you can read all about it here
Out test results have been positive so far but also limited in the set up that we have.
We have installed two 50cm width 1 metre lengths in the floor that provides 1 square meter of heating surface which draws a maximum of 130 Watts and 10.8 amps. It works on a 12v supply so can be used with any battery or run with a plug in power supply when parked up (we are currently testing this but waiting on a proper transformer to fully test that side). It can also be on whilst driving which we recommend, giving you a heated floor when you stop. From our current testing with a not so well insulated high top van and a tired 75ah AGM start stop battery we have been able to raise the floor temp from approx. 5 degrees Celsius to approx. 26 degrees Celsius. We have also run the system continuously for approx. 12 hours driving and parked up briefly one day and it has maintained an average of approx. 19 degrees Celsius in an average temperature with an average outside temperature of 6 degrees Celsius . We have purposely used a bad set up to see what the system can do.
However we feel that by using the manufacturers own under film insulation and vapour barrier the system would give much better results which we will be using in the future and have included in the kits we are putting together. Also the use of 100 ah lithium iron phosphate battery and solar would allow much better power delivery and would allow the heating film to warm up quicker and also be run longer which would result in just over 9 hours of heating without charging more if the temperature was turned down therefore the heating could be left on overnight. This would help prevent condensation and damp occurring and you would have warm feet in the morning!
We have also sourced a Digital timer which is identical to the temperature controller and will also handle 20 AMPs which is an optional extra and also a two output controller which basically has two controllers in one both rated at 16A so 32 in total this can also be used to control 2 separate zones either at different temperatures or run at the same temp. We are also going to be stocking the correct transformer for the system which would allow hook up either when travelling or at home in storage. By using these various additional controllers one would have the option to expand the existing system and have a lot more control. It can be programmed when it is coldest and slowly warm the van for when you wake up thus conserving the battery life.
Please note that the heating system like any underfloor heating system will not provide any noticeable radiant heat feeling such as that say for instance an open fire would. It is an infrared heater not a blown air heater and so it does not heat the air per say but objects or people which will eventually heat the air, an air heater will heat the air which then in turn heats objects or people.
It will never heat a van quickly the way a Propex or diesel heater will, as they are not designed that way and would not have the wattage a propex or diesel heater would produce.. The system however would work as a perfect compliment to a blown air heater to maintain the temperature overnight after using the blown air to preheat the van. It would be especially useful in stealth camping situations or to use when you are not near the van.
We think that this would be a perfect compliment to a good solar system utilising a minimum of 100ah of lithium with 200AH and driving you could potentially leave the system on all the time in the winter.
It is not as slow to heat as an underfloor heating system in a house, but kindo of works on the same principle: a slow build up of heat. From testing we can see temperatures rise by approx. 0.1 of a degree per minute although varies on the temperature and also the state of your power supply and the amps it is supplying when the van is running or with a fresh battery the temperature will rise quickly with a tired battery or a low power supply the temperature can often be held at approx 16 degrees. When sitting in the van it just doesn’t feel cold and you can feel the heat through your shoes. However you can get the feeling from the warm floor from touching it with your hand or sitting or kneeling on it. I recently knelt down on it when it was 20 degrees and my knees where warmed
We are continuing to test the system. We will work with various setups like more insulation, a better power supply etc and will post regular updates once we have more live data. For paid up Syncronauts, you are all paid up members arent you??? We would like to offer a special discount for Syncronauts, because we are nice like that and also wish for other people to test the set up and get additional feedback. Thus we are giving a preliminary discount of 10% for Syncronaut pre orders on all items and kits use coupon code underfloorsyncro thanks Paul