Gladiator Pop-Up Pass Through Camper Build

[86scotty]

I'm surprised it hasn't been discussed before. Many people are religious about running kerosene, etc. in these to keep them clean. I have been sleeping 6 mos. a year in my work truck for 6 years with run running all night (an Espar) and have had 3 or 4 other ones in overland rigs as well as a Webasto in my current work rig. The other brands I've had have been Chinese, Planar and Lavaner but that one is still pretty new. Anyway, I've never cleaned one. Never had to. I believe the hype on this is just that.

But if you have it and it smells better I'd definitely use it! I had the tank on my Planar mounted inside the Transit it was installed in and I filled very carefully from the diesel pump and never smelled diesel at all.

 

[ITTOG]

@Mules , or anyone, know anything about the brand Hcalory? I ran across the website yesterday. https://hcalory.com/collections/heater

 

[86scotty]

@Mules , or anyone, know anything about the brand Hcalory? I ran across the website yesterday. https://hcalory.com/collections/heater

I've seen them on Amazon for awhile, as in a couple of years. My impression was that they were just another cheap CDH manufacturer but the cases on these (at the link you posted) look pretty impressive.

 

[Mules]

Wouldn't the Jet-a fuel run too hot. My neighbor has a fueling station and he gets us jet fuel to run through our lawn equipment every spring. I have definitely burnt a few parts using too much of it. I think I have to keep it below 50%.

You've got a good point, as different fuels have different Octane ratings and flash points. I think he may be giving you Aviation Gasoline vs. Jet A. We use both.

Piston engine aircraft use Aviation Gasoline (100LL, 100 Octane rating, with lead), which is much higher Octane rating than regular Automobile Gasoline (80-90 Octane). We use our left over Aviation Gasoline for our lawn mowers, weed eaters, leaf blowers. It doesn't go bad, like regular gasoline does. It doesn't have any added alchohol which absorbs moisture over time, but it does run much hotter.

Jet-A is a similar fuel to Diesel and Kerosene. Turbine Engines, and Jets use Jet-A. Jet-A is a higher level petroleum distillate and cleaner burning version of Diesel or Kerosene. It can't be run in gasoline engines.

I geeked out there a bit, but as a mechanical engineer it's a subject I like. I ran my old Toyota Tundra on 80% agricultural alcohol.

Here's a video on running Kerosene in a Diesel Heater.

 

[Dave in AZ]

Recent test of diesel heater CO emissions vs car, etc. Clickbait title, but very positive outcome. HOWEVER, messing with the mixture richness, reducing combustion air flow, has an immediate increase of CO.

Yes you can run these on kerosene, sometimes-- you need diesel for its self lubrication properties for the fuel pump. But if you mess around with alternative fuels, be sure you do some CO testing also. They are incredibly clean burning when run as designed.

Download and read the German Eberspacher owner's manual, it is 100 pages of good info not provided in the chinese clone packages! All the install, limitations, and power error codes and issues etc.
Lastly, join one of the Chinese diesel heater facebook groups and read up there, if you are going to cowboy it and start tweaking fuels and such, 1000 other folks already did it all and wrote up the results...

 

[Mules]

Well after a couple errors on my part, the heater fired right up. I ran it for 30 minutes outside to burn off any smells.

1) First error was I wired it backwards. Switched the positive and negative wires and it worked fine.

2) Second error is I blew a 5 amp fuse when the glow plug kicked in. Simple fix to put in a 10 amp fuse, in line.

 

[Dave in AZ]

2) Second error is I blew a 5 amp fuse when the glow plug kicked in. Simple fix to put in a 10 amp fuse, in line.

Mules, the inline power fuse will blow if 10A too. That fuse is supposed to be a 15A fuse. The heater demands 120 to 130w on glowplug startup. That is 10 to 11 amps. Fuse is supposed to be 125% of the load, then round up. My vevor actually came with an inline fuse supplied, and it is indeed 15A.

Congrats, they are pretty cool right? Good beer choice too

 

[Mules]

Mules, the inline power fuse will blow if 10A too. That fuse is supposed to be a 15A fuse. The heater demands 120 to 130w on glowplug startup. That is 10 to 11 amps. Fuse is supposed to be 125% of the load, then round up. My vevor actually came with an inline fuse supplied, and it is indeed 15A.

Congrats, they are pretty cool right? Good beer choice too

@Dave in AZ,
Thanks for the info and these heaters are pretty cool (I mean hot). The instructions have no information on fuse size to use.

It looks like someone lied on the product label in China. The Diesel Heater says 40watts on the label, which means it pulls 3.3 amps, so a 5 amp fuse should have worked.

It ran the fan fine during the first two minutes of startup, until the glow plug fired up, then blew the 5 amp fuse. After I got it running last night, it was drawing 25 watts continuously on the lowest heat setting. I'll have to check how many watts/amps it is pulling when the glow plug kicks in next time.

My Power Supply is limited to 10amps on the 12volt circuits, so I hope this works.

 

[Mules]

And it was going so well until....

The marine through wall part was too long. I'll have to come up with a 90 degree elbow to turn the exhaust down in the side wall.

 

[Mules]

Beautiful interior build out @Dan Grec !!!

 

[Mules]

Attempt #2 for diesel heater exhaust through the bed wall of Gladiator.

I used an electrical box cover, drilled a 1" hole, and painted it black.

 

[Dave in AZ]

Attempt #2 for diesel heater exhaust through the bed wall of Gladiator.

I used an electrical box cover, drilled a 1" hole, and painted it black.


View attachment 812240View attachment 812241View attachment 812245View attachment 812246View attachment 812247

Oh this is smart.
But one thing, what about the air intake for combustion? If taking from inside the truck, instead of outside, it will then suck cold air in through gaps to replace combustion air. Normally you vent BOTH intake and exhaust outside. They make and sell a 2 hole piece to install.

 

[Dave in AZ]

Beautiful interior build out @Dan Grec !!!

Doh, I've been following this build, didnt see he posted the interior! Thx

 

[Mules]

Oh this is smart.
But one thing, what about the air intake for combustion? If taking from inside the truck, instead of outside, it will then suck cold air in through gaps to replace combustion air. Normally you vent BOTH intake and exhaust outside. They make and sell a 2 hole piece to install.

Dave, where were you before I drilled the hole!!

Doh... It would be much more efficient if I vented the air intake from the outside. Good catch. There's probably enough room on the electrical box cover to drill two holes. I would just need to route them separately outside the truck, so the intake doesn't pull in the exhaust fumes. I'll keep it mind for prototype #3.

 

[Mules]

Found a cool camp site exploring Southeast Missouri yesterday.