CHEAP Diesel Heater: What they DON'T Tell YOU!

[@DanielLevecque]

I have this unit. I have it installed in my cargo trailer. The heater is inside my trailer and the exhaust is vented out the wall thru a stainless marine bulkhead vent. I power it with a 2000 watt ac inverter connected to 2 100 ah batteries with 2 100 watt solar panels charging them. So far it has worked flawlessly the remote and the app work perfectly. I have a CO monitor in my trailer zero readings. I give it 5 stars right now reliability TBD. Thanks for the video.

[@AdventureGearTV]

Glad it’s working good. I look forward to getting more experience with it, and testing other ones over the winter.

[@evictioncarpentry2628]

I bought a cheap one years ago and its awesome. Literally everything you said of concern is fixed with simple common sense. If youre gonna run it on low all the time, you need to run it at full blast at least once every day or else you will get carbon build up inside and need to disassemble it to clean it out.

[@AdventureGearTV]

That’s a great tip. I usually run it at max for a few minutes before shutting it down. These are very fuel efficient.

[@wyattsdad8561]

Or buy the extended warranty and just send it back??

[@evictioncarpentry2628]

@@wyattsdad8561 That's retarded. It's not a warranty issue.

[@Nomaswearefull]

​@@wyattsdad8561and be w/o for a month. For a hundred bucks they're disposable. But I've had 2 Wippros for 3 years, never a problem.

[@MavHntr]

here is what you missed.... I used this HCalory diesel heater this past hunting season. Daily/Nightime temps were 45/28 Deg-F for 10 days. IF you use a duct hose LONGER than 3' to distribute heated air, You MUST convert from the standard 3" duct hose to a LARGER 4" diameter duct hose. Or this heater will continually give you the error code of OVERHEATING and automatically shut-off! Using adapters 3">4" and a 4" duct hose of 8'-10' length, the error code overheating messages & auto shut off stopped. The 4" duct conversion also allowed me to go maximum heat levels, any one of the 3 max heat level bars, to quickly heat up my Kodiak canvas 10x10 tent. After 10 minutes, I'd turn down the heat level to one of the 4 orange bars or even green Bar #3.

[@AdventureGearTV]

I’ve heard this about the 4” pipe a few times now over the last few weeks since posting the video. Thanks for sharing your real world experience with it.

[@chrisharrell2449]

My biggest gripe with these heaters are. the other pipe clamps, they are. built to fail. We in Britain generally know them as Jubilee clamps. but that actual make I'm not. perforated. They just notched and they are 10 times better than the ones provided by the heater makers. I'm so glad you mentioned about the input connctions., For it's even more dangerous here in the UK. with our 230 Volt. parallel lines. and that connexion is you. used for kettles. Thank God H Calory And kroak. The Parent Company. are learning from their mistakes. The new 2025 model. is the slimmer suitcase style. The exhaust pipe comes out of the narrow end. Much higher ups. It has a 6 litre fuel container inside the box, unlike its previous model, which had to be bolted on the outside. and caused it to topple over. the new version also has a CO. Sensor. that will switch off the heater if it senses carbon monoxide. which is a game changer as far as I'm concerned, I've done reviewers have already said it will run up to 60 hours on the lowest setting. that is economical. I've only had my 4 days. I am heating my Home. with it. And other diesel heaters. already. it's proved to be using less fuel than previous models. I have a Few. small gripes. They say they run quieter. but I think that's actually louder. The pump is fitted completely horizontal, but that is wrong should. be a minimum of 60 degrees to stop air bubbles forming in the pump and. premature at wearing out. again a new bee would run it not notice in anything wrong for two or three months. and then have to buy a new pump just because of a silly mistake. It was an easy fix. Just drill. just redrilled a hole couple of inches away from where it already is, and gave me enough room to tilt the pump All very well for me. But there are a lot of non practical people about What do they do!. And they've changed the ducting outlet from 75MM. to 90MM. That pipe is almost impossible to get in UK. and if obtainable extremely expensive. as it would probably be made of silicon. Maybe I'll have to jump up to the full 4 inch. and Just pad it out. But that's not ideal.

[@TheWoodHaven]

There is nothing wrong with using the cable shown at 4:25 It puts out 12V just like the AC to DC plug that you used. To the heater, they are exactly the same. Edit: I have the Hcalory heater at my cabin and I use that cable to connect to my battery bank. It works great.

[@XCX237]

All diesel heaters are great if you are a little bit handy. They are all the same. All in ones are problematic dur to the cabinet. Its s dumb idea. I am a Nomad so they are the only available decent source of heat. If it over fuels turn down the pulse rate .

[@michaelgibbons-us8hw]

i do want to thank you very much adventure gear tv guy for paying the road tacks. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK for supporting the road tacks for the local government..... I will use home heating oil while you pay the ROAD TACKS for the diesel heater....

[@YorkshireSteve907]

Hi did you remove the little white disc in the filler cap so it can vent. Can be replaced for transportation

[@Akira-gi6vz]

Do you have a link to the ac 12v adapter?

[@joesoutdoorplaces]

I love your reviews. I wish I had watched more on power stations before I purchased mine. I bought the Bluetti AC180P. I was lured by the high watt hour capacity, but did not consider the addition of outboard batteries or use of solar panels.

[@AdventureGearTV]

Luckily, there are the newer alternator chargers that can fill your battery while you drive. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

[@Desertphile]

If the LCD freezes, the entire system fails to work. I presume there is a way to move the LCD unit into heated space.

[@jamescampolo7824]

When using AC from a power station, you have two conversions, one inverting the 12vdc at the power station to 120vac and the AC adapter converting 120vac to 12vdc with each conversion causing a loss of efficiency whereas, running 12vdc to 12vdc you don't have these losses. Also the watt meter on the power station may only be measuring the AC watts being output so it may not reflect the internal loss inverting it's 12vdc to 120AC.

[@Iceman-99]

Check out LF Bros diesel heaters. They have several models. They are super quiet and you don't hear that clicking noise from the fuel pump. Mind you, they are a little more money. Best of all,they come with leak proof gas caps. I have the slim model N4 and very pleased. One thing I wished they had is Bluetooth, other than that, great heaters.

[@wyattsdad8561]

I want one of these so bad. It’s just never in my budget.. there’s a new one in a white enclosure and that one looks pretty good too.

[@tndeerhunter4812]

Nice! Wonder what temp the exhaust is and how long 1 gallon of diesel would last? Thanks for sharing the carbon monoxide risks too

[@changechange2078]

Great valuable information. Very detailed and professionally done.

[@savanna6340]

Great comments here about diesel heaters. From watching other KZbinrs…it seems many of them who live up north (such as Canada) run them all night so they don’t freeze. Anyone here ever used them overnight…what are some of your experiences using them for hours and hours.

[@Jan-pw4po]

Great review, I wrapped my complete exhaust in header wrap

[@david78212]

Those cheap diesel heaters can be mounted at a 90 degree angle (it only works one way) and that has always bothered me that the exhaust is so close to the bottom, if it came out the side it would be that much higher from whatever surface you have it on. I would put (at a minimum) something around the exhaust pipe like exhaust wrap just for a safety measure. The exhaust pipe doesn’t get real hot except on the highest setting, but that 90 degree angle will get hot just because of the air hitting it directly. If you use one of these or one that you mount, it’s a flame and you really need to take that into consideration wherever you put it.

[@jeepingacrossarizonahistory]

I use a metal, folding step stool. Problem solved.

[@david78212]

@ problem solved? Now you have something that’s not really that stable up high off the floor. I know, I know, diesel won’t explode. It would still be a little more convenient if the ports were coming out the side. But in order to make things cheaper, it makes it easier for them to come out the bottom. That’s why the more expensive ones have the ports redirected to the side, they still mount the heater with the ports on the bottom, but they redirect them out the side. I may make my own just so I can make the ports come out the side.

[@bradforward850]

I bet they loved how you kept calling it a "cheap heater." 😂

[@savanna6340]

I purchased the Hcalary 12v 5KW portable diesel heater. Haven’t used it yet but the design of it appears to be better than this particular model.

[@savanna6340]

Also I like the portability of these heaters because I don’t live in my camper van and don’t want it permanently installed.

[@AdventureGearTV]

They all seem to function well. Some of the comments have excellent tips for keeping them running longer. Just be careful with the exhaust.

[@CarnivoreDMD]

I just started mine for the first time & it heated up fine BUT it is SO EXTREMELY LOUD there’s no way I could even watch YT & hear anything. Going to return it tomorrow if there’s no simple fix. Deal breaker. 😮

[@ericbedard7219]

If the heater is outdoor ... Does it absolutely need the muffler and exhaust pipe ?

[@neurodivergentlily]

Woah, look at that fall foilage starting to peek through!

[@AdventureGearTV]

Also, perfect camping weather.

[@SolarPunk80]

From the luxury of my ignorance, I wonder and ask, assuming someone who is not me, and actually knew what they were doing, how difficult or even worth the hassle, would it be to make use of the hazardous exhaust pipe’s excessive heat by somehow having it pass through a diy water tank, acting almost as an “immersion heater?” Hot as any reviewers seem to warn these exhaust pipes are, I had perhaps a bit too much time on my hands, and imagined a scenario in which 2 birds were killed with one stone and suddenly a fire hazard could become a makeshift boiler! Of course I don’t know if or how possible this would be, maybe it’s hot enough to be a hazard but not hot enough to heat more than a certain amount of water to a certain temperature, but in my daydream about this today I was imagining a pretty crude yet possibly effective set up…. Thanks as always for your awesome channel 🙏❤️😎

[@cynthiaaustin1763]

Wish someone smarter than me would answer you. I would like to hear some ideas. Brilliant question.

[@Travelonext]

Absolutely great video ❤

[@patrickakers5722]

How much diesel do they use on low setting over 8 hrs?

[@bcm20003]

It depends on fan speed and temp outside... A tank can last for day's. I have this same unit and this guy's review is awful and totally missed the mark. Hcalry has a few unit but none have automatic temp control as this unit, which a major plus to have. The controller also has an option to run continuous.... Again if set to auto, unit will shut off when it heats to whatever temp set and will power off and back on when temp falls to whatever you set to, ect 2,4,6 below set temp. Best in the market in my opinion. Hope this helps you guy's that are looking for an automatic off/no controlled unit.

[@charlesd3376]

Test have shown that exhaust gases have levels of 30 ppm and less for carbon monoxide. Not MASSIVE amounts. 400 ppm is the threshold for 15 minute exposure to put it in perspective. Nonetheless caution should be used.

[@AdventureGearTV]

Interesting. I’m curious if the concentration increases in enclosed environments. Either way, can’t be healthy under long term exposures.

[@BruceLyeg]

@@AdventureGearTV I ran mine in my 24X26' garage for about an hour unvented and it didn't even set off the C02 alarm that was three feet away. I thought maybe the alarm wasn't working but I fired up the car and with the door closed and the alarm went off pretty quick. Like you said though, it can't be healthy long term and it's always better to err on the side of caution when it comes to your health.

[@professionalinspectionserv9468]

Do these heaters cycle or it just runs and adjust only the output. Thanks.

[@AdventureGearTV]

You can set it to a level, or set it to an operating temperature. I haven’t tried it much with the thermostat, but there are some videos out there.

[@professionalinspectionserv9468]

@@AdventureGearTV thanks. Seems like they need to run all the time to keep up. For me if it is freezing outside and 50 inside I am very happy! You don't need 80 degrees.

[@AdventureGearTV]

@ I ran it in my minivan on Friday night and kept it at a constant level all night. No issues, and used just a little diesel.

[@neurodivergentlily]

Man that automated voice at the end spooked me😅

[@AdventureGearTV]

It’s a little creepy, but seems like all of these things have the same voice.

[@NoZenith]

Found it! It's been a busy month sir 😂

[@AdventureGearTV]

It’s been a busy one for me too! I’m glad you found it. I did a review of the Vevor as well, and they are almost the same. I made a wooden platform to sit the heater on the arm rests in between the driver and passenger seats. It’s pretty solid.

[@XCX237]

Good video

[@NeverTakeNoCut-offs]

What they do tell you is that they are CHEAP. In every way. They are fine for intermittent use, but the fans fail, the boards fail, the pump fails. They are, well, cheap.,

[@anthonyjmeli]

One full tank and it still smells like burning plastic.

[@Gta2O13]

It’s a diesel hair dryer