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Fri Sep 05, 2014 11:36 am

Are you married? Happy wife, Happy life.

Fri Sep 05, 2014 1:21 pm

davevickery wrote: Instead of idling the van to get it warmed up before driving it in winter you run the furnace for ten minutes. Also nice when you go off hiking or skiing and come back to a warm van.
I think this is what made it most "worth it" for us.
I could preheat the van in the early AM for the ride the resort..
And preheat the van for the trip home.. tired kids sleep easily when they are toasty warm..

And on those cold wet ski days? Hop in the van, dry out the boot liners, goggles, etc...Enjoy a nice lunch in the warm van...
Grab a second pair of socks and gloves.. and get back out there...

Its bought extra hrs on the mountain several times, when in past visits we may have left due to wet/cold.

We may be an exception.. but we could live without for camping. A small Coleman heater has done fine for many, many years otherwise.
The Propex has really served us most in the ski resort parking lot.

Fri Sep 05, 2014 2:44 pm

..
Yes, Yes, YES-SSSSSSS
Well work the investment.

I have two Westy's with the Propex installed. One that I'll be selling soon so it will help enhance the value in the resale of the Van..

Also much like yourself I use to use a little Buddy also.

But what I noticed when using the Little Buddy heater in an enclosed Can, is that things use to get wet. Meaning that the closed up Van use to sweat also propane is a wet heat so since the Little Buddy was enclosed with no fresh air intake or external exhaust it added to the condensation factor, also added to that was humans and pets exhale moisture, so the dampness gets bottled up in our little Cans.

With the Propex having external air intake and external exhaust your no longer have a Damp Van.. Don't forget that, that moisture also contributes to rust..

Lastly the Propex seems to use much less propane that one of those small little Buddies used.. Not to mention your no longer have to worry about running out of those little canisters in the middle of the night.. Damn do they go quickly even on the lowest setting..

Oh-ooo Lastly, lastly-eeeee

You set the Thermostat and Fartgetabout it, it comes on and off just like home.

Fri Sep 05, 2014 4:24 pm

I find it more economical to eat a large, high-protein supper, crank on both stove burners, seal up the van tight as a drum then climb in my North Face mummy bag for a nice, long winter sleep. The odor is not too bad and I sleep like a fat baby every time. The only downside is sometimes I am extremely hard to arouse in the morning.......and a difficult intubation.

Fri Sep 05, 2014 6:02 pm

Never had a propex. I have had a suburban furnace in my old westy. I used it very often. I would preheat the bus a few minutes before I jumped in it. I also used the heat to melt the snow off the windows.
The best part would be keeping the temps low when skiing and then turning it up and taking a break in the bus for a few. Our mountain gets wind hold a bunch, so in the morning on wind holds, my bus is the spot for hot coffee and warmth.
I now have a tiptop syncro I am working on and a propex is high on the list. Flagstaff is at 7000' and the mountains around here are higher. It is so worth it.

have some questions, maybe hesitations, about the model you mount underneath. I have not researched it at all, just thoughts.

Fri Sep 05, 2014 7:42 pm

We just installed the 2211 last spring, and have only had to use it a handful of times over the summer. But we've got a long trip into Canada planned for the end of September, something we would have approached more cautiously in the past because if it gets cold we would get cold. But having the Propex under the floor has just expanded the season for us. No use yet in the snow, but you can see from other testimonies that there are few regrets. By the way, installing the 2211 outside the cabin makes we worry less about carbon monoxide poisoning. Nonetheless, I put in a detector. So I have no qualms about leaving it on low while I drift off to sleep.

Fri Sep 05, 2014 7:59 pm

Espar D2 owner here. Agreed, a quality heater that exhausts to the outside is one of the best upgrades you can do.

Espars and webastos are very nice as well. Since they run on diesel or gasoline it ensures that you won't be running out of fuel out in the woods.

Sat Sep 06, 2014 8:43 am

Rodknock wrote: The Propex is a great solution in theory. In practice mine has been unreliable and I'll be pulling it out for the third time for repair, so install it in a place that you can easily get it back out if needed. I am hopeful Karl can get it working again. I don't see too many others reporting problems so I'll have to chalk it up to having got a lemon. Karl (the dealer) has been a good guy to deal with.

I don't recall hearing from you about what the issues are. Everything is solvable. There are no 'lemons', these aren't complicated. :)
BTW, I am the distributor, warranty and repair center. I supply every dealer in the USA except one older marine outlet.

Sat Sep 06, 2014 8:46 am

rsxsr wrote: We don't have a Propex, but do have an Espar cabin heater. For year round comfort, you really can't beat these types of heaters. No regrets. If the propex has some exhaust noise like the Espar, I'd recommend adding a muffler. Not for you, but for those camping around you. In the middle of the night, noise seems to travel pretty far.

The Propex heaters don't require a muffler - the exhaust sound level never approaches the level inherent in a gas/diesel Espar or Webasto, which sound like a jet engine when fired up. Actual tests show <65dBa. at one foot away from the exhaust on the 2000/2211 models.

Sat Sep 06, 2014 9:26 am

westyventures wrote: rsxsr wrote: We don't have a Propex, but do have an Espar cabin heater. For year round comfort, you really can't beat these types of heaters. No regrets. If the propex has some exhaust noise like the Espar, I'd recommend adding a muffler. Not for you, but for those camping around you. In the middle of the night, noise seems to travel pretty far.

The Propex heaters don't require a muffler - the exhaust sound level never approaches the level inherent in a gas/diesel Espar or Webasto, which sound like a jet engine when fired up. Actual tests show <65dBa. at one foot away from the exhaust on the 2000/2211 models.

I'm somewhat sensitive to noise in campgrounds, including any excess noise we make. I was concerned about the exhaust noise of the Propex both inside and outside the van. However, inside we can't hear anything and outside it's noticeable up to 8 ft. or so (not in a bad way) but beyond that it's a non-problem. A muffler has not proven necessary. Before adding one you should consult with Karl first.

Sat Sep 06, 2014 9:39 am

Check out the Atwood furnaces mentioned earlier. Super easy to use/ install. Living in Montana, this furnace works above great and without all the temperamental fiddling that the Propex suffers with.
You can get one for under 500.00.

Search around here and you will find a handful of installs, and they can be serviced by ANY RV dealer, as they are the industry standard in the RV world. Although, mine has never even been touched since 1984 when it was installed and works flawless.

Sometimes simpler is better, at least where it is cold and heat is often necessary. You want your heater to work the first time, every time.

Sat Sep 06, 2014 9:51 am

kalispell365 wrote: Check out the Atwood furnaces mentioned earlier. Super easy to use/ install. Living in Montana, this furnace works above great and without all the temperamental fiddling that the Propex suffers with.
You can get one for under 500.00.

Search around here and you will find a handful of installs, and they can be serviced by ANY RV dealer, as they are the industry standard in the RV world. Although, mine has never even been touched since 1984 when it was installed and works flawless.

Sometimes simpler is better, at least where it is cold and heat is often necessary. You want your heater to work the first time, every time.

Pardon, "temperamental fiddling"? Please explain. Propex has experienced a few glitches in the past, but there are no issues whatsoever with current models as long as they are installed according to the instructions.
Huge, antiquated safeties, and inefficient (75%) are words I associate with Atwood. And require a hole to be cut in the wall of the van.

Sat Sep 06, 2014 10:14 am

Yes, it is worth it! They are a great addition for cold nights and we are able to stay places we previously couldn't.

As for how "quiet" they are outside, that is a sore point at times. The sound can travel some distance, depending on terrain and wind, etc.

Mark

Mon Sep 08, 2014 4:05 pm

Scott, we live in Minnesota and use the westy until heavy salt hits the roads. The propex has turned bad weather trips into fun ones, allowed us to keep our older and much-younger camp guests happy, and been a true comfort after a day in the field or forest. I've spent extra time outside knowing I can warm myself at the end of a hike, and that's priceless to me.

It is my favorite mod (and consider we also added an awning and a truckfridge - cold beer!!!) because it makes the van itself as warm as I feel when I look at it. So for me it was worth it. Karl's great support is without equal, and I am glad I bought thru westyventures.

Mon Sep 08, 2014 5:08 pm

Best addition to my 2WD EVER!!!!

Nothing like sleeping in summer bags and t-shirts in freezing temps. This is in a tin-top, so it holds the heat well. It makes the van SO much nicer to hang out in when it is cold.

I'll put one in my Syncro, soon, as my son, age 19, has claimed the 2WD for his own. The Propex made many nights comfortable for us when he was growing up and we did a lot of van-camping.

My Propex has been very reliable....sea level to 10,000 ft. [knock-knock-knock on wood :)]

Mon Sep 08, 2014 9:36 pm

What model propex would you recommend for cold winter camping down to sub zero? How long does it run on a full propane tank?

Mon Sep 08, 2014 10:51 pm

Running_Man wrote: What model propex would you recommend for cold winter camping down to sub zero? How long does it run on a full propane tank?

The 2600 model puts out the most heat. Can't answer your other questions.

Tue Sep 09, 2014 5:33 am

ThankYouJerry wrote: Running_Man wrote: What model propex would you recommend for cold winter camping down to sub zero? How long does it run on a full propane tank?

The 2800 model puts out the most heat. Can't answer your other questions.

Fixed that for you.... ;-)

We have the 2800 in our Tintop, nothing wrong with it ever, starts everytime.

We are using it with a BBQ tank and after 2 days at about -10F (mainly night, morning and end of afternoon as we hike during the day) we used less than 10lbs I think to keep the van nice warm.

Not sure how long it would be with a Westy tank.

Tue Sep 09, 2014 11:09 am

A few comments . . .

What madSpaniard said. Living in San Diego, realistically look at the number of nights per year you might camp or it's below 40°. Multiply that out by say five years. Divide that number into $1000. That's roughly a cost per night for warmth. Is it worth it to you?

And regarding the above comments of the Propex being temperamental, mine has run absolutely perfectly and I'm glad I have it living in the Pacific Northwest. Karl M (Mr Propex) is a terrific guy and has been great to work with, both with answering a couple of email questions during my install and in meeting him in person.

Overall, here's my advice: if you have some disposable cash around and want a nice van toy, go for it. If you have other needs relating to safety and drivability, such as big brakes, sway bar, larger wheels, etc., take care of those first.

Sat Oct 04, 2014 2:35 pm

This thread motivated me to get my propex HS2000 installed the last few weeks, it had been sitting around the garage for the last year. Just went on a three day trip last weekend and used it for the first time. Wow, the propex is awesome. Install isnt bad, and the the old lady loves it. It makes the van that much more comfortable, especially if there's condensation on the inside windows in the AM, just cuts that damp feeling. Cant wait to use it snow camping.