CAN WE STOP MY FAMILY FROM FREEZING?? INSTALLING A DIESEL HEATER FOR WINTER CAMPING!!!!!!

G'day everyone welcome back,
This time we set to work making the family caravan a better place for winter camping. After several recommendations from friends I finally took the plunge and brought yet another eBay gem.
Feel free to send me an email of you want to get in touch.
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[@alanhow3575]

Always exhaust the opposite side to the door.

[@constable49]

Been considering one of these for a while and looking at lots of other people installing. Now you have done it with no bull I will order one tonight. Thanks for keeping it real. I am comlimenting you when I say you are no frills, please never try to become more "professional" its like talking to a mate over a beer. Thank you!

[@HarpersShed]

Thank you for your kind words mate, I don't think you will regret buying and installing one of the heaters. Having it made the last camping trip so much better for the family.

[@djmini2numpty141]

the fuel smells will lessen after a couple of uses. agree, vent away as best you can .

[@robbiegardenier1602]

cool video don't know if we have them in the states like the video thanks Rob

[@geoffreynash3819]

Take the foam out of the burner intake, its too restricted hence the smoke. They only use a screen on the intake not a filter.

[@nigeldlm]

I used the black tin pipe connected to the heater then added 3'' tumble dryer pipe to take heat to the other end of my van

[@HarpersShed]

I am happy with the placement of the vent in the van now but would like to use one completely bit of ducting instead of 2 bits. I did have a look in the hardware for something but did come across dryer pipe.

[@suppliersyd2000]

Nice job mate! Good summary at the end. And nice work getting the monitor. 😷 I saw my feet! 😂

[@HarpersShed]

Thanks mate 👍

[@dustinfrost5214]

I have the same diesel heater in my caravan I made a stand keep my diesel tank away outside just extended the pump wires this way its nice and silent no ticking

[@HarpersShed]

I honestly don't hear the ticking from inside the van at night. It's certainly not loud enough to keep me awake.

[@gregbolitho9775]

Looks ok from here, I'll check it out, and see if it goes in my iload. Thanks m8, nice job!

[@HarpersShed]

I'm sure there will be one available for your needs mate.

[@mattmorley2110]

Nice install bro 👍

[@HarpersShed]

Thanks mate, made a massive difference when camping in the middle of winter that's for sure.

[@vincesmith9637]

I think that you should take the sponge out of the small air pipe

[@HarpersShed]

Your bang on, I did in the end and all the smoke cleared up. I just put the original bug stopper back on and it works well now.

[@kevinmartin3859]

nice video some boat channels use these heaters glad you sorted the inlet vent out and the foam removeal helped out with the soot can you get a small pipe with a bend to it so you can direct soot away from the van or downwards just a extra safety thought yuo done a good job though

[@HarpersShed]

Thanks mate, I am seriously considering getting another one for the boat. I think it would make over night stays much better.

[@MrJeffro1960]

You need to remove the pump from any hard surface. The ticking will drive you mad. Better to suspend it in mid air , I just used zip ties and I can't hear it anymore. Look up installation tips on you tube. Very helpful. Cheers mate. Jeffro

[@HarpersShed]

Thanks mate, I honestly can't hear it over the noise of the actual blower fan.

[@bishopkinlyside8477]

I have some friends with one of them and they said heats inside the motorhome it does well love your videos. Keep up the good work. Good to see you a bit of variety Cliff from Logan city Queensland Australia 🇦🇺 from the big island 🏝️ Go Queensland in the State of Origin

[@HarpersShed]

Thanks mate 👍

[@pauljohns1016]

Good video😊😊

[@HarpersShed]

Thanks mate 👍

[@user-es9tl4pr6p]

Take the sponge out of the intake pipe it will let it breath better.

[@HarpersShed]

I did eventually figure out what I had a done lol

[@alanhow3575]

You won’t need a chimney. If the exhaust doesn’t clean up, it needs adjusting. I fitted one to our Jayco Hawk.

[@HarpersShed]

I later realised the exhaust was sooty because of the foam I had in the intake. Once I removed that it cleared up straight away.

[@bobadam7021]

I've been thinking about turning one of these into super cheap waste oil burner. Starting it on diesel and using the exhaust gasses to heat and thin the waste oil then once the unit heats up swap over to oil. I have a decent sized shed that would benefit from it.

[@HarpersShed]

That's a bloody good idea, I may just have to consider looking into this also. I guess my only concern would be the burner getting clogged after a while from the carbon in the oil.

[@bobadam7021]

@@HarpersShed that’s a strong possibility. Though I imagine you can mitigate that by filtering the oil before burning or spinning it out in a centrifuge. In the end it’s about $150 for one of these things, if it fails to warm my shed I won’t lose much.

[@HarpersShed]

@@bobadam7021 yeah not too much money invested 👍

[@michaelsimpson9779]

By all accounts, those things are magic. Overcoming the Chingrish instructions can be a challenge apparently. Blokes heat their garages in the UK with them.

[@HarpersShed]

Would need a few of them pumping to heat a shed over there I would imagine.

[@davidforbes7972]

Just did the same in my 04 finch cheap eBay never let me down so far 😂

[@HarpersShed]

Nice that's good to hear.

[@scottsorby7966]

Weight reduction take 2, I was waiting for one of the kids shouting Ouch Dad!!! 😂😂 vert smart little van that is Tim, a lot of good family memories will be made in it. I would have joined the hoses with the straight through part of the T piece and then blocked off the T itself until you can get something else

[@HarpersShed]

Lol the kids have learnt to check for flying objects whenever I'm working. We love getting out camping whenever possible. I reckon they learn more in a weekend in the bush then a week at school.

[@teeanahera8949]

I started with a Dove but now have a 2007 Eagle. There are a few tweaks you can use to get more storage volume, the false walls can be moved back closer to the cables which releases a large amount volume. The Eagle has a false wall close to the aft bed as well. Looks like you’re running solar, do you still use the 3 way fridge? I keep the house battery (100 ah AGM) in the Ranger boot (has a canopy) with a DC to DC charger off the starter battery. A long heavy gauge cable connects the to the van for lighting, charging devices and ignition for the stove/fridge plus I added a 12v pump for water in the sink. I don’t need any solar as the fridge is brilliant on gas (if the van is dead level) even in the tropics and a bottle lasts weeks. Anyway moving the battery releases more storage volume in the battery compartment and their is less weight to have on the tow ball. A handy hint is to do away with the vacuum pump at the sink, a 12v pressure pump off ebay is < $20 ($200 to buy the same from a Jayco dealer) just places the pressure pump on the wall of the cupboard under the sink and a ball valve with elbow where the old pump was. Oh and if you ever use the three way on 12v replace all the wiring back to your source with heavier gauge wire. It won’t work too well on the supplied skinny wire. Nice job on the diesel heater! No need for a heater here in the subtropics although out west it can still be below zero.

[@HarpersShed]

Some very useful tips there. I think the best one would have to be moving the false wall forward. That is where we normally store our camp chairs when travelling and moving that forward would make lots more room. I do have the 3way fridge still however it has decided it doesn't want to work on gas anymore so that will be getting swapped out for a 12v unit. I put a pressure pump on the sink almost straight away because the suction one broke lol.

[@karibakid]

Get one for the boat

[@HarpersShed]

I may just do that mate.

[@petewitt2867]

You’ll have to put one in the boat too!

[@HarpersShed]

I'm seriously considering it. It gets bloody cold in there of a night time

[@petewitt2867]

@@HarpersShed I am too! Anything that extends the sailing season

[@HarpersShed]

@@petewitt2867 for sure mate 👍

[@kenpage1107]

They are great Tim, had ours for years but we paid $1900 for ours.

[@HarpersShed]

They seem to have come down a lot in price then. I'm sure your unit is a proper brand name one and will more then likely outlast what I have.

[@georgem8200]

I wonder if sound deadening would make much of a difference. Always look forward to your boat videos .

[@HarpersShed]

Thanks mate, it really isn't noticeable at all when in bed.

[@thomasmassey3080]

I think the pump is going to be noisy and be careful about creating condensation in the boot!

[@HarpersShed]

Thanks mate I will keep an eye on the condensation thanks for the tip👍

[@leongt1954]

You live here in Melbourne it's more than just chilly it's F**king freezing

[@HarpersShed]

Lol yeah, I have no desire to move any further south than I am right now. I hate the cold as it is lol

[@moosenbeans903]

I watched this with a friend and she said “ he is handy like you” ahaha. A man is only good as his tools. People buy stuff cause it looks good but then. Won’t fit. Too big, too small too left, right on and on. Then I know you will laugh “ can you put it in? I will help 🙄” ok but next time I pick the right one. Tim you have a great week.

[@HarpersShed]

Lol yep if it doesn't fit mate I will cut and fab what I have to make it fit👍

[@moosenbeans903]

@@HarpersShed my son says “ welder win” ahahah

[@willknight1005]

You have a lot of trust in Ebay🤨 Good luck mate!

[@HarpersShed]

Lol I do approach every eBay purchase with a healthy amount of caution. Especially when my family's safety is concerned. I have found by and large that most products do exactly as they say.

[@garrypayne9892]

You'll learn to love the heater, same unit in an old 60's 25ft van, heats easily. Couple of sujestions. I rub a 20lt jerry can for fuel, long tube through filler to bottom of jerry (plastic type), outboard type hose connection near jerry so I can quickly disconnect & take to servo of fill on ground. (as well as spare diesel for tow vehicle) fitted to jerry can holder on A frame. Also in sub zero temps, I've had diesel solidify in the filter. adding 1lt of kero to 20lts of diesel will winterise the fuel to prevent. On a side note, you NEED to loose the vans power box before it fries your battery.(not if, when). Easy mod, leave in place, has all fuses etc & leaves a big hole. Pull unit apart, you can disconnect the charger inside, while there get rid of the diode that "isolates" the van from the car - bypass with a 50amp midi fuse or something similar, then fit a decent battery charger or battery manager system depending on how far/much you want to go. Great content, looking forward to next vid! Cheers.

[@HarpersShed]

That's a very good idea to use a quick disconnect for the Jerry can to make it easier to take and fill. I do have plans to re wire the entire 12v for the van very soon. I have never been happy with the Jayco box.

[@deancleavesmith]

Great video, nice install. Timing was perfect as I have just bought one for my sailboat and yet to install - gets pretty cold on the Gippsland lakes in winter. Interested in yours and others thoughts, I am thinking of mounting it under the saloon, exhaust is the bit I am not sure about. The compost toilet is on the other side of the wall, it has a 30mm fan driven vented outlet through the hull above the waterline so I could connect the exhaust to this. Do you reckon it would work ?

[@HarpersShed]

It could work however the exhaust gets extremely hot when running. I would also be very mindful of any vents that could lead back into the cabin from the toilet room. Your best bet would be to mount it somewhere so that the exhaust can have its own vent straight out of the vessel.

[@phillipstitt5311]

Remove that foam you have in the air intake and it should stop the smoke

[@HarpersShed]

I did figure this out eventually, I just put the course plastic filter on that it came with and much better now👍

[@phillipstitt5311]

Wasn't picking fault with what you were doing i added the comment when I saw what was happening with your heater glad you twigged on

[@HarpersShed]

@@phillipstitt5311 no worries mate you were spot on though, you pick it up quicker than I did 👍

[@davesfpv]

I have one of these heaters, did you run the priming sequence first to get the fuel lines full to the heater before turning it on? Mine runs with zero smoke at all running on regular diesel! Also I believe its advisable to run the air intake on the out side of the van with the factory bug filter (granted maybe for much colder places) as it can create a negative pressure inside thus causing cold air to be drawn in through any gaps.

[@HarpersShed]

I made several errors when I tried to get it running for the first time. I didn't have the pump on the right angle, I didn't actually see any priming sequence in the instructions. I did end up putting the factory bug screen on and that cleared up the spot straight away.

[@teeanahera8949]

According to the title on the thumbnail you’re adding a diesel heater to a “carvan”. 😅

[@HarpersShed]

Lol good spot, I didn't even realise I did that.

[@darrylwindle5331]

pull the piece of foam out of the burner inlet and it wont smoke, ya womble.....

[@HarpersShed]

Lol yeah it took me a while but I did figure that out. Live and learn I guess 👍

[@jimifix]

Hi Harper , been thinking about one of these for my boat … think it would be ok ?

[@HarpersShed]

Hi mate, it would depend on many factors but as a general comment I would say they are a fantastic idea for a boat. I intend to install one in my 34ft cruiser for a bit of extra comfort in winter. Things to consider would be the exhaust routing and the external heat of the exhaust components. I would be very selective where it was installed but if you take care I think it would work fine.

[@jimifix]

Oh yep good points , thinking in my head it maybe wise to double skin the exhaust… kinda like a chimney .

[@HarpersShed]

@@jimifix a double skin would probably be a good idea. Depends on the vessel I guess too, if it's a steel hull trawler then probably not an issue but if it's timber like my boat then much more care needs to be take.

[@francisagosh2175]

Can you set for a Certain temperature?

[@HarpersShed]

Yep you sure can, it has a climate control function. Not sure how well it works but I will try it next trip.

[@toomasnelson4561]

would you prefer a carbon monoxide detector?

[@HarpersShed]

I have one installed now.

[@crosgor]

The heater should be in the living quarters so that is fed with warm air being made warmer, rather than drawing cold air in from outside. The pump should be outside the van and isolated to keep noise down.

[@HarpersShed]

I don't disagree mate, hindsight I would have mounted the heater in the van to suck warm air. The pump noise honestly doesn't bother me as I can't really hear it over the fan blowing. But yeah I do agree with the difference placement of the main box

[@MrJeffro1960]

Probably get yourself a spare glow plug to.

[@HarpersShed]

I will see if I can order one thanks for the tip 👍

[@djmini2numpty141]

fuel pump needs to be 35 degrees ...

[@HarpersShed]

Yep has been rotated now👍

[@AquaMarine1000]

You need a carbon monoxide detector inside the van.

[@HarpersShed]

Yeah that is what I actually purchased. I misspoke on the video.

[@AquaMarine1000]

@HarpersShed Well done. CO is a silent killer humans can not detect even when awake. CO detectors are cheap, I suggest you fit one at each end of the van to protect the whole family.

[@johanmeischke9189]

Oh the irony. Statistically Aussie is one of the hottest countries on earth. Lol

[@HarpersShed]

Lol this is true mate. Also means we are not used to the cold so when you are in bed and it's 0degc outside it's still bloody cold. Plus I'm a bit of a sook and hate anything under 20degc 😂

[@johanmeischke9189]

@@HarpersShed fair enough I'm a kiwi so I couldn't resist having you on a bit lol. Same that's why I live in NZs subtropical far nth, the rest of this country is to damn cold

[@HarpersShed]

@@johanmeischke9189 yeah mate I hear you, I would move to Qld and be in 30+ but the Mrs isn't too keen on that idea lol

[@dustinfrost5214]

That is very sooty maybe burn it at its hotest level for awhile mine burns super clean

[@HarpersShed]

I found out that the filter foam I had in the intake was causing it to burn rich. I pulled the foam out and now it is much better and no soot at all.