Greg's Propex HS2211 Install

[gtoews]

Thanks to Karl from WestyVentures for his patience answering my questions.

This is the machine I put the heater in. Much of the work was done while camping at Pender Island in BC Canada.

So far I've been happy with the product. It's quiet and effective (at least in the summer months). I hope to be comfortable and safe in dry warm air this winter while camping at the ski hills and while ice climbing in the rockies. Will update when appropriate.

I should add the disclaimer that this is work is not within my professional area of expertise. I'm an electrical engineer, with some carpentry experience. I'm happy to help with any questions and would be open to amend this document if anyone has suggestions.

Ok, lets go....

Necessary tools and parts:

Propex HS2211 Heater
Drill
3 1/4 inch hole saw
4 inch hole saw
step drill bit
twist drill bet set
rubber washers
stainless screws
locking washers
tape measure
sharpie
soldering iron
1/4 inch grommets
1/8 inch grommets
3 1/4 inch grommets
4 way propane tee
pipe joint compound
large pipe cutter
small pipe cutter
rust paint
paint brush
side cutters
wire strippers
solder
a variety of heat shrink
heat gun
alligator clip for heat sink
1 inch spade bit (for wood)
1/4 inch copper tube spring bender
socket set (for really cranking down the exhaust pipe to heater)
file
hacksaw
double sided tape
flat black spray paint
a few inches of ~ 3/8" rubber hose to protect gas line in places

Part 1. Mounting the heater under the van

Had to decide exactly where to mount. For me the best place was between the frame where the second propane tank would install. Note I had to remove a bold to get better clearance for the exhaust and intake pipes.

I wanted to hit all the low points on the underside of the van so as not to put a screw through the floor so I marked them on the bracket and drilled additional holes.

I used 3/8" stainless screws with a rubber washer between the heater and underside of the van and a locking washer between the head of the screw and the bracket of the heater. I figured the rubber washer would help with sealing the hole and reduce noise by dampening vibrations. Who knows.

Even with the heater mounted as far to the driver's side as possible it was necessary to trim the exhaust and intake steel pipes by about 1/4" Use a pipe cutter without a handle for tight spaces. Be careful not to get filings into the heater. Ream the ends smooth with the pipes facing down so as not to get filings into the heater.

Now you should have enough room to get the pipes on.

I drilled pilot holes and painted over them with a rust inhibitor.

Part 2: Drilling out the vent holes into the bottom of the van so they come out in the under seat cabinet.

It seemed like the only option for venting in and out of the van was via the under bench cabinet to the passenger side. My cabinets were somewhat finished so I had to drill 3 1/4 inch holes from the bottom, but not all the way through as you need the pilot holes to then drill 4 inch holes from the top. The reason is because we my installation, there was 1/4 inch plywood on top of 1/4 inch insulation. It was necessary to have room around the hole from above to use the grommets purchased from WestyVentures.

After much deliberation and ink, I decided to cut the holes centered 3 1/4 inches from the back wall (horizontal rail). The holes were spaced horizontally to match the spacing of the vents on the heater.

Here's the 3 1/4 inch hole cut from bottom, only cutting through the steel floor:

Next cut the 4 inch hole from the top, only cutting through the plywood and rubber insulation.

Peel away the ring of insulation to expose the top of the steel floor. Now you can see how the grommet will fit in.

I filed and painted all cut metal surfaces.

Part 3: Fitting the gaskets, connecting the vent hoses and running the cables.

I would suggest painting the inside of the hoses flat black before connecting them to the heater. You only need to paint the first 6-10 inches of front end of any hoses visible to the eye once the installation is done. This step is totally unnecessary unless seeing beige and silver bothers you when looking into the vents.

Inserting the gaskets supplied by WestyVentures, from the bottom after the paint dried. Karl says heat them up first to work with them easier but I guess in the summer it wasn't necessary. I didn't have any trouble fitting them in or passing the hose through. I used some foil tape to seal the hoses onto the heater.

You can see from the following photo that I also used grommets to pass the power and control cables through the floor. Again I drilled a hole just large enough for a good grommet fit from the bottom, then a larger hole from the top through the plywood to allow space for the the grommet to seat. Eventually I filled the hole from the top with silicon after the wires were in place since the grommets were not a perfect fit for the wire. The red sleeve is heat shrink which hasn't been shrunk yet.

I elected to only drill one hole in my cabinet and allow the return air to suck from within the cabinet. I drilled a little high because I wanted to have floor clearance for a carpet I roll up occasionally, also I rarely sleep down below. As you can see I taped down the wires and will eventually ran them through the back of the cabinet under a carpet which I cut holes into allow the hoses to pass through cleanly.

I wrapped the hoses under the fan with a self adhesive rubber insulating tape. I don't know how long it will last for. Try not to have too many sections of tape because it's the ends that will fail first. Be sure it's all clean before applying. Generally the secret to adhesion is cleanliness.

I cut all cables so that I could pass them through tight spaces and holes. Obviously this comes at the cost of reconnecting everything. As a masochist, I couldn't resist soldering and heat shrinking everything back together. I ran the cables under a small carpet in that cabinet space then along the back of the cabinet horizontally through a hole drilled low and out of sight into the tall cabinet along the drivers side of the van.

Note the use of an alligator heat sink for radiating heat than may normally prematurely warm my heat shrink. I always tin the wires on each side then heat up while each side is touching. Look around the solder joint to ensure a good connection. Heat from one side and allow the solder to be drawn into the heat from the other. Wait for the joint to cool before pulling the heat shrink over. Heat the heat shrink on all the connections at the same time after they're all positioned correctly or you may accidentally shrink one that's not ready to be shrunk.

Getting there, don't forget to place a larger section of heat shrink somewhere down the line before you make any solder joints. This is to cover the whole job once done. All the wiring is hidden between the back of the cabinet under the rear seat.

I cut out holes in my carpet to finish off the cabinet floor. The wiring runs under the carpet out a hole in the back cabinet. I use grommets where possible to avoid vibration at interfaces rubbing through wire jackets. Hint: it's ok to cut a grommet so that you can insert it on a wire where you don't have access to the ends. You'll see that the hose fitting is flat black. I painted all surfaces of the fitting as well as the inside of the hose. I didn't want to see anything when looking through the heat vent. Be sure to stuff the hose with something to avoid getting spay paint into the heater if you paint while the hose is connected.

Part 4: Mounting the control unit, mounting the fuse and connecting power.

I brought in power in from my secondary battery via a power inverted I've installed in the tiny space next to the water tank. That's a super tight fit but a perfect location in my opinion. I can run the power cord down and out my lower access panel to shore or generator power. It's a 60A converter (Progressive Dynamics (PD9260CV) 60 Amp Power Converter with Charge Wizard).

I installed the fuse for the heater on the back panel of the under seat cabinet. I used my favorite red and grey external double sided tape to attach securely.

The control panel was installed high up on the wardrobe closet. I drilled a one inch hole with a spade bit, had my girlfriend catch much of the mess in real time with a vacuum as I drilled. Also taped paper on the inside to prevent most of the dust from getting into the cabinet. I fed the connector inside the cabinet while the wires were cut. I used self-adhesive mounts and zap straps to secure the wire along the inside corner of the wardrobe cabinet. I fed the one inch connector through the hole I drilled at the top of the cabinet from the inside then connected it to the control module before screwing it down after measuring to ensure a level and centered mount.

Part 5: Mounting the exhaust and intake hoses.

For some reason the red stub is the intake and the silver is the exhaust. Anyway, skip the blue rubber sleeve, it's only purpose is to ensure a good seal since it's hard to crank down much on the steel hose. It seemed like the most natural placement was to bring the black intake hose towards the front, 90 degrees over the gas line then another 90 degrees along the heater towards the back. I was able to wedge mine in between the heater and the frame without deforming the hose too much, if at all. You want to make sure there is no opportunity for water to enter the hoses and get stuck. The hose should always slope down. Also make sure the exhaust doesn't direct exhaust into a wheelwell or into another enclosed space that could lead inside the van. Drill pilot holes and use stainless screws when securing hose clamps to the vehicle. Here's how mine looks.

Part 6: Running and connecting the propane fuel line to underbelly propane tank.

My goal here was to have the copper above the frame and ever the lowest point of the vehicle. I took the easiest route to accomplish that. I used a 1/4" spring pipe bender and a tiny pipe cutter. I attached the ends (ie the heater and the tank) last.

First thing I saw was a hole to pass the tubing through in front of the heater.

I put a 1/4" grommet in each side and it was a perfect fit.

From there I went across the van towards the propane tank angling up out of harms way. I used some crossed zap straps hanging from the coolant pipes to secure it a bit.

It was not possible to go through the frame again on the tank side so a zapstrap and some rubber hose to separate copper from steel (rust) was used as rounded the corner towards the front of the drivers side.

The tube came out a few inches in front of the tank and made a sharp 90 towards the drivers side. Take care to avoid contact with the frame or tank. That should also include contact due to bumps and vibrations.

Now this is where there's going to be some head shaking in the community. Let me just say, I don't like it either, all these hose camps and brass 90s are not ideal. It's working now and I do have 10 feet of 3/8" tube and a flange kit at the ready for when I have time to redo the gas lines. Anyway, definitely get the four way connector from WestyVentures and reconnect everything to it. Life is easy with that four way, be sure to use pipe compound paste or orange teflon tape. The white tape can flake off and clog up orifices.

[HoustonPhotog]

any updates on this one... looks good so far!

Thanks!
_________________
Abel Longoria
VanAlert App for Vanagons/Buses | Texas Vanagons | My Vanagon Build Thread | Follow Me On Instagram | Vanagon-centric Stickers Available Now

[westyventures]

FWIW, there is ample space to install the exhaust and intake flex pipes, no trimming of the heater stubs necessary. It is not a requirement to use the blue silicone joiner on the exhaust, if that makes a difference. Also, a custom bracket on the frame side of the heater would allow for it to seat against the frame, removing the supplied bracket and saving 1/2" which is about what it appears was cut from the pipes.

[campism]

[gtoews]

haha, no I only did the point-of-no-return steps while camping ie, drilling the dual 4 inch holes through the floor and the mounting of the unit and running hoses etc. Luckily my girlfriend was studying between kayaking and disc golf, so it all worked out.

[gtoews]

Been able to 'camp' a handful of times in near freezing weather. Haven't ever set thermostat anywhere near max. Girlfriend loves it. She doesn't need to bundle up at all. Sound levels are good, can't smell exhaust outside, fuel consumption is still a bit of an unknown. I'll really be testing it out after Christmas in Banff while ice climbing. Weather will easily reach -30C. Probably keep the top down at night. I can safely recommend the product. So far it's been 100% trouble free.

[westyventures]

Hope you've found time to replace those horrible hoses? I wouldn't even turn on the system until those were replaced.
Also, I missed earlier where you routed the gas line - I should mention that a great place to route the line is above the frame in the floor corrugations - good shielding away from everything. Lastly, you might consider adding closed-cell foam insulation over the external ducting to increase the efficiency in super-cold weather.
Enjoy!

[bosruten]

Consider something to keep the propane tank from freezing. At -30C...it will happen!
_________________
'87 Syncro Weekender

[HoustonPhotog]

Also make sure the copper line is isolated from all other metals. Dissimilar metals in contact with other is not good. That's a quick was for the the copper to corrode and spring a leak.
_________________
Abel Longoria
VanAlert App for Vanagons/Buses | Texas Vanagons | My Vanagon Build Thread | Follow Me On Instagram | Vanagon-centric Stickers Available Now

[westyventures]

Propane boils (turns to vapor) at -44F or above. Regulator freezing can happen, but propane itself will be fine. Westfalia supplied heated regulators in the European models with the cold-weather package, IIRC.

http://www.propane101.com/propaneliquidandvapor.htm

[bosruten]

[Syncro Jael]

After looking at this great install, I was thinking about all the road/mud debris that can accumulate on the heating unit.

Just wondering if anyone has fabricated a front shield to protect the heater better.

I just know my dual propane tanks catch a lot of mud and get hit with rocks and other debris. Even with the SA mudflaps.

The aux tank does not look this good anymore!

[VWinVT]

I am looking to do this install in my aircooled Westy. Can this unit operate while driving? As one would expect, I have no heat in my aircooled. I live in northern Vemont and would like to extend my season.

[ThankYouJerry]

[danfromsyr]

just be sure to shut it off during refueling..

[VWinVT]

Sweet!! one more addition to my 'to-do list', Propex in the van!

[westylife]

gtoews,

Anything you would have done differently since you installed it? I just got mine and I'm about to install it soon. I will most likely follow your instructions unless you have any other input.

Thanks for the write-up!

westylife
_________________
1983.5 Westfalia Bostig RG1

[gtoews]

[bmdhacks]

Is there any concern to the amount of exposed copper propane tubing in your undercarriage? I like the space savings of keeping the HS2211 on the outside, but not super keen on the exposure for rocks etc. versus just going up into the cabinetry and using a HS2000 or whatever.
_________________
88 Vanagon Westy w/ 2200cc + manual trans

[LemonCove]

gtoews-

Great writeup and photo documentation. Nice installation and creative location.

One additional photo I'd like to see is the finished air inlet and supply outlet as they appear in the van's interior space. It's not intuitive to me where they are.

Thanks-

Jed
_________________
'88 Bostig Westy