Adjusting Webasto Airtop 2000st for High Altitude

Demonstration on how to manually adjust a Webasto Airtop 2000 ST heater for high altitude use. These heaters can only be used up to 5K foot altitude, but they can be adjusted to function properly up to 10K feet. This method also works for the Airtop 2000 STC as well.

[@markdaisy948]

Awesome man! Thanks for sharing. Doing this today... assuming you hook up to the ground before turning on the heater?

[@basecampcustomvans1096]

Correct

[@twowheeledsmurph]

Great info! Thanks! The fact you can alter the setting makes me lean towards Webasto over the Espar. I wonder if you can do this with the Multi Control HD controller. Thoughts?

[@basecampcustomvans1096]

It's similar but instead of setting to 12 o'clock you set it to 85 degrees, turn it on with the harness grounded, when it's blinking dial it down to 65 degrees

[@twowheeledsmurph]

Rocky Mountain Adventure Vans thank you! My heater arrived. Just waiting for a non-minus30 day to install it 😊

[@basecampcustomvans1096]

@@twowheeledsmurph let me know if you need any help (970-404-1026) ; also, Webasto has a USA tech support that's fantastic

[@twowheeledsmurph]

@@basecampcustomvans1096 Sounds good! Thanks!

[@idkarts]

@@basecampcustomvans1096 I have a Webasto Air Top 2000 STC with Multi Control HD. I tried connecting the ground wire on the pigtail to my battery ground. Then turned on the multi control HD, set temperature to 86 degrees (mine would jump between 84 and 86 degrees when selecting the temp) I did not get any blinking lights so I think maybe it won’t work this way. I also purchased a rheostat. When I connected my rheostat to the connector, it would not turn on or turn on my Webasto. Any ideas?

[@OffgridColorado]

Thanks I live at 10k so looks like a webasto

[@sampep]

Thanks for taking the camera that late!

[@NotEnoughKit]

Do you think this type of grounding adjustment might also work on the cheap chinese knockoff heaters? Even if their controller is a very simplistic rheostat style? Else, I see 16ml and 22ml pumps online on ebay. Guessing the 16ml would be the high altitude ones, since there is less air you would want less fuel. So do you think just switching out stock pump for a 16ml one would work? Just wanting to be able to use at high altitude without mucking it up, not concerned if heat output gets reduced at low altitudes. I actually have not hooked up the fuel line to it yet, just electrical.

[@basecampcustomvans1096]

This is only a feature of Webasto heaters; it won't work on an Espar, or any of the Chinese knockoffs. I blew up a Chinese one using it for 2 hours at 9K feet. It was completely clogged with gunk in that short time. They can't be adjusted either, unfortunately

[@patstaffer1331]

All you need is a second fuel/diesel pump (the 16ml one!) in parallel to the standard one, and a selector switch for both pumps. This is how it works with the Chinese ones, and the Russian Planars...but the have already a upgrade version with a build in high altitude. How ever, I do have the Webasto 2000ST (24V) in my Land Cruiser and never had problems with it, don't have a high altitude switch for it. We do travel the world for 4,5years now and lot of countries have very bad dusty roads, high mountains etc. I made a second air intake for the burner which sucks air from inside the vehicle...I guess maybe that's why it never failed so far? We did the Rockies in Canada for 2 Month and everything was fine too.

[@CrazyMarty]

Is this the same for the ECO 40? Also do you know what the Webasto diagnostic software does or tell you? Do they have a built in CO sensor in the exhaust?

[@timh3518]

The EVO 40 has automatic altitude adjustment built-in to the heater already.

[@reycardenas8110]

Building a Skoolie, I have been thinking about getting this heater until I read the data sheets and saw it only goes up to 2,200 meters 7,200ft. Thanks for this. How high of altitude can you get with this reset?

[@basecampcustomvans1096]

This would be good to 10k feet. I would get the larger 5kw model for a vehicle that big.

[@ruby1487]

The instructions I've seen have said to turn the rheostat to 9 o'clock not to 1 o'clock.

[@basecampcustomvans1096]

You fire up the heater to 12 or 1 o'clock, then when it starts blinking you turn it down to 9 o'clock