Gas fire

[Topmast]

Hi everyone.
Was just wondering why all vans seem to have blown air heating instead of balanced flue fire ,in our last van I could light the fire and the whole van would be toasty in less than ten minutes with blown air it takes at least half an hour before getting vaguely warm . And yes I have checked all the pipes are connected.Perhaps it’s just me but certainly preferred the old system.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Hi everyone.
Was just wondering why all vans seem to have blown air heating instead of balanced flue fire ,in our last van I could light the fire and the whole van would be toasty in less than ten minutes with blown air it takes at least half an hour before getting vaguely warm . And yes I have checked all the pipes are connected.Perhaps it’s just me but certainly preferred the old system.

I have one in ours so much better, not needed to put the blower on yet.

 

[n brown]

i've been recommending Carver heaters for years . get them up to temp then the pilot light keeps up the heat . very cheap 2nd hand and very quiet too

 

[guerdeval]

I think they’re still standard in a lot of caravans

 

[n brown]

safety -wise
i let a young couple with a small baby stay in an old caravan in the garden one winter .showed them how it all worked and left them to it .
it had a floor vented carver which they loved . after they left i found they had gaffer taped all round the windows and hatches to stop draughts . still gives me nightmares thinking about it ! never assume anything where saftey is a factor - anyway , good advert !

 

[colinm]

safety -wise
i let a young couple with a small baby stay in an old caravan in the garden one winter .showed them how it all worked and left them to it .
it had a floor vented carver which they loved . after they left i found they had gaffer taped all round the windows and hatches to stop draughts . still gives me nightmares thinking about it ! never assume anything where saftey is a factor - anyway , good advert !

Most landlords biggest problem is tenants blocking up vents.

 

[trevskoda]

Most landlords biggest problem is tenants blocking up vents.

Yep m inlaw and hubby when he was living covered over all vents after a grant shower and heating put in, ceiling was black with mildue within weeks, no talking to some folk.

 

[barryd]

Yep I loved the 3kw Carver fire in our old Kontiki from the last century. Well I say loved, I also hated it! There was a bit of a black art to lighting it. You had to be in the right position first. If you kneeled down it wouldnt light. Then you had to turn the plunger just a bit until you felt it sink into the groove. Then you could plunge it and it might light. Often you would then lose your temper and just keep frantically plunging away until it lit or you stormed off in a rage. Once it worked though it was great and of course the blown air was optional with a switch. We never needed it so it didnt eat into battery usage. I can remember it refusing to light in the Alps one summer though high up and at night it was flaming freezing.

Now however I have jumped two decades and have a Truma heater. So far so good. Its pretty quick on gas but we have mainly used it on electric and its been fantastic. Just set the van temperature where you want it and it stays at that temperature. Yet to use it in anger though in sub zero temps but will find out soon enough I reckon this Christmas.

 

[mistericeman]

Yep I loved the 3kw Carver fire in our old Kontiki from the last century. Well I say loved, I also hated it! There was a bit of a black art to lighting it. You had to be in the right position first. If you kneeled down it wouldnt light. Then you had to turn the plunger just a bit until you felt it sink into the groove. Then you could plunge it and it might light. Often you would then lose your temper and just keep frantically plunging away until it lit or you stormed off in a rage. Once it worked though it was great and of course the blown air was optional with a switch. We never needed it so it didnt eat into battery usage. I can remember it refusing to light in the Alps one summer though high up and at night it was flaming freezing.

Now however I have jumped two decades and have a Truma heater. So far so good. Its pretty quick on gas but we have mainly used it on electric and its been fantastic. Just set the van temperature where you want it and it stays at that temperature. Yet to use it in anger though in sub zero temps but will find out soon enough I reckon this Christmas.

Same here ...great when it worked BUT at 20 years old a bit temperamental at times (bit like me at 58 ) ...

Eventually got bored of the pfaff and didn't want the throw good money after bad (short of replacing it with a brand new one )
Removed the guts and fitted a eberspacher d2 behind the front facia ....

Much more reliable AND saves us using gas (same with swapping 3 way fridge for 240v/inverter )

 

[barryd]

Same here ...great when it worked BUT at 20 years old a bit temperamental at times (bit like me at 58 ) ...

Eventually got bored of the pfaff and didn't want the throw good money after bad (short of replacing it with a brand new one )
Removed the guts and fitted a eberspacher d2 behind the front facia ....

Much more reliable AND saves us using gas (same with swapping 3 way fridge for 240v/inverter )

I forgot to mention that they could be explosive. It clearly states in the manual that if you struggle to light it and the pilot light keeps going out to wait three minutes to try again. Well obviously you take no notice of that and in a frenzy and rage you keep plunging away. In Italy I found out why you should wait. There was a loud bang and the cowl on the roof outlet literally got launched into space. I don't know how far it went but there was what seemed like an incredibly long period of time before it came crashing back down on the van roof. I think that actually happened twice, also up on the isle of Arran I seem to remember. I'm not sure I recovered that one as I do remember having to buy a new one.

The Fridge was no better. The flue would get sooted and rusted up and it wouldnt light. In the absence of a compressor on one trip I can remember driving around at speed with the fridge vents removed trying to get enough air into them to blow out the crap. It worked and I got it lit. I left it lit until we went home.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

This is the one we have, I know what Barry means about lighting them, we have had the same model in quite a few of our vans, but the one in the Sienna always lights the first time and it never squeaks or rattles on the road so I leave it alone, previous ones have been a nightmare.

 

[barryd]

This is the one we have, I know what Barry means about lighting them, we have had the same model in quite a few of our vans, but the one in the Sienna always lights the first time and it never squeaks or rattles on the road so I leave it alone, previous ones have been a nightmare.

View attachment 137342

We only fired up the Truma heater on gas once while away. It was dead quick to heat up the van though. Only downside was we ended up with a drip inside the dinette window of all places. Condensation I would suspect from heating up the inside too quickly. Never happened on electric though. I absolutely loved the heating on EHU for the two months we were on sites. Just set it at the temperature you want. Perfect. People with modern vans probably think Im being daft but coming from a 1996 Kontiki it was all new to us.

 

[Canalsman]

Hi everyone.
Was just wondering why all vans seem to have blown air heating instead of balanced flue fire ,in our last van I could light the fire and the whole van would be toasty in less than ten minutes with blown air it takes at least half an hour before getting vaguely warm . And yes I have checked all the pipes are connected.Perhaps it’s just me but certainly preferred the old system.

What type of heater do you have?

If it's a Truma like Pudsey illustrated you don't have to use the built-in fan.

I have a USB rechargeable fan that is positioned to blow downwards across the front. This distributes the heat brilliantly and without the heat losses through the ducting.

 

[Topmast]

What type of heater do you have?

If it's a Truma like Pudsey illustrated you don't have to use the built-in fan.

I have a USB rechargeable fan that is positioned to blow downwards across the front. This distributes the heat brilliantly and without the heat losses through the ducti

Hi. It was a carver heater in last van that was excellent.But a combination heater /water boiler in current van that I find so poor .

 

[JQB]

Hi everyone.
Was just wondering why all vans seem to have blown air heating instead of balanced flue fire ,in our last van I could light the fire and the whole van would be toasty in less than ten minutes with blown air it takes at least half an hour before getting vaguely warm . And yes I have checked all the pipes are connected.Perhaps it’s just me but certainly preferred the old system.

If yours is a Truma say, it needs the vinegar treatment to clear the build up of chalk on the heat exchanger which effecting performance. Is the regulator and or gas valve letting enough juice thru? If you put the burners on on the hob then turn on the boiler, do the hob flames dim? If so it's ur regulator - happened to me after picking up dirty autogas in Norway.