Getting Started with Your Diesel Heater + Four Easy Mods! *Not Sponsored*

This video is a basic diesel heater beginner tutorial video. If you just bought your first Chinese diesel heater you are in the right place! I walk through the first time setup process plus four simple modifications to make your diesel heater faster to setup and take down. All parts I used in this video are listed below. I purchased this diesel heater, it was not sponsored for the video.
FULL PARTS LIST
Silvel Diesel Heater: amzn.to/3vNYWYA
90 Degree Exhaust Elbow: amzn.to/4biBWB8
Inline Fuel Filter: amzn.to/48SO8XI
Bosch Spade Bit Kit: amzn.to/49fwg9A
Anderson PowerPole Pigtail: amzn.to/3Oilibi
SAE Pigtail: amzn.to/3SCe2tj
XT60 Pigtail: amzn.to/48PijPR
Li Time 50ah LFP Battery: amzn.to/3ShkvbM
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The use of affiliate links provide a small commission for me when you use them. Thanks for supporting my channel content and allowing me to do future comparison videos! More videos coming soon!
#jasonoid #dieselheater #overlanding #carcamping

[@Mike_219]

Vintage Jason video! What a thorough walkthrough. These things always intimidated me but not after this video. I am now very much in-market for one. Thanks Jason!

[@Jasonoid]

I really wanted to buy one to see how they work! I finally pulled the trigger to see what these are all about. For only $100 these are pretty awesome!

[@OnusBones]

Very nice! I think this is a great addition to your channel. Some time ago, I got a diesel heater from Vevor that is still in its box. I'd like to see current load tests to get an idea of how large a battery is needed to keep it running overnight, and how much solar is needed to keep the battery topped off and/or recharged after a cold night; and a few real-world tests: small cabin or RV, and a single large room in a house. I'm not sure I'd use this in a tent unless it was already designed for a stovepipe. Once again, very nice addition!

[@Jasonoid]

Most people use these heaters in a tent by having the unit completely outside and then they route the hot air in via a flexible duct. That removes the risk of burning the tent material since all the extreme heat is outside the tent. It also removed much of the risk of exhaust in your sleeping area. I've been impressed by the heat this unit puts off. You should experiment with your heater too!

[@johnperry5960]

Great video as always, and I would definitely like to see further testing

[@covecarpentry]

Yes more videos please. Nice set up, probably mentioned before but make sure you keep that exhaust pointing down to allow condensation to run out.

[@iamgrowler]

I thought I knew everything there was to know about these heaters and then along comes you to tell me about the close 90 degree elbow for the exhaust. Very useful information. Thanks. Also, I found that wrapping the stainless exhaust pipe and muffler with 'header/exhaust wrap' from AutoZone or similar is a good idea if you are going to be using the heater around kids or pets.

[@Jasonoid]

Excellent feedback on the exhaust wrap, I could see that really helping keep the pipe cooler

[@1951Roy]

Thanks for sharing, more heater videos please.

[@gr0uch02a]

Definitely interested in seeing more in-depth. Load tests, power consumption would be awesome! I have a couple, one of which is stock, the other has an aftermarket pump from James Browning-Smith that is DEAD silent. Both are 1-3 years old and I'd love to see how they compare. Thanks Jason. Another great video!!

[@gojeffgordon24]

Good tip on checking the fuel lines on the inside of the unit...ask me how I know. Mine wouldn't run and had a kink inside the unit. I have mine sitting outside my office window and used a 3" metal semi-ridge hose from Lowe's to get the warm air inside. It is mounted to a 3/4" piece of rigid foam board that sits in the bottom of my window. Paint the foam board to make it look a bit nicer. I do plug the hole with some foam so cold air doesn't get in when it is not running. Setting 2 or 3 are the good ones for me usually.

[@Jasonoid]

Great information on your setup, thanks for sharing!

[@ImASurvivorNThriver]

This is great‼️ Love the mods. Thanks for sharing.

[@JamesAmbrose48]

I’ve survived all Winter in my wall tent with my Silvel diesel heater. It’s a good supplement to my wood stove and cheaper than heating with propane.

[@garagejim1956]

Another well done video, mods you learned and demonstrated along the way. Info is appreciated.

[@Jasonoid]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching! :)

[@KatysCampKitchen]

Great video Jason! Interesting backdrop at the opening! I am interested in the diesel heaters and thankful for your informative video! Thanks! Katy

[@Jasonoid]

I'm planning to do a few other videos in the future to track how well it heats and how much power it uses. Maybe in a tent, or my trailer....we'll see :)

[@gregmgm06]

I love this! I'd really like to see a test of how accurate it performs if you are camping in a tent. See if it can keep 60 or 70 degrees all night.

[@Jasonoid]

I'd love to test that! Thanks for the feedback.

[@minceym]

Another great video, I never thought about one of those units. This would make a great addition to my preps along with my Mr. Heater units. Thanks again for sharing. 😊

[@Jasonoid]

I was surprised with the heat output! It just sips diesel as well. It was fun tinkering with it too.

[@minceym]

@Jasonoid Hi Jason, appreciate your response. I'd like to request a product review if feasible. I've been prepping for a while, and your diesel review was helpful. Could you consider reviewing the "BougeRV Portable Propane Water Heater" at some point? I've owned the "Mr. Heater BaseCamp BOSS-XW18 Battery Operated Shower System" for years, and it's showing signs of wear. BougeRV recently released their new water heater, and I'm keen on getting one. However, there's only one KZbin review so far. Any assistance would be highly appreciated. Thanks!

[@Jasonoid]

@@minceym ill look into the product, thanks for the heads up!

[@twloughlin]

Thanks Jason. I am very interested in the options for providing electricity to get the unit started and keep it running. Your battery options and wiring choice described in the video look promising. I'd love to know what a portable power station can do with this thing. Thanks.

[@Jasonoid]

Those would be excellent items to discuss!

[@jasonbroom7147]

Another excellent video. The two other mods I've seen/used for these diesel heaters is an inline fuel filter and also a 6" heater duct to go around the smaller duct, making your output hose much better insulated against the cold. This is particularly useful if your heater is outside and you are running the output into a tent or building, through a dryer vent type of duct.

[@Jasonoid]

Great tip! I'll have to look around for insulated ducting options.

[@MrWinger1951]

Well done. A bit anxiety provoking watching all the cheap manufacturing of the unit, and you did a good job showing the modifications. Thats a lot of "wasted" heat from the exhaust, seems there should be modifications that could be done to capture some of that?

[@Jasonoid]

I've seen some pretty cool exhaust mods that other people have done. I think in a permanent installation it makes more sense to capture that heat. In a camping setup it's probably not as needed. In my initial testing, on low this thing runs over 24 hours on one tank! It just sips fuel. Need to do more testing 👍

[@patricktrier4503]

I would be interested to see ducting options. How you get the heat ducted into a teardrop camper for example

[@Jasonoid]

I'd probably set the heater under the camper outside and duct up through the floor somewhere. The floors are usually plywood and would easily be drilled with a 3 or 4 inch hole saw.

[@schadlarry]

Very cool and that unit looks pretty nice compared to some of the other ones I have seen. I'd be curious to the diesel run times and that was an unusual gas can spout? I imagine you'd have to be extremely careful with outdoor camping with that hot exhaust.

[@Jasonoid]

Yeah makes sense, you'd probably want this off the ground in probable burn areas. Concrete, gravel, and dirt should all be fine. Some people use a tire shelf too keep them off the ground while running them.

[@kevinholland4156]

Oh, new camp trailer. About the same size as "Gonagain" on KZbin. That heater will probably work great in that trailer.

[@Jasonoid]

New trailer yes, camping trailer.... not really haha. I has a few mods in mind but it's mostly for towing some toys for our trips. I plan to install some lighting and a battery system and maybe some solar on the roof. Sure, I'd sleep in it but it won't be a full conversion to a camper :)

[@johnnysweekends]

I love diesel heaters, so great at warming …..well everything! The power draw is so minimal as little as about 12 watts up to about 45-50ish watts a hour! That’s nothing!! Go play with it in the wild, and check the engine bolts that they are tight and no leaks!!

[@todd.parker]

Good stuff. I’ve been thinking about getting a diesel heater, that one seems really quiet

[@Jasonoid]

On low mode it's hardly noticeable. For $100, it's a great item to have around for cooler trips or even working in your garage.

[@tylaroverturf]

I'd love to see it tested on a lot of different power stations with a 12v cigarette plug or another kind of 12v plug. I know some power stations can't support the initial burst of power that's needed to start the heater.

[@Jasonoid]

The only thing thats interesting is that some diesel heater glow plugs pull more power than others. Some of the newer models pull less power! Most power stations have a 135w to 140w overload cutoff. So as long as your diesel heater doesn't pull more than that on startup it should be fine. That's why I require a power station to have at least 150w of DC output in my grading system.

[@michelleb3096]

Jason this is interesting. What are these used for? Can you heat a house or a room with these? How are they used? Does the air coming out smell like fuel or have an odor? Do you need a lead acid battery to run it or would a lithium work too? How much does the diesel heater pull on the battery? How long does the heater run for on a tank of diesel? How would it be used not only for home emergency heating but can it be used in a car or a cabin?

[@Jasonoid]

Sounds like you need to do some diesel heater research 😉 They are mostly used for portable heating setups, like ice fishing, tent camping, or heating an outdoor space. They can run on any 12v source and the heated air doesnt have any odor since it's passed through a heat exchanger. There are tons of videos on these, I'm glad I peaked your interest! I may do some future videos on runtime testing and power usage. They pull around 150 watts for 2 minutes at startup to run the diesel glow plug, and then the power drops down to 30 to 35 watts after that

[@af1023]

Thanks for sharing. If time permits, please test in the wild.

[@gamestechvideos]

Can you review cheaper soalr generators like the zerokor 65W or 100W battery bank?

[@tim1299]

I would like to see more. In particular, see you do a low voltage safety feature. Where before voltage gets too low, the proper shut down sequence occurs. Others have done it on KZbin, but rather confusingly. I know you would be precise and with confidence I would purchase the electrical bits required. One on KZbin created content that stated it had low voltage shutdown sequence built into the control. He finally many months later retracted this notion on a later video. This safety feature, or the lack thereof, is the reason I have postponed purchasing a diesel heater. Thank you.

[@Jasonoid]

I'm not aware of any Chinese diesel heater with low voltage shutoff built into the controller. It seems these are getting more popular so maybe that will be a new feature soon? One could put in a low voltage alarm like this ( amzn.to/3vXkJgB ) on their 12v battery to let you know the voltage is at a cutoff point. I was talking to my friend who runs a diesel heater multiple nights a month in his rooftop tent. Before talking to him, I was under the impression it was the 'worst thing ever' if it didn't shutdown properly. He said every now and then his heater shuts off randomly and while its not the best thing to happen, his unit still runs like a top. I think you'll see the soot build up after many repeated improper shutdown processes. As long as you take precautions to make sure your power source will last through the night and your power connection is secure, I think that will cover most issues with power dropping out randomly.

[@gwashburn39]

Test in the Willlld!

[@taskelam8937]

I'd be very interested in seeing how much power this draws from a battery during the startup sequence and in continuous use.

[@Jasonoid]

Thanks for the feedback, I'll definitely consider that for a future video.

[@iamgrowler]

I'd be interested in seeing how this (your 8kw unit) does versus 2kw and 5kw units using various power stations as the 12v source. I'm particularly interested in the different offerings from Ugreen and Bluetti. It would be great if you could test it with the Bluetti AC180 and the Powerroam 1200. I'm pretty sure the 10a outputs are going to be an issue, but I'd appreciate knowing this for certainty. Thanks.

[@Jasonoid]

@@iamgrowler the 5k and 8k units are all the same, it's just a marketing ploy. These usually pull around 145 to 155 watts in startup and that's why I have 150w as a requirement on my power station grading system. I will plan on doing some basic testing.

[@johnzach2057]

Will it run used kitchen oil?

[@trw7530]

I am researching diesel heaters would like to see more videos. Nice video

[@Jasonoid]

Sounds good!

[@zigzagluck]

I was looking for a diesel heater video recently so great timing Jason! What's your opinion on the narrower version of that heater? I was looking at the one as i think I can fit it more easily in my rig. Are your mods applicable to the narrow version?

[@Jasonoid]

They all have pretty much the same internals, just different form factors and different display/controllers. I picked this one for a few different reasons. The tall skinny ones should work just the same. Just do the same checks on the inside.

[@zigzagluck]

@@Jasonoid Would you mind sharing your reasons for choosing that model? Thanks.

[@Jasonoid]

@@zigzagluck I chose this one since it is less likely to tip over. I liked the price and it had good reviews. I also thought I could mod it easily.

[@erictittle7531]

How did you get the 90 degree elbow to fit? The part you listed does not tighten to secure the elbow around the pipe. Did you use a different clamp that was not included in the package?

[@Jasonoid]

I used a clamp in the kit, I just tightened really good. It did crimp the pipe down but it holds.

[@charlescoker7752]

Did you add larger pipes on your fireplace heat blower?

[@Jasonoid]

I did not update the fireplace heat exchanger but I bet that would allow for better heat transfer and efficiency.

[@shelley131]

In your opinion, would this be better than a Mr. Buddy in a tent? I would not mind videos about diesel heaters and how to use them. Thank you.

[@Jasonoid]

Propane heaters put off a 'wet' heat. I've read that when burning 1 gallon of propane you'll get around 1 gallon of water vapor. Explains the condensation I get when using a propane heater! Haha Diesel heaters are dry, you don't get any water vapor so that's a large benefit.

[@kevinholland4156]

As Jason said about the wetness of propane, Also, since the unit is outside it doesn't emit carbon monoxide into your work area and Mr. Buddy brings the flames inside. I run two Big Buddy heaters to heat my big metal building and I am interested in these diesel heaters,

[@charlesd3376]

I'd like to know what fuel can and spout you are using?

[@Jasonoid]

It's not a traditional "fuel can" so I chose not to show it off. Didn't want to deal with the controversy about it. Look up VP racing cans.

[@kanuckster1]

Hey Jason, sorry kind of off with my question here however I put this comment/question on obe of your older shorts and didn't get a response so i thought idyry here..... Late comment/question here... Watched this I don't know how tines just to make sure I understand. I got two of the XTAR 100 panels after seeing you really liked this panel. Can I put the two in parallel to charge the EB70? Amps don't matter as long as the panel voltage is OK ? Thanks!!👍👍

[@Jasonoid]

Parallel will work fine with the EB70. Just don't SERIES the panels, that will burn up the EB70.

[@kanuckster1]

@Jasonoid thanks for the info. I appreciate it!!

[@kevinholland4156]

I started thinking that you might get some of that fiberglass muffler wrap; so no one gets burned by the exhaust.

[@Jasonoid]

That would be a good safety step for sure!

[@geoffreykail9129]

What was the puddle under the muffler?

[@Jasonoid]

It seems to be water vapor or condensation. After I shut everything down the puddle dried up and there wasn't a stain so it wasn't fuel.

[@newguy6935]

Are there any fumes in the heat?

[@Jasonoid]

Nope, didn't smell anything.

[@bigtom4709]

👍🏽

[@jeffcornelison888]

I sure wish mine would run for a couple of hours. It constantly throws an E6 code. I have done every trick in the book and I cannot keep it running longer than 5 minutes at a time.

[@Jasonoid]

E6 error seems to refer to low voltage or a fan failure. How are you powering your unit? What gauge of wire are you using and how long is it?

[@jeffcornelison888]

I am using the factory wire that comes with it. I only use half the amount though that they send. I'm using a Power Queen. 100 amp hour battery. Maybe it's just me and I didn't have it fully charged which I usually always keep it fully charged. I'll try it again this weekend to see if I'm able to get it to stay running. Thanks for your feedback though! Anything is worth a try!

[@Jasonoid]

@@jeffcornelison888 the wire they have is pretty small and might cause a bit of voltage drop. That's why I upgraded mine. If you get an error on a fully charged battery I'd try a larger gauge wire to see if that helps.

[@Legaleze]

The biggest complaint I see with these diesel heaters is the noise of the pump. You’d think that there would be a better silent way of pumping the diesel.

[@Jasonoid]

The pump on this one was really only noticeable when priming before startup. The pump was pretty hidden by the noise of the exhaust and fans. For me, it wouldn't keep me up at night, but I guess it might be annoying for some people.

[@kevinholland4156]

I believe Amazon sells a quieter pump and another KZbinr installed one and wrapped it in foam and it's remarkably quieter. He was using it for a rooftop tent.

[@numodular]

I wouldn't allow this fuel line within a couple of inches of that exhaust pipe. Too much of a safety hazard.

[@Jasonoid]

It's been working well so far, I'll keep an eye on it. All Chinese diesel heaters have that same design.