Campervan Heater Running Costs

Our power is generated from our solar panels or B2B charger, so we don't take any electricity running costs. You tin read all about our electrical setup here.

Fuel wise, we use between v-7 litres of diesel per week at the peak of wintertime. In money here in the UK, that's around £6-viii GBP. Which I don't recollect is as well bad to say we had it on about of the 24-hour interval some days.

Meridian tip: We go on our 5L jerry can total upward in wintertime and so we don't run out of fuel either.

Are Campervan Diesel fuel Heaters Safe?

Correctly installed, diesel heaters are very condom and you can run them overnight no bother. All waste material fumes pump to the outside of your van. Plus diesel fuel is harder to ignite than petrol.

So only to recap the pros and cons of cheap diesel heaters. They are cost effective, both to buy and run and very efficient at heating upwardly campervans. But on the downside they aren't so like shooting fish in a barrel to install and the noise from the pump can exist annoying.

If y'all've establish this review helpful and decided to have the plunge and nab yourself the same van heater, our diesel fuel tank will exercise a happy dance if y'all buy it through one of our links.

Finally, if y'all have any questions most our campervan diesel fuel heater hitting us upwardly in the comments and nosotros'll do our all-time to aid.

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Yorkshire born & bred, Sarah is a professional blogger who loves to travel. Pushing her boundaries with new adventures is her jam, so you likely won't observe her in one place for too long. Also a serious Marmite addict.

Source: https://thewholeworldornothing.com/camper-diesel-heater/

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