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anyone use one of these? Reviews arent too bad.

Happybuy 5KW Diesel Air Heater 10L Tank Diesel Heater 12V Diesel Parking Heater Muffler with LCD Thermostat and Remote Control for RV Bus Trailer Motor-home and Boats
by Happibuy
Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L5KKFNB/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_RKMS7VWPKYHBN172RDBQ


one commenter under questions says Eberspacher parts are same.

The skoolie crowd are deep into these various chinese knock-off heaters.

I would back it up with a quality CO and smoke detector, and have a positive fuel shut off positioned so it is accessible with the unit on fire...

You can buy quite a few of them for the same price for an Eberspacher or Webasto bunk heater.

There isn't much mention of them in the commercial circles, i wonder about their longer term reliability in daily heavy use.

Peeps don't get online to report they froze their a$$ off when it failed, and then spend their internet money on a replacement...

There's got to be something different between  $1500 big name, and a $200 knock-off, than just profit...

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

I took interest in these some 23 months ago wondering the same things. According to the good reviews on U-tube they have held up pretty good. one video blogger had his in continual use for over 14 months, now that is not bad. Agreed on the fuel shut off with the obligatory CO detectors and such. the 5Kw unit prices were all over the place a few years ago but averaged $139.00, 8Kw's were @ $159.00+. There are units that have a water heating loop also ;). I almost ordered a pair of the 5Kw's last week but our L.E.D. headlights were first on the todo list, next month maybe. :)

Overall, most of those are reliable as long as you use a very tiny I.D. hose. Preferably a genuine Webasto fuel line. Pumps must be at a 45º angle and wiring should be heavy gauge with at least a #10.

FB has a specific group called Chinese Diesel vehicle air heaters - troubleshooting, repair and parts.

You will learn a shite ton on that site.

Just finished a 1600 mile road trip over 8 days in cold weather for the first time with a Chinese diesel air heater. In my words: they're worth their weight in diamonds! Never had to run our larger LP furnace & stayed toasty warm with a measly 8000btu Chinese diesel air heater. The main difference is they don't cycle like a heater with a thermostat. They run constant but do regulate how much fuel (heat) they produce paralleled with fan speed. At as low as $100 per 8000btu unit - they are way more than a lot cheaper than the name brands. Don't know their longevity yet. But know people that have been running them for over several years w/o issue. Heck at that insanely low price buy a few and have replacements on hand. They are efficient misers for fuel and 12vdc. Burned through less than 5 gal of diesel in that time span. The water heating loops are not available in the US (yet) but are being sold in the UK or on Alibaba.
That's my story & I'm stickin' to it!  :^

I was reading all the answered questions where an owner stated the Eberspacher parts would interchange.
Considering adding one to Coach for supplemental to a propane furnace. I'll check out the Facebook site and Utube videos. Thanks.

The main maintenance on the unit is periodic cleaning as it has a tendency to soot up over time. It is a good practice after a long low heat & low fan run to run it on high for 5 min. to burn any soot that accumulates from low slow burn. I like the performance of ours so much I am in the process of purchasing two more identical units. Installation of another unit & one for parts @ $120 each! Too cheap not to play with...

The Eberspacher automatically runs hard at the start, and throttles back according to the controller's temp input after a few minutes.

X2, every one of the oil burning devices needs to be opened up and cleaned, and whatever periodic maintenance is recommended, just do it. Fresh nozzle, spark adjustment, flame sensor cleaned, whatever...

These things don't crap out from lack of maintenance at a convenient time... and they will try to tell you, poor starting, smoke, noises... if you pay attention...

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

LOL they sure stink when they do go bad I threw 2 of those a way last week a owner removed his were Russian made but identical  ,they are cheap you can buy 3 for the price of a fuel pump on a Webasto,you cannot get parts for those just remember they are throw a ways units   

went to the Facebook site and read some posts. WOW! lots of info, lots of help with any issues, lots of actual users. Has me sold on them. Have to figure on how to do clean installs and do it safely. Would prefer 24 volt version so will do a little more research. Don't  want to wait too long to get them. Guarantee these things will jump significantly in price, as China is experiencing inflation too.

Quote from: chessie4905 on November 06, 2021, 07:16:02 AM
went to the Facebook site and read some posts. WOW! lots of info, lots of help with any issues, lots of actual users. Has me sold on them. Have to figure on how to do clean installs and do it safely. Would prefer 24 volt version so will do a little more research. Don't  want to wait too long to get them. Guarantee these things will jump significantly in price, as China is experiencing inflation too.

Check the military surplus John they use Telex 24v made in the US I have 5 that goes with my military kitchen they are neat they have the warm up mode and make a lot more BTU's. Have you saw the made in China knock offs for the Fantastic Fans $104.00 vs $400.00     

wonder if they make a Webasto knock off one?
One poster commented they make a water heating loop air type, but only sold in eu at present.

Put one in our MCI7 last year works better than the propane furnace

Quote from: edvanland on November 06, 2021, 09:30:46 AM
Put one in our MCI7 last year works better than the propane furnace

5 to 7000 btu's  from those units won't touch the 30,000 btu from a propane forced air furnace lets get real here I been around both you will freeze your @$# off in 20 degrees weather with 7000 btu's   

Quote from: edvanland on November 06, 2021, 09:30:46 AM
Put one in our MCI7 last year works better than the propane furnace

Ed where is yours mounted as well as what area of the coach  you have the air distributed? I know that this would be a consideration if it is being used as a Point of use only unit vs trying to heat the entire coach. looking back now the units that include an H2o loop were a EU available item. ;)

They are so small, easy to add a couple in a coach. Better get the bigger ones though. If adding to mine, it'll be a supplement to the Suburban. Original owner of mine had set up for all electric with toe kick heaters. I think he was planning to add a furnace later. Vents and air returns were kept, just the hvac was ripped out except front defroster and heater.

Quote from: buswarrior on November 05, 2021, 06:24:01 PM
The skoolie crowd are deep into these various chinese knock-off heaters.

Good point to raise about our sister nuts. I'd bet the skoolie crowd has many similar ideas and experiences that we could add to our base of solution options.


I'm not willing to go as far as a compost toilet though. LOL

as boilers go I replaced my aqua crap with a proheet 45 ( 45000 btu ) and the system I have now is light years above the aqua crap on how it heats up water and heat as well . the proheat 45 was $ 2800 so not that cheap but tons less that the replacement aqua crap I had . the best part is it always works every time !!!!!!!

sorry yes 45,000 btu

dave

Dave you have a typo the Pro /heat is 45,000 btu ,with the new Aqua hot and Oasis units topping out about 20 grand most busnuts need a little cheaper system to stay warm.My Aqua/Hot ll has never missed a lick yet .The floor heat is something I really like it keeps us nice and warm with out any noise,the draw back is you need to be plugged in to a pole 

yes the infloor heat is awesome I had that in the M C I and have that a home and at the shop . but because when driving ( free heat ) the M C I ,  I would let the floor get nice and hot and was always warm on the feet

thanks for the typo correct

dave 

I bought two of the Warmtoo metal-case "8kW" CDHs and have installed one for the bedroom.   The larger size is often sold as a 8kW, but they're actually a 5kW that's turned up slightly.   The small and large size CDHs are identical to the equivalent Eberspacher/Webasto D2 and D4 heaters, so all internal parts except the motherboard and controller interchange.   Where are all Eberspacher/Webasto diesel air heaters made these days?   (Hint  -  Germany is not the correct answer!)   For slightly more money than the regular CDHs one can buy a Lavaner which is essentially the same quality as the German brands.   I retuned my heater by changing the pump's Hertz and the fan speed, and now it burns completely cleanly, leaving absolutely no trace of carbon in the exhaust pipe.   Spare parts are readily available from AliExpress and other suppliers, so there's no reason that a CDH won't work as well and last as long as an Eberspacher/Webasto.   For less than $150 each for mine, I'm happy.   And yes, I have a CO detector/alarm above the heater, but I think mine is now burning very cleanly so I'm not worried about any CO from it.   So far, so good.

John

Have been working for two days on our Suburban sf 35 furnace. When it worked it was nice but ate a lot of LP0. Had to replace the board, sail switch, pressure switch, Adjust the igniter take out and check the burner for holes. There were not any. Once I adjusted the lance it fired right up again. Should be good for another 3 years.
But am thinking of getting two of the air heaters that run on diesel with listening to Scott and Dan they don't use much fuel in them and they take up very little space. I like redundancy. We use electric space heaters but this week on Saturday the temps go down to the 30's and want to be ready, been in the 40's and high 30's this last week.

Quote from: Dave5Cs on November 06, 2021, 03:25:16 PM
Have been working for two days on our Suburban sf 35 furnace. When it worked it was nice but ate a lot of LP0. Had to replace the board, sail switch, pressure switch, Adjust the igniter take out and check the burner for holes. There were not any. Once I adjusted the lance it fired right up again. Should be good for another 3 years.
But am thinking of getting two of the air heaters that run on diesel with listening to Scott and Dan they don't use much fuel in them and they take up very little space. I like redundancy. We use electric space heaters but this week on Saturday the temps go down to the 30's and want to be ready, been in the 40's and high 30's this last week.

The wind and ice are just around the corner in Kanas Dave you better buy 4 of those 

Busnit's post with referral to Facebook site: Chinese diesel air heaters was great thanks! I found three sites and started reading posts on it yesterday. All the info you need is right there. I did notice that there were some very crude and unsafe installations too. Others called them out on it and all the information is just what is needed to be confident in a purchase. Amazing that some controllers even issue trouble codes when something is wrong. If you have any interest in them, have a look.
Look up kw to btu equivalent for output. Seem to be available in 2,3,5,7,or8 kw. Available from Amazon and Ebay and Alixpress, although their shipping is a killer any more on hefty items, unless listed as free shipping. Careful on choosing which model. Some came with cheaper controller than illustrated. Some similar models have subtle differences in whats supplied, but still a great deal for the money. I'll  probably get a couple and run them to heat the shop and verify they are working fine in return window.

Quote from: Iceni John on November 06, 2021, 01:42:43 PM
I bought two of the Warmtoo metal-case "8kW" CDHs and have installed one for the bedroom.   The larger size is often sold as a 8kW, but they're actually a 5kW that's turned up slightly.   The small and large size CDHs are identical to the equivalent Eberspacher/Webasto D2 and D4 heaters, so all internal parts except the motherboard and controller interchange.   Where are all Eberspacher/Webasto diesel air heaters made these days?   (Hint  -  Germany is not the correct answer!)   For slightly more money than the regular CDHs one can buy a Lavaner which is essentially the same quality as the German brands.   I retuned my heater by changing the pump's Hertz and the fan speed, and now it burns completely cleanly, leaving absolutely no trace of carbon in the exhaust pipe.   Spare parts are readily available from AliExpress and other suppliers, so there's no reason that a CDH won't work as well and last as long as an Eberspacher/Webasto.   For less than $150 each for mine, I'm happy.   And yes, I have a CO detector/alarm above the heater, but I think mine is now burning very cleanly so I'm not worried about any CO from it.   So far, so good.

John

I don't think they are the same as Espar or Webasto or they would have the marine and UL rating

Just pulled the trigger on two more cdh with the metal case.
Iceni John could you share your retune notes/info on your heater, would really like to do the same.
We have four heaters in all from Warmtoo & Vevor. Got these two for $122 each! They are awesome products.

Let me add to the Facebook site that before you just plop your money on any CDH, go for the Lavaner brand. It is a much better made Chinese knockoff that has a great following. There is also no such thing as a 8kw heater. They all work by pump pulse and the largest pump made can only pulse enough fuel to create 5kw of heat. There is a normal "Knocking or ticking" sound with these since they do not work like a normal fuel pump but instead they use a solenoid that pulses fuel as "squirts" through the fuel line. The rubber fuel pump clampdown is a piece of garbage and will just rot and let the metal bodied pump dangle. Replace the stock chinese rubber fuel pump mount with a decent eberspacher one. These are great heaters and as a former skoolie bus builder, I wholeheartedly recommend them.

Another tip is that these do not turn on and off via thermostat but instead just reduce the fuel burn. The heat is intense and with two would do pretty darn good if and only if you have a well insulated bus.

Quote from: dtcerrato on November 06, 2021, 06:58:05 PM

Iceni John could you share your retune notes/info on your heater, would really like to do the same.

Here are some simplified and understandable instructions for most CDHs' controllers:  http://www.exploreoz.net/Diesel_Air_Heater_Install/controller.htm
My magic code number is 1688, but not all CDHs use this number.

In order to maintain at least 120C burn chamber temperature, the lowest that's needed for complete combustion, I had to slightly boost the fuel pump's minimum Hz and also increase the fan speed for a clean burn.   Now on idle it burns with all 6 bars lit on the controller, even at a few thousand feet altitude.   My new settings are 1.5 to 5.0 Hz and 1750 to 4300 RPM, and this seems to work very well with the 0.022ml pump that the larger CDHs use.   I like the tunability of these heaters and their basic simplicity, and with my stock of spares such as glow pins and gaskets I have no worry about them ever not working well for a long time.

John

John thanks! Good readings & links within.

Those heaters all look the same ,Chinese are famous for the old peel and stick labels one manufacture and 20 different brands.I have been around the Russian made air heaters and they were pretty bad lol but they look just like the Chinese made     

I'd have to buy 10 of those 8kw Chinese heaters to equal the one Eiberspacher that came on my '96 MCI 102DL3 from the factory. Maybe 11 and that's just based on the btu ratings. Food for thought. One or two of them might be sort of minimalistic.

Admittedly I still have to re-plumb the system so I'm not wasting heat on the engine when it isn't running but that comes later.

Jim

The heaters discussed are bunk air heaters, the style used to heat a truck sleeper.

Not your big coolant boiler.

Yes, you can buy a lot of these knock-offs for the price of a single name brand unit, no matter which style...

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

Not saying that, just that a 5 or 8 kbtu bunk heater is going to pale by comparison with the OEM unit. So you might need several of them, and if space is an issue, well then the advantages can go away kinda quickly. Good price, and nice to be able to run on diesel. But I think it's gonna require several of them to match one halfway decent propane furnace.

I've experienced inadequate heating in an RV. Added forced air, added underpinning, added quilts and blankets. Ran the oven and the range burners for more heat. It's much better to have more than you need than less.

Jim

The idea is not new it's been around since the 50's I know of ,my dads truck when gasoline engine were popular they had the Arvin gasoline fired heaters and his propane trucks used the Stewart/Warner propane air heaters.Back then the sleepers were not very big maybe 3 ft wide.lol no Ac,no power steering and 5x4 transmission drivers were tough then   

The bunk heaters should fit into a layered approach. Many of the enthusiastic penny pinchers will learn that the hard way...

However, they do fit into a layered and redundant approach to heating the coach, when heating is a life support topic, vs a comfort one.

5-7k BTU is nice on a cool evening alone, and continues to be part of the heating plant, as more devices are added on.

Of particular note, fueling the big boiler just to take the chill off costs a pretty penny, or leads to short cycling of the burner. Their thirst is rated at a gallon per hour...

Up until recently, bunk heaters weren't adopted much by busnuts, due to their being expensive for the heat available, and the truckers are lined up to get the good used ones, still expensive.

With the knock-offs, they are seen as reasonable and accessible now.

What most don't understand, a $20 cube heater makes the same heat... perhaps in real terms, more, as the rating on the bunk heater is INPUT, and some of that goes overboard via the exhaust... you don't get the whole rating into the coach.

There's no free lunch.

Layer your heating, buy the bits that you want to run, discard and try something else, that's why we roll our own!

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

Your better units are based on the true out put of the burner and Espar.Pro/Heat and Webasto give a true number .If hydronic heating wasn't so exspensive it is the best out there ,5 zones from 1 burner,floorheat,engine preheat, cabin heat, endless hot water then you can use the engine heat tied to the system while driving and the system keeps passengers happy anywhere in the bus plus they can operate on electricity you are not tied to diesel only .I do understand  400 bucks for 2 heaters vs $20,000.00 + for a Aqua hot or Oasis system I could buy one air heater for what it cost me to have my system serviced every year.I had a propane fired boiler in my Eagle and loved it and it wasn't bad on propane usage and was trouble free for years. :^I still believe you would freeze you @$# with 4 of those cheap heaters in WY where it is -20 and the wind blowing 50 mph they are bunk heaters for a small area       

Bottom line with me is just finished 8 day road trip in temps down to freezing & never turned on either LP furnace - for the 1st time just ran the diesel heater. The fact that they run constant off sets the low (5 to 8 thousand btu). It works for us and if temps get way below zero the cdh will compliment the LP furnaces. :^

you have a Webasto that came in your coach, so you are maybe fortunate. Those things and Eberspachers are crazy expensive and appear to be just as needing serviced as the Chinese heaters. As far as -20 and 50 mph wind, Stay the hell home when it's that's cold. 🥶 I think they will be fine as supplemental heat for less brutal Temps in spring and fall. I amagine you have backup if the Wabesto fails in those temps. There are hundreds of users in EU and  Europeon countries using in Tents, cabins, vehicles, campers, etc. They have been around for a few years and appear to be fairly reliable from the user posts.

Quote from: chessie4905 on November 07, 2021, 03:13:44 PM
you have a Webasto that came in your coach, so you are maybe fortunate. Those things and Eberspachers are crazy expensive and appear to be just as needing serviced as the Chinese heaters. As far as -20 and 50 mph wind, Stay the hell home when it's that's cold. 🥶 I think they will be fine as supplemental heat for less brutal Temps in spring and fall. I amagine you have backup if the Wabesto fails in those temps. There are hundreds of users in EU and  Europeon countries using in Tents, cabins, vehicles, campers, etc. They have been around for a few years and appear to be fairly reliable from the user posts.



John sometimes when going from point A to B over the holidays those temps are unavoidable  BTDT several times

Yeah, I can see that out there. Due to the use of salt around here in winter and lots of ice, mine stays parked in shop from November to April or used during daylight saving time.

Quote from: chessie4905 on November 07, 2021, 04:25:25 PM
Yeah, I can see that out there. Due to the use of salt around here in winter and lots of ice, mine stays parked in shop from November to April or used during daylight saving time.

We left Scottsdale one year it was 80 and I did check the travel center weather and said bright sunshine and 48 degrees we set on I 70 at Elk Mountain for a day a half in -18 degree weather because I 70 was closed ,LOL I told Sonja we need to go the coast route but no she says lets go this route.Any one knows you can get snowed in on Elk Mountain Wy in June,she never wanted to go that route again though   

I'm sure the cheap bunk heater has it's place, and maybe I will eventually get one or even two. However I can't see it really doing that much in a 45 ft bus. As far as the efficiency and cost goes, your basic formula of fuel in to heat out shouldn't change a whole lot. I suspect if I'm burning a gallon an hour to stay warm I'll be very grateful that I can turn that gallon of fuel into heat.

Jim

Quote from: Jim Blackwood on November 08, 2021, 09:04:01 AM
I'm sure the cheap bunk heater has it's place, and maybe I will eventually get one or even two. However I can't see it really doing that much in a 45 ft bus. As far as the efficiency and cost goes, your basic formula of fuel in to heat out shouldn't change a whole lot. I suspect if I'm burning a gallon an hour to stay warm I'll be very grateful that I can turn that gallon of fuel into heat.

Jim


[/quote

You can usually figure 4 to 6 gals a 24 hour day with larger units like a Aqua hot system it tells you that on the web site,I believe they use more than a 1/2 a hour my self.If you could funnel the 600 degrees from the exhaust then you would have something limiting the length to 53 inches sucks for that plan
     

Since I don't plan to ever camp in winter -- I have taken the plunge and bought 3 Chinese Diesel Heaters.

When plugged into the pole(for free? at a campground) I will use electric cube heaters, since the electric is free, but for boondocking or travel days in WallyWorld or CrackerBarrel, it seems like the diesel heater might be a good solution.

And since Dan endorsed them, I bought 3 of them!  LOL

Steve

at least they are cheap enough to give them a try. Couple tips from reading the posts. Don't use green fuel line, be sure to have good 12 volt battery source with 12 gage wire.

@pabusnut
Lol. We will own four before long. Two will be permanently mounted one for parts. We also have an all in one unit which is a free standing portable unit. Plug into a cigarette lighter and have heat anywhere (like maybe under a skirted bus in Tok AK in winter!)  :o
Our current CDH exhaust is under the main diesel fuel tank with heat shields exiting at the side of the bus. In the fridged cold mornings the main fuel tank compartment is toasty warm (& so is the LR floor above!) - so we're reclaiming some waste - huh?

we stopped in a rest area in Ontario Canada 2 years ago for the night and it was -9 f and very windy all night . ran the 12 k genny all night with 1 @ cube heater on high but set at 68 f in the front of the coach and 1 cube heater on low ( 900 watts ) set at 68 f  in the bath hall blowing into the bed room .

so if you have good insulation you should be fine with 2 small diesel heaters

me I like the boiler running but my wife likes the humming of the cube heaters ?? 

woman ... can't live with out them ... or something like that

dave 

I have been considering one of these. My Wanderlodge has radiant heaters fed by engine coolant so it seems to make sense to put a coolant heater in line. I cannot find any feedback on them but the price of course is very attractive. I think they are most likely made by the same factory that builds all the hot air heaters.

https://m.aliexpress.com/item/2051422774.html?_randl_currency=CAD&_randl_shipto=CA&src=google&aff_fcid=2c91e3f2811f4fa195accf8d4bac0c5a-1636428314867-09383-UneMJZVf&aff_fsk=UneMJZVf&aff_platform=aaf&sk=UneMJZVf&aff_trace_key=2c91e3f2811f4fa195accf8d4bac0c5a-1636428314867-09383-UneMJZVf&terminal_id=993a7241d0af41a188d5b7cd8e151922

Quote from: sledhead on November 06, 2021, 11:34:59 AM
As boilers go I replaced my aqua crap with a proheet 45 ( 45000 btu )

Dave -

Where did you source your ProHeat 45?

My coach has a very early production AH unit, and altho cabin heat and engine preheat work wonderfully, the domestic hot water side has failed, apparently a common occurrence with early production units. So I'm thinking about possibly replacing the AH, your comments intrigue me.

In the meantime, I have four Cadet "Perfectoe" 1000w, 120vac, toe-kick heaters - salon, galley, bath & bedroom - that easily kept me comfy in 12º weather last winter. I would use the diesel system more, except that where I'm parked, the exhaust is pointed right at my neighbor's door. Not good!

TIA

RJ

Every one working on heat and here I am working on my dash air in AZ , I have plenty of heat, 4 heat pumps ,Aqua Hot ,electric floor heat and 4 under the cabinet Cadets heater ,heated bays from the Aqua Hot alone keeps the RV warm and a damn good generator.I need AC my compressor siezed 

I see Amazon lists a coolant heater from far west too. Unfortunately, no reviews yet. Maybe there is a Facebook site for them.

Quote from: chessie4905 on November 09, 2021, 06:50:30 AM
I see Amazon lists a coolant heater from far west too. Unfortunately, no reviews yet. Maybe there is a Facebook site for them.

Reviews ,we have friends that travel in a 2012 Lady Liberty that writes reviews for sellers products,the seller ask a question and they take it from there.Quite a market they get 45 bucks to write 10 reviews.They write a lot of reviews and post everywhere from BBB to Facebook lol they will even write a bad review in the mix more bucks made there than on you tube 

I do a lot of reviews on Amazon. Not a nickel

I don't read many reviews or take their survey on Amazon or any other internet seller   

I like the idea of reclaiming the exhaust heat. Unfortunately to run the Eiberspacher exhaust under the fuel tank just doesn't seem very practical. It does however, heat up the exhaust for the S60 so I suppose that's at least something. A little heat in the engine compartment.

I will be adding a solenoid valve which will let me completely isolate the heat to the coach or the engine or both. That will make it much more effective at heating the coach, as well as being more effective at preheating the engine.

Jim

I just posted photos of my install on another board discussing CDHs and thought it may be useful here...

1st photo
PS HVAC compartment. Upper right duct is heated air to cabin, lower right duct and duct from the CDH is return air FROM CABIN - learned the hard way. Originally return air was not ducted and created "dirty air" in cabin - not now... The 10 Liter diesel fuel tank can be omitted if your pulling fuel directly from the main diesel tank. I have an aux. electric fuel pump that primes the main engine fuel lines with a valved pigtail on it that reaches the filler on the 10 liter tank so I know what my usage is. We had approx. 3 to 4 overnights of heat on one 10 liter tank or less if it's running on constant high. Except for a 10A glow plug start up for usually a minute or less these CDHs are extremely fuel and 12-24VDC efficient.

2nd
Left to Right = Exhaust & Intake, note exhaust is under main fuel tank compartment - shielded. Since the photo was taken exhaust line was extended with a 90 degree turn to exit from under the bus sideways. The intake silencer is mounted in a tin soup can as a debris shield although we don't run it while traveling.

3rd photo
Interior photo of front living room. Left is the remote controllable digital controller. Hot air flow controllable duct is seen in sofa front lower panel - under sofa is a Y that is ducted rearward to the bathroom - toasty throne & shower!
Since the photo was taken a CO alarm was added under the controller.

These CDHs have been successfully installed "IN" the cabin on the floor inside cabinetry but caution needs to be taken with the intense heat generated by the diesel fuel exhaust piping. It can be done & may even benefit from the heat it emits. A dense boiler insulation similar to turbo exhaust blanket can be used.
Two prerequisites to safe install IMO are: Have a permanently installed CO monitor and test run the WHOLE WORKS on high for an hour while MONITORING EVERYTHING at the highest operating temp.

Quote from: RJ on November 08, 2021, 08:30:39 PM
Dave -

Where did you source your ProHeat 45?

My coach has a very early production AH unit, and altho cabin heat and engine preheat work wonderfully, the domestic hot water side has failed, apparently a common occurrence with early production units. So I'm thinking about possibly replacing the AH, your comments intrigue me.

In the meantime, I have four Cadet "Perfectoe" 1000w, 120vac, toe-kick heaters - salon, galley, bath & bedroom - that easily kept me comfy in 12º weather last winter. I would use the diesel system more, except that where I'm parked, the exhaust is pointed right at my neighbor's door. Not good!

TIA

RJ

Hi RJ

I got mine from ADF DIESEL out of Toronto Canada as I get some parts from them as needed

They got a deal on them as they brought in a large quanity a year or 2 before I got mine . they are other locations , But the units came from Vancouver Canada .
If you want some help as to set up a new heating system I can help as the system I have now is amazing and looks like a lot but it is as simple as I could do it and works light years better than the aqua crap 2 system I replaced 

Pm me if you like

dave

https://adfdiesel.com/products/auxiliary-heating?gclid=CjwKCAiA1aiMBhAUEiwACw25MXT6NHtAFJQGQE5euZPO1tgcfN9CSGsmMRBIovPSGyZgepxKzxLI3xoC6X4QAvD_BwE

more pics

dave

Jim

I used a solinoid valve but replaced it with a power ball valve that works much better . like this but the 1 that I have has a small manual knob on top of it JUST in case of power problems

dave

ps WAY cheaper on amazon.com

https://www.amazon.ca/Motorized-Stainless-Polarity-U-S-Solid/dp/B06XWG6ZLS/ref=asc_df_B06XWG6ZLS/?tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=335341764197&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1219026448051811979&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1002295&hvtargid=pla-399647361722&psc=1

The Aqua Hot 2 didn't come on the market till 2006 are sure you replaced a  ll ?

Quote from: luvrbus on November 09, 2021, 12:58:01 PM
The Aqua Hot 2 didn't come on the market till 2006 are sure you replaced a  ll ?

the complete system was redone in 2014 before I got the coach in 2016 and the bill was $8200 for rebuild . I think the poor old lady got ripped off 

so not sure but it  was a  ahe-100-02

dave 

Dan

nice set up

I got fed up with all the stink of the old aqua crap and put a  ss stack on the coach that works when driving or in a camp ground

dave



https://photos.app.goo.gl/D4mrskFDgwzRodix8

https://photos.app.goo.gl/YorUYXGycwTq8ZMZA

Quote from: sledhead on November 09, 2021, 01:15:58 PM
Dan

nice set up

I got fed up with all the stink of the old aqua crap and put a  ss stack on the coach that works when driving or in a camp ground

dave



https://photos.app.goo.gl/D4mrskFDgwzRodix8

https://photos.app.goo.gl/YorUYXGycwTq8ZMZA

Dave nice! Looks permanent? We have similar on the genny exhaust it's portable - take off when otr.

I like my Aqua Hot ll it doesn't smoke and hasn't gave any problems (yet)really never heard of any one having a problem with a ll.mine works as good on the pole as it does on diesel .I need to have it serviced this winter LOL that cost about the same as the Chinese knock off heater 

It was the recent 8 day maiden voyage with our CDH of all but one day wet and cold down to freezing w/o using any LP that got us ramping and raving about CDHs.

Quote from: luvrbus on November 09, 2021, 02:17:46 PM
I like my Aqua Hot ll it doesn't smoke and hasn't gave any problems (yet)really never heard of any one having a problem with a ll.mine works as good on the pole as it does on diesel .I need to have it serviced this winter LOL that cost about the same as the Chinese knock off heater

If I was redoing my DIY hydronic system today I might go with the following:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077S1G42Z/?coliid=I3UOW1PXUUXN8H&colid=1Q92JOC0TMWS8&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077S1G42Z/?coliid=I3UOW1PXUUXN8H&colid=1Q92JOC0TMWS8&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it)

Heck buy two and have one setup as a standby unit LOL!!!

Look up kw to btu equivalent for output. Seem to be available in 2,3,5,7,or8 kw. Available from Amazon and Ebay and Alixpress, although their shipping is a killer any more on hefty items, unless listed as free shipping. Careful on choosing which model. Some came with cheaper controller than illustrated. Some similar models have subtle differences in whats supplied, but still a great deal for the money. I'll  probably get a couple and run them to heat the shop and verify they are working fine in return window.
[/quote]
I looked into this a while back, and am seriously considering it. On the BTU conversion mentioned here, a 5KW diesel heater is equivalent to 17,060 BTU's. two of these should heat most of our buses. I used to have a '68 New Look, 40 feet x 8.5 feet. It was not insulated very well at all, but the 35,000 BTU Suburban LP heater kept up very well (probably down to the 30's?). Unless I'm missing something, I get the impression that people are thinking that a 5KW unit is only 5000 BTU's.

Most are 12,000 btu but only on high fan for the 8kw I don't how accurate that is so I wouldn't depend on it from the Chinese then down to 5 to 7.000 btu on low fan,they are noise little devils   

From the Facebook posts, there are only 2 and 5 kw Chinese diesel air heaters units. No such thing as 8kw units. They say false advertising by vendors. I checked Aliexpress last week. Yes most have shipping costs equal to heaters. The ones free shipping, I would be suspect of quality. Compared to the ones without free shipping. I'll  get mine from Amazon and run it out of vehicle also for a shakedown run. Once checked out. will get spare glow plug and tenp sensor.

You can change btu rating by using larger motors ,just like changing the kw on generator's with more hp,problem with Chinese made heaters is the btu is not a true btu measurement at the burner like the better units.They are still cheap enough if one holds up and probably will do the job .Some of the posts are funny about the heaters     

My understanding is that the Chinese rate a heater by doing a calculation of the fuel burned, not the actual output from the heater itself.

Quote from: freds on November 10, 2021, 09:09:26 AM
If I was redoing my DIY hydronic system today I might go with the following:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077S1G42Z/?coliid=I3UOW1PXUUXN8H&colid=1Q92JOC0TMWS8&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077S1G42Z/?coliid=I3UOW1PXUUXN8H&colid=1Q92JOC0TMWS8&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it)

Heck buy two and have one setup as a standby unit LOL!!!

Looks more like Webasto than the new style ones being chatted about here.

The 2nd CDH that we will be permanently installed will have four really small heat ducts. Two will go into already heated bottom compartments and two will go to cool spots in the cabin for redundancy. Neither of the CDHs installed are primary units as the two LP furnaces totaling 50,000 BTU are primary off the pole. When the CDHs level out to maintain comfort one doesn't even know they're running. On the pole electric heat rules (if it's free) Lol

Quote from: dtcerrato on November 10, 2021, 07:44:06 PM
The 2nd CDH that we will be permanently installed will have four really small heat ducts. Two will go into already heated bottom compartments and two will go to cool spots in the cabin for redundancy. Neither of the CDHs installed are primary units as the two LP furnaces totaling 50,000 BTU are primary off the pole. When the CDHs level out to maintain comfort one doesn't even know they're running. On the pole electric heat rules (if it's free) Lol

The 17,000 true btu truckers use it is no problem hearing it run

Ok guys Fedx delivered my 5kw Vevor bunk heater today,I bought one in case with a tank to check you guys out just in case some one wanted me to install 1.I will let you know how my test goes. Is there a market for a heater used for a test only :^ 

Awesome! Clifford is going to give it a go with a CDH... I love it!  :^

We're doing major surgery on the large bottom compartment to make room for the second CDH. We're doing away with the 12 gallon tank on the electric aux. air compressor to relocate the compressor w/o the tank. A real project underway paving the install of the second heater. Just pulled the trigger on ducting & registers for the second heater - direct from China! supposed to have it all before Christmas - Lol, we'll see...

Quote from: dtcerrato on November 13, 2021, 05:37:35 PM
Awesome! Clifford is going to give it a go with a CDH... I love it!  :^

We're doing major surgery on the large bottom compartment to make room for the second CDH. We're doing away with the 12 gallon tank on the electric aux. air compressor to relocate the compressor w/o the tank. A real project underway paving the install of the second heater. Just pulled the trigger on ducting & registers for the second heater - direct from China! supposed to have it all before Christmas - Lol, we'll see...

LOL I have nothing to install the heater in though is my  problem plus it is going to be 91 here on Sunday

The old RV on the side? :^

Quote from: Dave5Cs on November 13, 2021, 05:49:35 PM
The old RV on the side? :^

Forgot about that Dave thanks

I'm  going to buy a Lavener pro. They are more expensive but have a good reputation and lots of assistance from Lavaner for any issues. Vendors have good reviews also. Yours is the all in one?
Cliff, be sure you have full 12 volts, consider heavier wire if lengthy source. Lots of help on Faq page. I've  been reading many posts about issues some users have, which 60 percent are self inflicted. Oh, and don't  use green fuel line. Common issue of cracking and sucking air in time.

I don't need  hoses I bought a self contain unit with a tank to play around with

Quote from: luvrbus on November 13, 2021, 05:00:28 PM
Is there a market for a heater used for a test only :^

I might have a home for it lol

Quote from: Van on November 14, 2021, 09:59:37 AM
I might have a home for it lol

I thought about you lol since it has green hoses from the tank to the unit you may not want it  :'(

they recommend replacing with 2mm opaque tubing. Some haven't had an issue with it yet. Since you are just going to test it, not a problem

Quote from: chessie4905 on November 14, 2021, 01:17:06 PM
they recommend replacing with 2mm opaque tubing. Some haven't had an issue with it yet. Since you are just going to test it, not a problem

It looks to be silicone hose I wonder what causes a problem ?

reports indicate micro cracks leading  to air bubbles in fuel line.
Get approved to the Facebook Chineese diesel air heaters. The one with the most followers. you need to request to join, not a big deal.A wealth of information there. I've  learned a great deal so far.
funny- they describe the instructions that come with most of them as being written in Chinglish.lol That's where the forum is beneficial if having issues or questions on operation. These things are extremely popular in the UK. Many are installed in cars. vans, tents,sheds, boats, etc.

Quote from: chessie4905 on November 14, 2021, 01:27:56 PM
reports indicate micro cracks leading  to air bubbles in fuel line.
Get approved to the Facebook Chineese diesel air heaters. The one with the most followers. you need to request to join, not a big deal.A wealth of information there. I've  learned a great deal so far.
funny- they describe the instructions that come with most of them as being written in Chinglish.lol That's where the forum is beneficial if having issues or questions on operation. These things are extremely popular in the UK. Many are installed in cars. vans, tents,sheds, boats, etc.

Instructions  are not much I am still working on the "there should be no gas in the exhaust" wth   

Two more CDHs just delivered! One will be a second unit for the bus the other will be spare parts - both for total of $244. I notice the fuel tanks changed from 10L to 15L oh boy!  :)

Quote from: dtcerrato on November 17, 2021, 05:22:28 PM
Two more CDHs just delivered! One will be a second unit for the bus the other will be spare parts - both for total of $244. I notice the fuel tanks changed from 10L to 15L oh boy!  :)

What little time I played with mine I  am not buying into a 100 hrs run time on 2-1/2 gals

Not on high nor in the mid to upper heat range but seems it will run forever on low to minimum heat and very quiet almost silent. At $120 a unit it would cost more than double that for all the serviceable parts to repair a unit. Can't purchase the fan motor alone, only as a unit including motor, fan, and end casting. Cheapest I seen that part is $50 to over $100. I know a bus nut that's on the fourth year full timing with only a CDH and no issues.

Quote from: dtcerrato on November 17, 2021, 07:49:59 PM
Not on high nor in the mid to upper heat range but seems it will run forever on low to minimum heat and very quiet almost silent. At $120 a unit it would cost more than double that for all the serviceable parts to repair a unit. Can't purchase the fan motor alone, only as a unit including motor, fan, and end casting. Cheapest I seen that part is $50 to over $100. I know a bus nut that's on the fourth year full timing with only a CDH and no issues.

On low they put out about much heat as a Bic lighter they are quite on low ,but you can hear one on high 63 dba ,the specs say 65dba 

I like the remote control feature. Our current CDH is in front living room, BR at rear. Remote control for on, off, & temp adjust is convenient.

Quote from: dtcerrato on November 18, 2021, 05:33:55 AM
I like the remote control feature. Our current CDH is in front living room, BR at rear. Remote control for on, off, & temp adjust is convenient.

Mine has the remote too it works good up to 30ft after that forget it

Quote from: Iceni John on November 06, 2021, 01:42:43 PM
For slightly more money than the regular CDHs one can buy a Lavaner which is essentially the same quality as the German brands.

John

I just received a Lavaner 5kw heater from their warehouse in California, shipped by UPS Ground. It looks really good, and complete. The manual is very detailed and is written in excellent English. One thing I noted in the manual is that they state that it has a ten year life span once it starts to be used due to thermal expansion and contraction. If so, that might beat the cheaper brands.

Yeah, some of the cheap ones are lucky to last one tank of fuel, before throwing parts at it.

There is no doubt the Chinese can make stuff cheaper since they just copy while others have spent millions on R and D and paying big bucks for manufactures insurance for years lol ever see the Chinese sued for defected products no because they carry no insurance  and lawyers don't want to waste their time knowing they cannot collect a dime

That is a great point. As much as avoiding R&D cost to bring new product to market, China avoids all the ongoing overhead of carrying loads of insurance. That can be a huge burden depending on the potential risks with the product.


Until there is a global system to set tariffs based on comparable costs of doing business it is always going to be buy the cheapest. Obviously, it is nearly impossible to implement but something that adjusts a "score" that accounts for the differences such as cost of labor, insurance, materials, R&D, etc. More penalty for low or no insurance for example. Credit for very strict IP and patent laws, etc. So, cost to consumer is much closer no matter where it comes from.

This is always an issue with developing companies. As wholesalers scour the globe for less expensive products, manufactures who do not have 1st world infrastructure will happily provide. China upsets the balance simply because it is so large but they are doing their very best to achieve 1st world status, as they feel culturally at least that they deserve to be the world's leading people. So as they elevate themselves we will see those bargains go away, much the same as it has with Japan after the war and Korea later. In the meantime the American economy has just seen a wholesale shift to the remote workforce and we have yet to see what that will do but there's no going back.

The good old days were never really as good as they are remembered to be. Far better to make the best of things and move on.

Jim

Quote In the meantime the American economy has just seen a wholesale shift to the remote workforce and we have yet to see what that will do but there's no going back.

My background, 40 years in enterprise IT, has offered those in the field to lead new tech and work modes. My experience is 95% with Indian IT specialists. Starting in the late 80's, I worked with a large insurance company that onshored talent, brining them to the USA from overseas. The cost and networks were just not to the point to do remote. And there were still laws that prohibited foreign companies from obtaining some tech such as mainframe computers.

Once the networks became more capable and the tech advanced and became cheaper, offshoring became viable. So work was now remote but done in silos or compartmentalized or divided such the work could be done with less interaction, integrated in stages.

The next major advancement was integrating remote work teams across the globe. My last contract was with eBay and PayPal and there were only a very small number of American citizens. The teams were largely made up of Indian foreign nationals here on work visas and the remote teams were living in India. We were connected all the time with tools and daily conference calls. It works.

Now with COVID, it has indeed, demonstrated business goes on in a remote connected workforce. There are pros/cons for sure. Long winded but here is my take on what the future holds. Nothing smart just obvious and logical.

Like call centers being offshore and high teams working virtually and now so many other fields running back office ops virtually, we will see continued distribution of work out of large metro centers to lower cost, less densely populated areas. Lower cost of living, lower wages - great for the bottom line. So far salary adjusments are not made for a IT worker who lived in San Jose on $150k, then moves to Reno where costs of living is half. There are rare instances where companies are starting this salary adjustment. This will grow, it only makes sense for both parties.

This is fine as it keeps the US business competitive and the paid workforce fully employed and living well due lower costs of living. The second big shift will be a major bomb and threat. That is when the next step is to offshore the white collar jobs offshore, following the massive manufacturing movements the past couple decades.

This is where we all have to think long and hard how the USA keeps from losing ground in a global market. Hard to say where it all ends but unless the bickering stops in DC and all hands get on deck to figure this ..hit out, more and rougher seas ahead.

This back to chinese heaters. Remember if one blows up you are on your own, no US company backing it up or to chase down. Good deal until you suffer a loss more than what you saved. We all make these decisions everyday.

Chump change on these heaters. At least, tons of help and parts available. Let's talk about Automobiles when warranties expire and paying hundreds or thousands to repair something that wasn't  designed or manufactured decently.
Webastos are decent units,but I've  seen posts over the years on the issues and costs of maintaining them.

My company like many others is moving production to Vietnam, partially due to a more favorable political climate, but also due to the economic advantages. As China modernises the standard and cost of living go up, and they lose their competitive advantage. A Chinese factory workers income is now over double that of a Vietnamese worker doing the same job. ($300 vs $150 per month)

Quote from: chessie4905 on November 24, 2021, 11:06:00 AM
Chump change on these heaters. At least, tons of help and parts available. Let's talk about Automobiles when warranties expire and paying hundreds or thousands to repair something that wasn't  designed or manufactured decently.
Webastos are decent units,but I've  seen posts over the years on the issues and costs of maintaining them.

Webasto has been around for over 80 years the problems they had was to do with Aqua/Hot hydronic mostly with the crazy valving and pumps.FWIW you will never find any unit other than the Webasto in schools buses the Webasto air heater has been around for long time. I like the Pro/Heat that is made in Canada it uses a low pressure fuel system and parts are not as costly as a Webasto.I have the newer AquaHot and love it, I'll have Lloyd service it this year since it been 2 years for $195.00 long hot showers are tough to beat 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.vanlifeuksurvivorsguide.co.uk/post/fitting-your-own-chinese-diesel-heater-everything-you-need-to-know&ved=2ahUKEwjGs9CivbL0AhWZoHIEHSymBvkQFnoECAcQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3zh_8CBsTRBo0p-e3v7zYy

Info here should be helpful for some getting into these

Here is a list of recommended parts possibly needed for installations.

https://www.vanlifeuksurvivorsguide.co.uk/post/chinese-diesel-heater-spare-parts-added-extras-upgrades-2-0

Quote from: luvrbus on November 24, 2021, 05:13:38 PM
long hot showers are tough to beat

Maybe I should revisit my plumbing plans. I still want the propane/electric water heater with pilot but some sort of a heat exchanger with the
Eiberspacher first might be sensible.

Jim

Besides our vintage 6G pilot light LP water heater we have a 19G 120V one mostly for wifey... 10-4 on long hot showers. :^

I've got two new fuel tanks for the CDH available. I since sold my other project that I had tapped into the main diesel tank and didn't need these. (Mesa AZ area) Just found them while cleaning out the garage. Actually, they fell on top of me as I pulled the Christmas decorations out of the garage cabinet.

I see people are installing 4 or 5 of the air heaters in buses since they are so cheap ,the MCI I saw had 5 with the tanks that looks like a hassel filling 5 tiny tanks,5 heaters in one bay and the guy lives in AZ makes no sense 

"makes no sense "
Sure it does Clifford. I read you can buy ten of them for the cost of one Webasto. So buy five of the Chinese and you still saving 50%. Not new math - busnut math OL

several reports of that style tank leaking at seam. You can plumb these into Coach fuel tank or extra tank. Specific specs on how far the pump can be from tank and how far the pump can be from burner. Also, pump must be angled like 30° or so.
Several have been successful running on red fuel.

Quote from: windtrader on November 27, 2021, 11:43:05 AM
"makes no sense "
Sure it does Clifford. I read you can buy ten of them for the cost of one Webasto. So buy five of the Chinese and you still saving 50%. Not new math - busnut math OL

Good math Don

Quote from: chessie4905 on November 27, 2021, 11:44:24 AM
several reports of that style tank leaking at seam. You can plumb these into Coach fuel tank or extra tank. Specific specs on how far the pump can be from tank and how far the pump can be from burner. Also, pump must be angled like 30° or so.
Several have been successful running on red fuel.

It is kinda of scary to see people in travel trailers running those things using gasoline

With 5 you get EGGROLL........... :^

Quote from: windtrader on November 27, 2021, 11:43:05 AM
"makes no sense "
Sure it does Clifford. I read you can buy ten of them for the cost of one Webasto. So buy five of the Chinese and you still saving 50%. Not new math - busnut math OL

Except then you have five diesel heaters to maintain.

The single Webasto on my 4106 was able to heat the entire bus and pre-warm both the generator and bus engine. Annual maintenance was not expensive if kept up with, and the thing had been in place doing its thing for decades.

It's all a balancing act - low entry cost vs. longevity, reliability, & efficiency.

Or the love of gawd, put a motorboat priming bulb into the line from the main tank, and save a lot of pain getting the fuel to them, everytime you have to open something up, gulp goes the air...

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

They use a 2mm id line. .0787 or little over 1/16"

Quote from: richard5933 on November 27, 2021, 03:54:00 PM
Except then you have five diesel heaters to maintain.

The single Webasto on my 4106 was able to heat the entire bus and pre-warm both the generator and bus engine. Annual maintenance was not expensive if kept up with, and the thing had been in place doing its thing for decades.

It's all a balancing act - low entry cost vs. longevity, reliability, & efficiency.

Or in the case of a lot of the newer buses, it came as a bonus when you bought the bus. In that case a little re-plumbing is in order to be able to isolate it from the engine and use it to heat the coach and possibly water. That can be as easy or complicated as you want to make it. Either way the burner is the same, is very likely to be in serviceable condition, and has a long life expectancy.

Jim

Quote from: chessie4905 on November 27, 2021, 11:44:24 AM
several reports of that style tank leaking at seam. You can plumb these into Coach fuel tank or extra tank. Specific specs on how far the pump can be from tank and how far the pump can be from burner. Also, pump must be angled like 30° or so.
Several have been successful running on red fuel.

The FB folk think that split day tanks are actually very rare.   My two tanks seem to be decent quality, but to be safe I made a drip tray under the one in use now, so if the tank leaks I won't have diesel smell in the bus:  the drip tray is a $3.99 plastic tray from The Container Store with a drain tube down to the ground.   Another way to reduce the chance of leaks is to have the outlet in the top, not underneath.

To move fuel from the bus's main tank to the day tanks I use two gear pumps intended for scavenging oil on dry-sump race engines, and each pump can fill its 10-liter day tank in less than a minute.   Easy!

So far, so good.
John

The last two CDH purchases have 15L tanks - nice upgrade. But had green fuel line we changed to small dia. plastic line. Not too far off from firing up our 2nd installed heater. It has the four 42mm heat ducts for heating two large bottom compartments and the two others will be routed to cool areas in the cabin. These heaters are excellent for giving us a choice to heat with LP or diesel.

My 10 liter day tank cracked at the seam too. I originally did not install the plastic tank because it looked mickey mouse so instead I bought a 5 gal. race car aluminum fuel cell with fuel sender for each heater. Later I decided to install the day tank that it came with and with switch valves to fill with kerosene to do post season burn outs and first fire up. Filled it with 2 gallons of 1k and didn't leak so all looked good. 4 days later I go out to get the mail and it is dripping kerosene out the bottom bays. No big deal my tool bags needed to be soaked in kerosene anyway. :-) Other than that both heaters have been trouble free. I bought the 4 outlet versions and bought a few 42mm tee adapters. The one in the back keeps the bedroom and bath very cozy. I have one duct that goes to the throne. Wife likes the warm seat. The front one has a lot more work to do. The windshield is a large area to heat. If I keep the insulation panels up it is fine, but if I remove them to look out it is just not enough. I may install another one under the dash some day.

Quote from: s2mikon on November 29, 2021, 01:06:45 PM
The front one has a lot more work to do. The windshield is a large area to heat. If I keep the insulation panels up it is fine, but if I remove them to look out it is just not enough. I may install another one under the dash some day.

Be careful if you use a CDH as a windshield defroster.   A couple with a skoolie did that, and the heat cracked their windshield.   No bueno.

John

The optional bathroom water tank, behind the mirror, would make a lovely day tank, vent back to the fuel tank, pump to refill until you here the splashing.

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

Quote from: s2mikon on November 29, 2021, 01:06:45 PM
No big deal my tool bags needed to be soaked in kerosene anyway. :-)

LMAO! Got to keep your tool lubricated, right?

Jim

The hot air temp on the cdh is extreme - getting above 200F.
The second cdh install is kicking my butt. The four 42mm ducts are a real pita to route. Got the two short ones in that warm two large bottom bays. The other two are draining persistence as I contort running them to the opposite side and to the rear cabin. Judging from the results of the 1st cdh install it will pay off. The bus will be equipped with four furnaces, two LP & two diesel at 85,000+ total btu. AK here we come!
:o

dtcerrato, Did you find a source for the 42mm duct that wasn't 3 foot long each piece? I had to make a number splices to get to having 6-8 foot long ducts. It was a PITA but it was worth it in the end. I am getting ready to mount one at the very front of the coach to take the chill off the door and drivers bay.

Quote from: dtcerrato on November 30, 2021, 05:06:22 PM
The hot air temp on the cdh is extreme - getting above 200F.
The second cdh install is kicking my butt. The four 42mm ducts are a real pita to route. Got the two short ones in that warm two large bottom bays. The other two are draining persistence as I contort running them to the opposite side and to the rear cabin. Judging from the results of the 1st cdh install it will pay off. The bus will be equipped with four furnaces, two LP & two diesel at 85,000+ total btu. AK here we come!
:o

dt, do those 42 mm ducts move very much air? Also, I take it you are not having any condensation problems, or do you need to install them to drain back to the unit? One more question, do both of your units have the 4x outlets, or just the newer one you speak of?

Alixpress has some about 5ft long.

Quote from: s2mikon on December 01, 2021, 11:52:52 AM
dtcerrato, Did you find a source for the 42mm duct that wasn't 3 foot long each piece? I had to make a number splices to get to having 6-8 foot long ducts. It was a PITA but it was worth it in the end. I am getting ready to mount one at the very front of the coach to take the chill off the door and drivers bay.

eBay item number:304205269756 is 42mm duct @ 2 meters long. I use small tomato paste cans - alter them and use them as terminations or unions, they work great. The 42 mm flex duct I just use for short transitions. Longer runs or runs that are exposed to damage I use a 2"X2" aluminum box tube. The ID of the sq. tube has greater area than two 42mm round flex duct. Improvising & saving more $$$.

Quote from: Glennman on December 01, 2021, 12:31:15 PM
dt, do those 42 mm ducts move very much air? Also, I take it you are not having any condensation problems, or do you need to install them to drain back to the unit? One more question, do both of your units have the 4x outlets, or just the newer one you speak of?

I haven't yet fired up the newest CDH that has four 42mm openings. The first CDH I installed some months ago has the one 75mm discharge opening. I have a Y in that line that carries it to two places. I'm certain the 42mm duct move plenty of air. Heck they sell a two 42mm discharge opening so I guess it'll move less air at higher velocity. I haven't had any issue of condensation BUT - it may be credited to me ducting the 75mm clean intake air into the cabin. I was getting "dirty" air over time sitting overnight in truck stops &/or rest areas before I tied the 72mm flex duct to the intake side of the CDH directly into the cabin - cleared the air up.
Some handy notes for air duct distribution: 42mm duct = 1385 area. 60mm duct = 2827 area. 75mm duct = 4418 area. 2X2 box tube (1-7/8 sq. ID) = more than 2 X two 42mm ducts.

Some photos of duct improvising. The flex duct can be easily damaged so in traffic areas such as storage shelves, etc. I run ridged box tube which carries plenty of air for two 42mm flex ducts. the one photo shows a box tube crossing from PS to DS to carry heated air to remote areas. I also choke down the air opening in shorter lines to balance the flow. Once the system is up & running the choked opening size can be changed as needed.

Dan, it usually is prudent to follow the practice of not using inside air only, but to mix in some outside air as well. If I remember correctly, 20% of the intake should be fresh air (if that is possible at a truck stop). My entertainer Eagles both have fresh air inlets that are incorporated into the system. Even with that, it would also be wise to have a carbon monoxide detector. Seated coaches have fresh air inlets as well.

When it comes to the ducting pipe or hoses, if the temperatures are over 200 degrees at the outlet I wonder if that is too much for the plastic parts. Wouldn't it be practical to use shielded metal until the temperatures decline to avoid hazards, or do the plastic parts withstand the heat alright?

Quote from: DoubleEagle on December 01, 2021, 07:23:48 PM
Dan, it usually is prudent to follow the practice of not using inside air only, but to mix in some outside air as well. If I remember correctly, 20% of the intake should be fresh air (if that is possible at a truck stop). My entertainer Eagles both have fresh air inlets that are incorporated into the system. Even with that, it would also be wise to have a carbon monoxide detector. Seated coaches have fresh air inlets as well.

When it comes to the ducting pipe or hoses, if the temperatures are over 200 degrees at the outlet I wonder if that is too much for the plastic parts. Wouldn't it be practical to use shielded metal until the temperatures decline to avoid hazards, or do the plastic hoses withstand the heat alright?

We have multiple avenues of getting fresh air (ventilated) into the cabin besides the CDHs. The plastic parts that are sold with all diesel air heaters are robust in handling temps much higher than 200F. 99% of CDHs sold are all plastic! We did a lot of searching to find the aluminum cased CDHs we purchased. We did install a CO detector & possibly a second one. Your mention of plastic is a good one if in the case a duct register is close to heat sensitive materials - one needs to be diligent and check the whole system & everything it comes into contact with (including hot discharge air). Our LR duct is close to the floor which has a protective plastic runner over the plush carpet so that register points up or sideways otherwise a fire can very easily result. I suggest running a diy installed air heater full blast, hottest setting for an hour or more while investigating the whole system - interior and exterior. The exhausts on our CHDs keep the main fuel tank compartment and the wet bay floor nice and toasty - a fringe perk if done with pure ole' common sense...& diligent testing.

Speaking of plastic parts, I purchased some of the grey 42mm like these 304149703596 from ebay and they melted if used within 2-3 foot of the heater. If further out they have been fine. The other 42mm vents that are black have been fine. I used 1.75mm gates green stripe coolant hose cut to 4 inch length to splice the duct hose. I just  lube it with a little ivory soap and twist it in. The other problem has been the 42mm duct hoses falling off the heater. Even clamped it happens. So I have been using high temp silicone RTV.

Quote from: s2mikon on December 01, 2021, 09:03:19 PM
Speaking of plastic parts, I purchased some of the grey 42mm like these 304149703596 from ebay and they melted if used within 2-3 foot of the heater. If further out they have been fine. The other 42mm vents that are black have been fine. I used 1.75mm gates green stripe coolant hose cut to 4 inch length to splice the duct hose. I just  lube it with a little ivory soap and twist it in. The other problem has been the 42mm duct hoses falling off the heater. Even clamped it happens. So I have been using high temp silicone RTV.

In the details pertaining to grey 42mm like these 304149703596 - it says it's ABS. Got to be real careful as these heaters generate much higher heat than the common RV forced air LP furnaces. ABS won't stand up to heat. If you're saying farther away is ok - BE CAREFUL - it may just take longer to happen. BTDT Also need to be careful of any accessories that are not marketed for CDH. That's why I diy with aluminum + tin. Just saying.

Fired the latest four duct cdh heater up late today. Still have some long runs of duct to finish but needed to see what's what before proceeding. Ran it on full blast for an hour. One has to be real careful because these things can pump some really high heat. The combustion air temp hit 240C that's 464F. The ducts get super hot - no touchy! Some smoke for awhile as all the brand new works are cooking off... Real happy with these jewels

Wonder if you came off heater with the 90 mm for about 3 or so feet and then add splitters for the other runs to reduce temp at heater outlet?

Quote from: chessie4905 on December 02, 2021, 05:05:39 PM
Wonder if you came off heater with the 90 mm for about 3 or so feet and then add splitters for the other runs to reduce temp at heater outlet?

It would take modification of the 75mm discharge end. At any rate if you're trying to decrease temp at the heater outlet you're only going to superheat the duct itself down the line. The 2X2 AL box tube I showed in an earlier photo gets REAL HOT. With that being said the black flex duct with AL foil inner is extremely suitable for this kind of heat. IMHO

That's awfully hot.

Wasn't that book title "Fahrenheit 451" ?

Or your temp gun is likely very excited?

Be careful!!

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

I'm thinking how hot air heating is done in a house. Large main duct off furnace, then split off down the line some with smaller ducts. They do list a 90mm end on Alixpress.

@BW
That heat temp was being read from the control monitor getting it's reading from the heat sensor. It's HOT fur sure!

@Chessie
Speaking of smaller ducts - the four 42mm set up is a pain to route but is nice to be able to go in all sorts of direction with a small easy to fit size.
Some of the biggest differences in my perspective with these types of heaters over the standard thermostatically controlled LP forced air furnaces are
1) The intensity of the high temp heat.
2) The constant run on a given setting - no cycling.
3) The heat after a long run time is so hot the heater can be set to it's lowest/slowest setting with barely a breeze coming out of the register in almost total silence & STILL keep the area warmly comfortable.

Can you tell I'm sold on these little gems?
Nothing primary just redundant back-up for an already comfortable LP forced air (two separate units) heated cabin.
I lean on the two CDHs now because of their extremely high efficiency with fuel & battery - great for boondocking!
:^

This has been an excellent discussion, and we did not even drift! Looks like it will be an excellent heat source as long as we don't burn the coach down. :o 451 is the temperature at which paper bursts into flame, thanks to Ray Bradbury.

Keep in mind that 464F reading was at the combustion chamber. My heat gun reading is approx. 1/2 that at the hot air discharge. The air rush over the burn chamber keeps the whole unit - except for the very end outlet cool to the touch. It's understandable how a power brake shutdown has catastrophic results on the mother board control that sits in the cold air inlet but on top of the heat chamber.

"an excellent heat source as long as we don't burn the coach down. :o "

be carefull

dave

Anyone know how these very high air output temps compare to the output temps from a similar unit from Espar/Eberspacher?

Yeah, the heat discharge of about 220 sounds similar to the house system at source after running a while.You need that to have any heat left at distant outlets. That constant heat is nice as I'm used to that with coal heat with oil as backup at home.

The Eiberspacher/Webasto uses a water jacket, so heat output never goes much over boiling. On the exhaust side it's different of course, but that runs into the muffler.

Jim

Quote from: Jim Blackwood on December 03, 2021, 08:17:12 AM
The Eiberspacher/Webasto uses a water jacket, so heat output never goes much over boiling. On the exhaust side it's different of course, but that runs into the muffler.

Jim

The words "Webasto" "Espar" and all the rest, can't be used without qualifiers as to what kind of unit we're typing about.

A coolant boiler has a water jacket, and air heater does not.

These happybuy heaters are air heaters.

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

just checked. Alixpress has diesel fuelled
  engine coolant heaters. Also decent priced. As Xmas gets closer, maybe some will offer free shipping

could you put heat exhaust wrap around the length of the exhaust pipe and muffler to make it a little more safe like we do on our exhaust pipes in the bus to let the engine compartments cool a little?

I plan to buy this one in January. I cannot find any information or reviews at all so I will be the guinea pug I guess. I would have bought it already but I am waiting for free shipping for the 12 volt model. If anyone has experience with them please let me know. I have an old Wanderlodge with factory heat exchangers so it should be an easy install.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32965054367.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.18353d5cLM6UAX&algo_pvid=4d76bd6e-3233-462c-95b8-59bbc34f6277&algo_exp_id=4d76bd6e-3233-462c-95b8-59bbc34f6277-0&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22sku_id%22%3A%2266609536148%22%7D

I think Espar generally refers to the controller. Not the same company as Eiberspacher who makes the burner I don't think. Maybe one is German and the other is Canadian? Something like that anyway.

Jim

Quote from: Dave5Cs on December 03, 2021, 10:04:43 AM
could you put heat exhaust wrap around the length of the exhaust pipe and muffler to make it a little more safe like we do on our exhaust pipes in the bus to let the engine compartments cool a little?

We're totally reclaiming the exhaust heat by keeping a warm main engine fuel tank and warm wet tank compartment bottom utilizing the heat from exhaust so no insulation wanted here! Toasty in the cold morning after a night run...

Quote from: Bearmtnmartin on December 03, 2021, 10:05:10 AM
I plan to buy this one in January. I cannot find any information or reviews at all so I will be the guinea pug I guess. I would have bought it already but I am waiting for free shipping for the 12 volt model. If anyone has experience with them please let me know. I have an old Wanderlodge with factory heat exchangers so it should be an easy install.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32965054367.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.18353d5cLM6UAX&algo_pvid=4d76bd6e-3233-462c-95b8-59bbc34f6277&algo_exp_id=4d76bd6e-3233-462c-95b8-59bbc34f6277-0&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22sku_id%22%3A%2266609536148%22%7D

It's interesting how the add (from the link above) states "Webasto type" unit. Seems like an proprietary advertising legal issue! I plan to see if I can't fix my original bus Webasto water exchange unit. It probably hasn't run for several years (it didn't work when I bought the bus). At any rate, I still plan to pick up 2 of the CD air heaters.

WoW, you can't buy the control box for a Webasto for what these peeps are selling an entire boiler!

The world continues to be a most fascinating place...!

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

Quote from: Bearmtnmartin on December 03, 2021, 10:05:10 AM
I plan to buy this one in January. I cannot find any information or reviews at all so I will be the guinea pug I guess. I would have bought it already but I am waiting for free shipping for the 12 volt model. If anyone has experience with them please let me know. I have an old Wanderlodge with factory heat exchangers so it should be an easy install.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32965054367.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.18353d5cLM6UAX&algo_pvid=4d76bd6e-3233-462c-95b8-59bbc34f6277&algo_exp_id=4d76bd6e-3233-462c-95b8-59bbc34f6277-0&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22sku_id%22%3A%2266609536148%22%7D

They've gotten carried away with their control boxes. Right now I have mine hooked up to a simple $10 thermostatic switch that I bought online. That's fine for house heat. Not the best solution for engine preheat, but a toggle switch or a timer will do for that. As for maintaining coolant heat on those cold winter runs, again a cheap thermostatic switch will work. No real need for those overly digitalized $500 control boxes.

Jim

does that allow for proper cool down of the components?

We just ordered a control with remote for CDHs for $16 straight from China a little over a week ago. Ebay said it should deliver before Christmas. I received it a couple days ago! Airmail straight into our mail box free shipping! How the heck can you beat that? I'm a patriot and dislike communism but I gotta say some of the best world class shopping is straight from China - we did it to our selves... Rant over - carry on.

Quote from: dtcerrato on December 04, 2021, 05:15:30 PM
We just ordered a control with remote for CDHs for $16 straight from China a little over a week ago. Ebay said it should deliver before Christmas. I received it a couple days ago! Airmail straight into our mail box free shipping! How the heck can you beat that? I'm a patriot and dislike communism but I gotta say some of the best world class shopping is straight from China - we did it to our selves... Rant over - carry on.

There are actually international postal agreements at play here, and the Chinese vendors have learned to use them to their advantage. It's actually cheaper to ship items from China straight to your mailbox than to ship the same thing from me to you. For whatever reason no administrations have seen fit to fix this in spite of cries from US vendors for years, and it was part of why I decided to shut down my wood shop a few years ago. They were able to sell competing products to my customers and ship them to their doors for less than I could buy the raw materials. Didn't make sense to turn the lights on any more. Doing my part to help you rant.

Here is a great video showing fuel pump cutaway and how it works. Gent is showing his idea of reducing pump clicking when operating.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jLbKgVcc_Ms&feature=youtu.be

Control boards are easy to repair on name brand heaters I never paid over 10 bucks, parts are usally 50 cents to a $1.50 where they get the price for new boards is beyond me. Just about any kid that got a Heath kit for Christmas can repair a board unless the chip is bad   

Isn't a Webasto control box just an electronically controlled bunch of relays? I'm seeing people online doing custom control boxes from Arduino boards and relays. Not much magical about them.

There nothing magic,I know the gent that started Dinosuar he repairs about any type of control box for me,he repaired my Coleman AC controls (3) Coleman wanted wanted $185.00 ea for, he repaired mine and found the weak link the price was $45.00 plus $15.00 shipping lol and he wasn't happy about the $15.00 shipping fee   

Oh for the love of...
It's a two wire on/off control. A simple toggle switch is all that's required to run it, not even that. You could use a paper clip or clothes pin to stick the bare wires together.

OEM was more complicated because it needed a timer to preheat the main engine. Do you need that? Not really, you can time it yourself. Your phone has a timer with a beep.

So any cheap thermostat will do just fine. Like I said, ten bucks or so off ebay. Or one from a yard sale for a dollar. Doesn't have to be fancy. What exactly is it you are paying for with that extra hundreds of dollars? Programmability so you don't have to turn the heat down at night and up in the morning? What else do you have to do that you can't spare 5 seconds out of your busy day?

Jim

I've read that kerosene will shorten the service life of the fuel pump as it doesn't get lubed as well with the thinner viscosity. They were designed with diesel #2 fwiw.

Jim, you're  not talking about the Chineese furnaces are you with just an on off switch?

Some have used the heaters on kero with no issues for a few year from their reports. Some use a mix of diesel and kero,some add a tablespoon of at to their tank.A few have had issues, many have not. Yrmv.
Maybe kero is slightly different in UK or Europe. I am amazed at the number of these heaters in use there. Just camping or are hundreds living in vehicles tiny homes???

Thousands actually. When we were in Ireland in 2003 there were people in Camper Vans and small  RV's all over the place and they call them Travelers. They can park anywhere they want with some places having day limits but most do not. They all use those heaters there.

wondered. Was hesitant to ask on site in case I worded it incorrectly or they took it the wrong way.

Quote from: chessie4905 on December 07, 2021, 01:02:21 PM
Some have used the heaters on kero with no issues for a few year from their reports. Some use a mix of diesel and kero,some add a tablespoon of at to their tank.A few have had issues, many have not. Yrmv.
Maybe kero is slightly different in UK or Europe. I am amazed at the number of these heaters in use there. Just camping or are hundreds living in vehicles tiny homes???

Just don't mix any waste/used engine oil in with the diesel!   The FB group is saying that if you do, it will definitely wear out the pump, and it will clog the burner's mesh screen.   No bueno.

John

A couple have done it with "success", but I'm  skeptical. A guy just tried it after warning not a good idea due to accelerated ash build up and sure enough it plugged rather quickly. I was actually surprised he shared his results.

John, specifically I was referring to the Eiberspacher installed by MCI in the '96 DL but have no doubt the Webasto and other years are all very similar. Don't know about the CDH units that run flat out all the time if they have any throttling mechanism. Could be different. Stands to reason they would get carried away with electronics and add PWM controls or some such just because they could. Newer is not always better.

Jim

Quote from: Jim Blackwood on December 08, 2021, 08:16:01 AM
John, specifically I was referring to the Eiberspacher installed by MCI in the '96 DL but have no doubt the Webasto and other years are all very similar. Don't know about the CDH units that run flat out all the time if they have any throttling mechanism. Could be different. Stands to reason they would get carried away with electronics and add PWM controls or some such just because they could. Newer is not always better

Jim

On the contrary about the CDHs running flat out all the time. The led control & mother board controls the rate of burn from what is set on the controller. The fuel pump delivers a metered amount of fuel per stroke, the hotter the setting the quicker the fuel pump strokes. Once cabin temps are comfy the user dials back the controller to get a very slow & silent burn - this is when the diesel air heaters stands different that LP fired furnaces. They are truly awesome little units that are extremely simple by design and as efficient and HOT.

OK well that's an advantage over the OEM burners then since they are either off or on. OTOH, they use the coolant as a buffer. I think they can be pretty efficient also once set up properly to heat just the coach. Haven't thought of any practical way yet to use the exhaust heat though, since they are positioned behind the axles. Main advantages are that they are already in place and tapped into the main fuel tank.

Jim

Quote from: Jim Blackwood on December 08, 2021, 11:49:10 AM
OK well that's an advantage over the OEM burners then since they are either off or on. OTOH, they use the coolant as a buffer. I think they can be pretty efficient also once set up properly to heat just the coach. Haven't thought of any practical way yet to use the exhaust heat though, since they are positioned behind the axles. Main advantages are that they are already in place and tapped into the main fuel tank.

Jim

Exhaust heat from a Espar or Webasto is going to hard to throttle they exhaust from 500 to 650 degrees lol I saw plastic hub caps on cars melted when people parked to close to the exhaust on Webasto running.There is no way you can compare the little heaters to a Espar or Webasto,they are just a cheaper alternative for people.Jim you can add electric elements to build you system with instead of running the Espar all the time,I use my system 70% of the time on electric.I see the boondockers in Quartzsite using their existing propane water heater with 2 pumps and heat exchangers heating their trailer or RV       

I was contemplating on setting one of the following units (attached link) next to each CDH mainly for the remote fuel tank. Our son who is a firefighter suggested it after inspecting all the works. Just thought I'd share the info.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/AFO-FIRE-EXTINGUISHER-BALL-USA-GRADE-1-3KG-/393644304231?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0

My Warmtoo aluminum jacketed CDH just arrived and I'll hopefully be installing it this week sometime. The names on these things are kind of humorous. I plan to use a marine type plastic gas tank for the diesel tank in lieu of the cheap tank that it comes with. It'll be nice to have some heat in the bus while doing the conversion. I only plan on installing one at this point, as I will also be installing an LP unit as well. It's nice to have diversified sources of heat.

I thought it would be beneficial to mention it wise not to wire a CDH to a distribution panel so the power to the operational heater can't be inadvertently disconnected (catastrophic results) during operation. Our CDHs are wired directly with in line fuse to the battery bank. Fwiw

Also with disconnect switch in case of temp sensor failure draining batteries because fan won't  stop running.

10-4 on a disconnect. I'd pull the fuse.

Quote from: dtcerrato on December 17, 2021, 05:54:40 PM
I thought it would be beneficial to mention it wise not to wire a CDH to a distribution panel so the power to the operational heater can't be inadvertently disconnected (catastrophic results) during operation. Our CDHs are wired directly with in line fuse to the battery bank. Fwiw

Very good to know. I'm sure it would not be a good idea to have it shut off without it having first gone through its shutdown sequences. Thanks!

I sent a couple of those.units to people for Christmas. presents since I don't have enough time to fool with one.The 2 I sent the units are real sticklers and will find stuff the UL lab would miss,I am more interested to see if they work on gasoline with out burning down the RV

I've seen air heaters in the past run on gasoline (67 VW van) but I know the fuel pump on the CDHs won't last long with gas, too thin a viscosity and not enough lubrication. Gas would be more dangerous too.

It was and still is 14 degrees here and LP furnace and electric heaters working good. :^

Quote from: dtcerrato on December 18, 2021, 06:05:06 AM
I've seen air heaters in the past run on gasoline (67 VW van) but I know the fuel pump on the CDHs won't last long with gas, too thin a viscosity and not enough lubrication. Gas would be more dangerous too.

They are advertising they run on both ? today's gasoline you can put a lighted match out in the stuff on a cold day,but I argree gasoline fumes could blow up,I still want to see one run on gasoline.I have seen a lot Espar use gasoline 

Both CD heaters completely installed and simultaneously run full blast for an hour. Holy moly all of interior cabin toasty similar to the two LP furnaces running but with a fraction of a cheaper fuel usage and battery drain and two large compartments are toasting also. The bus has become much more cold tolerant. Must be AK on my mind... :^

One person I sent a air heater too got his yesterday lol damn Dan I have ended up buying 3 I hope you are right

Quote from: luvrbus on December 22, 2021, 06:40:14 AM
One person I sent a air heater too got his yesterday.

Thanks Clifford! I know we can put it to good use :^.

LOL in Las Vegas? :^

Quote from: Dave5Cs on December 22, 2021, 08:43:11 PM
LOL in Las Vegas? :^

In the desert anything below 72 is coat and heaters time  :^ lol we had a 28 degree morning last week it was cold

I'm copying a post I made on the BGM that also fits this post as I have copied posts from the BCM to the BGM as CDHs are near & dear to our liking in extreme cold (where we haven't experimented with - yet!)........


Posting some photos at the request of a couple bus nuts actively installing CDHs.
The 1st heater we installed has the standard 75mm cool intake and 75mm heated outlet.
Both heaters installed have the fresh cool intake air ducted into the cabin area. Personal preference so not to pick up any "dirty" air from truck stops or rest areas. Just me. The 75mm heated supply duct splits in two with an in-line wye in the cabin - 1/2 to bath (makes for a toasty shower & throne) :) & 1/2 to living room.
The 2nd heater we installed has 75mm cool intake and four 42mm heated outlets.
Photos show before & after protective sheet metal to protect the install from adjacent storage.

More photos to follow on my next post.

Following photos are close ups of the multiple clean hot air ducts & the clean intake combustion air, fuel line, & hot exhaust line from the CDHs
Notice how the shortest duct flows hot(test) air to the base of the 19gal electric water heater.
And a close up of the clean intake air for combustion (larger black line) the hot exhaust gas from combustion chamber (the SS line) & the fuel line (smaller black line.
Notice how the fuel line exits the "HOT AREA" in the direction of the cool air in & away from the hot exhaust.
Then a general photo showing the intake air towards the front of the bus (right side) & exhaust towards the rear of the bus (left side) in the case the CDH is run while OTR. Notice the white heat shield over the exhaust - it warms the entire main engine fuel tank compartment so on a ridged night fuel supply stays warm. Got a similar set up on the other heater keeping the bottom of the wet compartment toasty so utilizing exhaust heat again...

Both heaters have individual remote controls with different transmitter frequencies that work till about 30' away. Both 15L fuel tanks are able to be filled from the main engine diesel tank by way of an aux. electric fuel pump and flexible fuel hose with a valve on the end. Sort of a miniature gas station pump hose. In mid 30s temps a 15L tank will run the CDH for a comfy cabin for approx. five days. HTH

Good reports, all of them. As I start the planning for a mounting location the question of noise levels crossed my mind. Anyone care to share their experience on the blower DB levels or has it been so minimal to not be a factor? Thx ;)

Van, the one I put in our bus in the middle bay on left hand side I cn barely hear in side.

Absolutely no noise factor here. The combustion chamber outside exhaust can be heard when out side but no more that the LP forced air furnace. Overall very quiet from inside the cabin area as ours are mounted on the bottom compartment floor. Literally no inside duct register noise.

Only noise a bunk heater makes that is objectionable will be the fuel pump, if it is one that ticks, when throttled back.

Be sure it is well isolated, don't bolt it up to some structural piece and become a drum...

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

I've  got some thin sheet lead left over from chimney flashing, so I'll  wrap the pump loosely in some and see how that works out.

Good enough for me. Heres an interesting approach to the fuel pump tic tic, the things ya find on U-Tube,
https://youtu.be/rP3FOPqtINg

Check out this Vevor special offer on a CDH, cheapest I've seen one of these sell! AND It's their own website! Getting up in the world!

That sounds like a heck of a deal. Has anyone bought one yet?

Jim

I have four, two are Vevor's but not this special.

Quote from: dtcerrato on December 24, 2021, 05:43:50 PM
I have four, two are Vevor's but not this special.

I bought 2 for presents they gave me remotes and tanks too,did yours have the remote and tank Van,I haven't opened the box since it is gift

Quote from: Van on December 24, 2021, 01:02:43 PM
Good enough for me. Heres an interesting approach to the fuel pump tic tic, the things ya find on U-Tube,
https://youtu.be/rP3FOPqtINg

That's a nifty DIY set up. There are lots of gadgets on the market for quieting the fuel pump pulse. The video is where the pump is in close proximity to living space like a van. In our buses below in the floor of the bottom compartments they are barley heard. They sell neoprene jackets that completely impregnate the entire pump. Also available is a devise that absorbs the pulsed flow of fuel to keep the tiny nylon fuel line from "kicking". I'm not comfortable with the choice of fuel line in the video. Thanks for posting - interesting. I have installed a CO detector in the cabin but also just ordered a portable CO monitor that senses CO levels much quicker as most "detectors" on the market take up to 90 minutes to alarm small amounts of CO. FWIW. 

Quote from: luvrbus on December 24, 2021, 06:40:27 PM

I bought 2 for presents they gave me remotes and tanks too,did yours have the remote and tank Van,I haven't opened the box since it is gift

It did, a 10 liter tank with the wireless remote. No muffler but I doubt it would really be needed. Like dan I intend to mount it either in one of the bays or my choice which is in the front elec compartment. gonna need to measure the heat ducting so I can find extra for a longer run. I see 70mm and 60mm sizes available on amazon but will have to confirm the size I need. I can see now why this CDH is so popular because of its simplicity. Thanks again Clifford, can hardly wait to get this installed.

Quote from: Van on December 24, 2021, 01:02:43 PM
Good enough for me. Heres an interesting approach to the fuel pump tic tic, the things ya find on U-Tube,
https://youtu.be/rP3FOPqtINg

Yep, a bit overkill. Plus, the pump is installed in a horizontal position, not like the recommended 30 degrees or so.

Quote from: dtcerrato on December 23, 2021, 02:03:30 PM
Following photos are close ups of the multiple clean hot air ducts & the clean intake combustion air, fuel line, & hot exhaust line from the CDHs
Notice how the shortest duct flows hot(test) air to the base of the 19gal electric water heater.
And a close up of the clean intake air for combustion (larger black line) the hot exhaust gas from combustion chamber (the SS line) & the fuel line (smaller black line.
Notice how the fuel line exits the "HOT AREA" in the direction of the cool air in & away from the hot exhaust.
Then a general photo showing the intake air towards the front of the bus (right side) & exhaust towards the rear of the bus (left side) in the case the CDH is run while OTR. Notice the white heat shield over the exhaust - it warms the entire main engine fuel tank compartment so on a ridged night fuel supply stays warm. Got a similar set up on the other heater keeping the bottom of the wet compartment toasty so utilizing exhaust heat again...

Both heaters have individual remote controls with different transmitter frequencies that work till about 30' away. Both 15L fuel tanks are able to be filled from the main engine diesel tank by way of an aux. electric fuel pump and flexible fuel hose with a valve on the end. Sort of a miniature gas station pump hose. In mid 30s temps a 15L tank will run the CDH for a comfy cabin for approx. five days. HTH

Those are some very nice pics, and only added to my analysis paralysis. Instead of installing the muffler and exhaust pipe along the underside, could you simply run it straight down with only enough pipe (and no muffler) so that it blows straight down? then install only enough combustion air pipe so that they don't mix (?).

My bad - the exhaust piping photo has been modified since the photo. Added a right angle past the muffler so both heater's combustion exhaust enter out the side of the bus so as not to have hot exhaust fumes trying to rise from under the bus. It is my intention to reclaim some of the exhaust heat to warm things like main engine fuel tank compartment and under the wet tank compartment - but just the heat emitted by the pipe with exhaust gas exiting out from under the bus. I would be real cautious about a straight downward exhaust pipe as there is probably enough heat especially over time to burn dry vegetation and more. Extremely Hot!

Up here in Canada, there are Webastos and the like used on Market Place every day. I got a Thermotop C (17000 btu) for $500 not long ago. That is the ones used in trucks for engine pre heat and bunk heat. Cleaned/ serviced it. Like new now. A friend of mine got a bigger Espar for $300. Those are the real thing for a fraction of new price.