Club 80-90 Forums

not really sure where to post this idea but as there is a heating system in my syncro and jed has an ebber heating vid in his gallery, i thought here might get more notice. i have a TRAUMA e1800 gas system in my westy (petrol) which has died i think, so while nobody is using heating as its summer i thought now might a good time to sort it for less dosh. i have seen a few WEBASTO TOP heaters which i think are car water system heaters??? if this is so, would it be realistic to use one of these as i have a rear heater system already under the rear seat aswell as the TRAUMA which takes up space. if i fit somewhere a little diesel tank could this provide heat using the dash controled blower switch.....or is ths just STUPID????

Interesting idea, do those engine pre-heaters get hot enough?

What's "dead" with your Truma?
They are usually quite fixable and are much sought after over here.

Titus A Duxass wrote:Interesting idea, do those engine pre-heaters get hot enough?

What's "dead" with your Truma?
They are usually quite fixable and are much sought after over here.

i really don't know but it sounds like they'd do the job heatwise, no idea about power or fuel demands though??. the trauma though just does nothing...and i thought that they wewr supposed to be a bit pants!!!????

They work very well, but as they turn on your car heater fans, they drain the battery pretty quick, which is why people fit blown air ones. The water ones are more suited for warming the engine or plumbing into a hot water system.
You can fit a seperate heater matrix and use a computer fan, but it will probably cost more than an air one to fit

lloydy wrote:They work very well, but as they turn on your car heater fans, they drain the battery pretty quick, which is why people fit blown air ones. The water ones are more suited for warming the engine or plumbing into a hot water system.
You can fit a seperate heater matrix and use a computer fan, but it will probably cost more than an air one to fit

ahh well ...just an idea..thanks i guess thats why nobody else has done it!

Yeh, I looked at it myself. Read guzzi's thread, he fitted one. Very nice, but big bucks and a lot of mucking about

whilst on the subject...i couldn't help but notice the the ebber's sound like a distant 747 hitting the runway!! are they really that noisey all the time???

No, just when first start up. Sounds louder outside too

lloydy wrote:No, just when first start up. Sounds louder outside too

did wonder how poeple slept with that scream in the van!!

The Factory fitted auxillary heaters (bbw46) which both pre heat the engine, and heat the interior. Mine has this fitted with a Thermo Top C. When it is running there is just a gentle hum, and you can balance the heat in the van front to rear with the blower motors both ends. In the winter I fire it up half hour before I need the van and she is just out of the white cold zone on the temp gauge, and the oil warms up nice and quick, and she is nice and warm inside. I have fitted digital speed controller on the rear heater matrix so that it does not consume too much juice from the batteries, and both front and rear blowers work from the leisure batteries via a relay when the engine is not running.

The thermo top C is standard fitment on many cars particularly diesels that take longer to warm up. Most modern cars will have a winter pack which includes a button on the dash for maximum defrost, this will fire up a thermo top c or similar to get heat straight to the interior.

They work very well, but putting the kettle on or cooking some drop scones warms up the interior for much less money.

thanks for all that input..not sure i fancy sleeping with the stove going much!....so are you saying that the system that heats the engine water system to get heat from the regular heater system IS not such a stupid idea and quite feasable .and the leisure batt would hold up????

KINGPRAWN wrote:....so are you saying that the system that heats the engine water system to get heat from the regular heater system IS not such a stupid idea and quite feasable .and the leisure batt would hold up????

It was the only system fitted by VW to the later T3's, and is excellent. It does not heat up as quick as an Airtronic, and probably uses more fuel as you are heating the engine. The alternative is to not heat the engine and just the heating circuit via a one way valve setup.

I have never thought about using the heater overnight, and just switch it on in the morning when you first wake.