Chinese diesel heaters don't work above 5000 feet elevation. Buyer beware!

[mischko]

I bought a cheap Chinese diesel heater.
As you go up elevation, you have to reduce the fuel going to the heater. At about 5000 feet you're down to nothing.

They are not designed to work above 5000 feet.
You have to buy a higher priced brand name model to get up high with one of these.

Lessons learned....

 

[user 423]

That's good to know. Luckily, I wouldn't ever be using mine at higher elevations.

 

[that420vanchick]

I bought a cheap Chinese diesel heater.
As you go up elevation, you have to reduce the fuel going to the heater. At about 5000 feet you're down to nothing.

They are not designed to work above 5000 feet.
You have to buy a higher priced brand name model to get up high with one of these.

Lessons learned....

A lot of propane heaters won't either unfortunately. I'm in the drafting passes for mine and I'm like 80% leaning towards wood stove. Something with a platform but removable in the warm season. Lots of good ideas online

 

[[email protected]]

I have a chinese diesel heater and it works fine at 5500 feet with no problems. If you go to the diesel heater forums there are lists that show how to adjust the burners fuel rate for higher elevations. These things are in nearly every over the road semi in the land operating at all locations.

 

[tx2sturgis]

The Camco Wave 3 will work up to about 9000 feet.

 

[mischko]

I will be getting a big name brand high altitude model. Not cheap but will work up to 8500 feet or more.

 

[abnorm]

Welcome to the Forum..............introduce yourself in NEWCOMERS

 

[tx2sturgis]

I have a chinese diesel heater and it works fine at 5500 feet with no problems. If you go to the diesel heater forums there are lists that show how to adjust the burners fuel rate for higher elevations. These things are in nearly every over the road semi in the land operating at all locations.

The top tier brands (Webasto and Eberspächer) of bunk heaters that are installed in semi trucks for engine-off climate control are usually a large step up from the cheap chinese brands you find on ebay. The top brands usually include the high altitude circuitry that measures and compensates for altitude.

The cheap chinese heaters usually don't include that feature.

 

[INTJohn]

Why is there so much anti Asian/“Chinese” bigotry condoned on this site?
INTJohn

 

[user 423]

An inanimate object like a diesel heater? Might hurt its feelings?

 

[bullfrog]

^^^ Only when you refer to the assumed ethnicity of the people who may actually be slave labor forced to make them. Years ago it was cheap Japanese cars. Wish I could afford a new one today! Funny as many are made in the USA today! Lol!!! Manufacturing standards used to vary in different countries and therefore quality. With today’s world markets it is more about who can make the most profit at the lowest retail price which leads to poor quality and fewer options no matter where it is made. There is a lot of cheap made in USA stuff that are knockoffs of higher quality Australian made stuff! The country where items are manufactured is more about low paid workers and shouldn’t matter as much as the quality of the part. The real issue is do you want to support the continued use of poorly paid finically enslaved people. Think about that a little the next time you buy. The person who designed it probably isn’t the one making it anyway.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Why is there so much anti Asian/“Chinese” bigotry condoned on this site?
INTJohn

Wow. Lets not make up a problem where there is none ok?

The heaters that I (and many others) refer to are cheap (usually less than $200) and they are made in China. That is not bigotry, it is fact. I was only trying to explain the difference between the typical bunk heaters bought for consumer use, as opposed to the expensive professional units installed in commercial trucks (and yes some of the components in those are made in China, but the brand is not)

This thread will not be derailed any further. If you want to explore that topic, start a new thread.

 

[hugemoth]

Many Chinese diesel heaters will work up to 10,000', you just need to get the right one and know how to use it. Say you bought the wrong one and it won't work at high altitude, what can you do? You get on eBay, or Amazon and order a proper replacement motherboard and control for about $30 and you're all set. BTW this is the same for the expensive German brands.

Some heaters have a function called "plateau" that displays a mountain icon on the screen when turned on. Others can be adjusted via admin settings. Knowing which controller/motherboard can work at high altitude takes a little research but they are easy to get and work well. The heaters themselves are almost all the same and the motherboard/controllers are easily interchangeable.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Some of the top tier brands (usually made in Germany) already have the high altitude sensor built in as I mentioned, these are the units that are normally installed in commercial trucks.

The 'inexpensive' units bought from ebay and amazon merchants usually are not equipped for high altitude use out of the box, but can often be adjusted or modified for high altitude use.

 

[bullfrog]

Some of the propane heaters experience the same problem I believe due to their safety sensors. It is no fun to find out your first December night in Flagstaff in negative temps your heater doesn’t work for what ever reason. Don’t ask me how I know! Lol!!! As stated here many times in the past make sure you have a plan B,C,D,E and F alternative to stay warm and dry. Generally a really good sleeping bag in place you can stay dry is the time proven best solution. Having a well maintained vehicle with plenty of fuel, good exhaust system and heater can be backed up with a good small tent or tarp. Survival is the goal when getting caught in extreme cold and everyone should make provisions and practice skills with materials they keep on hand to stay warm and dry as we start into winter. By the way I try to avoid staying the night in Flagstaff, I try to pass through early in the day on my way to Havasu! Lol!!!

 

[hugemoth]

This is an example of a controller with the plateau function.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1255552649...BNvB0WBQ6-&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
This type can be adjusted manually for any altitude. (This is my preference)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3848577005...BNvB0WBQ6-&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
This is what the motherboard needs to look like in order to work with the manually adjustable controller.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1443511930...BNvB0WBQ6-&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

[egilbe]

I'm at 6156 feet and my Chinese diesel heater is working fine. I did have to replace some parts with better quality ones and the control board tab was broken off when I opened it up. It tosses an e-08 error unless it's lined up perfectly, but after I fixed that, no issues. $139 and another $100 in better parts and I'm happy with it.