Club 80-90 Forums

The nights are drawing in and although I've been busy working on my van fixing various issues and making improvements I still haven't got round to fixing my heater blower. Can anyone recommend a 12v heater that would work off my cigarette lighter socket to warm the cab a little?

Nothing you plug into a 12v socket is going to produce any meaningful heat. You'd be better off with a hat and thermals

To me a working blower is an absolute necessity - years ago I saw a nasty smash where the car had completely misted up windows and it just crossed a junction without stopping. It was a big factor.

We bought a 12v ceramic heater a few years back, useless, waste of money.

Thanks for the input guys, think I'll go back to replacing my blower motor

Best thing ever is the Propex. Last winter I used to set off for work with the sound of neighbours scraping ice off windows with mine fully defrosted and toasty warm inside. I'm known for keeping costs low but don't mind throwing money at good heating. A propex is worth a million dollars on a freezing cold day and now with a remote, I don't even need to go outside to switch it on. You can still pick them up from around £150 second hand. Agree on 12v heaters - pointless. Better off with two hot water bottles on dashboard.

CovKid wrote:Best thing ever is the Propex. Last winter I used to set off for work with the sound of neighbours scraping ice off windows with mine fully defrosted and toasty warm inside. I'm known for keeping costs low but don't mind throwing money at good heating. A propex is worth a million dollars on a freezing cold day and now with a remote, I don't even need to go outside to switch it on. You can still pick them up from around £150 second hand. Agree on 12v heaters - pointless. Better off with two hot water bottles on dashboard.

Does pre-heating the vehicle like that result in internal condensation on the windows? . I've always been hesitant to use mine for fear of an equally poor visibility internally.

No - the water component of combustion is in the exhaust not the heated air. My Webasto's outlet under the rear seat is left so that the air is directed into the cab and defrosts the screen.

Propex, like many fridges, will also work fine while driving. I usually switch mine on 20 minutes before I leave (45 mins if exceptionally cold) and I switch it off once normal heating is sufficient which is about 2 - 4 miles. However, you should switch it off before entering petrol stations.

Over the last two years I've concentrated on improving Winter starts with insulation, the remote control, and routing Propex duct to where its needed most. Winter driving was depressing before I made all the changes.

CovKid wrote: A propex is worth a million dollars on a freezing cold day and now with a remote, I don't even need to go outside to switch it on.

I have to agree, and I have only yesterday dug out my Propex remote control and will be using it soon I guess. With my SafeFill gas bottle, re-fillable at normal LPG garages, it works out very cheap to run.

My old series 3 Landrover had a heating element in the coolant system so you could get the engine up to temperature before you start. (Connected to mains electric).
That meant that you didn't need choke, and your heater worked straight away.
I reckon it was the best feature on the vehicle, and meant a warm cab straight away, and demist / defrost the windows in a few seconds.
I am surprised it isn't a fitted on all cars really.

I'll tell you why not, because most drivers today (who for the most part can't even check their oil level) would forget and drive off with it still plugged in