NO PROPANE Hydronic Heat, Electrics & Start up | FOUR SEASON VAN LIFE | EP.46

[@harryt988]

What an awesome way to start a Monday AM !!

[@DaresDrives]

Awesome, I tried super hard to get it out Sunday but by the time I finished editing it was 4AM so thought 8 am Monday would be next best option... Thanks for watching and commenting...

[@dcraigslist5243]

Great video. Trying to catch up. Great quality in your build. I am building some similar items to you. One comment, you may want to drain your antifreeze and switch to non-toxic antifreeze. If one of your plate exchangers ever leaks, you can accidentally poison yourself. At least that is my plan. Keep up the great work!

[@ian4545]

Also planning on propylene glycol so failure doesn't poison me.

[@ScarlettJohanssonClone]

Sometimes the universe just hands you the answers you are looking for and in this case they handed me your channel. Informative, to the point and entertaining as well. Im right in the middle of figuring out this system for my short bus. I might be crazy but Im thinking about tying this system into some underfloor heating as well. Thanks so much for these vids, subscribed!

[@DaresDrives]

Awesome, glad you found it.... Yes I agree in saying you can do everything right but sometimes it just takes the right timing for things to come together as planned... Thank you for watching, commenting and subscribing.. Yes, heated floors with this system is a very easy upgrade to complete, not crazy at all.

[@samb8996]

Awesome business relationship with one of your key suppliers Jeff ! We appreciate the inside scoop on this important product upgrade !!

[@DaresDrives]

This KZbin has been great for meeting new, great people all over the continent (world).. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@GOLDVIOLINbowofdeath]

Who’s we? Are you a Democrat?

[@SamB-fv6su]

Dares Drives reminds me of when Seinfeld was first airing Absolutely couldn’t wait for the next episode to air !! Same feelings come up for me to watch the “Jeff van build” show - only difference is that Dares Drives is actually about something !! U never disappoint @dares !

[@DaresDrives]

Wow, to be compared to Seinfeld is huge accomplishment in my world!!!! Super happy you are enjoying the series. Thank you for watching and commenting..

[@justinlahue9380]

Thank you for the video. Classic leaving the drain open, can’t tell you how many times. But sure makes for an easy/hero fix.

[@rusti7447]

You have what might be the best vanbuild series I've seen on youtube. My only recommendation is more Winston!

[@DaresDrives]

WOW, thank you very much.. I have huge respect for a few of the builders on YT so for me to be though of as competitive to them is a huge win in my world... Thank you, thank you, thank you..... Once the build is complete and I can travel, I promise there will be more of Winston but right now I am trying to keep it focused on the build... But trust that every time I am talking to you on the camera he is sitting right beside me staring up asking for attention!!!

[@Robtrampuh16]

Quick tip .. when filling anti-freeze in unit make sure drain valve is in the OFF position.. Lol

[@DaresDrives]

Yeah I was warned about this before hand but really didn't see the value originally.. Sometimes we just have to learn the lesson the hard way I guess.... HAHA, thanks for watching and commenting...

[@mausie1967]

AMAZING!!!

[@weldondares3664]

Great project!great products! Great production! Great presentation! Great person! 🚐❤️

[@DaresDrives]

Awesome, glad you enjoyed. Thank you for watching and commenting.

[@argates6507]

To be honest, I think the only people pushing you to get videos out on Sundays are the ones in your head. Your information is so valuable, and presented so humorously, that I will take your videos when I can get them. Period.

[@kurtiswagner]

It was so hard to watch you pour that coolant in while you can clearly see it leaking out the drain port hahahah, and your reaction is even better. Good laugh.

[@DaresDrives]

HAHA had to share that part!!! Thanks for watching.

[@mrgcav6689]

Very good job. You should publish a detailed list of all the parts you used with links.

[@ScarlettJohanssonClone]

A recirculating shower would be the perfect cherry on top of this system. Gone Boondocking has a super simple setup for a shower, the Hour Shower as he calls it.

[@DaresDrives]

When I purchased this system the plan was for a recirculating shower, unfortunately I could not find a way to keep all water lines inside the van so ROAMR could be a true 4 season van.. Aside from lifting the shower base but then I would have had to duck while showering... So I decided against recirculating.. Thanks for watching and commenting,..

[@chipmeister111]

so awesome seeing things come together. perseverance is key.

[@Dragonflies1928]

Seriously if you were closer In proximity I would beg you to do my Van Build. U Do a very thorough job and it seems like you enjoy it .

[@DaresDrives]

Seriously after all this, I don't think I will build another... Time to go enjoy mother nature!! Thank you for watching and commenting.

[@ewetuber186000]

Excellent

[@arthurquinn7515]

I like the music first of video

[@DaresDrives]

Awesome, thanks for commenting!

[@darkexpose5153]

Thank you man 👍🏻

[@NicholasHoggan]

Way to keep it positive and congratulations on another benchmark.

[@DaresDrives]

Awesome thank you. And thanks for watching and commenting

[@gratefulmedic]

Thanks. I second the previous comment about the CO concerns.

[@DaresDrives]

Yes I will have a CO detector in the van. I will not be using this full time for heating during building, I will actual continue with the ceramic heaters for now.

[@cmh2111]

Question: 90 degree fittings add cost and flow resistance. It looks like you could have eliminated a few and run the heater hose from fitting to fitting. Example, the heater hose coming from the floor to the Air handler. THX

[@DaresDrives]

You are correct, but with the short hose lengths this will not be an issue for the pump being used, and aesthetically I felt it looked cleaner run with fittings. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@bobthompson9810]

Great video !

[@undertheradarvan]

Dude you are hilarious and your videos are hands down the best at figuring out the Rixen system. I'm installing it in my transit right now and your videos are way more helpful than the instruction manual. Thanks a ton man!

[@simonesavaiano8152]

Now you got to work warm for the rest of the winter 👍

[@DaresDrives]

Yes, exciting times.. Thanks for watching

[@mycandy7680]

“my drain valve was open (dumb ass)” 🤣

[@najo8330]

Highly informative and great energy as always Jeff! Thanks for posting!!

[@DaresDrives]

Super happy you enjoyed, Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@kylecarson2395]

Good video and looks like a good product. Only thing I wish Rixen did was to make that "brain" unit waterproof. There is a decent chance that were it will be installed will have waterlines and a decent chance that at some point those water or coolant lines will leak.

[@augustoferreira3647]

Great video, but raised some questions. Since you plugged the 3rd heat exchanger on the lines that go from the engine to the engine heater, when the engine is running the coolant on those lines might not necessarily be flowing , it flows throught those lines when the engine heater pump is on, but not necessarily when it is not. You could add another coolant pump to force flow to the heat exchanger .

[@paulmarsden2948]

Good to see all your hard work come together Jeff looks really impressive, and fancy leaving the tap on 🤣.

[@DaresDrives]

Couldn't believe I missed that, actually spent a good 30 minutes going over all fittings before filling and forgot the drain of all things..... Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@mattywarren9182]

great videos man! Super informative and very thorough work.

[@phurray]

Just finished binge watching your videos. Great stuff! Thank you. Only downside is now I have to wait a week between videos😊

[@DaresDrives]

Super happy you are enjoying... Now you are with me living in anticipation of, what can we complete this week... Thanks for watching.

[@jesseperez8805]

Any worries that once the heated coolant leaves the first heat exchanger that it won’t deliver as much heat to the second exchanger? I use the same style of plate chiller for brewing beer. By the time hot wort and cold water counterflow through one of those plate chillers, the temp of the heated lines has diminished significantly, from near boiling to 60-70*F.

[@dawghouseadventures4270]

Hey Jeff. Thanks for all of these videos. Quick question though I noticed that you have a third heat exchanger outside mounted beside the heater being routed out to the front of the van. Where are those lines going to another fan?

[@jimdearborn2539]

Another great video Jeff. My build has many similarities to yours, about four months behind your's. Thanks for leading the way. Please insert a scan/pan of the underside of your van in your next video. I'd like to see the relationship of everything you have installed under there.

[@DaresDrives]

I will definitely try to get that done for you.. Not easy to get under there and record a steady shot... Thank you for watching and a super huge thank you for supporting our channel..

[@woolengrappler]

Awesome series! Thank you! I’m looking at building a pop up truck camper and would like to use diesel for the water and air heating.

[@neilkite]

loving the snow! looks brrrrrrrrrrr cold cold! I went to Calgary once and it was -35. Never known anything like it! That heaters gonna get some use there! Air con if you head south? Another great video

[@davecockburn2754]

are those hose clamps on your pex plumbing? Is there a reason you didn't crimp the connections? There are a few different ways to do it, and the tools and methods start quite simple and inexpensive. Would be more secure long term and look cleaner.

[@omjaye]

Loving all your videos. Been binging the last few days. I'm curious why you didn't do the heated floors since you are installing the whole hydronic system? And why do hydronic heating over the much simpler air heating? And finally how do you like your heat system in real life?

[@JaYoeNation]

Thanks for your hard work on these. Appreciated. Does the single heat register provide enough heating for what you wanted? Would you have added in floor heat if you could start all over again?

[@Rhysowen5418]

In regards to the “engine pre heating heat exchanger” that you’ve mounted under the van - would there be any adverse affects to the glycol in the hydronic loop portion of the heat exchanger. Would this glycol get too hot for example? Would the circulation pump NEED to be ran? I hope you understand what I mean

[@cfotograf]

My Dear Dares, thanks for sharing your experience of this van conversion. You commented that how good the service that Rixen provided to you. I hate to remind you that you are a BIG shot on the internet world. Because for the PR purpose, they must treat you 100x better than the average Joe. I checked into the Rixen site, they are not gear towards selling the DIY'er. I understand you need to do what you need to do to stay relevant, but don't sell out the average Joe viewers. Off the soapbox!!!

[@awc-qq1ui]

Let me say I love the hardware. The parts I can figure out that is. Unfortunately I would have to agree that there is a challenge being an "Average Joe". I have spent over $8,000.00us with Rixen in the spring of 2021, (the 55XLT I need for a 55 foot boat was $4,500 alone, then the Comfort HOT, heat-exchangers, etc. etc.) but getting Rixen to help/support the installation is woefully lacking. Their documentation = worse. With Rixen, their documentation is poor to archaic, to frightening. IE: specifically, hand drawings written on their .pdf's which they copied then posted to their website that have a line drawn to a side margin note that says 'DO NOT DO THIS'. But then it does not show 'What TO Do' to correct the "Do not do this". And my experience when asking questions on the phone went from miserably un-helpful down to basically rude considering the miserable documentation. One such call, I quote: "You'll just have to go back and READ the document"... In other words go back and read the documents with "Do not do this"... what ever "this is" and then "don't do this, what ever this is, (dummy)". And I won't name names, but some phone calls went worse than others. Now, I worked in Tech for 30 years, things like building and maintaining hospital data centers while managing a team of 7 system engineers. I may not be a genius, but I'm also no dummy. And, I am not a pest. We are talking a total of 4 calls, each less than 10 minutes, made in the Monday - Friday 9am-3pm range. Two calls were handled in a marginally helpful way, two were handled rudely. But I am a one off average Joe, not a 'Youtub-er. All this to say: Dear Dares, your videos have helped answer a few questions for me. Thank you! I hope to mend the rest together and have heat, before winter. Thanks for your videos!

[@MitchOfCanada]

sweet bro! careful of the carbon monoxide on the heater get an active detector ASAP and watch exposures, Small exposures over long periods accumulate and can make ya feel like you got the flu or rona! PS, is that tire low? :D

[@DaresDrives]

Yes, as noted I was running it off the starter battery so will not be using this for internal heat during the build. I will actually be sticking with the ceramic heaters for now... I do plan to have a CO detector in the van once the walls go up... Yes, all four tires are low, this gives me enough clearance to get up on the roof under the tent.. Thanks again for watching and commenting!

[@guidolyons4912]

Is that the correct anti-freeze/coolant/glycol? I have Rixen/ Espar D5S WS and it specifies the orange DexCool? Great build!

[@eXtremeAbilities]

Hey man! Great videos! I have been watching for quite some time! I am actually doing a build-out of a Sprinter 144 for a good friend of mine and am installing the Rixen's system in it. Any chance you can give any help on wiring that relay into the Comfort Hot? They sent us the new display and wiring and all that mess, but nowhere can I find how to wire that relay into the unit. Much appreciated, from another "simple mind" haha!

[@fboest]

Just super! From where I can order the same heater kit for my Sprinter van and what this whole combo cost?

[@ballancampeau6427]

I searched for brass fittings to attach under chassis hose to in-van hose. They all have temperature and pressure ratings. The highest temperature I found was 160 F. Is this a concern with the glycol running up to 190 F?

[@rogerkerkmann]

Do you need two circ pumps? How much flow do you have? This setup would be great for marine use.👍

[@lorenworthington8739]

Could that reservoir reside in the eng compartment ? I’m thinking where the aux batt could be added.

[@CriftinsCampers]

Just curious how much current is being drawn once the heaters got the water to max temp and it starts to idle, thanks?

[@alextran8585]

great video - did you seal the hole for the wiring harness ?

[@stevehori673]

Jeff did Rixen recommend insulating the glycol lines under the van? Also how did you bring the glycol lines inside the van?

[@chrisdaniel1339]

You are NEVER supposed to use ethylene glycol (toxic) in a system where a leak in the house side plate heat exchanger with potable water on one side and your 50/50 mix of ethylene glycol will poison you. You need to drain and flush the system several times and refill it with propylene glycol (human safe).

[@ballancampeau6427]

Thanks for this video. I just bought that package from Rixens. Any idea why there are two power inputs to the control system: the house system and the van battery?

[@ballancampeau6427]

Answer: the second input takes over during cool down cycle if primary power source shuts off. This is primarily a concern for lithium ion batteries.

[@user-cr6ki4qs4y]

Hi, what label maker did you use to label your wires?

[@ctrabalful]

Thank you very much for sharing this system and great videos. Could you please include the links to the main components you got ? Thanks a lot!👍

[@DaresDrives]

Great, super happy your enjoying and it is bringing value... For links to main components it is on the website provided in the description.. This is sold as a kit from Rixens enterprise.. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@K9TPT]

Can you tell me the name of the primer and adhesive you use on the roof metal please ? Thank You

[@firpofutbol]

Haha glad I found your channel before my van build, super informative and entertaining. The control panel for the system, is that also a thermostat or just a way to turn components on and off?

[@sjf67gto]

Could you put a link to the supplier you buying all this stuff from please?

[@drewellis9560]

Jeff, the leaking anti-freeze part was so hilarious. Especially because I've done the exact same thing filling up the transmission on my two stroke. Why is it taking so much oil today??? lol. Great job on the video. Can't wait to meet Romer. But question for ya: when you're all done this four season van, does this mean you'll be living in a van down by the river?

[@DaresDrives]

LMAO... I wanted to share as I am sure I was not the first to do such a thing.... Yes that is the goal and yes I was inspired by this goal years ago when I watched SNL as a kid!!!

[@simoneboschin]

I wanted to ask you ... with this hydronic system ... do you have an idea how fast will the hot water come out from the tap? I know it’s called “on demand” ... but wondering how fast can be the hot water delivered. Thanks for the help :)

[@mycandy7680]

u r the easiest person to listen to w someone like me w ADHD

[@MrBofficial0913]

Do they have the same heater but a gas type 1?

[@scottnormand5858]

Love love love what you have going on man. Cannot wait for my build to start😬Sorta off topic but do you have plans for an air conditioner unit in your build? I've heard many pros and cons of both 110 systems as well as 12V systems. Do you have any advice? Big respect for your opinions. Also, does Rixens offer a full setup ie. plug and play?

[@DaresDrives]

Excellent, super happy you are enjoying and I am providing value.. I decided against AC for two reasons... 1. Not enough space on the roof with my dual roof vents and solar panels. 2. They seem like major power hogs and would only bring value when plugged into shore power, and I honestly don't see myself plugged in very often. 12V AC i hear does not work very well in really hot temperatures. I think with proper insulation and dual roof fans one pushing air and one pulling air we should be able to keep it comfortable in the van without the AC... Yes Rixens provides this as a complete kit and is pretty much plug and play especially now with this upgrade we just shared. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@lemonherb1]

Nice work! The weather looks very similar to where I am. Are you in AB?

[@DaresDrives]

Thank you for watching and commenting, Yes I am in Alberta!

[@rosesmith5135]

That beard of yours Jeff is looking really sexy !!

[@DaresDrives]

My goal for this beard was the complete opposite though... LOL, thanks for watching and commenting!

[@mateuszzima9550]

ARE YOU PUTTING RICIRCULATING SHOWER IN IT?? CAN YOU SAY SOMETHING WHAT KIND OF BED YOU WILL HAVE? tHANK YOU GREAT JOB LITTLE SLOW BUT GREAT :)

[@DaresDrives]

No, I have decided against recirculating so I ensure a true 4 season van with all water lines inside ROAMR.. I have a lift bed going in and have briefly discussed it in earlier videos. Trust me if I could go faster I would, but between my day job, planning the upcoming project, doing the project, figuring out how to record it and then editing for weekly videos there just isn't enough time in a day to move faster... Plus it adds to the suspense of what is coming next and hopefully keeping you wanting more?!!! Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@GOLDVIOLINbowofdeath]

What’s wrong with propane? Everything has to be done properly. electrical fires are the most common cause of fires in van conversions or RVs and yet nobody but me is telling people to put firewalls in between your electrical power components and the rest of the van

[@DaresDrives]

Nothing wrong with Propane other than just being another fuel source to carry around... Yes I put my full electrical to the front of the van away from the sleeping area for this exact reason.. Although as long as it is done correctly electrical should never be an issue..

[@NullStaticVoid]

And sounds annoying as HELL coming through earphones

[@GOLDVIOLINbowofdeath]

Why is no-propane something to brag about?

[@guidolyons4912]

Only requires one fuel that is readily available 24-7 easy and convenient.