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Has Anyone Actually used the Cheap Diesel heaters?
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vwwestyman
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 12, 2019 3:06 am    Post subject: Re: Has Anyone Actually used the Cheap Diesel heaters? Reply with quote

Skills, where did you get that thing for $116? That's quite a bit cheaper than I've seen them yet!

I don't know anything about the logic/control with these things, but my Espar has a wire that simply tells it to turn on when 12v is applied to the wire, and turn off (including full shut down process) when that 12v is taken away. So my digital thermostat control box is at the back of the Bus above the bed on the cabinet, but I can also turn the heater on with the knob up front. (Currently, the heater wire is attached to the defrost knob.)

Even if the thermostat is set to off at the back, if I pull the defrost knob the heater will turn on and run and maintain the temperature that is/was set at the back.

It's almost as if the controller/thermostat in the back is simply used to change the settings in the computer board mounted on the heater, and then just provide an on/off signal, which can also be provided by a separate switch.

Do these heaters have some kind of similar feature/setup/wire? If so, you could use a similar switch, or like I eventually plan to do, swap in a BN4 switch so you can turn it on with the knob, and/or use the key to turn it off (with full shutdown) when the key goes off.
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danfromsyr
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 12, 2019 8:19 am    Post subject: Re: Has Anyone Actually used the Cheap Diesel heaters? Reply with quote

this one is $106/shipped
https://www.ebay.com/itm/12V-5KW-Diesel-Air-Heater...3237170482

must be the 10l tank inlieu of the standard 15l tank. which you need to replace anyways in a Bay installation.. well other than the 1 guy above who put the diesel/Kerosene tank INSIDE the rear closet by the bed Rolling Eyes Speak to the hand

this one is $99 shipped but it's lacking the exhaust muffler and has less ducting options. be fine for a low buck 'garage/shed heater'
fwiw 5KW = ~17k BTU.. I've thought of installing one to heat the Bathroom in my house vs. an electric only space heater. going to give that more thought. Think
https://www.ebay.com/itm/tt-12V-5KW-Diesel-Air-Hea...2647857023


VWwestyman, these units are 'digital' they have 'universal' 3 wire connection on the controller you can use 'most' of the currently offered controllers with the heaters.. well except one that's mentioned in this video that isn't wired as the same 3 wire standard.


Link


Last edited by danfromsyr on Tue Nov 12, 2019 8:35 am; edited 1 time in total
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danfromsyr
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 12, 2019 8:23 am    Post subject: Re: Has Anyone Actually used the Cheap Diesel heaters? Reply with quote

for a bunch of how to why to and what to do videos on these heaters try this channel from John McK
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLxP_AwzCecuipKsLK1uAvQ
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 12, 2019 9:36 am    Post subject: Re: Has Anyone Actually used the Cheap Diesel heaters? Reply with quote

danfromsyr wrote:
for a bunch of how to why to and what to do videos on these heaters try this channel from John McK
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLxP_AwzCecuipKsLK1uAvQ



He seems to be the one thats way into them for sure Laughing
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 12, 2019 9:44 am    Post subject: Re: Has Anyone Actually used the Cheap Diesel heaters? Reply with quote

vwwestyman wrote:
Skills, where did you get that thing for $116? That's quite a bit cheaper than I've seen them yet!.


ebay. it was like 109 or some such thing plus tax. in the end it was 116.xx

honestly, these things are so cheap....i'm not sure if they are worth even maintaining. throw them away like an oil filter Laughing

not sure how they would hold up externally mounted, but again they are so cheap, why not. I wasn't thinking of using it in a bus, but may reconsider. my original thought was to use it on either the tractor or skid steer for snow removal. would be kinda fun to plow in a t shirt and shorts Laughing

another neat thing i thought about using it for is starting some of the diesel shit in my life. we have a fleet of old allis' that were compression ignition only. when new the didn't like to start at 45-50* so it would be pull the air cleaner and heat gun down it's throat till the manifold got warm and it would start right up.

this thing would do it way faster than a heat gun. possibilities are kind of endless with these. if I were to use them for farm work, I could essentially put it on a board and move it from machine to machine...just use a cigarette lighter to power them up.
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 12, 2019 10:01 am    Post subject: Re: Has Anyone Actually used the Cheap Diesel heaters? Reply with quote

Makes sense, we do something similar with salamander heaters when we lose power up this way in the winter and need to start the one diesel ambulance in the station that doesn't have a backup generator (satellite station, doesn't see much use). Its replacement will be gas powered, damn thing is a PITA. The V10 ones are kinda gutless but like the winter better.

I would think one of these with a good dryer vent hose would work out pretty well for that idea, Skills.

As for the tank inside, not sure what the resistance is to that? Its flashpoint is only marginally higher than the quart of 10-50w that most keep inside the bus, definitely less flammable than brake clean, FI cleaner, dry gas, butane, propane, white gas, PAM, whiskey, vodka, rum, etc. For that matter, probably less flammable than the wood, paper, and fabric inside the bus. If it is the smell, then don't spill it. We use K1 heaters (DynaGlo convections) inside several weeks during the winter when the Monitor heater can't keep up or the power is out, just be careful what you do and it isn't an issue.
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 12, 2019 10:18 am    Post subject: Re: Has Anyone Actually used the Cheap Diesel heaters? Reply with quote

For testing and restoring the Eberspacher stuff I do, I use a small 9 amp 12v battery. Like a motorcycle battery.

Rechargable and light. I had the first one ever since I started the BN4 resto thread. I recently replaced it as it wasnt getting over 12v charge anymore. I replaced it with this.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K8V2Y8W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Point being, anyone wanting to make there own portable platform other than the one offered could use these cheap, light power sources.
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 12, 2019 10:56 am    Post subject: Re: Has Anyone Actually used the Cheap Diesel heaters? Reply with quote

for just a little more $ you can get these in a metal portable carrier
search Portable diesel heaters.
$125 + tax.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trk...p;_sacat=0

maybe for those who don't want to perma mount one in their bus

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PostPosted: Tue Nov 12, 2019 11:00 am    Post subject: Re: Has Anyone Actually used the Cheap Diesel heaters? Reply with quote

Has anyone installed and used these without putting an extra battery in?
Ideally I’d like to use the existing battery if possible.
I’d run it maybe 4 hours in the evening and say two hours the next morning for two nights of camping. Still using the overhead lights in the westy just in the evenings. I think after two nights of camping I’d take it for a good drive to charge the battery if I was going to do a third night out.
Did all the BN4’s couple with a spare battery?
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 12, 2019 12:00 pm    Post subject: Re: Has Anyone Actually used the Cheap Diesel heaters? Reply with quote

I'm fairly in the camp (IMHO) that if you are running heat and/or refrigeration you should have an AUX battery. or park so you can push start your bus.
how long can you leave the interior light(s) on in a car in the cold (when you'll run a heater)?
me I carry a jump/booster pack in lieu of jumper cables. easier on me and those other people who need a jump.
not some $50 Mal-wart power supply..
something with a real cranking power battery..
this https://www.amazon.com/Booster-ES2500-1100-Peak-Starter/dp/B0002SQTYG
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 12, 2019 12:20 pm    Post subject: Re: Has Anyone Actually used the Cheap Diesel heaters? Reply with quote

danfromsyr wrote:
I'm fairly in the camp (IMHO) that if you are running heat and/or refrigeration you should have an AUX battery.


agreed. i'll be the first to admit i'm not a hard core camper much anymore where heat would be an issue.

start up and shut down is where they draw the most power, as it uses the glow plug to burn off any residual fuel in the combustion chamber....even at that they don't draw much...but why risk it?
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my reason for switching to subaru is my german car was turning chinese so i said fuck it and went japanese.......
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most VW enthusiasts are stuck in 80's price land.

Jake Raby wrote:
Thanks for the correction. I used to be a nice guy, then I ruined it by exposing myself to the public.

Brian wrote:
Also the fact that people are agreeing with Skills, it's a turn of events for samba history
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 12, 2019 12:25 pm    Post subject: Re: Has Anyone Actually used the Cheap Diesel heaters? Reply with quote

I wasnt aware that these things pull power at all times. Thinking I might put a turbo timer kind of setup on mine. That way it'll cool down for a bit after shutdown, then cut power after a few minutes. Or some kind of 12v timer
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 12, 2019 12:32 pm    Post subject: Re: Has Anyone Actually used the Cheap Diesel heaters? Reply with quote

skills@eurocarsplus wrote:
danfromsyr wrote:
I'm fairly in the camp (IMHO) that if you are running heat and/or refrigeration you should have an AUX battery.


agreed. i'll be the first to admit i'm not a hard core camper much anymore where heat would be an issue.

start up and shut down is where they draw the most power, as it uses the glow plug to burn off any residual fuel in the combustion chamber....even at that they don't draw much...but why risk it?


I also agree that the extra battery is best. I’m just looking for simplicity and space savings. If I went the single battery route I’d make sure to park so I could push start it or maybe get a battery booster.
Just curious if anyone has used this yet on the single battery?
I keep going back to using a Honda generator and plugging in an electric heater during the few times a year I need the heat. I put the generator in the front on the passenger floor when transporting it, otherwise it stays outside as far away as my power cord allows. It’s not ideal but it also takes up no space when it’s not needed and no modifications either. Not to mention the generator’s pretty handy for other things.
But this Chinese heater is very tempting too. Very Happy
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 12, 2019 1:31 pm    Post subject: Re: Has Anyone Actually used the Cheap Diesel heaters? Reply with quote

I would imagine that my Espar pulls a similar amount of juice as these things. I'm pretty sure that you'd be OK for one night--Seems like mine shut off due to low voltage partway through the second night of a camping trip (and I keep the low voltage setpoint right around 12v. That was with only the starting battery.

For my honeymoon trip in May, because I need to relocate my intercooler to be able to install a proper house battery again, I have used my boat's battery as a way to provide extra power. I just attached a male cigarett plug to the battery and plug it into the cigarette lighter to feed power into the Bus. I actually have a plug at the back seat, so the battery sits under the seat. Doing this I had enough power to run the Engel fridge and heater a couple nights no problem.

Thankfully there isn't any overlap between boating season and needing a heater season.
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 12, 2019 3:45 pm    Post subject: Re: Has Anyone Actually used the Cheap Diesel heaters? Reply with quote

skills@eurocarsplus wrote:
danfromsyr wrote:
Skillz

for those who want a simpler more intuitive controller you can get a simple dial with on/off. the controllers just plug n play exchange. though you likely won't get to use the remote key fob with this one. so there's pluses and minuses.

these are $8~$12 shipped from fleabay.


indeed. and they draw less amps as the digital one doesn't ever shut the display off.

in a perfect world, these should be able to run thru the shutdown process while killing power (like keyed ignition) then go flat until the next key cycle.

these truly are a parking heater, as you can't simply cut power to them. I wonder if that rotary knob one will do as I describe. probably not. I watched a video where a guy knocked power off his heater and the control board started to melt. he unscrewed the cap and pulled the top off to get the thing some cool air. there was minimal damage to the board

so, to reiterate, these have to have constant battery power and you have to shut them off manually to let them do a cooldown cycle (it's pretty quick, a minute or 3) then the heater shuts down. you will need another switch to isolate the heater, otherwise expect a dead battery in about a week or so.

I haven't been brave enough to test the logic on these, meaning if you cut power, then reconnected will it pick up the cooldown cycle, or just go straight to meltdown.

in all honesty I wanted one with that rotary knob you posted, but this one landed at my door for like 116 bux….would have been cheaper back in the tax free internet days...


Not sure what controller you have, but this one does shut off with the heater
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 12, 2019 8:14 pm    Post subject: Re: Has Anyone Actually used the Cheap Diesel heaters? Reply with quote

captincanuck wrote:


Not sure what controller you have, but this one does shut off with the heater
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mine is like the one the guy is holding in the YT vid a few posts up.

so, when you turn the unit off, the screen goes off as well? if that's the case, it will lessen the parasitic load for sure.

what i'm getting at is the end user has to remember to shut if off, as it has to do a cool down cycle. it can't be wired to a keyed ignition.
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my reason for switching to subaru is my german car was turning chinese so i said fuck it and went japanese.......
[email protected] wrote:
most VW enthusiasts are stuck in 80's price land.

Jake Raby wrote:
Thanks for the correction. I used to be a nice guy, then I ruined it by exposing myself to the public.

Brian wrote:
Also the fact that people are agreeing with Skills, it's a turn of events for samba history
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 12, 2019 8:43 pm    Post subject: Re: Has Anyone Actually used the Cheap Diesel heaters? Reply with quote

skills@eurocarsplus wrote:

mine is like the one the guy is holding in the YT vid a few posts up.

so, when you turn the unit off, the screen goes off as well? if that's the case, it will lessen the parasitic load for sure.

what i'm getting at is the end user has to remember to shut if off, as it has to do a cool down cycle. it can't be wired to a keyed ignition.


Yes defiantly has to have the cool down completed. And yes once that finishes this display turns off. The one with the timer function and round buttons (like yours and video guys) stays on even when powered off.
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 15, 2019 6:41 pm    Post subject: Re: Has Anyone Actually used the Cheap Diesel heaters? Reply with quote

Finally finished the install of a new 2K Chinese Diesel heater in my 76 VW Camper. I set it up so I can use it while I drive. I have an LCD controller on order (running rotary now). The fuel tank uses a standpipe w/ soft line to the filter and pump, then hard nylon from pump to heater. Works amazing!!!

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PostPosted: Fri Nov 15, 2019 7:10 pm    Post subject: Re: Has Anyone Actually used the Cheap Diesel heaters? Reply with quote

Good idea to use a stand-off pipe instead of drilling and fitting the bottom of the tank.

Do you hear the pump at all?
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 15, 2019 7:11 pm    Post subject: Re: Has Anyone Actually used the Cheap Diesel heaters? Reply with quote

That's really slick!, simple and to the point, and looks good too!

My fear with diesel inside isn't the fire deal, it's spilling during a refill and stinking up the bus. There's some fancy valves for Jerry cans that are worth looking into I guess, there must be a way. I'm really good at carefully not spilling when filling engines with oil or mowers with gas, but every now and then I still F up and dribble (sometimes in an epic way), I'd have to sell the bus if it somehow lost that Westy smell.

I obsess over it to the point of considering some sort of quick disconnect that allows for the dirty work to happen outside. I guess you could pre fill smaller used oil quart bottles outside, wipe them down and then pour them into that tank, the pucker factor would still be off the charts for me, I don't want it to smell like work where I vacation.
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