"Modern" gas heater for a bug?

[Mitey62]

Finally getting back to my '62 after not having driven it for near 5 years (ecstatic to have it back in my garage!), and have a question on heat.

Most of my aircooled driving is running around town and other short (less than 30 minute) drives. I also have a fairly beefy 1835 with a merged header and custom exhaust. Between these, heater boxes don't really work.

I know gas heaters used to be a fairly common accessory for quick and reliable heat. However, these vintage units are a bit hard to come by, and the prices a bit difficult to swallow.

I have one of the very common RV/boat diesel heaters in my shop, and it has been wonderful. Efficient, reliable, inexpensive, etc. It got me thinking... is there a more "modern", fairly inexpensive and readily available gasoline heater that could be installed either in the trunk, or under the rear seat?

I don't mind a bit of fabrication to make it work. I'm not asking for a "drop in" unit, as that seems like a big ask. Any ideas?

[oprn]

I am not sure about gasoline but there ae diesel heaters. The downside to all of them is they don't defrost your windshield. All fine to be warm but you need to see where you are going too. I don't understand how cars without defrost can pass a safety inspection in parts of the country outside of the desert.
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We had the stone age, the bronze age, the industrial age and now we are in the age of mass deception and mind control for corporate profit. (The mass media age)

[Mitey62]

Like I said, I already have a diesel heater and it works great (using it for the shop), but I don't want to fill a separate tank, and they're pretty bulky.

What do you mean when you say they don't defrost your windshield?

[Bonesberg55]

[Mitey62]

If you've ever used one of the diesel heaters, you'd know that they'd defrost the windows REAL quick! I used mine to heat a (granted, fairly well insulated) ~15'x15' shop, and it would bring the temp from 20* up to 70* lickety split.

[74 Thing]

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=728131&highlight=
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=688692&highlight=heater
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=703569&start=500

[ToolBox]

[Mitey62]

Like I said, I already have one of those diesel heaters (and it works great), but was hoping for something for gas instead of diesel with a smaller footprint. I figured it was a long shot, but worth a try! Those diesel heaters are fantastic, but honestly pump out WAY more heat than you'd need in a small car. Even on the lowest setting, they'd cook you out in a hurry. I figured if there was something smaller available it might be just the ticket.

[germansupplyscott]

I'd be inclined to use a late version BN2.

This would be from around '74 Beetle. All the plumbing and electrics should be simple to install in an earlier Beetle. The late version BN2 heaters use the solenoid type ('clicker') fuel pump and electrical circuitry and are more reliable and safe than the earlier heaters. The newest Webasto or Espar heaters are not much different than the late style of Eberspacher heaters. The fuel pumps are basically identical between a brand new one of these and the late type BN2.
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SL

[Stinky123]

They make catalytic gasoline heaters for tents. But, they don't have fans on them.

My sister drove her car in the bay-area, for years w/just her heated seats....but she had fans and ducting.

They make 12v, cigarette light plug-in defrosters that you set on your dash.

[Mitey62]

Yeah... I honestly don't even NEED heat, I've driven this car for years without, and have been fine, but thought if there was something appropriate on the market, it could be a nice thing to have. I figured with the cheap and plentiful diesel heaters on the market, there had to be someone making a small one that works with gasoline. Probably from the usual scumbags, but beggars can't be choosers.

I think I actually had one of the little 12V defrosters at one time. I don't remember it working very well. And as we all know, electric heaters really suck down the watts.

Something small enough to fit under the rear seat opposite the battery and feed off of the fuel line to the engine would be the bee's knees I reckon.