Installing a Chinese Diesel Heater in Our Ram Promaster 2500: Part 1 | Full Time Van Life Conversion

[@FriendlyCommentor]

I’ve watched your video 100+ times, studying every frame like I’m trying to solve the Kennedy assassination. This week I’m going to take a big swig of whisky and try it myself. There are two things I’ve noticed which may be of issue: 1) The fuel pump must be 15-35 degrees higher on the output. It should not be vertical. I believe it has to do with air bubbles being trapped in the pump. 2) The metal plate you used as a template should be installed under the van, not inside. The purpose is the add bulk for thin metals (not sure it is needed on a Promaster). The heater comes with a rubber gasket which compresses down into the van floor sealing it from the outside. With the plate in the inside, you are potentially allowing a small air gap being it is metal on metal. Thanks again for making this video series. It has helped me immensely.

[@NomadicHabits]

Haha!! Oh gosh! We kinda knew we had to be messing something up. We did so much research going into this project, and we still installed it backwards!! I hope you have better luck than we did!! Also, thanks for the tips!! We’re going to be doing a remodel soon and we’re gonna fix a few things with our heater while we’re at it!! Maybe we’ll make a video on that too 🤔 Take a swig of whisky for us when you do and let us know how it goes for you!!! 😊🧡

[@livinincalifornia]

Great video. I would upgrade that fuel line to EPDM rubber or something with good outer wall thickness, and route your line so that you try to make sure if something happens to it, you don't end up with fuel spraying at a hot muffler or exhaust pipe.

[@NomadicHabits]

Awesome!! Thank you so much for the advice 😊

[@livinincalifornia]

@@NomadicHabits Scratch that, don't use EPDM, use Nitrile or something fuel approved.

[@NomadicHabits]

Thanks for the update!! We’ll look into it, we plan on upgrading that line sometime soon 😊

[@nicholasmartin7922]

@@NomadicHabits don’t upgrade the line. It’s imperative to use the plastic line to maintain pressure for the injectors. There is a reason they don’t include runner line. Runner expands with the fuel pressure and you don’t get combustion at the injectors.

[@daves9315]

what yr promaster, and did you just route exhaust without unbolting heat shield,, also did i didnt see but you must have used some heat caulk. did you just screw turrent with sheet metal screws TIA

[@NomadicHabits]

We have a 2017 Ram Promaster! And yes, we routed it without unbolting the heat shield and we also used heat resistant caulk! That part was not shown on the video! We used nuts and bolts to bolt it down! Hope that helps! Let us know if you have any other questions!

[@mannyfuntimes1000]

does it get to hot?

[@NomadicHabits]

If you’re asking if the motor gets hot, no, it doesn’t! But on low, it keeps the van nice and toasty. I wouldn’t say it gets too hot 😊

[@R.u.x.x]

Where's the 2nd part to this video?

[@R.u.x.x]

I found it kzbin.info/www/bejne/fpaWnICNrMx_jas You might want to label it part 2 since there's no link on part 1 and it's not even clear this is part 2.

[@NomadicHabits]

Thanks for the input!! We’ll have to add that to the title!! I hope it helps you out. Just don’t install it backwards like we did 😅 lol, or do, it’s worked out nicely that way!

[@R.u.x.x]

@@NomadicHabits for sure, yup I don't want to do that! Lol

[@UncleBigBen]

Hello, Thanks for sharing the installation experience. I have the same Promaster as yours, and I was hesitating about where to install this heater. Installing it under the passenger seat is definitely a good idea, but I wonder if the heat would reach the back area of the cargo where the bed is? Btw, How is the performance of this heater so far?

[@NomadicHabits]

We actually hesitated to install it there as well. Actually in our part 2 we share that we even installed it backwards. The directions were most definitely not the best. But in-spite of it all, on it’s lowest setting we were burning up in the back and had to cut our maxair fan on to circulate the heat a bit! We love it! It’s changed our world!

[@UncleBigBen]

@@NomadicHabits Thanks for the reply. I live in BC Canada, and the winter here is tense...so I just would like to make sure the heater is efficient haha. I have watched the second part as well. That is the kind of mistake I made a lot from my build lol... Did you buy the 5kW heater? I'm not sure if you mentioned it in the video, but the size looks like 5kW. They say only a 2kW heater is small enough to fit underneath the passenger seat, but it seems 5kW can fit in as well.

[@NomadicHabits]

Haha, we got good at installing things backwards 😂🤣 I’m not sure we mentioned in the video! We actually purchased the 5KW heater! It fits perfect with room to spare!