Diesel (vented) Heaters

[GypsyDogs]

I really have nowhere to mount such a thing. Not safely with the kids.. they frown on singed furs.. lol

[tx2sturgis]

If you already have a diesel fuel supply on-board, as in a diesel engine, then by all means, if you want to install a good quality, name brand, diesel-powered heater, go for it!

I would not recommend a cheap chinese one...for a variety of reasons.

And yes, diesel fuel quality can vary, and if its cold enough that the diesel fuel is 'gelling', your heater's filter WILL get plugged up and your heater WILL stop working...at the worst possible time.

[Blacktank]

on the outside make sure the exhaust and intake are clear,mine had a wasp nest in there,on mine you can take off the front cover and there is a glass plate so you can see inside,see if the igniter is sparking and when the flame catches,to check for propane leaks,a strong water/dish soap mix on the fittings,and leaks will bubble,the blower has to be up to a set rpm for things to work,the blower will stay on after you turn it off until a certain temp is reached,little things put out a bunch of dry heat

my little coal stove fits on top of the stove,it's a little little for my liking,not enough top to cook on but give the ability to scavenge for heat,a little

[Gr8ful]

I'm not on fakebook but found a link to a chinese diesel heater forum. Have no idea if they like them or not so please let me know what they say, Thanks! https://www.facebook.com/groups/146837062640024/

Here's where Esper heaters are made in china https://www.eberspaecher.com/en/worldwide.html

[tx2sturgis]

Could not find a page in that link that showed manufacturing locations.

Lots of products we use day in and day out are made in china or have components made in china (probably including some parts and components of the German-made bunk heaters).....but what matters is the company name and the customer support and availability of parts.

Eberspächer, Espar, Airtronic, and Webasto are the names I am familiar with, in the trucking industry, and they will be well supported (parts and repair) for many years.

Zong-zing, Houzchen, Wangdong, or generics, will have little hope of being looked at or worked on when you roll into anywhere that works on trucks or RVs.

I realize that there are forums and fans of the cheap chinese heaters....but If I were spending say, $100,000 on a diesel powered 4x4 overlanding rig, I would outfit it with a quality heater from a reputable brand...not a $200 chinese branded heater I found on ebay.

What others do is what others do.

[Gr8ful]

tx2sturgis I was just doing what the OP asked for, info on chinese diesel heaters & I shared what I know as I researched it to death as I usually do. I don't want to argue with you or anyone so if it means that much to you I'll be wrong & you win. I would not pay 10x for a name brand as I've seen many people very happy with the chinese version but if I paid $1800 vs $130 I'd believe the $1800 is better. I hate to say it but china is building much better quality the last couple of years as the have new machinery & have learned how to use it. So be happy that you won & I do agree your name brands may be better but are the 10x-15x better? I'm not arguing so it's the buyers desision but I wouldn't own one for $1800+ as I bought the best one with all the options for $130. If I'm reading this right you can buy 20 5kw heater hits for $1794 shipped free from the US, made in china eBay item number:254768091197. or 1 5kw JP for $1827. + $38 shipping from Denmark eBay item number:292908061506. I agree the one kit you pay over $1850. is probably better than kits for $89.70. There's a you tube with a guy repuilding his Espar & compares it to a chinese. When he turns the brand name high $$ around it shows the chinese label so yes they are made there & maybe others have the parts made there & assemled somewhere else. Congrats on your win Sir!

[tx2sturgis]

I'm not trying to win anything...the goal is to provide correct information.

Here is a typical Espar unit for right at $1000:

https://esparparts.com/espar-airtronic-t...25125.html

Thats waay less than $1800....

As I said earlier, If I were to make a recommendation in regards to the cheap chinese units, it is to buy two identical units, costing maybe $400-$500 for both. Because parts availability might be a problem in a year or two. And also have a backup heat source.

That's the takeaway. It's not a 'win'...it's just what I would recommend.

[Gr8ful]

You have lots more experience than I do why don't you invest $130 like I did & try it out & report back? I'll donate $30 to the cause. I read a huge boat forum did this & many tried them & 90% of them voted to recomended them to all the forum members & they really put them thru their paces. Let me know as you're the expert but doesn't look like you've used the cheap chinese only the more expensive chinese ones. Mine works great but you're the pro. Let me know where I send my part, Thanks!

[GypsyDogs]

I found this wealth of (similar but not same) Roadtrek info to assist me in my testing/troubleshooting of Faith’s factory furnace.
http://roadtrek190popular.blogspot.com/2...rnace.html
They have a half a zillion articles about all sorts of RT related topics.

I plan on checking the vents, and taking the access cover off and checking and cleaning all the user-maintainable bits (PO probably Never dusted it) and then test firing it.
I found a reference to the fan. When clean and maintained, it should only draw around 2.5 amps. So not as bad as I thought. May also look into a fan update/upgrade if needed. If there is such a thing...

[Gr8ful]

The $1000 is a 2kw I  was talking 5kw units  Min Advertised Price $3,594.98 which I'm sure you can buy cheaper than what they show  https://esparparts.com/espar-airtronic-w...25162.html
They can run on strained waste oil. hyd fluid, kerosene & many people in the UK & europe heat there shops which tend to be smaller than ours. One thing I forgot to mention is to turn it on high for a few minutes to keep the carbon burn out as we'll probably be running on low most of the time. Also I put a screen on the muffler & intake end to keep the little critters out. There's a good youtube on heating water from the air heat by Espar I believe & some on using the exhaust but the Espar shows you could heat the water & not the air which would be handy when warmer. Just to be fair google this.
"problems with diesel bunk heaters" & you'll see the same problems with the cheap & the expensive ones.

Here's the same Esbar heater that shows the made in china mark,  look at the CE mark at 1.39.