I need Heat! For my bus that is.

[Chaz]

Ok, here is what I was wanting to do:
  Heat the motor- in the winter time 
  Heat the inside floor of the bus (Radient Hydronic)- when it needs it
  Heat the WVO that I want to convert to, so I will be MORE inclined to use my bus more often
  Heat the shower water and sink water also.
 
   Is that a little too ambitious to do using the same system just tying them together in some fashion to be able to turn on what I need, when I need it?? Some being closed loops and some open loops?
   I have heard of a Webasto, or something like that, but haven't been able to find out about them. I even searched the internet and haven't gotten much. What do you guys know??
   
  Thanx in advance! I'll be firing off more soon!!!
    Take good care!
       Chaz

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Chaz,

Yes Proheat, Wabasto, or Aquahot. All good methods of diesel fired heat.

I'd be glad to help you design a system for your needs. Just e-mail me sometime.

They are quite simple to install, just some labor, not too bad...

Try  www.aqua-hot.com   or  www.proheat.com

Nick-

[H3Jim]

Or call

Vehicle Systems   David Haines   800-685-4298    x 127

He is very knowledgeable and very helpful too regarding diesel fired systems

[gumpy]

I do all of the above, with the exception of heating WVO. I use an Aquahot and installed infloor radiant heat. It's nice.

Just got my engine preheat loop hooked up this weekend. Measured 22* on the block last night when I got home. The Aquahot was at full temp on electric, so probably 190*. Turned on the pump and it was putting out 65* coolant to the engine.
In 25 minutes the block was up to 47*. It's going to be so nice to be able to heat the engine when camping in below 40* temps (common in high country even in the summer).

You should take a look at the Aquahot system. They're very expensive, but are the Cadillac of heating. You can sometimes find them as surplus or takeouts from wrecked RVs. They're not very complicated, and with your welding skills, you could make your own for a lot less $$$. Used Webasto's can be found for a few hundred $$$.

craig

[bobofthenorth]

We use an Aqua Hot for bus heat and to heat the 8-92.  On Sunday afternoon at around 0 C or a little lower 1 hour with the heat on and the engine fired on the first turn.  My system is routed with all the radiators & the engine in parallel.  That isn't the best system - I would put at least some of the rads in series.  The way mine is set up, if the engine is in the loop then very little heat goes to the coach because the path through the engine is such a low resistance.  There is a bypass at the engine but I actually close that off when I want maximum heat to the coach.  With the engine running and the valves open it provides lots of heat for the coach.

[Jeremy]

I don't know much about Proheat or Aquahot as they don't sell to the UK, but the two brands available here that (I assume) have equivalent products are Webasto (as you mentioned) and Eberspacher. Both are German companies, but Webasto especially have plants and dealers all round the world, including America (look at Webasto.com).

I have just spent ages looking into diesel heaters myself, and just this week bought a second-hand Webasto Thermo Top C unit (Mercedes take-out) from a guy in Germany. Assuming the parcel arrives as it should I no doubt be posting on the forum soon asking about how best to plumb everything in.

The Webasto unit I have just bought is still in production and is rated as 5kW (17,000 btu I believe), as most of them seem to be; although it is sold for motorhome use I'm not really sure whether 5kw is enough, so I might supplement it with an electric water heater to 'top up' the heat when the generator is running. A few people seem to use solely electric heaters, and of course the vast vast majority of motorhomes (in the UK at least) use gas rather than diesel to provide heating. Electric and gas (propane / butane) heaters being more common are much cheaper to buy than their diesel counterparts, but more expensive to run. I personally wouldn't want to use gas from a safety perspective.

Jeremy

[belfert]

When I looked at Aquahot and Hydrohot surplus systems, I found they cost a minimum of $2000.  Too rich for my blood.  The Hydrohot is fairly limited in zones and domestic hot water.  Most busnuts will want the Aquahot that has more capacity.

I bought a takeout Proheat and a water heater with a heat exchanger to build my own system.  I still haven't done anything with the Proheat due to lack of time.

Brian Elfert

[gumpy]

We use an Aqua Hot for bus heat and to heat the 8-92.  On Sunday afternoon at around 0 C or a little lower 1 hour with the heat on and the engine fired on the first turn.  My system is routed with all the radiators & the engine in parallel.  That isn't the best system - I would put at least some of the rads in series.  The way mine is set up, if the engine is in the loop then very little heat goes to the coach because the path through the engine is such a low resistance.  There is a bypass at the engine but I actually close that off when I want maximum heat to the coach.  With the engine running and the valves open it provides lots of heat for the coach.

Curious why it's set up that way.  The Aquahot I have has a separate loop through the tank for the engine preheat. Sounds like yours doesn't have that?

[NEO/Russ]

Message me at russbarnes........at......mindspring....dot......com (take out periods).  I have two new Proheat 45,000btu units that I'd sell.  They're made by Teleflex, (check out their website), newer design that Wabasto and came out to heat over the road trucks for warm sleepers and preheated engines.  They'll do everything you want.

[bobofthenorth]

What they did on mine was set up a lines running the full length of the bus with one line out from and one line returning to the Aqua Hot.  Then they ran radiators and the engine preheat "across" the legs of the loop.  It's not a real good layout but it would be hard to change now.

[gumpy]

What they did on mine was set up a lines running the full length of the bus with one line out from and one line returning to the Aqua Hot.  Then they ran radiators and the engine preheat "across" the legs of the loop.  It's not a real good layout but it would be hard to change now.

Yeah, that seems bizarre since the standard Aquahot has an engine preheat loop in it that is separate from the interior heating tank and system. It's just a small exchanger inside the tank that's connected into the engine. Keeps the two systems separated.

Did they do that so you can heat the interior off the engine while driving without having to run the Aquahot burner?

[Lee Bradley]

I am leaning toward the Hurricane system; see Miss August 06. I saw one running at the Seattle Boat Show with the exhaust about 7 feet above their booth, no diesel smell and almost no nosie. They have a 5 section controller; I am thinking bedroom, bathroom, kitchen/living room, dash heat and basement.

[Chaz]

When I looked at Aquahot and Hydrohot surplus systems, I found they cost a minimum of $2000.  Too rich for my blood. 

OUCH!!!! That was one of the things I did not know! OOOOOWEEEEEEE! Well, I guess I will have to really start looking around or getting creative. (I've been known to do that) 

Russ, I guess I would be interested in one of the ones you have. Although from what I read so far, I better set down when I go to figure up all that I need to do and cough up for a system like that.

I'm all new to this so I am VERY grateful for all the input.

Nick, what would you need me to do for you to help on the design??

  Thanx again guys!
     Chaz

[Jeremy]

OUCH!!!! That was one of the things I did not know! OOOOOWEEEEEEE! Well, I guess I will have to really start looking around or getting creative. (I've been known to do that) 

Absolutely, diesel water heaters are an expensive business - in fact in the UK diesel AIR heaters will cost you more than $2000, with water heaters being a lot more than that. So, your best bet is a take-out OEM diesel heater from a truck or whatever, or either gas or electric heaters which are considerably cheaper. Another option (although I'm not sure I dare say it) would be solid-fuel - there are modern solid-fuel stoves on the market for canal boats etc that will also provide hot water for all the things you need. The downside is the chimney through the roof that makes you look like a hippie (nothing wrong with being a hippie you understand, but you might get thrown off campsites).

Jeremy

[Chaz]

The downside is the chimney through the roof that makes you look like a hippie (nothing wrong with being a hippie you understand, but you might get thrown off campsites).

LOLOLOL
I resemble that remark!!!!!!!!!!!! LOLOLOLOL But I think I will have to forgo the solid fuel. 

I had no idea the heaters were that expensive, but at least I have something to go by now. It would be nice to find a used one or a "good deal". Either way, it's something I would like to do.

Now that I think of it, I recently bought a car wash that I am no longer using as a car wash and there are two instantaneous hot water heaters in there. Hmmmmmmmmmmm, something I may have to look into. But they are kinda big for a coach.

Chaz