Diesel heaters ?? Any good ??

[JCR-1]

!2 volt portable , low fuel consumption , just wondering how effective and other comments on its usage.

[moresmoke]

Just about every sleeper cab semi on the road today has a diesel fired heater to keep the “house” warm in the winter.

[CavemanCharlie]

GordonThree wrote:
Speaking from a TT point of view, where's the diesel "tank" go? My trailer doesn't have any diesel appliances, and my truck runs on gasoline.

The come with a small fuel tank and because the fuel is supplied to the heater by a pump you can mount the tank anywhere. One video I saw had the tank mounted between the spare tire and the back of the camper.

[CavemanCharlie]

After watching a few more videos they look like a good idea. I'm not sure if I will do it but, it's sure tempting.

[Dakzuki]

GordonThree wrote:

CavemanCharlie wrote:
Humm, I think I'll check it out. My small TT doesn't need a forced air furnace and then darned thing just kills my batteries. I've been looking for something safe that doesn't use much, if any, power.

I wonder how safe they are ?

I'd be worried about an oil leak. I suppose the entire unit could live outside with only the heat output ducted in?

Are they variable output? That's my main complaint about the Suburban it's either max power or nothing. Gets uncomfortable on days that are not super cold.

A diesel leak is a lot less to worry about than propane.

[BarneyS]

GordonThree wrote:
Speaking from a TT point of view, where's the diesel "tank" go? My trailer doesn't have any diesel appliances, and my truck runs on gasoline.

They make gasoline versions also.
Barney

[GordonThree]

Speaking from a TT point of view, where's the diesel "tank" go? My trailer doesn't have any diesel appliances, and my truck runs on gasoline.

[CavemanCharlie]

Big Katuna wrote:
Properly plumbed, perfectly safe.

Meanwhile we drive 70 mph with 50 gallons of explosive fuel protected by a paper thin steel tank.

I watched a few videos on it and they seem safe enough to me. The videos are all from Australia though. I haven't found a video made in the USA yet.

I wonder how much currant they really draw while in use ? Most of the videos say 5 amp at start up but, not how much they use while in operation.

They are designed to be mounted on the floor with the exhaust going down through the floor. I wonder if a person could mount one of them a little bit up off of the floor and then route the exhaust out the side of the camper ?

I'd hate to have to cut the liner on the bottom of my TT and there is insulation above that liner too that would be in the way if the unit was floor mounted.

[Big_Katuna]

Properly plumbed, perfectly safe.

Meanwhile we drive 70 mph with 50 gallons of explosive fuel protected by a paper thin steel tank.

[GordonThree]

CavemanCharlie wrote:
Humm, I think I'll check it out. My small TT doesn't need a forced air furnace and then darned thing just kills my batteries. I've been looking for something safe that doesn't use much, if any, power.

I wonder how safe they are ?

I'd be worried about an oil leak. I suppose the entire unit could live outside with only the heat output ducted in?

Are they variable output? That's my main complaint about the Suburban it's either max power or nothing. Gets uncomfortable on days that are not super cold.

[CavemanCharlie]

Humm, I think I'll check it out. My small TT doesn't need a forced air furnace and then darned thing just kills my batteries. I've been looking for something safe that doesn't use much, if any, power.

I wonder how safe they are ?

[rjstractor]

I don't think it's widely known, but Ford offers an optional heater in its diesel pickups that burns diesel fuel to supplement heating while the engine warms up. I tried to talk my dad into ordering it when he bought his '19 F350 but he didn't see the need for it. It wasn't terribly expensive.

[Big_Katuna]

Grew up in Michigan. My older brother bought an early 60s VW that had a gasoline heater under the back seat.

He would go out start it up and turn the heater on high and it would melt the snow on the roof and de-ice the front windshield.

You had to crack windows to run it while driving, even on low.

Pretty sure the now dead thread “First I bought the van” installed the Webasto.

[gbopp]

HadEnough wrote:
I'm very curious. Never saw the gasoline version.

Years ago we owned a Volkswagen Thing with a gasoline heater. The Thing was basically a tin can with a cloth roof. The gasoline heater worked very well.

[GordonThree]

I wonder if these things are DOT approved for use on American roadways, or DHS approved for use in American mobile homes?