Webasto heaters

morefire · February 23, 2013, 08:08:06 AM

All I said is that it isn't noticeable to me.... but then again, I am not the type of person who will pull out a calculator and worry about how many pennies more or less it cost to run this system vs another system etc....
I just buy and use what I prefer

luvrbus · February 23, 2013, 08:38:11 AM

We all do it that way some like MCI,Prevost,Eagle,Setra and even some like you and I like the BlueBird my point is Cole and I installed flowmeters on his AquaHot he removed so I know they burn fuel comfort is not cheap

belfert · February 23, 2013, 01:54:04 PM

Where does one buy the Alde Propane boiler here in the USA? It appears Alde just introduced a North American version of their 3010 boiler about a year ago.

Is a propane boiler more efficient than a diesel boiler because by my calculations propane costs about 10% more per BTU than diesel? (Per BTU prices based on current prices for diesel and propane at Flying J Cheyenne, WY.) I have no doubt a propane boiler is a lot quieter. My Proheat sounds like a jet engine idling for takeoff.

wg4t50 · February 23, 2013, 03:36:49 PM

Not being a bright bulb, my A H burns .35 GPH WHEN it runs. It runs less than 1/3 or maybe 20 minutes per hour, I figure tha is less than 3 gal per day. 3 gal a day out of 200 gal tank is not real noticeable . ?
Dave M

HB of CJ · February 23, 2013, 03:48:04 PM

I was curious as I had forgotten, but you beat me to it. Handy to have. Thanks you. HB of CJ (old coot)

Ed Hackenbruch · February 23, 2013, 06:46:03 PM

3 gallons a day x 30 days is 90 gallons x $4 is $360 a month. We are renting a lot in Yuma for $250. Our last electric bill was $70. We have 2 Olympian catalytic heaters which we hardly use, and a small cube heater in the living room and a small toe kick heater on a thermostat in the bedroom. Bus was converted in 83 and not intended for use in cold climates so insulation is not that great. We get along just fine on what we have and have the freedom to head for warmer weather when it starts getting cold out......if we see frost, it is time to go! Only have 2 bays and fulltime so space is a valuable commodity for us, have no desire for a heating system, especially when every year i see all of the problems you guys have with them.....not to mention the initial cost, operating costs, and repair costs.

wg4t50 · February 24, 2013, 03:55:24 AM

Yup, Aint cheapo, just max comfy, we all do what fits our life style and budget if lucky.
Dave M

sledhead · February 24, 2013, 05:02:10 AM

When your camped can't beat cube heater off the pole.But when your on the move can't beat the warm floor and the pro heat only works for start up until eng is up to 180f then its free heat.After parked I can turn on a elect. water heater to continue using the floor heat.Love the radiant heat. dave

Scott & Heather · February 24, 2013, 05:17:03 AM

I'm installing some sort of floor radiant heat in our next coach. But for now, we are comfy with a cube heater in each of our two luggage plumbing bays and two cube heaters in the living area (one in bedroom and one in living room). Keep it around 73-74F in here. All day every day. The luggage bay heaters keep our floor toasty. Our electric is free.

Sent from iPhone via Tapatalk

sledhead · February 24, 2013, 05:26:52 AM

Scott looks like your set up nice and warm .Did you skirt the bottom then add snow!
Do you have a problem with condensation inside or do the cube heaters solve this
dave

morefire · February 24, 2013, 06:30:10 AM

Quote from: Ed Hackenbruch on February 23, 2013, 06:46:03 PM
3 gallons a day x 30 days is 90 gallons x $4 is $360 a month. We are renting a lot in Yuma for $250. Our last electric bill was $70. We have 2 Olympian catalytic heaters which we hardly use, and a small cube heater in the living room and a small toe kick heater on a thermostat in the bedroom. Bus was converted in 83 and not intended for use in cold climates so insulation is not that great. We get along just fine on what we have and have the freedom to head for warmer weather when it starts getting cold out......if we see frost, it is time to go! Only have 2 bays and fulltime so space is a valuable commodity for us, have no desire for a heating system, especially when every year i see all of the problems you guys have with them.....not to mention the initial cost, operating costs, and repair costs.

Yea but Who dry camps for 30 days? If I were going to spend 30 days in my coach it would have to be with full hook ups, and then I'd use the Electric option of the Aqua Hot, and I can also keep my engine warm at the same time.
If I were on tour and doing allot of driving, then the heat comes from the engine for free.
If I were Dry camping for 30 days, there are more important issues such as sewage and fresh water that would concern me over the price of fuel ....

Anyway, as I said, I dry camp for 3-4 days at a time, often, and my fuel gauge doesn't even move, or if it does, it's not noticeable enough to talk about. It's not cheap to own and operate a big monster bus with a massive fuel guzzling engine as it is, so I am not about to start worrying about which system can save me $20. On a camping expedition.
If it were only about how inexpensive I can do things, I'd go buy a cheap camper trailer and pull it behind my pick up truck and forget this 40,000LBS bus

morefire · February 24, 2013, 06:37:17 AM

The benefits of the aqua hot system are worth the price of the system and the cost of operating it. I'd never consider anything else..... well, that's not true, I'd use a Hurricane system too.

Ed Hackenbruch · February 24, 2013, 06:51:56 AM

Who dry camps for 30 days? There are thousands of people in Az right now that are dry camping for weeks and months at a time.

Since they aren't on a pole a cube heater won't work for them unless they are using a genny, which a lot of them do for other reasons. Our neighbor just had a quote of $500 for a new motor for his Webasto.

Some of us don't have a lot of income so have to try to keep costs down where we can.

Nick Badame Refrig/ACC · February 24, 2013, 06:56:56 AM

Hi Guy's,

My Proheat system is piped into a 12" x17" x 3" hydronic hot water coil that is

fabricated into my main Heat Pump's return air duct work. On the hydronic coil,

there is an Aquastat (set at 120 deg. with a 25 deg dif.) that brings on the main

fan in the Heat Pump system. The Proheat has it's own cabin T-stat and works

independant from the HP's. Heats well and usually only on from December to

March when the temps are below 30 deg.

If I were to do it again, I would install a flat panel baseboard hot water system.

This would eliminate the need for a fan and would heat more evenly.

Infloor systems take too long to heat up and too long to cool off if you ask me.. lol

Nick-

buswarrior · February 24, 2013, 07:25:08 AM

One of the big problems when we get into this topic, is what the heating needs for the coach are, which are a bit different than what our heating wants might be.

How much heating power does your coach typically need?

For instance, if all it takes to get the chill off is a cube heater, then I might suggest the heating power and related fuel consumption of a coolant boiler system is not necessary for you. 5000 BTU vs + 40 0000 BTU.

However, the busnut range of experience covers the whole continent. One person's cold is the next person's warm.

From the Arctic, all the way to Mexico. Very different basic requirements, very different heating power, and related energy consumption, required.

A small heating plant will be economical to run. However, there will be little excess heating power with which to "accelerate" raising the temperature in a cold coach, and an unexpected cold snap requires extra efforts to stay warm. Many busnuts have no need for a powerful heating plant.

But for those of us for whom a heating plant is a life support system, choosing a coolant boiler system over a fan forced propane furnace is a more than viable comparison and choice. Heat, and lots of it, are not a choice, but a requirement.

And that costs, no matter which kind of equipment you choose. The fan forced folks have to replace parts, same as the coolant boiler folks. It all costs money.

If you want an interesting discussion, the return on our money in life cycle costs would be of more value for the longer term camper than just comparing up front replacement costs. What life does one get out a freshened up coolant boiler versus a freshened up propane forced air furnace? How long does the $20 cube heater last? Do the $40 ones last any longer? What time has to be spent on maintaining any of these pieces of heating hardware?

So, there is no rational economic comparison to be made between the conditions in which a cube heater or two work, and where a coolant boiler will be an economical choice.

Run what you brung?

If we're going racing, would anyone consider a choice between buying a Ford Fiesta and a Chevrolet Corvette?
Each has a purpose, each has a place, neither will do well in the other's class.

For those newer at this heating system choices game, here's an article with some info:
http://busnut.com/forum/index.php?action=articles;sa=view;article=43

happy coaching!
buswarrior