Page 1 of 6
Night heater - Advice please
Posted: 16 Sep 2009, 13:39
by 72BUG
Hi all.
Another newbie question. Please forgive me if this has been covered before.
I've just bought my first T25 and with it being so late in the season I don't want to stop using her just cuz t'weathers turning a bit nippy.
I wondered if someone could give me some advice on some sort of night heating.
I've been looking on eBay at propex heaters and second hand ones seem to go for £250 plus. Same with Erbespacher petrol and diesel ones. Is this the going rate for these kind of things? This is a bit rich for me at the minute as I'm trying to squeeze together enough cash for an LPG conversion.
I have a good leisure battery on the vehicle but as far as I'm aware electric heaters would use way too much juice.
So being new to the whole camping scene are there any other (preferably less expensive) options that I'm not aware of (other than 3 jumpers and a hat) or does any kind soul out there have a used night heater they can let me have at a reasonable price. Also how much of a job is it to fit (propex / erbespacher and the like) night heaters.
Fanks!
Martin
Re: Night heater - Advice please
Posted: 16 Sep 2009, 13:45
by Ian Hulley
Looking at your avatar you appear to have bought a van where they omitted the heating system therefore it'll be a petrol. So, either a Propex or a diesel Eberspacher will be the order of the day. I have a diesel Eber (cos I get red diesel for nowt through werk) which makes it cheap

and very warm and reliable.
If however you're having a top notch lpg system fitted including leisure offtake then a Propex may be the kiddie for you .... can't comment on them though as I've never had one, plenty of chums have though.
Fitting them's not rocket science but then again some hard-of-thinking folk couldn't pick their nose with a 243 page user's guide.
Welcome to the club btw
Ian
Re: Night heater - Advice please
Posted: 16 Sep 2009, 13:48
by 72BUG
Ian Hulley wrote:Looking at your avatar you appear to have bought a van where they omitted the heating system therefore it'll be a petrol. So, either a Propex or a diesel Eberspacher will be the order of the day. I have a diesel Eber (cos I get red diesel for nowt through werk) which makes it cheap

and very warm and reliable.
If however you're having a top notch lpg system fitted including leisure offtake then a Propex may be the kiddie for you .... can't comment on them though as I've never had one, plenty of chums have though.
Fitting them's not rocket science but then again some hard-of-thinking folk couldn't pick their ass with a 243 page user's guide.
Welcome to the club btw
Ian
Thanks Ian.
Yeah forgot to say, it's a 2ltr Aircooled '82 if that makes any difference.
Re: Night heater - Advice please
Posted: 16 Sep 2009, 13:51
by Ian Hulley
72BUG82T25 wrote: Yeah forgot to say, it's a 2ltr Aircooled '82 if that makes any difference.
If it was a d****l you could have tapped into the fuel line to feed the eber therefore there's no need to cunningly fashion a second fuel tank from a roll of sticky-back plastic and a pair of Val's old knickers
Ian.
Re: Night heater - Advice please
Posted: 16 Sep 2009, 13:53
by BaaaadSlider
we run a 2ltr Aircooled petrol camper (now runs on lpg) and we had a diesal eber fitted so the diesal can sits in the spare wheel under the front and it blows hot air into the cab

Re: Night heater - Advice please
Posted: 16 Sep 2009, 13:57
by ozzy
i have a small gas heater for wild camps and on site i have a small oil radiator from BnQ or a fan heater.
Re: Night heater - Advice please
Posted: 16 Sep 2009, 13:59
by 72BUG
billybaby25 wrote:we run a 2ltr Aircooled petrol camper (now runs on lpg) and we had a diesal eber fitted so the diesal can sits in the spare wheel under the front and it blows hot air into the cab

Ooh toasty! Sounds like heaven.
How much should I expect to pay for one of these? Is £250 ish about right for a second hand one? If so, jumpers and socks are much cheaper.
Re: Night heater - Advice please
Posted: 16 Sep 2009, 14:03
by Ian Hulley
* Small gas heater not to be recommended in the event of you having children, animals, combustible materials and/or having no CO alarm in your van.
Life's too short without actively seeking to make it any shorter.
Ian
Re: Night heater - Advice please
Posted: 16 Sep 2009, 14:03
by 72BUG
ozzy wrote:i have a small gas heater for wild camps and on site i have a small oil radiator from BnQ or a fan heater.
I take it you mean 240v heaters? Not really an option as I'm only on 12v. I could fit a zig but I don't want to be tied to having to use sites with electric hook ups. I'm more of an in the sand dunes kiddie.
As for gas heaters. If I used one of them in a closed van, wouldn't I die?

Re: Night heater - Advice please
Posted: 16 Sep 2009, 14:04
by BaaaadSlider
72BUG82T25 wrote:billybaby25 wrote:we run a 2ltr Aircooled petrol camper (now runs on lpg) and we had a diesal eber fitted so the diesal can sits in the spare wheel under the front and it blows hot air into the cab

Ooh toasty! Sounds like heaven.
How much should I expect to pay for one of these? Is £250 ish about right for a second hand one? If so, jumpers and socks are much cheaper.
yes we paid about £250 for ours that seems to be the going rate as apposed to £800 new
Re: Night heater - Advice please
Posted: 16 Sep 2009, 14:15
by Ian Hulley
72BUG82T25 wrote: As for gas heaters. If I used one of them in a closed van, wouldn't I die?
In a word ......
Ian

Re: Night heater - Advice please
Posted: 16 Sep 2009, 14:23
by Mocki
heat isnt cheap ole bud!
ebbers are more expensive to buy than propex, but much cheaper to run. Unless you buy a leisure tank for the lpg, you will be paying about £15 per 5 nights heating, as opposed to about £4 for 8 nights with a derv ebber at pump prices .
there is no cheap way to have self contained heat safely.
Re: Night heater - Advice please
Posted: 16 Sep 2009, 14:24
by scampi and chips
Please be aware if you do buy an eber or such like there may be other things you need to buy too, ie. I have just had to spend nearly £100 on exhausts, silencers, fuel pipes, outlet vents etc. (some of this expense was a case of prevention rather than cure, new fuel pipes for instance)
Not wishing to put you off, just thought I'd let you think about the extras needed, not just a case of buying the unit itself, unless you drop lucky and find someone selling the whole kit.
Re: Night heater - Advice please
Posted: 16 Sep 2009, 14:30
by ozzy
Ian Hulley wrote:72BUG82T25 wrote: As for gas heaters. If I used one of them in a closed van, wouldn't I die?
In a word ......
Ian

dont leave it on at night just when ur sittin in the van good quilt at night is all i need
Re: Night heater - Advice please
Posted: 16 Sep 2009, 14:33
by 72BUG
scampi and chips wrote:Please be aware if you do buy an eber or such like there may be other things you need to buy too, ie. I have just had to spend nearly £100 on exhausts, silencers, fuel pipes, outlet vents etc. (some of this expense was a case of prevention rather than cure, new fuel pipes for instance)
Not wishing to put you off, just thought I'd let you think about the extras needed, not just a case of buying the unit itself, unless you drop lucky and find someone selling the whole kit.
Thanks for the advice. I had noticed that some were for the whole kit whilst others were for the heater unit only. Although they all seem to go for about the same amount
