Heating my van

[maki2]

I will also install a ducting path to the outside from my rangehood. I would welcome any suggestions based on that dynamic.

If you are putting in a roof vent fan and get one with a reversible direction motor you do not need an exhaust hood for the stove as the roof fan can be used to exhaust cooling odors and moisture.

One of the primary design thoughts for Van life is to get multiple uses from the things you purchase. On moderately cold mornings, meaning above 45 degrees, making a hot beverage or meal with my Gas One Mini stove heats up my small space just fine.

I do not spend winters up north. I stay in Quartzsite, Yuma, the Southwest, low elevation areas. I do that because I like warmer areas with plenty of sunshine.
There are going to be some clouds this coming week but I will still get enough solar for my needs. Clouds are not all bad especially at night as they act like an insulating blanket and keep the night time temperatures warmer.
This is the Quartzsite forecast for this week before Christmas. It is going to be a fun week, I am camping with friends I made 5 years ago in this forum.

When I decided to go on the road full time I invested a considerable amount of money in a good quality diesel heater. It is super fuel efficient so my fuel cost for heat amounts to under $10 a month in the Arizona desert winters and late spring and fall in the Arizona mountains where I still need to use heat at that time period. That means I use my heater 9 months of the year. But I so far going on 4 years I have not needed to use it all night as it only gets below freezing for a couple of hours around sunrise.

I have zero regrets about the investment of funds in a good quality, fuel efficient heater that exhaust to the exterior and actually removes moisture from the interior while it is running. My investment is paid back over time in cost savings and comfort as well as safety. That is how investments in quality equipment work.

I do not have a diesel vehicle but that makes no difference as my heater in is in a very small travel trailer. The heater is so fuel efficient I rarely need to fill up the fuel tank for it and that is easily done from the one gallon gas can I fill at a service station.

 

[bullfrog !]

StarryNights I saw a van that had a diesel tank made out of stainless steel pipe mounted where the running board step would be on a Sprinter van plumbed to the diesel heater mounted in a compartment inside the van. It did need an electric pump to fill the original tank which was operated by a switch in the compartment. Made the filling operation simple and gave a lot of reserve fuel!

 

[hugemoth]

In my truck camper I use an all in one diesel heater that is raised up off the floor a few inches with a couple pieces of 2x4. I keep one of those disposable foil cake pans underneath in case I spill some when filling. It's the best heat I've found so far and wouldn't go back to a Buddy heater or Atwood propane heater.

 

[RonDean]

StarryNights I saw a van that had a diesel tank made out of stainless steel pipe mounted where the running board step would be on a Sprinter van plumbed to the diesel heater mounted in a compartment inside the van. It did need an electric pump to fill the original tank which was operated by a switch in the compartment. Made the filling operation simple and gave a lot of reserve fuel!

When I had a trailer I had more "outside" storage options on the tongue, roof, and back bumper - not to mention in the back of my pickup tow vehicle. Now, with a high-top van with a rear bicycle rack and access to the roof more difficult, it seems like everything has to be stored inside. That would include a diesel tank if I choose that heating option. I purchased a stove hood more to protect the upper cabinets from heat than to vent out smoke or moisture. But, if it helps with that - great. I like to cook and some sort of cooktop is necessary for my happiness. I would rather not have to store both a propane tank AND a diesel tank so I keep returning to considering a propane heater.

Like Bullfrog says, "If you are like me you will spend a lot of money trying things that just don’t work." Maybe I just need to bite the bullet and spend $1000+ on a Dickinson propane heater.

As a last resort, I am considering towing a small cargo trailer of some sort, but that kind of puts me back into all the towable issues I am trying to get out of.

 

[Happy Camper]

I think you're doing a lot of thinking and willing to spend a lot of money for the sake of avoiding a gallon of diesel fuel.

bullfrog mentioned the van be saw with an external diesel tank with a pump filler for the heater. It would probably cost less and be more efficient than your other options.

 

[bullfrog !]

When it comes to fuel, any fuel I would rather carry it outside of the living space.

 

[Happy Camper]

For the $1000 of the heater you're considering, you should check into adding a small diesel tank to your van. Then you can fill the tank normally, and tap the heater into the tank. Or any variation you might think of.

 

[RonDean]

Thanks for all your replies. I am now looking at a Suburban vented propane RV furnace for around $500. It would require 2 smaller vent holes which I do not think is excessive. It is about half the price of a Dickenson and 2 or 3 X that of the ventless propane heaters. I think it's a reasonable compromise. And it solves my 2 fuel concerns as well as the propane moisture problem.

 

[bullfrog !]

We use our factory instalked heater in our newer travel trailer and it works well. The only issue is it does use quite a bit more propane and requires 12 volt electricity for its circulation fan. To run it over night in below freezing weather I needed to supplement my 12 volt system if boondocking. Does the one you are considering have a fan? If so you will need to insure you have an adequate way to charge your batteries daily. The smaller 16,000 btu one may work as it uses less propane and has a smaller fan that draws less than 3 amps but a normal battery will be depleted in a few days of sitting in cold weather. We use a power station (EcoFlo Delta 2) along with a generator/solar charging as we only boondock when in the trailer.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Thanks for all your replies. I am now looking at a Suburban vented propane RV furnace for around $500. It would require 2 smaller vent holes which I do not think is excessive. It is about half the price of a Dickenson and 2 or 3 X that of the ventless propane heaters. I think it's a reasonable compromise. And it solves my 2 fuel concerns as well as the propane moisture problem.

Ron, do your due diligence on this one. RV furnaces have their pros and cons, like all the other options.

Yes they are very safe. And the wall thermostat will give you a familiar 'residential style' interface.

But they are very noisy, especially in a smaller camper, and they can suck your battery down in a few evenings of use if you have no charging input.

And during cold weather they can empty a 20# propane tank in a under a week since typical 'lower cost' units are only about 60% efficient (published numbers will vary). Nearly half of the heat produced goes out the combustion air vent to the outside world.

The safety circuits and electronic control boards can be troublesome, especially as the unit ages.

Not saying they are not viable, but be aware of the costs involved.

 

[bullfrog !]

I do carry two 20lb bottles as you need to insure when one runs out you have a full one to replace it. Usually it runs out about 2 or 3AM and by 4AM I wake up cold looking for my clip-on flashlight so I can go out and change the bottles. How do I know that is what happened you ask, I can see my refrigerator malfunction light has illuminated from my bed!

 

[Happy Camper]

 

[rruff]

Are you all parking at near zero elevation in the southern CO river valley?

Making a real good case for driving down to southern Baja and camping on the beach of the Sea of Cortez...

 

[RonDean]

But.... I really don't want diesel!

Hmmm... I do recall a Slim Potato video where he yanked out his noisy factory installed heater and replaced it with a Dickinson P9000. I see many $$$ flying away in my future. Back to due diligence.

 

[maki2]

Glad you came up with a final decision that makes sense to you.

 

[jasper]

Geneeus, are you still here?

I've used a 2kw diesel heater for seven years in my '94 Econoline down to 18 degrees F with howling wind. It works better than every other fuel based thing I've tried so far. For quick heat, I like an open flame. It takes a few minutes for the diesel heater to produce heat. But, I can push the start button while in bed and wait, and watch the inside condensation disappear.

I also have a seventy-dollar 5kw all in one thanks to Hugemoth's link a while back. Both fuel tank caps have a hole in them, to allow air to enter while running. Sadly, that also allows fumes to escape to avoid pressurizing the tank.

A small screw to block the vent hole when not running has worked so far, even with altitude and temperature changes. A check valve cap would be nice. Mine works with the fuel line down through the top, and allows for lifting the tank and sitting it on the entry step-up. Most of the time I just fill up with the fuel pump nozzle.

After a lifetime of battling fuel oil based stinking devices and saying no more, here I am.

 

[rruff]

But.... I really don't want diesel!

Isn't it easier to deal with? You can fill your tank whenever you are getting gas. They are real cheap these days and seem to work fine.

 

[bullfrog !]

The owner of the van I met with the auxiliary tank mounted on his running board had used it to live in for months at a time for over a year with no problems other than he extended the exhaust pipe out from under the van. I was concerned about the reliability of the heater at the time due to their low cost of under $100. He simply stated he had bought two but hadn’t needed it. Having a well thought out system for an external tank installed should make for a pretty mess/fume free system. I imagine you could mount a tank with a filler out of site with enough imagination outside the living space since some heaters have removable tanks. Since they seem to be so efficient and fuel stations often have both gasoline and diesel at the same pump fill ups should be easily done while refueling the vehicle probably less hassles than filling a propane tank. Just my opinion never having owned one.

 

[StarryNights]

More good comments. I checked Amazon (search diesel heater fuel tanks) and you can see some metal and plastic ones. One specifically says for Espar units, but it is a little small at 7 liters. Maybe not though because I haven't used even 1 liter yet in 5 mornings of use!

I'd like to see that running-board tank; seems like a good use of the space and makes for very easy refueling. Another alternative is to use an outboard motor fuel tank. Found a short YouTube on a guy using one . Interesting thing is that with its quick disconnect hose so he can pull the tank outside to fill it.

I am not a Facebook user, but know there is a huge forum there on diesel heaters that can provide help/advice on any problem.

Years ago when I was trying to choose heaters, those with Diesel units seemed to be far happier and had spent MUCH less than any other type on install and running costs. Even this thread seems to support that. Most of the negative comments were coming from those that had never used one or had an improperly installed one.

 

[maki2]

I like my diesel heater/stove (it has cooking mode and with the lid lowered a heating mode with Smart Control settings. But it is not even close to being in the financial class or manufacturing class of being a cheap Chinese style. My unit is from Finland. It is even more efficient for fuel and electrical use than the Chinese “bunk” heaters and it is multifunctional. My tank is inside the lower kitchen cabinet below the unit. It is easy to fill from a fuel can we are talking a few minutes of time and easy access. But I only need to fill it a couple of times a winter season in Arizona so I do not consider it to be inconvenient. I just get a gallon of diesel at the gas station as needed. Filling up propane would be considerably more inconvenient for me due to the weight and size of those propane tanks.