Heating your van and water in winter?

[Pudsey Bear]

How many of you leave the water on 40c or 60c constantly when on hookup? So far it's been on all the time on 40c. With the odd boost to 60 although it's boiling hot at 40c with the heating on most of the time. I wonder which is the most likely to cause wear. Leaving it on always or letting it cool and only putting it on for showers. I tend to boil a kettle for washing up.

As needed ours is the Ultrastore & takes 15-20 before it clicks off at 60°c

 

[mistericeman]

All a pack of wooses, no heating in my van, next you will be wanting blankets.
Fact is there is a diesel heater but it has never worked, must take a look at it sometime or replace with a chinese one.

Give over .....

you are never fitting anything more tech than this ...

And IF it gets really cold lighting it

 

[trevskoda]

Give over .....

you are never fitting anything more tech than this ...

And IF it gets really cold lighting it

View attachment 138617

Only problem is if you have aten sprouts, Elton John candle in the wind.

 

[witzend]

I love my new van and tomorrow will be the first winter trip. Just interested in peoples thoughts.

We sleep in a double an use a elec over blanket instead of keeping the heating on overnite can reach heater controls without getting out of bed

 

[barryd]

We tried with just the convector heater on last night with the Truma heating off and it was warm enough in the van space. Nice and cosy but I could already feel cooler air behind the seats and even leaving the bathroom door slightly ajar did not give the bathroom as much heat. So in the end I switched back to the Truma and just set it at 22c while we were up and 16c overnight. Michelle can reach down and put the convector heater on for a boost if need be.

So I think we will just continue with a combination of both but mainly Truma. Its also nice having constant hot water. Its going to get a lot colder around New year so will be interesting to see what goes on then. There is a frost stetting on the control panel which I have not investigated yet. I presume thats for the external fresh water tank heater? Probably wont need it but I might turn it on if it gets really cold (assuming it works).

My conclusion is its best to use the vans built in heating systems. Surely they are up to a few weeks constant usage.

 

[mistericeman]

We tried with just the convector heater on last night with the Truma heating off and it was warm enough in the van space. Nice and cosy but I could already feel cooler air behind the seats and even leaving the bathroom door slightly ajar did not give the bathroom as much heat. So in the end I switched back to the Truma and just set it at 22c while we were up and 16c overnight. Michelle can reach down and put the convector heater on for a boost if need be.

So I think we will just continue with a combination of both but mainly Truma. Its also nice having constant hot water. Its going to get a lot colder around New year so will be interesting to see what goes on then. There is a frost stetting on the control panel which I have not investigated yet. I presume thats for the external fresh water tank heater? Probably wont need it but I might turn it on if it gets really cold (assuming it works).

My conclusion is its best to use the vans built in heating systems. Surely they are up to a few weeks constant usage.

When we are away the truma hot water heater is on constantly barring when I turn the gas off when we move ...
Straight back on when we park up again

The eberspacher is on 24/7 often for the full 2 weeks we're away ...

No point having it and not using it ....and I'm miserable cold .

 

[barryd]

When we are away the truma hot water heater is on constantly barring when I turn the gas off when we move ...
Straight back on when we park up again

The eberspacher is on 24/7 often for the full 2 weeks we're away ...

No point having it and not using it ....and I'm miserable cold .

Yep. I agree. Im very impressed so far with the new to us van. The old one was getting a bit draughty. Last time we went away to the lakes in the old one in winter it took three days for it to warm through. All the seats felt damp and cold and it suffered from big draughts through the kitchen area in the end. We kept the old van 16 years and I am hoping this one will last as long so its all about finding the right way to use it throughout the year and making improvements as we go along. So far the only things I want to change are the battery / power system and the rear lounge bed supports. Gas system is a bit small but it is what it is.

 

[mistericeman]

Yep. I agree. Im very impressed so far with the new to us van. The old one was getting a bit draughty. Last time we went away to the lakes in the old one in winter it took three days for it to warm through. All the seats felt damp and cold and it suffered from big draughts through the kitchen area in the end. We kept the old van 16 years and I am hoping this one will last as long so its all about finding the right way to use it throughout the year and making improvements as we go along. So far the only things I want to change are the battery / power system and the rear lounge bed supports. Gas system is a bit small but it is what it is.

I do occasionally think about swapping the 3 x agms to equivalent lithium ...

BUT other than weight wise ....I can't see the point at the moment .

99% of the year we have more power than needed (batteries rarely down below 90%)
Only our Xmas 2 weeks when we would benefit ...and that time of year I'm happy to pay for hook up .

Other than that I'm happy .....for now .

 

[Pudsey Bear]

When we are away the truma hot water heater is on constantly barring when I turn the gas off when we move ...
Straight back on when we park up again

The eberspacher is on 24/7 often for the full 2 weeks we're away ...

No point having it and not using it ....and I'm miserable cold .

Not so true to your name then ?

 

[mistericeman]

Not so true to your name then ?

Work wise only .....

Days of working in minus 30 cold rooms have left its mark lol ....

That said I cease to function above 26 unless I'm sat in shade with a ice cold drink ...

After working in overheated server rooms with none functioning aircon .

 

[gasgas]

........ Michelle has just pointed out though that she loved the bathroom being all toasty with the heating on which of course it wont be with a convector heater. ...........

Just leave the bathroom door open.

As for things not being designed to be used all year round, that would be legally justifiable if the manufacturers said so in their warranty. They would have to state a specific number of hours use. I have it on good authority for example, from my friend who used to be a Swift caravans director, that Whale decided that the average caravan user uses their van for three bank holidays and three weeks away in the year. So they designed their submersible pumps to last for 30 days. Then, kaputt. He said that the dealers were instructed to replace a submersible pump free of charge any that were brought into them and dumped on the counter. No questions, no receipt needed. It was cheaper for Whale to produce a 30 day pump and just give replacements away than it was to design one to last a good while. Therefore if I ever get a van with a Whale submersible I immediately bin it and fit a Shurflo.

 

[barryd]

Work wise only .....

Days of working in minus 30 cold rooms have left its mark lol ....

That said I cease to function above 26 unless I'm sat in shade with a ice cold drink ...

After working in overheated server rooms with none functioning aircon .

Worse I remember was working in Mayfair in the early noughties not long after I started my company. Me and this other chap that I had working with me were there all week in a new office putting in a Server and doing networking stuff. The building was completely glass fronted over three floors with no air con at the time as it had not been fitted yet. It turned out to be the hottest week on record (about 35c all week I think) and it was unbearable. I lost count of how much water we were drinking but we were shipping it in by the case. We were only staying three tube stops away and were minging by the time we got there. We spent the evenings trying to cool off in Covent Garden getting pissed. I was young and fit then I guess. It would kill me now.

 

[barryd]

Just leave the bathroom door open.

As for things not being designed to be used all year round, that would be legally justifiable if the manufacturers said so in their warranty. They would have to state a specific number of hours use. I have it on good authority for example, from my friend who used to be a Swift caravans director, that Whale decided that the average caravan user uses their van for three bank holidays and three weeks away in the year. So they designed their submersible pumps to last for 30 days. Then, kaputt. He said that the dealers were instructed to replace a submersible pump free of charge any that were brought into them and dumped on the counter. No questions, no receipt needed. It was cheaper for Whale to produce a 30 day pump and just give replacements away than it was to design one to last a good while. Therefore if I ever get a van with a Whale submersible I immediately bin it and fit a Shurflo.

I changed our Whale submersible pump in the last van after a couple of failures to a Shurflo which lasted about 8 years I think. To be fair the Whale pumps always did three or four. Big difference to a forty quid pump and a Truma combi though I think and loads of motorhomes have them and I bet they are four figures to replace.

 

[gasgas]

Being an Ex-gas 'engineer' more properly called a rather poorly educated person who can't rise to the dizzy heights of graduating to be a Mc Donald's server, I have fixed a couple of Truma Combis. They aren't difficult to fix and I can't see a reason to replace one. Oh. On secont thoughts yes I can. You are a motorhome dealer. You make £100 profit, plus another say £120 labour to remove and fit a new Truma Combi. Why then would you replace a £20 NTC sensor (negative coefficient temperature) sensor which was all the fault was? It would be very rare for the parts cost to exceed the cost of a new unit - though it is possible, specially with a home boiler. That is only when the boiler manufacturer prices their spares outrageously. A fuse is a good example. A fuse from a fuse shop such as an electrical factor would cost say 50p. The correct part -same thing- from one boiler manufacturer I could name costs £15. How can a fuse cost £15? It's not a National Grid 3,000 amp fuse, it's a small 500mA fuse.

 

[gasgas]

............... All the seats felt damp and cold and it suffered from big draughts through the kitchen area in the end. .........

A common problem on old vans is if it has an absorption fridge, the kind with two outside rectangular vents, that you get a draught inside between the fridge frame and the cabinet work it is fitted into. I have had that several times, and had to use various methods including rubber draught proofing and silicone sealant around the frame. My current wagon has a badly fitting habitation door so I really should do something about that . . . . . . . .

 

[barryd]

A common problem on old vans is if it has an absorption fridge, the kind with two outside rectangular vents, that you get a draught inside between the fridge frame and the cabinet work it is fitted into. I have had that several times, and had to use various methods including rubber draught proofing and silicone sealant around the frame. My current wagon has a badly fitting habitation door so I really should do something about that . . . . . . . .

Yeah that was it. It would howl through the kitchen drawers and around the fridge. It was 28 years old when it finally went earlier this year. Great van though. Many happy years we had with it. This one seems well sealed (at the moment) plus I bought fridge vents covers for winter. No draughts at all. In fact its too bloody warm.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Work wise only .....

Days of working in minus 30 cold rooms have left its mark lol ....

That said I cease to function above 26 unless I'm sat in shade with a ice cold drink ...

After working in overheated server rooms with none functioning aircon .

Ah, I once took a job in a cold room, not for me at all, this was in the 70s before modern farics were invented, I discovered I was deffo not a polar bear.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Yeah that was it. It would howl through the kitchen drawers and around the fridge. It was 28 years old when it finally went earlier this year. Great van though. Many happy years we had with it. This one seems well sealed (at the moment) plus I bought fridge vents covers for winter. No draughts at all. In fact its too bloody warm.

Yes, I have bought felt from craft shops many times to poke down the side and under 3 way fridges, tried other stuff, felt is best.

 

[trevskoda]

Yes, I have bought felt from craft shops many times to poke down the side and under 3 way fridges, tried other stuff, felt is best.

Nothing beats getting felt.

 

[barryd]

Yes, I have bought felt from craft shops many times to poke down the side and under 3 way fridges, tried other stuff, felt is best.

I made my own fridge vent covers for old Hank the Tank out of cardboard and taped them on when we were up on the field at Flamborough at Christmas. They stopped the draughts quite well. Donkeys ripped them off and ate them.