truck camper heater upgrade

[WannaGo]

Here is a heating solution that I think is the right answer for small spaces. It's a bit more pricey than a Wave few $100's but it gives excellent outputs depending on model used. Provides dry air with all fumes are being ported outside.

If you choose the hydronic model you can also have a hot shower and heating. Eberspaecher Climate Control Systems. These systems can burn gas or diesel from a portable container or from 3/4 down your fuel tank. They use little power, sip fuel so the efficiency is pretty good. They are relatively quiet and depending on your choices could be very quiet. They have thermostatic control and a proven reliability in many many over the road trucks. Additionally, if you have the inclination a hydronic unit can provide heat to the camper, endless hot water for the shower and heat your diesel or gas block for startup - all with a touch of the button.

The Eberspaecher air system will take far less space than the current propane one. 0.67 to 2.8 amps and 0.02 to 0.07 gallons per hour with 2900 to 7500 BTU

 

[tx2sturgis]

But the bunk heaters are expensive, and fairly complex to install. 

They do work great, when they are working, but if one proprietary part fails at 3am in the middle of nowhere when it's 2 degrees outside, you better have some kind of backup.

 

[Cammalu]

Tx, are they prone to break a lot?

 

[tx2sturgis]

No...but when they do you can't just go into your local auto repair shop to get it fixed.

Of course, in a bad situation where you need heat, you can always start and run your vehicle engine...but driving to a place (like a qualified truck repair shop or RV shop) that CAN diagnose the problem and repair it might be inconvenient.

Occasionally our APU's and/or bunk heaters would quit...but with a fleet account and terminals everywhere, we just had to get the truck somewhere to get it fixed, usually the next day. Or get a motel room each night until we could get the unit to a facility. You can't always diagnose the problem in the field, or on the road, by just looking at it. 

A nomad, vandweller, full time RVer, etc, who installs one, might want to keep on hand a few spare parts like ignitors, filters, and dosing pumps. 

Suppose someone reading this has no idea how complex these things are...

Here ya go...pages and pages of parts for these things...and most of them are not cheap:

http://www.heatso.com/heater-parts-and-accessories/?sort=bestselling&page=1

https://www.cabcomfortdirect.com/productlist.htm?browse=-29536&shopBy=-16173&catalogId=-9813

https://www.butlertechnik.com/webasto-heater-parts-c111

 

[WannaGo]

Good catch tx2sturgis - I sometimes forget what complex is and fail to see how not easy it can be in general. I looked at full disassembly - clean and reassemble and thought I could do it pretty quick with little stress and if I can - so can others... maybe. Then again, maybe more complex than I considered so take into account I took a quadrupole mass spectrometer apart for a bit of a fix - it all started when I was ten with mom's dryer, always wondered how the drum turned and yes they made me put it back together with no extra parts in the box. LOL

I certainly do agree that parts are not off the shelf and are costly either way so are Wave heater parts and the catalyst must be kept clean. Maybe the little buddy heater is more robust due to the ceramic plates and cost efficient as well. Not breathing any hydrocarbon burn by-products at all is more to my liking.

I do think it's possible to get the bunk heater parts pretty quickly if you wanted - at a cost for over night service - which is agreeing with your assessment. I would also agree that the electronic controls would be a bust if they failed - so back up should always be a consideration. I'm thinking a micro wood burner is just that answer and it adds ambiance for those romantically inclined.

I see electronic controls as being infant mortality failures and think it would occur sooner rather than later in product life. Good fuel filters, ignitor clean and an annual burn chamber clean would be all that's necessary for years of efficient trouble free service? Also, I certainly agree on carrying the spare parts you mentioned and would get them with the original purchase. The dosing pump is a master backup piece of the kit and sort of covers your bottom like a professional. I did not feel like the unit was more complicated than the built in propane heaters.

The upside is if one can absorb and apply the working knowledge it provides and nice clean heat source and avoids the moisture effect of other heaters in a very small package. Seems they are using these heaters more and more in multiple automotive applications abroad and in our own Rv and truck markets.

Sharing knowledge builds a happy camper - not searching for propane priceless

Numbers may vary some by source of data ... afdc.energy.gov
Energy content (Higher heating value)
1 gallon of propane = 91,420 Btu
1 gallon of Diesel fuel = 138,960 Btu/gal
1 gallon gasoline = 124,340 Btu/gal

 

[WannaGo]

But the bunk heaters are expensive, and fairly complex to install. 

They do work great, when they are working, but if one proprietary part fails at 3am in the middle of nowhere when it's 2 degrees outside, you better have some kind of backup.

Valid points for sure - maybe I should have said a possible good but expensive alternative for heating. I do not know the reliability of the units but they are old technology as they have been on the world market for many years as you know. I'm thinking propane units have proprietary parts as well and Rv dealers maybe stocking these units and parts as the class B market seems to going this way along with induction cook tops.

 

[tx2sturgis]

I am not against buying and installing a bunk heater if that is what one wants to do...but thinking it will be a few pieces of common plumbing parts and will be easy to fix 'out there' like a simple propane heater....um...nope.

Then there is the whole motor fuel tax issue which I have addressed many times and don't wish to re-hash that to the dismay of others, but suffice to say that I would prefer to burn fuel for heating that does NOT have a road tax on it that I had to pay, just to heat my vehicle for overnight sleeping.

Of course, that logic can also be applied to generators that we typically burn gasoline in, compared to a propane powered generator that burns fuel (usually) with no motor fuel tax applied. 

And I've done that too...but in my situation, I'm not running a generator every night for 4 months in the winter...where a vehicle dweller might have to do exactly that with a bunk heater as their primary heat source. 

Admittedly, they are very efficient and safe, and quite effective at producing heat. 

So they certainly are an option, as long as the buyer goes in with eyes wide open!

 

[WannaGo]

I am not against buying and installing a bunk heater if that is what one wants to do...but thinking it will be a few pieces of common plumbing parts and will be easy to fix 'out there' like a simple propane heater....um...nope.

Then there is the whole motor fuel tax issue which I have addressed many times and don't wish to re-hash that to the dismay of others, but suffice to say that I would prefer to burn fuel for heating that does NOT have a road tax on it that I had to pay, just to heat my vehicle for overnight sleeping.

Of course, that logic can also be applied to generators that we typically burn gasoline in, compared to a propane powered generator that burns fuel (usually) with no motor fuel tax applied. 

And I've done that too...but in my situation, I'm not running a generator every night for 4 months in the winter...where a vehicle dweller might have to do exactly that with a bunk heater as their primary heat source. 

Admittedly, they are very efficient and safe, and quite effective at producing heat. 

So they certainly are an option, as long as the buyer goes in with eyes wide open!

Agreed - options are good to know about though and many perspectives are all the better. I feel the same on the fuel tax issue and cost for heating - sometimes propane is much more pricey depending on locations. Can carry more fuel than propane. Kerosene is a good possibility but then we're back to fuel segregation.

I was more thinking solar and batteries to run than a generator. I figured many would be on that power plan with a jenny as backup for charging on over cast days.