Club 80-90 Forums

Any further feedback on Chinese heaters? I am thinking of getting one. What models are best, and where would they fit in the van? A feed from the diesel tank would be ideal.

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I wouldn't buy a Chinese one personally. For less than £300 you can get a recon webasto from OBG (see previous page) and that includes the fitting kit. The webasto units are serviceable and pretty much all the parts are easily available.

I fitted one of OBG's heater kits over Christmas and used it properly last weekend while camping in Exmoor. It's defiantly the best single item I've fitted to the van.

I started this thread a good while back, asking about them.

They are now less than £100 each

I can now report that I fitted mine late last summer and it has been great, no issues at all. I am very active over on the Facebook group that offers support to folk fitting them, and folks that are having problems with them (here = https://www.facebook.com/groups/265862240781579/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; )

They are quite easy to fit, as long as you follow certain guidelines. Obviously with the usual rubbish Chinese quality control and the rubbish "manual" that comes with them, some folk do have problems, but they are usually easily sorted out.

There is now an outfit based near Walsall that provide pre-tested units and they offer a reasonable range of spares too. It is basically a "one man band" (Michael Freeth) and he has a VERY good reputation for being helpful and offering fast delivery. Website here = https://dieselkeepyouwarm.co.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

My tips =

DO NOT get the 5KW one, it's too powerful. Many Chinese sellers advertise the better 2KW one, but when it arrives it is a 5KW one, and the sellers are virtually impossible to deal with, so you have to mess about starting an Ebay "dispute" and the sellers argue that they are not in the wrong and you are stuck with it. So, buy from the UK supplier I mentioned above.

DO NOT buy the "all in one" units. They offer no advantage and are no where near as safe when installed in a camper.

DO mount it to the floor, (or you can mount it on the sloping bit under the bed on a T25)

DO use a "turret mounting plate" to make the install easier and safer (link = https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_osac ... acat=36798" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; )

DO try your best to get one with the simple 2 button + rotary knob controller. The complicated LCD ones seem to be much more trouble that they are worth.

I don't think the mither of fitting a feed from your main (Diesel) tank is worth the bother. A gallon of fuel will last for 3 or 4 nights, depending on how high you have the heater setting. I use a normal 1 gallon fuel can mounted to the frame of the R&R bed. The (thin, hard) fuel feed goes in through a tight fitting hole in the handle and I have a TINY pin prick of a hole, also in the handle, to act as a breather. It all works, and "no", I don't get any smells of Diesel in my van.

Many folk run them on Paraffin as it fires up quicker and runs cleaner. If you buy it from a pump at a garage, it is only about 65p per litre

If anyone needs any more advice or info, I will monitor this thread

That is great info! Thank you [THUMBS UP SIGN]

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A large thread here too..
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewt ... p?t=703569" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Id love some heat, but I've got jobs/projects lined up for a while yet to keep me busy enough. Maybe ready for next winter?

Obg's offer here though, is tempting.

I've had one in the camber for three seasons to replaced the Propex been fine, 2kw running on kerosene. Runs most of the time I'm driving in the winter to stop cold drafts coming from the back.



5kw in the garage runs flat out most days in the winter again been fine.



Fitted one in my Portafold as well.

I have a 8kw ( Chinese kilowatts are smaller than uk ones I think ) in my garage , been in there two winters , just about takes the edge off unless you sit right infront of it , but the garage has a big uninsulated flat roof and is 20ft x 25ft

I did have a 2kw DL1c eberspácher in there , it didn’t quite take the edge off and I thought for £100 it was worth a go with a cheapo . It runs on kero at 50ppl

There is a reason they are cheap tho, it’s isn’t anywhere as controllable or economic as the eberspacher .
I’m pretty sure the many reported issues with them clogging up is down to the fuel pumps over fuelling

I was testing a DL1c for someone on the bench a few weeks ago and the pump was faulty so I switched it for one of the cheapo Chinese ones off a 2kw kit to prove the point and it over fuelled badly making the eberspacher over heat in just 5 mins and when I did the metering test it was delivering twice the fuel the eberspacher needed .

Those pumps are no good for Webastos either - they underfuel by 2/3rds with them! You can adjust some of the pumps though. They advertize them to death on Ebay as being suitable for both though.

I've been looking at one, ever since the mrs and I camped out on bonfire night at some friends we found out the van isn't quite as warm as we thought haha. So striping down and insulating is the big job this year.
I'm quite relucant to drop £100 ish on some chinese knock off as what comes to mind is the van get's too hot, ie burns down! but I also haven't the pockets nor the inclination to drop nearly 1k on a eber / weba.
It's certainly on the list but my van priorites change frequently

you are much much safer to use a cheap chinese diesel parking heater than any form of petrol or gas heating , their cheapness isnt a issue in that respect , there are no flames to worry about , and ive only ever heard of them not starting ( or indeed just stopping) , all the combuston takes place in the chamber which is isolated from the living space.

Mocki wrote:you are much much safer to use a cheap chinese diesel parking heater than any form of petrol or gas heating .....

I can't see how a cheap anything is better than a quality product, any electrical connected device can be a potential fire hazard if it's badly made and not fused appropriately.

all the combuston takes place in the chamber which is isolated from the living space.

Same a as a Propex

itchyfeet wrote:

I can't see how a cheap anything is better than a quality product, any electrical connected device can be a potential fire hazard if it's badly made and not fused appropriately.

they are fused appropriately , and all plug and play as far as it goes.
the fact is diesel is much harder to accidentally set fire to than petrol or gas .

I have been following 3 "groups" on Facebook re these heaters. To date I have not heard of anyone having a fire problem with the unit.

As long as it is installed properly, they are perfectly safe.