camper diesel heater
- Thread starter Chiquita
- Start date
Everything else runs on propane. I don’t want any diesel smell in my camper.
TheCZKid
Silver $$ Contributor
Get a catalytic heater that runs on propane, and it will be safe and not stink. Depending on length of stay, temperatures outside, and volume to heat, it would determine how big of a heater you need, and how big of tank to run it on. Mr Heater Buddy is a good model, come in different sizes.
Adam in WI
Practically lives here
I literally worked on a pile of D2s throughout the last ten years. Fuel screens gunk up, fuel vents gunk up, burn chamber gaskets break up, and a replacement blower motor costs half as much as a complete replacement. Unless everything else runs on diesel, I'd strongly recommend considering something else. If they're readily available and you have a good parts source to where you've got to have one, run it on kerosene. It'll stay clean longer.
Just a reminder to be very careful with any fuel source heat in an enclosed space.
Ton of info available, this is a cut and paste from one of the many sources.
When a fire burns in an enclosed room, the oxygen in the room is gradually used up and replaced with carbon dioxide. Following a build-up of carbon dioxide in the air, the fuel is prevented from burning fully and it starts to release carbon monoxide.
Ton of info available, this is a cut and paste from one of the many sources.
When a fire burns in an enclosed room, the oxygen in the room is gradually used up and replaced with carbon dioxide. Following a build-up of carbon dioxide in the air, the fuel is prevented from burning fully and it starts to release carbon monoxide.
PhilC
Silver $$ Contributor
I installed a Planar 2D in our boat last year, there is NO diesel odor whatsoever, exhausts outside the boat, and no more moisture from propane which we used for over 11yrs.
Should have done this years ago. Keeps the canvas covered interior at 13°C (55°) with ease and no moisture. Very efficient too, in two seasons I haven't used more than 1.5gals fuel (running K1 in mine). Running these at "idle" contributes to coking, need to end any use period running at a high setting to burn off any carbon before shutdown.
These heaters are also available in a portable suitcase format.
Should have done this years ago. Keeps the canvas covered interior at 13°C (55°) with ease and no moisture. Very efficient too, in two seasons I haven't used more than 1.5gals fuel (running K1 in mine). Running these at "idle" contributes to coking, need to end any use period running at a high setting to burn off any carbon before shutdown.
These heaters are also available in a portable suitcase format.
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I'll concur with Adam, I had about 30 of them on a fleet of trucks. They worked great until they didn't then it was a tinker fest which was frequent. With 30+ units it was daily on one or more after the new wore off.
Adam in WI
Practically lives here
And that didn't take much more than a year. They will heat the hell out of a truck though, when they work.
I put a gas powered Webasto heater in our travel van. It works pretty well. The blower is pretty loud but it puts out good heat. All combustion intake air and the exhaust all come from outside, so there is no danger of pumping CO into the heated area.
I tried to get a Chinese diesel heater ($150 on amazon) to work for my camper for a season. It maybe worked twice out of the 10+ times I tried to use it. I put it in a portable box that I kept outside my camper when running. I gave in the next year and bought a Propex HS2000 propane heater and permanently installed it. Worth the $1,000 for sure, never had it hiccup a single time and I used it a dozen times or more.
I have and still do work on most of the major brands of diesel preheaters and air heaters used in commercial highway coaches, busses, and rvs. Also plenty of propane appliances in rvs. The diesel heaters can be very reliable if they are maintained, but they do require far more maintenance than a propane heater and are more expensive initially. If you decide to go diesel make sure you know how to disassemble and clean it and do it several times a year, also make sure to install it in a manner that makes maintenance easy. My suggestion would be propane unless you have a real good reason not to.
USMCDOC
Silver $$ Contributor
John,
By propane I assume you mean a portable heater (like Mr. Heater)? Are other portable propane heaters that work like the diesel heaters and can be mounted outside?
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