Diesel Heater Fuel Tanks - show me your setup

[VanWagon]

I have struggled to find a reasonable sized tank for my Cheap Diesel Heater (CDH) that fits tucked out of the way, is safe, easy to fill, and doesn't risk fuel smell in the interior. I have a 5.5L boxy tank sitting behind the left taillight with a heat shelf to block it from the engine bay, but the trouble is the plastic, and more specifically the lid, gets heat expansion in the summer due to engine and ambient temps. This makes it not fit and then I have to replace the lid... Not a big deal, but I'd rather have a long term solution where the tank is bulletproof and I don't have to worry about it. I looked into Boyd's Tanks but the cost of a single built tank is unpalatable and I haven't found a production tank that fits where I want except for these cheap plastic tanks from China that come with the heaters. I have seen tanks mounted on the roof, bumper, in cabinets, and other places. One guy on here even had a custom metal tank where I have mine behind the left taillight.

Where did you find space to mount your tank? Any pictures of the setup?

[shagginwagon83]

Here is what I did - but involved creating a custom alum tank...

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=9591593#9591593

But, if you are this deep... then consider dropping the coin on a Webasto or Espar and sharing the same fuel type and tap into that gas tank.
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"Jo Ann" - '83.5 Westfalia EJ22e w/Peloquin
Instagram: @joannthevan

[vanis13]

(edit, yes, it took me 13 minutes to write this post, not seeing Brandon's )

When you figure this out, could you please post teh total parts and time costs to get this done?

As a Espar B4 gasoline heater user I am wondering how much I didn't have to pay to make the CDH convenient and this is a real cost for those looking at CDH vs. a gasoline heater may want to consider.

and if others, like ShagginWagon, who made an elaborate solution could chime in, it would be helpful
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83.5 Westy with Subaru 2.5, 4 spd manual, center seat, COLD A/C on 134a!, Winter camp heated with an Espar B4 gasoline furnace

www.SuperVanagon.com - some stuff I make

[bobbyblack]

Depending on your thoughts of easy.. This is a 5 gallon tank I got, and it is still sitting in my garage waiting for me to decide where it will go. Also, how to puncture it for vent, and fuel lines, etc... But I have some ideas.

Right now I am using a 3.5 G marine tank that I use a small electric transfer pump to fill, going into a T on the tank outlet line. So, I never have to open anything, just hook up the transfer pump, run it for a few minutes, done. Lasts about 4 days (while parked at work, so around 10 hours a day at temps around 10F.) I can't say if it is safe or not where I have it. Diesel is somewhat hard to "blow up" .. I mean, it will catch fire, but not like gasoline.

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'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch

[zerotofifty]

Get a gasoline heater and the tank,issue goes away.

Blitz makes or made a steel 2.5 gallon gas can, might be able to fit that in the engine bay D pillar area Being steel, heat warping wont be an issue...

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=blitz+2.5+gal...13fdc2fd5c

I got four of these. easier to handle than the 5 gallon jerry cans, I gots one each in four of me cars, in the trunk or in the Van as emergency gas. and put all four on my roof rack when off-road long distance camping in me jeep. Me jeep is lifted, so it is a struggle to deal with the heavy 5 gallon, the 2.5 is perfect.

I think blitz only makes plastic cans now, with the gawd awful CARB approved noozle that always leaks. the old steel cans work nice. I have the early type without the plastic vent plug. the cap is steel on mine too. you can jump up and down on these things, pretty tough, tougher than a jerry can me thinks.

You can add a drain hose fitting on the bottom for the heater application put it on bottom just under the cap so you can install a nut on the inside via the cap hole You can also add a vent on top. The cap is a threaded plug, I think it is 3/4 or 1 inch diameter or so, standard thread so you have an option to screw in a standard pipe nipple or barb fitting with hose for a remote fill option Your vent can be on the filler hose too!

For the stock cap, for me I make you own gasket out of sheet VITON rubber if the used one you buy is bad. I always use VITON for these and jerry can gaskets, it is very fuel proof. Lesser rubber may swell and fail. Viton sheet can be had online in 6 inch or 12 inch squares I use 1/8 inch thick.

Of course always leave head space when full, to allow for thermal expansion of the fuel. I once topped off a 5 gallon jerry can, tilted it to fill it all up, got in an extra quart. it sat in the sun, and the seam at bottom leaked after that, opps, dont be me

[uberaudi]

In a previous build, I made a small tank that sits in the drivers d pillar that worked out well. Since I've gone to a tdi now, I just tap into the injection pumps return line. Filtered and plentiful.

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'84 Adventurewagen 1Z TDI, '08 Audi Avant Quattro 6spd BHW TDI

[WillRB]

[the_benjamin_effect]

External CDH. Window mount was still in beta testing in this photo. After a mouse got into our camper after crawling up the silver tube and through the rolled up towel, we quickly made a more rodent proof window pass through out of thick foam.

Assume you were referring to CDH mounted inside the camper, but this is my solution until I get around to installing the gasoline ESPAR I have on hand.

_________________
-1967 Sundial Camper 1914cc "Sunny"
-1978 Deluxe Westfalia Jake Raby built PowerStroke 2109cc "Westy"
-1987 SYNCRO Westfalia GoWesty 2400cc "Ruby"
-2000 Subaru Impreza Sport EJ22 ¼ million miles "Trusty"

International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. I.A.M. 751
International Brotherhood of Naval Flight Engineers. I.B.N.F.E. LOCAL 8251

U.S. NAVY Retired; Senior Chief Flight Engineer, P-3 Orion and EP-3E Aries II
U.S.S. Carl Vinson, VFA-22, VQ-2, VQ-1, VP-30

[VanWagon]

[uberaudi]

Passed it along to a buddy already, but here's a couple more details.

I used 6x6 box aluminum off McMaster, a cheap motorcycle gas cap vent, and the standpipe flang that came with the CDH. Im sure you could get one fabbed up locally for a reasonable cost.
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'84 Adventurewagen 1Z TDI, '08 Audi Avant Quattro 6spd BHW TDI

[danielheff]

Quoted from my original build thread:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...oRHy_TAsFg

[TopBud]

I have a 5k diesel heater in my tintop. I have a roof rack so this works for me. Tank is made by Boyd welding, 3 gallon tank. Here are some photos of how I made it work. 3 gallons lasts a long time. Fuel lines run through the side vents to engine compartment- dosing pump and filter in there. Heater is under bench drivers side. This works for us, I didn’t think the Boyd tank was that expensive.

[/img]
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86 bostig syncro tin top
66 convertible Karmann Ghia

[bobbyblack]

I've been looking around for something better for a while. Lately I have been watching a lot of videos of things people do while getting their rigs ready for desert racing. One item that caught my eye was a fuel tank system that relied on a inner bladder that actually holds the fuel, but also there needs to be a box around it to protect it from getting punctured. With that in mind, I started looking for just the bladder. I think a metal shield could be fab'd up relatively easily that could bolt to the frame channels under the slider that could accommodate this bladder:

https://www.bonanza.com/listings/10-Gallon-Gas-Bag...FsEALw_wcB

I would still use a transfer pump to fill it, in my case, but I am sure someone could fab up a fill line as well. If I were to buy this bladder, I would drill the cap and fit a vent line out of it.

Oh, huh... Just dreaming this up more now, but from where I have my red marine tank now, looking at the lengths of these things.. I could definitely have two in a row in that channel under the slider. One could be for the heater, and the other I could rig for auxiliary gasoline. They would not need the entire height to be effective, so the tray to hold them wouldn't need to go more than an inch or three lower than the channels. They wouldn't be 10 gallons each, but surely more than 5. I'll keep looking around, maybe there are some that are actually more the size of the location I'm talking about here.
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'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch

[VanWagon]

[Kdj]

Holds about a gallon and half. Made it myself with a bought cap and neck.

[TopBud]

VanWagon,
I have an engine conversion in my van and do not really need to get into the engine compartment much. I also have an adventurewagon bed set up where I store a ton of items on the deck cover, under my bed. I didn't want to put it in the engine compartment. I have a huge roof rack so just used the space accordingly. I was looking at a boyd tank that would have fit in the spare tire well. KDJ posted a photo of the spare tire carrier and the tank a while ago. That's what I would like to do, but do not have the rear rack. This works for me.
I will try to find my links to different tanks that I looked at. I had the plastic one mounted in a similar position for about a year, but the sunlight got through it and the sunlight turned the diesel into a gel. It ruined my dosing pump and filter. The original set up was only temporary, but lasted longer than expected. The original set up was ugly as sin, but worked till I found a better solution.

To be honest, my tank is 3 gallons. I run it pretty consistently in the winter. 3 gallons lasts a long time. You can probably get away with a 2 or 1.5 gallon (maybe1) and fit it in the engine compartment. Depends on your usage. Previously, with the plastic tank, I think 1.5 gallons lasted me about 5 days running consistently in cold temps. We use the van as a ski base camp and keep our dogs in it when we are skiing.
I looked for a long time before I jumper on this 3 gallon tank.
Good luck, there is a tank that will fit your needs.

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86 bostig syncro tin top
66 convertible Karmann Ghia

[Andymon]

[quote="VanWagon"]I have struggled to find a reasonable sized tank for my Cheap Diesel Heater (CDH) that fits tucked out of the way, is safe, easy to fill, and doesn't risk fuel smell in the interior. I have a 5.5L boxy tank sitting behind the left taillight with a heat shelf to block it from the engine bay, but the trouble is the plastic, and more specifically the lid, gets heat expansion in the summer due to engine and ambient temps. This makes it not fit and then I have to replace the lid... Not a big deal, but I'd rather have a long term solution where the tank is bulletproof and I don't have to worry about it. I looked into Boyd's Tanks but the cost of a single built tank is unpalatable and I haven't found a production tank that fits where I want except for these cheap plastic tanks from China that come with the heaters. I have seen tanks mounted on the roof, bumper, in cabinets, and other places. One guy on here even had a custom metal tank where I have mine behind the left taillight.

Where did you find space to mount your tank? Any pictures of the setup?[quote]

Just get a quick disconnect. Disconnect and take the tank out and fill it. Put it back in and connect. No fuel spillage.
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"Blanch" '85 Westy
"Too many freaks and not enough circuses".

[82westyrabbit]

I made my fuel tank out of what used to be the propane tank.

Because my heater is underneath the refrigerator, I had to shorten the propane tank. If your heater is mounted someplace else, you could retain the full 4 gallons of the original propane tank. I only have 1 1/2 gallons.

This is the tank welded back together. I can weld, but in this particular case I had the welding done by a friend who welds professionally.

Of course the tank will get painted before I am done with the project. It will be a little finicky to fill. I intend to fill it with a little electric pump from Harbour Freight.