Diesel heater from aliexpress

[Troopy greg]

Has anyone purchased a diesel heater off Ali express if so how did it turn out and what size did you get

[DannyG]

Yes I use one, I've had it for a couple of years.
We use it all the time and it works great.
I think it was the smaller version. 2kw?
Anyway it heats our soft floor easily.

[Troopy greg]

That's good to hear was tossing up between 2kw and 5kw do you remember who the seller was?

[xcvator]

Yes, I bought 1 a few years ago, just the small unit, it was on my door step in 10 days 
It was fairly easy to install, about 4 or 5 hours.
Pro's
very fuel efficient, about .25 litre/hour
very effective, we sat in the camper in "t shirts" when it was 4c or 5c outside
depending on how you can set it up, you can use it to dry clothes etc
don't need a plumber to set it up, not like the gas units
extra fuel is safe and easy to carry

Cons
Some people say they are noisy, a bit like a very muffled jet engine, but at 5 or 6 metres it was just audible (to me ) 

When I was selling my camper most people didn't seem to think the heater was worth any extra $$'s so I took it out and installed it into the new van 

If I was ever getting another camper it would be the 1st mod I would do.
As the add says "just do it "
cheers Keith 

[tryagain]

Yes ,got one Nov last year when they have their big sales, used it twice this winter so far. Just bought it from the cheapest seller I could find as they also had good feedback. 2kw seems fine in our 12ft softfloor although we haven't taken it to anywhere that gets really cold. I wouldn't hesitate to do it again in a new Camper, one other thing to keep in mind is that they use a reasonable amount of amps so depending on your current battery/solar set up you may need to increase the capacity to deal with the load.

[xcvator]

There are 2 types of settings, 1 which maintaines the temp which turns the heater on and off automatically and a constant output setting. 
The heaters use about 12 a/h to start up, once it's running that drops back to about .5a/h
so, yes if you set it to keep maintaining the temp they will flatten your batteries over night 
We just set the heater to run on it's lowest constant setting and had no problems over night
cheers Keith 

[Troopy greg]

Thanks for that tip on the settings will keep that in mind

[tryagain]

There are 2 types of settings, 1 which maintaines the temp which turns the heater on and off automatically and a constant output setting. 
The heaters use about 12 a/h to start up, once it's running that drops back to about .5a/h
so, yes if you set it to keep maintaining the temp they will flatten your batteries over night 
We just set the heater to run on it's lowest constant setting and had no problems over night
cheers Keith 

I think my control unit might be slightly different but my unit seems to operate differently. I haven't had the time to sit down and totally figure out what the difference is but just to say not all controllers operate exactly the same.

[DannyG]

There are 2 types of settings, 1 which maintaines the temp which turns the heater on and off automatically and a constant output setting. 
The heaters use about 12 a/h to start up, once it's running that drops back to about .5a/h
so, yes if you set it to keep maintaining the temp they will flatten your batteries over night 
We just set the heater to run on it's lowest constant setting and had no problems over night
cheers Keith 

yep I second that. The auto setting is not really practical for us because when the heater turns itself off once it reaches temp it goes through a cool down process and when it starts it goes through a start up process, both of which are annoying.
We just leave ours on the lowest setting...even then it can get too warm at times.

[Throbbinhood]

Do you have a link for your aliexpress ones?

Also, any danger with these when sleeping? Fire, fumes, etc?

[macca]

The combustion gases are completely separate from the warm air. Combustion gases go out the exhaust and the air is forced over a heat exchanger and into the camper

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[Throbbinhood]

So are these heaters left outside then? Sorry, I've never had one or seen one..

I just imagine if it was hard mounted, and the exhaust or something cracked, we'd be getting fumes all night and potentially never know it.

[xcvator]

Here's my original installation  http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=21005.50

So are these heaters left outside then? Sorry, I've never had one or seen one..

I just imagine if it was hard mounted, and the exhaust or something cracked, we'd be getting fumes all night and potentially never know it.

Mate you're looking for something that will probably NEVER happen
cheers Keith

[Mace]

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2KW-12V-diesel-air-heaters-for-caravan-truck-bus-Rv-car-ship-camper-similar-Webasto-eberspacher/32806867683.html?spm=2114.40010208.4.79.Y6i5eM

Most people install them in a lockable box on the mud guard or close by.  Will be doing the same soon.

[Ben.Archer]

Yep - This is how I have installed mine - its on the front tool box blowing the heated air into the step through and the diesel exhaust out of the non tent side of the tool box.  http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=43524.msg729969#msg729969

[Troopy greg]

Great ideas on where to install thanks guys

[Cruiser 105Tvan]

So Throbbinhood.
Just to add to the confusion, ok.
You can get CO detector alarms, like smoke alarms from Caravan spares places.
Possibly the big green shed as well, not sure though.
Aldi also has them now and again.
So, provided you had a detector mounted below the sleeping level, you'd know about it.

[two up]

So Throbbinhood.
Just to add to the confusion, ok.
You can get CO detector alarms, like smoke alarms from Caravan spares places.
Possibly the big green shed as well, not sure though.
Aldi also has them now and again.
So, provided you had a detector mounted below the sleeping level, you'd know about it.

Carbon monoxide is slightly lighter than air NAFPA recommend detectors should be mounted at a height of about 5 feet above ground level.

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[DannyG]

Do you have a link for your aliexpress ones?

Also, any danger with these when sleeping? Fire, fumes, etc?

Mine is from the same place that AL put the link up.

I also keep mine in one the side boxes so if there is a fire it 'should' be contained in steel. I extended my exhaust out to the far side of the camper because, yes, I thought I could smell fumes in the past and probably still can sometimes but it hasnt killed me yet and I keep it on overnight plenty of times.....Ill let you know if it does kill me

[Cruiser 105Tvan]

So Throbbinhood.
Just to add to the confusion, ok.
You can get CO detector alarms, like smoke alarms from Caravan spares places.
Possibly the big green shed as well, not sure though.
Aldi also has them now and again.
So, provided you had a detector mounted below the sleeping level, you'd know about it.

I accept what two up has said.
But I still recommend you get a detector.

[mynance]

I have 2kw Planar in 19'6" van. Works well mounted under the bed.
The gasses vent to the outside of the van so quite safe.


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[Troopy greg]

So how quiet do they run?

[Rumpig]

Had a Webasto diesel heater in our camper for 7 years now, it hasn't killed us yet

So how quiet do they run?

depends where you mount each component....
inside blower unit....turn your car heater fan on high and sounds similar to that, the start up noise is louder though, so set it to run all night not cycle on and off. Downside is they really dry your mouth and throat out with the warm air, I need to get a drink of water when I first wake up usually from how dry my throat is.
Outside noise...the exhaust is abit like a caravan air con unit running, there's also a ticking noise on mine from the fuel pump. 5 metres away from the side it's mounted on I can't hear it....though reading some replays on forums from those who don't own one,  you'd swear it sounds like a jumbo jet flying past (I think they exaggerate the noise out of jelousy though).

[Ben.Archer]

I too have a combined fire / CO detector - I don't think you can be too safe even if they in theory can't pass the exhaust gasses back into the heating air.


As other have said they can sound a bit like a quiet jet engine as the spool up and have that characteristic whine.  That however dies down as they get upto temp, and I don't find it irritating at all.  There is on mine also the sound of the fuel pump which clicks.  When the unit is running full out you hear a click, click click sound but when up to temp during the night we hear one click a minute or so.  Certainly not loud enough to be irritating but it is certainly there.

I'll echo everyone else here and say it is the best mod I have done to the camper.  It adds a few months of comfortable camping to the year for the family, expanding our season.  That in itself has paid for it.

Don't think too hard and just go for it....   

[xcvator]

Don't think too hard and just go for it....   

x50