pappawheely
Autonomous4X4
I'm renting a van (Ram Promaster), for a week and want to install a diesel heater without drilling holes. Any ideas???? I need a way to get the exhaust out.
Last edited:
Temporary Diesel Heater Install?
- Thread starter pappawheely
- Start date
llamalander
Well-known member
Make a plywood or aluminum buck you can mount the heater on and insert into the frame of a partially open window.
Combustion intake & exhaust point outside, body of the heater, electrics and intake and output inside and custom cut the buck for a good seal once you have the van.
--if it draws less than 10A, you can plug it into the lighter, if not, attach long enough cables to reach the battery.
Tank & pump will need a way to stand up on the floor and tubing to reach the heater.
Hopefully you have an output head that will let you direct the hot air to the back and the intake will draw from the area near the windshield.
No changes to the van (if you don't spill the fuel), no harm to the heater.
Just a thought...
Combustion intake & exhaust point outside, body of the heater, electrics and intake and output inside and custom cut the buck for a good seal once you have the van.
--if it draws less than 10A, you can plug it into the lighter, if not, attach long enough cables to reach the battery.
Tank & pump will need a way to stand up on the floor and tubing to reach the heater.
Hopefully you have an output head that will let you direct the hot air to the back and the intake will draw from the area near the windshield.
No changes to the van (if you don't spill the fuel), no harm to the heater.
Just a thought...
billiebob
Well-known member
You guys really need to tell us what country you live in. This is an international forum. If you live in Timbuktoo the advice might be different than if you live in Paris. Get it together man. Tell us a few pertinent facts.
If you are going nowhere,,,, why are you asking.
Last edited:
pappawheely
Autonomous4X4
OK, I'm not in Timbuktu, but will be not too far from cucamonga. I won't need to fashion anything from cob. The unit is one of those cheap china models that has the tank mounted inside a sheetmetal cover.
For a week only? Leave the heater outside on the ground and have it exhaust hot air up through a cracked window, seal the cracked window with a blanket, towel, or similar. Take the 12V direct to the battery. Don’t worry about the hot air intake, it should heat outside air just fine. Make sure you get the combustion exhaust way far away from the combustion intake and especially the hot air intake.
javajoe79
Fabricator
I would go this route too. I wouldn't want all that noise inside with me. I also probably wouldn't do this just for a week.
pappawheely
Autonomous4X4
I've been doing research on the power requirements and I'm not too sure I can run it off the starting battery for long. I might have to go the rainforest route with my Big Buddy heater.
Are you sure you even need a diesel heater? We did a month in our sprinter across country in December with temps in the teens. Took a buddy but never broke it out. We used our 15 degree down bags and started the vehicle in the morning to run the engine and heater. There were a couple times we parked over night near power and used a little cheap electric space heater and ran an extension cord out the window.
pappawheely
Autonomous4X4
That's probably what I will need to do. No power there, and I don't want to hassle with bringing my noisy generator.
CraftsmanCollaborative
Active member
Unsure if you already took the trip - but I played with this concept:
https://expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/jeep-xj-pop-top-camper-build.198456/post-2743214
The heater is inevitably going to be hard-mounted in the jeep, but this was a nifty way to test it first.
(You'd need a decently bigger power tool battery to run the whole night - looks like dewalt makes a 12ah $$)
https://expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/jeep-xj-pop-top-camper-build.198456/post-2743214
The heater is inevitably going to be hard-mounted in the jeep, but this was a nifty way to test it first.
(You'd need a decently bigger power tool battery to run the whole night - looks like dewalt makes a 12ah $$)
pappawheely
Autonomous4X4
Nothing went right on this trip. Didn't get the high roof I reserved so I had to take a standard chevy van. There was barely room for a bed in the back, and no place to put the propane heater. I ended up having to run the van all night with the heater on.
pappawheely
Autonomous4X4
A bad day at KOH is still better than a good day at the office.
