Chinese Diesel Air Heater DIY install to our Off Grid Caravan!

In this episode I start the couple of jobs needed to be done on the caravan, the first being fitting a Chinese diesel heater to it to give us a bit of warmth through the cold nights of being on the road.
Although the price has changed, they do regularly, here is the eBay link to the heater:
www.ebay.com.a...
Thanks for watching if you enjoy our content consider checking out some of our merchandise here:
www.jsadventur...
To buy us a cuppa or a coldy or just donate because your a legend!
www.paypal.me/...
Or become a KZbin member!
/ @js_adventure
Contact us here: [e-mail]

[@TheSmithstravels]

Thanks for the explanation of how to set the temp …. your a champion 👍

[@itinerant8572]

Very helpful! Especially when you struggled a little here and there which I most certainly have. I've never installed a diesel heater so I set it up on the bench to test it first and making sure that it works. So now I have some useful foresight and can proceed with a certain level of certainty. Very big thank you for all the detail and the help. You're also in Western Australia where I live - fantastic.

[@karenbilney156]

Thank you for a great video! We have almost completed our installation but watching this was very helpful!

[@glennsmith5612]

Legend mate. I'm looking at one myself and found your video super helpful

[@Bucky_au]

Thank you so much for this vid! Got ours the other day and it seemed very daunting. Now I got no problems installing it!

[@tradmanmike3360]

The fuel pump needs to be 30-45 degree grade. Also suspending the pump, not against the frame will quiet it down alot. Also you can prop up the heater, run the fresh air intake inside for a way more efficient burn, getting warm air as apposed to outside cold air. Hope this helps! Always thumbs up, from usa 641..

[@highflyingaviator87]

🤔 I would of thought having cold air coming in the fresh air intake would provide for a more efficient burn as cold air is more dense than warm air. If what you are saying was more efficient then why would they have not designed it that way from the get go 🤷‍♂️

[@jeffforre5475]

Using inside air for combustion could cause issues in a tightly sealed space.

[@adrianchetwynd1334]

@@jeffforre5475 also, you would be extracting the air that has just been heated. Efficiency....Not.

[@buildmotosykletist1987]

@@highflyingaviator87 : Your car has fresh and recirculating cycles, so an easy test that you can do. Try it and learn how fast recirculating works. Cheers mate.

[@buildmotosykletist1987]

@@jeffforre5475 : LOL, A Pop-Top caravan is far from a "tightly sealed space", it's the opposite. you can test that theory with a room heater fan.

[@zimtuff]

Thanks a heap. Im installing one for a Perth winter and this vid takes all the anxiety out.

[@JS_Adventure]

Cheers mate! 🍻 it’s a pretty easy job just a bit fiddly, take your time and you’ll nail it easy as!

[@jimlux00]

Great video mate, will be fitting mine this week. The downpipe pop is a great idea 👍

[@jareds8206]

Thanks mate. Got me over the line.

[@jackcat550]

I usually put some sealant around that pop before putting it on the hole then seal aroit underneath.

[@stuartoliver5734]

Hey mate, just a quick shoutout for the vid. Thanks heaps. This vid helped me install mine yesterday perfectly. The drop in, the wire for the tank great ideas saving me bucket loads of time. Cheers mate 👌

[@JS_Adventure]

Great to hear mate! 🍻🍻 Safe travels!

[@stuartoliver5734]

So turns out my unit is the exact same as yours. Did you get the remote to work?

[@dB-uv7wp]

Glad you showed the mistake. I thought it was just me who has them. Cheers great video

[@JS_Adventure]

Cheers mate! Seems like a pretty easy mistake to make! 😂🍻

[@MrDberrill]

Thanks mate, good instructions, big help as I have the job coming up in about a week. Safe travels, Cheers.

[@adamdellaquila1747]

Thanks for your video mate. Followed step by step. Even done your trick of not putting the pump wire through the plate haha. Only thing I stuffed was which was I put the heater. So I’ve got to disconnect everything and turn it 180 degrees haha. We learn lol. Cheers mate

[@JS_Adventure]

Cheers mate! 😂

[@jamie-hb8gy]

Use a turret plate,block that vent under your bed as it will suck in exhaust from under the van and add a vent to the side of the bed as the area under the mattress will act as a vacuum chamber If you decide to block the floor vents up.

[@OverlandOne]

Very nice install. I am considering one of these for my van for our upcoming winter here in the U S. This video was very helpful.

[@JS_Adventure]

Great to hear mate!

[@waynelegendresr.6466]

Thank you, mate. You’re a lifesaver.

[@frederick6008]

As you probably found out by now, your controller is directly above the heater outlet yielding a false living space temperature as the controller senses ambient temperature.

[@buildmotosykletist1987]

LOL. Great minds, etc. I'm a builder and spotted that as soon as he suggested it. I've always located the thermostat at the height and location where you want the room temperature at. Low on the floor it'll be cool, high up too warm, so about chest height and not near any drafts. That also makes it easy to read and adjust.

[@baz9438]

Excellent little video, I learnt a lot and appreciate you sharing some of the pitfalls, I may encounter.

[@petestrat07]

awesome video, mate. Very helpful. Thanks for sharing!

[@howardwilliams7399]

Great vid mate and a job well done. Watching this from our van on the Murray River at Torrumbarry Victoria, a cool 41 degrees today. (17/02/23)

[@JS_Adventure]

Cheers mate! No need for a heater in that temperature! Hopefully your having a great time and we’re bloody jealous! 😂🍻

[@ab7406]

OMG, have a old floor vent and diesel exhaust not far away, were' s the heat proof silicone , suggest a CO alarm, Flexi split conduit to protect fuel line and a short piece of heat sheild at start of exhaust side

[@buildmotosykletist1987]

The fuel pump should be mounted at 45 degrees. At least that's what the ones I've seen. So if you have pump problems, try that. Cheers.

[@blackIce504]

just a tip due to the temp sensor inside the control screen its best to have that where you want it to monitor the temp as having close to the heat source will defeat that purpose of setting a temp. P.S i got the same controller there is a code to allow you to get in and change allot of the settings for tuning.

[@Iggy1328]

Did any one else cry listening to that whole saw on speed two 😂

[@JS_Adventure]

😂

[@TomsShedProjects]

Send it!

[@buildmotosykletist1987]

@@JS_Adventure : I'm a builder and I've always located the thermostat at the height and location where you want the room temperature at. Low on the floor it'll be cool, high up too warm, so about chest height and not near any drafts. That also makes it easy to read and adjust. Yours is far too close the the heating vents. Cheers mate. You might like to add a note to the video.

[@buildmotosykletist1987]

@@JS_Adventure : If you read all the comments, you'll have enough material to do a tuning and adjusting my diesel heater video. Just a suggestion and will help others.

[@craigmartin680]

Thankyou for sharing

[@grahamjones504]

Great job Jack. 👍👍

[@JS_Adventure]

Cheers mate! 🍻

[@fluffykitten8181]

Job well done cheers to next time👍👍🍻🍻

[@JS_Adventure]

Cheers! 🍻🍻🍻

[@frederick6008]

I just installed a Hcalory 5-8kw i got off walmart for $90 US. I bought 2 for that price i have spare parts.

[@user-hl2ii2ts6s]

WARNING....because its under were you will be sleeping .pick up a carbon monoxide alarm...great video. Looks great...

[@ausguy4385]

One inside with it and one in sleeping area lower then lowest sleeper. Insides a early warning ⚠️ can also get a kitchen heat smoke alarm over it... if it starts to go it will trip

[@craiggrocott7559]

Awesome video.

[@trinescape]

Cheer for the vid just bought one of these i am fitting it to my yacht

[@TheBritishbeeman]

Grate video cheers 👌🏽 u got my sub 👍🏽💪🏽

[@johnsemrau6412]

Heat rises put a 4 inch tube to roof height n leave a 3 inch gap then turn that into your intake 😊😉👍

[@moobaz8675]

Nice job.

[@JS_Adventure]

Thanks mate! 🍻

[@rossr100]

Good install buddy. I'm not sure what the muffler's for tho but what the hell lol. Can't go wrong for the price, cheers from across the ditch.

[@WogChilli]

Stick a bit of aquarium filter in there for the intake filter

[@JS_Adventure]

Great idea!

[@chrisoo8998]

I still gotta put mine in my truck just gotta work out where to put it before drilling a big hole

[@76aids]

Gday m8, when you are on your big trip next month would love to see how you find drinking water to top the van ,camp sites and find work , i know wikicamp is the go too but would be nice to see in your travels if possible please. been trying to find this on youtube from other travellers 🤙 As i will be doing the big lap in the next year and trying to find work on the way too. Your videos have inspired me to take the big leap and travel 👍

[@JS_Adventure]

Cheers mate! That’s great to hear, it’s a big change/risk travelling and working on the road and we’re also fairly new to it 😂 We’ve found a couple of Facebook pages very helpful “working on the road in Australia” is a great one and also local area Facebook pages are great! We’ll try and get them into the videos as your right not many others show it! 🍻🍻

[@MattyH73]

Subscribed ! Great video, was hoping for a more in depth section on hooking up the power which is my biggest fear.

[@kimscott1578]

Be careful if you point the outlets towards the floor, with them being so close to it the heat can be high enough to melt or burn the vinyl.

[@jackcat550]

The base of them doesn’t get hot at all I’ve checked mine when bench testing.

[@marionsutcliffe1119]

18:46 aha! Information not mentioned in any other video I've watched. Thank you!

[@36Hooters]

U won't be disappointed with the PowerPaul battery.

[@JS_Adventure]

Great bit of gear! Would love to get another!

[@36Hooters]

I am running 2 looking for another one. Just can't have enough.🤣🤣

[@brockstravels7586]

Where your existing cables pass through the chassis, put a piece of garden hose (slit legthwise ) and put it over the edge of the steel to prevent chaffing of the cables. Its not fun if tey short out..

[@smurfzilla5756]

Mate, I have seen a few people do a fitting of their diesel heaters, and I have to say yours was better cheers.

[@JS_Adventure]

Great to hear mate! Cheers! 🍻

[@ericgilhart5951]

I run mine at 15.5 volts and never had a bit of trouble with it

[@valleygxl]

Any thoughts on sealing the floor wood after drilling the 100mm hole. The ply is like a sponge and will soak up moisture. Great video well done

[@CustomcrowdMitroc]

Sika flex any gaps to the out side on the 100mm hole and also paint the exposed edges of the wood to seal it

[@argonengineering9378]

Hey, do you reckon you could turn that down pipe pop upside down and trim it so its flush and it would still be fire safe? Great help thanks for the video

[@keithwhittaker8741]

Thanks Heaps, it is great to have some tuition from an Australian rather than a Pom or a Texan. my wife is a light sleeper would find the permeating up through the pillow when you have your head resting on it. The link for purchasing can’t be found do you reckon you could resend it to me. Thanks

[@davidmilledge221]

Ya exhaust out let no good under van like that the fumes will woft around under the van and the air intake pick up will suck it in u need to make exhaust go to side off van and far away from the air intake mabe make the air intake longer too on the opposite side off van , that's what I'll be doing on mine buddy

[@dirkbertels3872]

Great video. The ticking noise is normal, though if you suspend the fuel pump in rubber it will be damped quite a bit. Probably by now you would have seen the 20 or so videos by johnmck1147 - which is considered by far as the final word on Chinese diesel heaters :)

[@petermcgreevy6386]

Ball bearing in pump could be making noise, pump should be on 45 degree angle so ball bearing will seal after use.

[@GarrySharp-rc6lb]

I would like to know if you had heater at front of van would it be able to have tank on the back of van would it be to far for pump to run

[@JS_Adventure]

I don’t believe so, the pump seems to have a fair bit of power and comes with a good 6m+ of hose to accommodate

[@ronrogers9610]

Great video jack i don't suppose you would be interested in putting my one in that been sitting in the house for 18 months for me to do what was the thing from bunings all the best Ron

[@JS_Adventure]

😂😂 Ones times enough! It’s just a “downpipe pop” that hopefully protects the wood

[@ronrogers9610]

@@JS_Adventure thanks Jack I'll get my one in one day see you later Ron

[@gilesy7169]

Great vid but the two outlet ducts are overkill imo. I’ve installed 5 and one outlet is enough 👍

[@peterodder9481]

Great video, you also said the wiring harness needed an upgrade what did you replace it with?

[@JS_Adventure]

The main positive/negative wires are very thin and cause problems by not allowing full power to the unit over long runs. They were just cut back and a heavier cable was run for both

[@Krooker85]

What does the little key fob remote control do?

[@JS_Adventure]

The little fob can turn it on/off and temp +/-

[@RobbieLValentine]

This is such a helpful video to watch before getting started installing your own. The tips regarding mounting plate, and installing pipes first were awesome. Also, when you made the mistake of the wiring too, that would be exactly what I would have done too - so bloody helpful! Thanks mate! How's it been since the install, did you need to make any alterations?

[@patryanlrd666]

Good stuff mate. Did you put and conduit around those wire you moved. Looks like they my rub. I’ve seen people use push open/close sink plugs for holes in the floor, stops the dust etc 😉

[@patryanlrd666]

Fuel pump might be safer from rocks on the inside of the drawbar 🤷‍♂️

[@GarrySharp-rc6lb]

What size hole saw drill did you use for the 2 vents Thanks

[@heathharry8424]

that's a good question, i found a 75mm hole saw worked about right....

[@dd9332]

Curious if having that fresh air vent be so close to the exhaust of the system is going to cause any problems? I have no idea if the level of fumes they produce..

[@raymondj8768]

If you read the book it tells you how to work the controller !!

[@JS_Adventure]

😂 Good one!

[@davidmilledge221]

Can u still hear the fuel pump ticking inside the van with it mounted underneath , hmm that's annoying ay , I hear on older sites there's a quieter pump u can get ? Or rubber mount it with insulation around it gee there must be a way

[@heathharry8424]

thanks JS Adventure, this video i found helpful. I recently installed the exact same 5KW diesel heater ( from same ebay seller ) into caravan, also used the same 100mm down pipe metal adapter from bunnings as a little extra protection, and all went well, i've performed some testing and all good so far. My only concern is the metal base plate does get very hot, and mounted onto vinyl flooring covering, i'm a bit concerned about a potential vinyl combustion situation, what are peoples thoughts on this concern ?? Do you think to be safe, i should cut out the section of vinyl flooring covering ? so that the base plate is mounted onto the timber flooring directly ? And yes it is installed correctly, with the base plate rubber gasket installed.

[@JS_Adventure]

Cheers mate, I wouldn’t be too concerned about the vinyl we have just completed an over nighter where we had the diesel heater on max for around 4 hours and then left running for around 16 hours after that, with no changes to the vinyl floor. If anything the vinyl would probably melt? I’m not sure but ours has been fine

[@heathharry8424]

@@JS_Adventure thanks good to know, yeah i've since done several hours long runs at full power, and thus max temp, and still good so far without issue, feeling more confident now...

[@JS_Adventure]

Good to hear mate! 🍻

[@omarabukar8629]

The thing is, how long this diesel heater from China 🇨🇳 lasts; than wepasto from Germany ???

[@chuckypilotaus3962]

Keen to know how you hooked up power to the Projecta.

[@thewaz6856]

Good job on install mate Question:- how noisy are they?? Can you sleep while it runs?? Regards Warren

[@merv190]

Isn’t it easier and cleaner to pull on a duck down doona ?? 😀

[@martinr4637]

How much 3 inch ducting is allowable with how many degree bends? To not have too much back pressure on the fan?

[@brentonfrost9569]

My brother and I are installing a diesel air heater in our vans. My brother has finished his first but it’s blowing smoke would it be due to a 3m long exhaust pipe? Also when he started it up he noticed the base plate under the heated unit was getting very hot. That means the floor was getting very. Thanks let me know how yours was. Cheers Brenton

[@garrynorth6199]

Great video, this is exactly my setup in my caravan and this is exactly where my heater will go, so thank you big time, unfortunately I tried the link to the Chinese heater but it said sorry page missing. What was the brand name of yours please, and was it just one of the $150 dollar ones like I bought.

[@user-ns2sy5yy5g]

Hi. Great KZbin video. Was the hole saw 100mm or 102mm to fit the bunnings 100mm zinc round down pipe top? Thanks Trev

[@markunderwood9823]

Bunnings craftright 16 hole saw kit $20 has 102mm & 76mm hole saws. Plumbing drainpipe fitting is $3.40. Paint inside of cut hole with a sealer binder or similar. Silicon seal drainpipe fitting above on insertion & later underneath ... it will fill any small gaps from the extra 2mm in size.

[@tylershields1076]

35°c is cool to you? I had to go to France for work assignment and that was way too hot for my comfort. Bought an AC and kept the rental down to 18°C

[@marionsutcliffe1119]

You must be joking

[@Babylonboy55]

How much kw did you use?

[@nuellynuelly]

Thank you! Oh and btw it looks awesome! I wonder how long does that full tank last?

[@torlandmusiq]

Whats the name of that metal downpipe piece? Cant find one.

[@skippymaster57]

Great video, I have an eBay one exactly like yours. I'm heading on the road to WA in a few weeks time and it's been bloody cold here in SA and probably will be in WA as well. I don't want to use the aircon on heat and have to use the Genset (too expensive for a little heat off grid). The tip using the downpipe flange is a great one. Did you seal around the flange at all? One thing I noticed with the ducting is the 'T' piece was installed with the junction of the T at the side rather than the end of the first pipe. Do you notice any less air coming out of the left vent than the right? It sort of makes sense that the air should go through the straight part towards the split end in order to distribute the air evenly to both vents, just my observation. I would love to know what your experience has been, before I start my install. I also am going to place a 20lt plastic jerry can at the drawbar platform which also has 2 gas bottles on it and this will allow me to fill up when I top up the diesel in the Patrol which is another 20lt to the total of 225lt in the car. Bloody expensive! The 20lt diesel tank should last a lot longer time than the car will though. 😂

[@JS_Adventure]

Cheers mate! I did seal around the downpipe, unfortunately I can’t remember the exact product but it was a sika branded heat proof sealant. As for the ‘T’ section there’s is a small ‘V’ like thing inside that pushes some of the air out of the first vent and I haven’t really noticed any less air but also haven’t really felt/looked. Up the fronts the best place for the tank in my opinion as it’s easy to just fill the car and not have to move the whole setup to fill the diesel heater tank!

[@peterdoyle3205]

I thought the van belonged to your parents? Have you purchased it?

[@JS_Adventure]

Yep! Worked out a deal and paying it off!

[@raymondj8768]

The inlet screen is just so bugs dont crawl up the hose !

[@RosieCarter-lf4wc]

What's a 'Chinese looking box?'

[@kevanharding9716]

Have you got the ebay suppliers name ?

[@JS_Adventure]

“Happybuyers2019” is the sellers name

[@kevanharding9716]

Thankyou sir !

[@marionsutcliffe1119]

Priming?

[@papa7745]

I know you said the wiring in the harness was to thin do you remember the thickness you used to replace the thin wires with?

[@marionsutcliffe1119]

According to the Blue Sea 12v DC wire gauge chart, a circuit length of 10/15/20 ft needs 14/12/10 gauge to limit voltage losses to 3%.

[@tomskimcdouglegaming806]

@@marionsutcliffe1119 Depends on the current.

[@marionsutcliffe1119]

@@tomskimcdouglegaming806 Of course. That's for 10a, which is roughly the max draw.

[@kameronmaclean678]

Fuel tank can be inside van so diesel heated does not use as much fuel to heat up.

[@liqian7880]

Chinese diesel heater, what is not Chinese?

[@johnsemrau6412]

Redo your Intake 😊

[@davidmilledge221]

Yea I need one great video I've saved it 4 later mate when I do mine cheers , Hay u need a bloody hair cut buddy 😉

[@nightwolf1963]

How about learning to speak Chinese 😅

[@malcolmquick3708]

I won't buy anything made in China. I would look for Australian then American or European but never Chinese

[@ernuren3205]

good on ya ... i agree but an extra $2000 so i gave up on idea.

[@JS_Adventure]

Yep, I tend to go for Aus made stuff first if the price is within reason. But when it comes to 4-5 times the price for basically the same machine I just can’t bring myself to it. That extra money potentially gets us an extra couple of weeks on the road

[@colinwatson7598]

Great vid buddy, how do you find the box on the front ? I to have an Avan that seems to have an extremely short draw bar.

[@JS_Adventure]

Cheers mate! We put the box on ourselves and makes it very tight putting the jockey wheel on and off, but still doable. My opinion the extra space and being lockable it’s a must have thing to store things that are used every time we setup and pack down. A little bit smaller one would of been ideal for the shorter drawbar but this one came up really cheap on Facebook marketplace

[@brettnelson3565]

I would want at least a 5 or 10 gallon fuel tank. That little thing is only enough for about 1 day in the cold. I guess if you don't mind filling it up every day that one will work, but better carry a lot of refill fuel.