Lol, I just did not want it to turn into a discussion about those only. I’ve had a Planar that sold with my Transit, I also have a CDH on my bench now that may go in something soon and also have an Espar in my work rig which get used nightly half the year, every year.
I do not ever take this truck over about 6k but the Espar has always run on diesel (never kerosene) from the main tank and has never been cleaned, not once. It’s 6 years old. Also, I’ve never run it on high to burn off soot though I always have on campers. They are an amazing product. I will continue to abuse it until I’m forced to clean it one day. For now, if it starts, I run it.
Anyway, whether I like it or not, the conversation is headed the way of these wonderful little diesel heaters only.
I just want to consider all options and also keep a good thread going with alternatives for people including myself.
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Yeah, it seems like the Diesel heaters are worth considering if 1) you have a diesel vehicle or 2) you don't mind a stand alone fuel system.
I'm not comfortable tying into a gasoline tank as they always tend to be small so you need every drop of range and it's easy to find yourself with low levels for the heater to work.
There are some really terrific propane solutions, but to have to add a propane tanks and plumbing in addition to the heater is not a DIY for most. It's harder to do a retrofit. Truma makes some great products. Propane appliances tend to be cleaner burning, moe quiet, and don't smell. They tend to work well at altitude. If it's a vented system (using a heat exchanger like the diesel and gasoline heaters) it provides a dry heat. Propane gets a bad rap as it's so versatile and ubiquitous that there are some cheap products that fail. People group the buddy, catalytic heater and stove tops with the higher end force air heaters and assume they all produce condensation inside the camper. People misuse the canisters and test for leaks using a flame and not soapy water, so there are some safety issues associated with propane.
As a result, diesel is the safest of the fuels and most energy dense. It does smell, appliances are louder, it can gum up in the cold, and carbon builds up. It has a high flash point so it's it takes a lot to catch on fire. As a consequence, it takes a fair amount of 12V when the glow plug is running.
Gasoline is less dense than diesel and doesn't gum up as much in the cold. It does coke up more than diesel at altitude. It is highly flammable too.
