# Diesel van heater



## oppy (Dec 11, 2019)

Hi folks, I realise that there have been many conversations regarding heating in our tin tents, so as a born again numpty, I'm jumping in with both feet. Our Carver is just about dead and I keep reading about these diesel powered thingies and folks extolling their virtues, so-----------------If I rip out the carver, are they fairly easy to fit and where does one place the plastic fuel tank?








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Thanks
Peter


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## st3v3 (Dec 11, 2019)

oppy said:


> and where does one place the plastic fuel tank?



Sorry if you know this but...

If your van engine is diesel, taking a feed off the main tank would be preferable.


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## GreggBear (Dec 11, 2019)

If you take a feed from main tank you'll be using road fuel to heat your van. If you fit the separate tank you can legally use cheaper red diesel for your heating. Fairly easy job to fit & not very big so plenty of options for siting it.


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## witzend (Dec 11, 2019)

st3v3 said:


> If your van engine is diesel, taking a feed off the main tank would be preferable.


I expect the idea of a separate tank is its then possible to use Kerosene or red diesel legally


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## trevskoda (Dec 11, 2019)

st3v3 said:


> Sorry if you know this but...
> 
> If your van engine is diesel, taking a feed off the main tank would be preferable.


Heating oil is 48p a ltr,beter to place a second tank under van,mine is of main tank with a lift pipe 3/4 way down so not to empty your tank,i may change this soon as hard to get at burner and would rather use cheap fuel.


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## n brown (Dec 11, 2019)

i'd rather have a working carver . silent , uses no battery . diesel heaters are noisy , some worse than others of course, and expensive and time consuming when they go wrong.
on my last van , when the 5kw webasto went wrong i did a quick fit of a carver . we liked it so much ,it heated the van just as much and as quick ,so we fixed the webby and flogged it


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## trevskoda (Dec 11, 2019)

n brown said:


> i'd rather have a working carver . silent , uses no battery . diesel heaters are noisy , some worse than others of course, and expensive and time consuming when they go wrong.
> on my last van , when the 5kw webasto went wrong i did a quick fit of a carver . we liked it so much ,it heated the van just as much and as quick ,so we fixed the webby and flogged it


I have two of them gas type but no space to fit in van or it would have been my choice.


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## n brown (Dec 11, 2019)

trevskoda said:


> I have two of them gas type but no space to fit in van or it would have been my choice.


same here in my present van , i've got a propex but i'd rather not


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## st3v3 (Dec 11, 2019)

Hadn't considered the red diesel, but I do wonder how much money value it would save for the occasional user.


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## GreggBear (Dec 11, 2019)

I reckon for occasional use it would be negligible. Think I read somewhere they use less than a litre a night so probably only save around 3 quid a week if used every night.


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## mistericeman (Dec 11, 2019)

st3v3 said:


> Hadn't considered the red diesel, but I do wonder how much money value it would save for the occasional user.



Next to none..... 
We head off all year round so often have the eberspacher on nonstop ( I don't do cold) 
And I've yet to be able to notice any appreciable increase in fuel consumption..... 
Certainly couldn't be bothered (and smell) of a separate.... Let alone filling it up and spilling it inside the vehicle.


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## oppy (Dec 11, 2019)

st3v3 said:


> Sorry if you know this but...
> 
> If your van engine is diesel, taking a feed off the main tank would be preferable.


Steve, I didn't, nor am I able to do this type of job these days


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## oppy (Dec 11, 2019)

trevskoda said:


> I have two of them gas type but no space to fit in van or it would have been my choice.


I have space, albeit filled with a dodgy one, would it be worth you selling me one of yours?


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## caledonia (Dec 11, 2019)

These diesel heaters tend to be a wee bit power hungry to run and if you haven’t got solar or a large battery bank that can be a thing to think about.


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## n brown (Dec 11, 2019)

oppy said:


> I have space, albeit filled with a dodgy one, would it be worth you selling me one of yours?


what's p with the one you've got- is it not fixable ?


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## trevskoda (Dec 11, 2019)

mistericeman said:


> Next to none.....
> We head off all year round so often have the eberspacher on nonstop ( I don't do cold)
> And I've yet to be able to notice any appreciable increase in fuel consumption.....
> Certainly couldn't be bothered (and smell) of a separate.... Let alone filling it up and spilling it inside the vehicle.


You can get under tanks for the normal heaters,28 sec is the fuel to use.


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## oppy (Dec 11, 2019)

caledonia said:


> These diesel heaters tend to be a wee bit power hungry to run and if you haven’t got solar or a large battery bank that can be a thing to think about.


We have a 100 solar and 2 120 batteries too


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## mistericeman (Dec 11, 2019)

trevskoda said:


> You can get under tanks for the normal heaters,28 sec is the fuel to use.



Still pointless IMHO..... 
Eber uses so little it's consumption is simply not worth factoring in. 

You'd probably notice more of a difference from emptying all the useless crap out that we all tend to trundle round in.


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## Nabsim (Dec 12, 2019)

mistericeman said:


> Still pointless IMHO.....
> Eber uses so little it's consumption is simply not worth factoring in.
> 
> You'd probably notice more of a difference from emptying all the useless crap out that we all tend to trundle round in.


Yes I agree with that, it does seem to sip fuel. I had seen posts on the net quoting up to 1 litre an hour but I have never seen anything anywhere close, it may be a litre or a bit more a night/day but not easy to judge when it’s the main fuel tank. Before I move this time I may almost have been stood two weeks and it’s been cold so been used a lot. Will see if I can get an idea of use.


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## jeffmossy (Dec 12, 2019)

We have one fitted to our van , simple to fit hardly uses any power once up and running ,uses a separate tank of red diesel , about A gallon every 3 days , and also very quiet


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## trevskoda (Dec 12, 2019)

jeffmossy said:


> We have one fitted to our van , simple to fit hardly uses any power once up and running ,uses a separate tank of red diesel , about A gallon every 3 days , and also very quiet


Sounds good but if you use 28 sec it will stay cleaner and require less serving,you can buy 20 ltr drums or at pump these days,jerry can springs to mind.


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## molly 2 (Dec 12, 2019)

Have to agree with Mr Brooon  stick with the fire , As your battery will restrict the time you can run the heater  .forget solar this time of year .


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## Fazerloz (Dec 12, 2019)

trevskoda said:


> Sounds good but if you use 28 sec it will stay cleaner and require less serving,you can buy 20 ltr drums or at pump these days,jerry can springs to mind.



The trouble with 28sec is it doesn't have the lubricity of diesel so is more prone to causing failure of the metered dosing pump. You can bet your life it will fail just when you need it most. These heaters were built and designed to burn diesel nothing and nothing else. To burn other fuels you need a flue gas analiyser and means of altering the software to get the correct burn.  Plus diesel has a very slightly higher calorific value than 28 sec [kerosne]. For the occasional use its just not worth the effort of messing about with different fuels for me. Mine runs as a garage heater i run it on red diesel and the exhaust is as clean as a whistle and not serviced in nearly 2 years now.


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## Deleted member 5816 (Dec 12, 2019)

If Wild Camping The best way to run an Eberspacher, as most seem to be wired to the van battery but either way start the van run for a few moments then fire the Eberspacher up the 8amp or so is taken up by the alternator just have the standard control turned on most never get the heater cycling correctly on low setting less than 1amp.

Alf



molly 2 said:


> Have to agree with Mr Brooon  stick with the fire , As your battery will restrict the time you can run the heater  .forget solar this time of year .


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## Silver sprinter (Dec 12, 2019)

Would be good  to know what makes your using when posting as a guide. And does anybody use there's while driving. Thanks for all the posts


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## mistericeman (Dec 12, 2019)

Silver sprinter said:


> Would be good  to know what makes your using when posting as a guide. And does anybody use there's while driving. Thanks for all the posts



Eberspacher d2.... 
Went for genuine as we stop out all year and didn't want a escape spoiled by a duff heater.. 
And we've often been away for 2 weeks or so in winter where eber is never switched off (driving/parked/pitched) 

I don't do cold.......


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## Fazerloz (Dec 12, 2019)

5kw cheap Chinese  ebay  special.


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## trevskoda (Dec 12, 2019)

As you get older you feel the cold and dont think if wilding in winter would be fun if blue from head to foot,there will be time for that at the long sleep.


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## mistericeman (Dec 12, 2019)

trevskoda said:


> As you get older you feel the cold and dont think if wilding in winter would be fun if blue from head to foot,there will be time for that at the long sleep.



Spot on..... AND the whippets complain if its below about boiling point. 

I was lay in gutter couple of weekends back sorting rear brakes, on moho..... 

I'm still creaking now.


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## trevskoda (Dec 12, 2019)

Been there had the t shirt.
I remember as a teenager laying under folks cars changing clutches for a £100 in one foot of snow in a t shirt, to 1 in the morning, i kid you not.


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## Deleted member 5816 (Dec 12, 2019)

Hi Gary, in previous vans we have used the heater when travelling in our VW T5 Trooper the van heater is excellent and needs no assistance. We use the the van all year round and in winter we use the Eberspacher quite a lot and find it works for us quite well.

Alf



Silver sprinter said:


> Would be good  to know what makes your using when posting as a guide. And does anybody use there's while driving. Thanks for all the posts


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## n brown (Dec 12, 2019)

as i said , i'd rather have a carver or a morco, but as i don't have room i've got a propex , which does the job okay . i've had webastos and ebers and serviced them,and when they're good they're fine , but like the propex , still noisy. nobody can deny it . i've also had woodburners,messy but nice, but my favourite of all is the Morco - like a carver , but smaller . economical , once the van s warm , the pilot is enough to keep it so , no noise , uses no battery


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## Deleted member 5816 (Dec 12, 2019)

I disagree my experience with 6 ot 7 Eberspacher I have not had a noisy one poor fitting and not understanding how to run them makes them noisy.

Alf


n brown said:


> as i said , i'd rather have a carver or a morco, but as i don't have room i've got a propex , which does the job okay . i've had webastos and ebers and serviced them,and when they're good they're fine , but like the propex , still noisy. nobody can deny it . i've also had woodburners,messy but nice, but my favourite of all is the Morco - like a carver , but smaller . economical , once the van s warm , the pilot is enough to keep it so , no noise , uses no battery


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## n brown (Dec 13, 2019)

i'm not saying massively noisy , but you can definitely hear the fan.


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## Nabsim (Dec 13, 2019)

Silver sprinter said:


> Would be good  to know what makes your using when posting as a guide. And does anybody use there's while driving. Thanks for all the posts


Eberspacher D4. Mine is set up so I can run it from the hab area on a full digital thermostat control but also has a switch in the cab that just turns it on and keeps it running. I sometimes switch it on with the cab control while I am driving but I also have a heat exchanger in the back that will blow hot air from the coolant running to the calorifier.


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## molly 2 (Dec 13, 2019)

trevskoda said:


> Been there had the t shirt.
> I remember as a teenager laying under folks cars changing clutches for a £100 in one foot of snow in a t shirt, to 1 in the morning, i kid you not.


I got that T shirt  ,Getting old dose have advantages . just pay and sit by the fire .


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## SquirrellCook (Dec 13, 2019)

2kw eberspacher is looking after us this evening in soggy Martock.


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## harrow (Dec 13, 2019)

molly 2 said:


> I got that T shirt  ,Getting old does have advantages . just pay and sit by the fire .


Pay money !


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## oppy (Dec 13, 2019)

I seem to be a tad lost, was my query answered ?


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## Fazerloz (Dec 14, 2019)

As it is extremely easy to get at just out of curiosity I though I would have a look inside my 5kw Chinese heater after nearly 2 years of quite hard running. No build ups of soot a clean burn chamber and the plug in good condition. I didn't do a thing with it just put it back together and nowits back in use. It is run on red diesel.


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## trevskoda (Dec 14, 2019)

Thats good because red seems to make home oil burners a tad dirty compared to 28 sec,though you do get a fraction more heat .


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## andyjanet (Dec 15, 2019)

trevskoda said:


> Been there had the t shirt.
> I remember as a teenager laying under folks cars changing clutches for a £100 in one foot of snow in a t shirt, to 1 in the morning, i kid you not.


You remind me of Lombard rac 1987 changing the clutch on an Estelle in the snow on the side of road heading to kielder/grisedale 
22years old and can still feel the heat from the car and the cold from the snow good times but I wouldn’t do it now and because it was a privateers car we just got our food and lodgings No Pay


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## mistericeman (Dec 15, 2019)

andyjanet said:


> You remind me of Lombard rac 1987 changing the clutch on an Estelle in the snow on the side of road heading to kielder/grisedale
> 22years old and can still feel the heat from the car and the cold from the snow good times but I wouldn’t do it now and because it was a privateers car we just got our food and lodgings No Pay



That takes me back to watching the Kielder stages as we were staying in Otterburn.... 
Still love watching now.


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## andyjanet (Dec 15, 2019)

87 was my first year as mechanic but only did it two years before trading up to a marshal 
Loved the group b cars , lancia Audi metro 6r4 ford 200 Peugeot 205 and really enjoyed the old classics ie mk2 lotus cortinas and old BMW’s, it lost all the sparkle for me when they started charging an arm and a leg to to into a forest to watch or to stand in the grass at a stately home with thousands of others


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## witzend (Dec 15, 2019)

Now water heater as well


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## Chris Evans001 (Dec 16, 2019)

witzend said:


> Now water heater as well


I just watched that YouTube vid tonight... It's going to solve a lot of problems with water heating in conversions.  
I will be ordering one of these in the new year


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## witzend (Dec 16, 2019)

Chris Evans001 said:


> I just watched that YouTube vid tonight... It's going to solve a lot of problems with water heating in conversions.
> I will be ordering one of these in the new year


I've often wondered why they didn't make one it's a compact unit and didn't sound to noisy either. After you've got it let us know how it preforms


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## Deleted member 5816 (Dec 16, 2019)

We had the Eberspacher  version mounted underneath our Romahome Duo many years ago operated perfectly.
Alf



witzend said:


> I've often wondered why they didn't make one it's a compact unit and didn't sound to noisy either. After you've got it let us know how it preforms


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## Nabsim (Dec 16, 2019)

Pulls a lot of juice when turned up though eh? Wonder how that compares to an Eber combined air and water


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## Deleted member 5816 (Dec 16, 2019)

Without the hot air blower the water heater was 265 watt on startup and 44 watt continuous

Alf



Nabsim said:


> Pulls a lot of juice when turned up though eh? Wonder how that compares to an Eber combined air and water


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## Nabsim (Dec 16, 2019)

Alf said:


> Without the hot air blower the water heater was 265 watt on startup and 44 watt continuous
> 
> Alf


I stopped watching about the half way point when he had thermal camera out. I did see on low setting it was down very low on amps before that. Did he give an estimate on how long to heat a tank of water later on?


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## Deleted member 5816 (Dec 16, 2019)

Don’t know I did not watch it.
Alf



Nabsim said:


> I stopped watching about the half way point when he had thermal camera out. I did see on low setting it was down very low on amps before that. Did he give an estimate on how long to heat a tank of water later on?


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## wints (Dec 16, 2019)

A guy on motorhomefun has just completed an install of one of these heaters...https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/installing-diesel-heater-in-autotrail-chieftain.209383/....hope it's ok to add this link.

regards
Allen


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## bluebullet47 (Dec 16, 2019)

I have but it use,s to mutch power after a while it cuts out . is there a way to hook it up to two batteries


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## Deleted member 5816 (Dec 16, 2019)

It looks like you have a poor battery perhaps get it tested.When you start your heater have the engine running the high amps at start up will be from your alternator give it a few minutes and turn engine off. If you are running it from your leisure battery the same applies if the voltage drops to 10,5 v the heater will cut out.

Alf


bluebullet47 said:


> I have but it use,s to mutch power after a while it cuts out . is there a way to hook it up to two batteries


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## bluebullet47 (Dec 16, 2019)

sounds about right ,on battery alone it comes up fault e-01 thanks .how do i connect two batteries what amps wire ?


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## witzend (Dec 16, 2019)

wints said:


> A guy on motorhomefun has just completed an install of one of these Allen


That looks to be just a air heater


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## Deleted member 5816 (Dec 16, 2019)

I thought that but it’s elsewhere in the thread post 46 on page 2.

Alf



witzend said:


> That looks to be just a air heater


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## witzend (Dec 16, 2019)

Alf said:


> I thought that but it’s elsewhere in the thread post 46 on page 2.


Alf 46 is a quote from my post at 45 if you got to Motorhomefun which is the unit that Wints spoke of its just a air heater


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## R0B (Dec 17, 2019)

Update on post 45


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## Fazerloz (Dec 17, 2019)

R0B said:


> Update on post 45



God save us from youtube experts. These two obviously do not know how natural convection works.  Try turning the heater on its side glowpin to the top and have the upper pipe into the top of the tank.


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## trevskoda (Dec 17, 2019)

Fazerloz said:


> God save us from youtube experts. These two obviously do not know how natural convection works.  Try turning the heater on its side glowpin to the top and have the upper pipe into the top of the tank.


Heater dont work on its side,i would use a very small pump would work well.


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## Nabsim (Dec 17, 2019)

Hmm, wondering if I could splice one of these in to what I have now. Already have a Hydro5 that works with ignition to heat engine block and domestic hot water via my 22ltr calorifier. This may be a backup to both water and my D4 air heating. Depends what they work out at when they start shipping them I guess and how much buggeration would be involved with plumbing as don’t want to change calorifier to a twin system.


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## Drover (Dec 17, 2019)

mistericeman said:


> Next to none.....
> We head off all year round so often have the eberspacher on nonstop ( I don't do cold)
> And I've yet to be able to notice any appreciable increase in fuel consumption.....
> Certainly couldn't be bothered (and smell) of a separate.... Let alone filling it up and spilling it inside the vehicle.


I have been on a site with mine running for around 3 weeks none stop... its used over a quarter of a tank of fuel...... when running it touring it goes from 25 mpg to 16 mpg, as summer 25, winter 16 ,it's a webasto.... but we are nice and warm.....dont have a house so it's used regularly.. I keep looking as I think it must be leaking fuel but no leak


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## R0B (Dec 17, 2019)

Fazerloz said:


> God save us from youtube experts. These two obviously do not know how natural convection works.  Try turning the heater on its side glowpin to the top and have the upper pipe into the top of the tank.


LOL - he got quite a few people telling him that in the comments!
Does seem iffy design to have air in and out on the same side as water in and out.


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## molly 2 (Dec 17, 2019)

Mr oppy you could try.  , A and R electronics they repair carver heaters,
   phone no 01543579302
Post code.  WS 12 4 TR .


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## Fazerloz (Dec 17, 2019)

trevskoda said:


> Heater dont work on its side,i would use a very small pump would work well.



The standard air heater can be side mounted according to the installation instructions and I can see no reason why these wouldnt work on their side its only a water chamber on the bottom of what is a standard heater


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## mistericeman (Dec 17, 2019)

Fazerloz said:


> The standard air heater can be side mounted according to the installation instructions and I can see no reason why these wouldnt work on their side its only a water chamber on the bottom of what is a standard heater



I think Trev was meaning the thermosyphon effect.... 
I suspect you'd be requiring a pump whichever way the heater was mounted.... 
There's not really a large enough body of water to get decent thermosyphon circulation.


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## Fazerloz (Dec 17, 2019)

mistericeman said:


> I think Trev was meaning the thermosyphon effect....
> I suspect you'd be requiring a pump whichever way the heater was mounted....
> There's not really a large enough body of water to get decent thermosyphon circulation.



If that's what Trev meant i would have thought he would have said so when he responded to my answer. 
You could always buy me one for me to prove it would work.


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## oppy (Dec 17, 2019)

Hi folks. I realise that this thread has now moved into a parallel galaxy, but I thank you the information that I can understand, sadly now though I cannot afford to do the update due to other demands on our spare bit of brass. So my friends keep up your search for planet Zog, but Sue and I will have to cuddle up for yet another season.
Thanks again though
Peter


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## Drover (Dec 17, 2019)

oppy said:


> Hi folks, I realise that there have been many conversations regarding heating in our tin tents, so as a born again numpty, I'm jumping in with both feet. Our Carver is just about dead and I keep reading about these diesel powered thingies and folks extolling their virtues, so-----------------If I rip out the carver, are they fairly easy to fit and where does one place the plastic fuel tank?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


They are very easy to fit, tighten the 4 mounting bolts down even as it helps eliminate the noise. Try to get the inlet and exhaust pipes at 180 degrees with the exhaust to edge of body. Mine is underneath as most are, very bad fitting by builders in my opinion. 
I fitted them years ago when I had trucks but our motorhome came with it fitted.


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