Diesel Air Heater Install / LPG Harder To Find

[Thebroons]

I follow a couple of Motorhome forums and one problem being highlighted is the problem of finding lpg whether due to shortage or faulty lpg pumps. We wildcamp all year round around Scotland. I currently have an 11kg Gaslow bottle and considering two options :

Option 1 :

Propane calor bottle and Gaslow reserve hose as a standby if lpg refill not available.

Option 2 :

Diesel air heater with Planar , Wabasto or Eberspacher models.

Has anyone had a diesel heater retrofitted to their Motorhome and if so have they found it to be a good or bad decision.

 

[mistericeman]

Not motorhome BUT I fitted a new eberspacher d2 to our Transit Jumbo conversion....
Pretty painless to do AND means we are cosy all year round... Even in snow over Xmas/new year this year.
Uses very very little fuel (2.3l per hour on full)
We had it running none stop for close to 2 weeks and didn't notice extra consumption at all.
Genuine eberspacher wasn't cheap (£600) for full comprehensive kit including official eberspacher warranty....
BUT didn't want it letting us down whilst we were away in middle of nowhere.

 

[Welsh will]

I follow a couple of Motorhome forums and one problem being highlighted is the problem of finding lpg whether due to shortage or faulty lpg pumps. We wildcamp all year round around Scotland. I currently have an 11kg Gaslow bottle and considering two options :

Option 1 :

Propane calor bottle and Gaslow reserve hose as a standby if lpg refill not available.

Option 2 :

Diesel air heater with Planar , Wabasto or Eberspacher models.

Has anyone had a diesel heater retrofitted to their Motorhome and if so have they found it to be a good or bad decision.

Came to same concĺusion myself after reading various forums and watching some you tube blogs. Realised always be fuel stations where Diesel pums be working and seemed nobody really complained about the Ebers and seemed to also be a servìcable unit so thats what i fitted.
Plenty of info on internet about how to fit which apart from large mounting hole cutting out wasnt to bad.
Got a 7 day timer with it aswell mainly with intention of pre warming van if we out on a walk.
Only used it whilst im fin conversion at moment but 1st imoressions im really impressed with it. Iv fully insulated my van so hoping it will retain the heat so dont have to keep it running for to long

 

[wildebus]

I follow a couple of Motorhome forums and one problem being highlighted is the problem of finding lpg whether due to shortage or faulty lpg pumps. We wildcamp all year round around Scotland. I currently have an 11kg Gaslow bottle and considering two options :

Option 1 :

Propane calor bottle and Gaslow reserve hose as a standby if lpg refill not available.

Option 2 :

Diesel air heater with Planar , Wabasto or Eberspacher models.

Has anyone had a diesel heater retrofitted to their Motorhome and if so have they found it to be a good or bad decision.

Fitted the Eberspacher D2 Airtronic to my VW T5 - brilliant. Didn't have to run it much to warm the space up despite the T5 having windows all round and no thermal blinds anywhere.
Will be fitting the "Chinese" Planer/Eber clone to the VW LT in next few weeks.

Something which I think is very important is the size. With these Diesel Heaters, Less IS More! a motorhome is a very small space to heat and a 2kW heater is except in extreme circumstances more than enough. So I would suggest avoiding the 5kW if looking at the Planar heaters. They are often the same price near enough as the 2kW ones, so tempting as you are getting extra for the same money - but if not given their legs, these heaters choke up quickly, so much less of a problem with the lower power ones.

 

[malagaoth]

I think diesel is the way ahead, available everywhere, you already have a tank so no heavy weight pressure vessle required, it has more BTU per kilo than propane and a leak probably wont cause an explosion!

On the down side diesel heaters can be noisy - certainly noisier than gas - and they do require a fair jolt of electricity to start up

Not sure that I would go as far as a diesel cooker although I have met one motorhomer who has one

 

[BAU]

I have the Eberspacher D2 with timer, it was ordered with the new van, so fitted by Hymer and not a retro fit. Only had it a week, but I was really impressed how quickly it heated the van last weekend when it was -3 outside. Well impressed....quite quiet as well. Glad we got it, even as a £1300 option.

Paul

 

[wildcampnewbie]

Not motorhome BUT I fitted a new eberspacher d2 to our Transit Jumbo conversion....
Pretty painless to do AND means we are cosy all year round... Even in snow over Xmas/new year this year.
Uses very very little fuel (2.3l per hour on full)
We had it running none stop for close to 2 weeks and didn't notice extra consumption at all.
Genuine eberspacher wasn't cheap (£600) for full comprehensive kit including official eberspacher warranty....
BUT didn't want it letting us down whilst we were away in middle of nowhere.

2.3l per hour sounds like a lot, did you mean per day?

 

[mistericeman]

2.3l per hour sounds like a lot, did you mean per day?

Nope.... BUT
Fat fingers here missed the 0 off the 0.23l per hour ;-)

 

[n brown]

how come a Propex gas heater isn't an option , cheaper, quieter, easier to fit , good after sales service , less maintenance

 

[wildebus]

how come a Propex gas heater isn't an option , cheaper, quieter, easier to fit , good after sales service , less maintenance

Think the idea was finding a heater that has guranteed and very widespread fuel availability?

 

[Nabsim]

Our mh is just over 7mtrs long and has the D4 (4Kw) unit fitted. It works wonderfully and we are impressed with it, we find it quick to heat the van up.