Diesel ducted heating v gas ducted heating.<\/p>\n
A topic which produces polar opposite viewpoints in any healthy campground discussion. Unfortunately opinions are often based on “my XYZ <\/em>heater is the best for sure” which is usually supported simply on the basis that they themselves have XYZ<\/em> heater, and not much else.\u00a0\u00a0 As with all vested views no-one wants to admit they got the shit one.<\/p>\n I have a diesel heater, its been great to us and I love it but Ill try my best to stick to the facts.\u00a0 Ill also be sticking to only the brand named units Truma for gas and Eberspacher for diesel.\u00a0\u00a0 You are of course welcome to take the punt on the cheap knock offs, but let me know how they are going after year or so.<\/p>\n The reason I have it a diesel heater, and why I chose the Eberspacher brand over thje other offerings including the cheap knockoffs is important.\u00a0\u00a0 Many years ago we took our first full full bathrrom, full height van on a weekend soire with a large group of friends. \u00a0 The trip was to the middle of Victoria in the middle of a particularly cold Victorian winter.\u00a0\u00a0 I was full of confidence because I “knew”<\/em> that the rooftop aircon would heat the van adequately in any climate.\u00a0\u00a0 I thought it would be particularly opulant to throw in a blow heater to make the bathrrom extra warm.<\/p>\n The weekend was very, very cold at night and the temperature dipped below zero quite early in the evening whilst the crowd of friends stood around a fire drum having a few cordials and a more than a few laughs.<\/p>\n Barb who had earlier returned to the van to cook dinner send our son to summon me urgently. \u00a0 The\u00a0 reverse cycle aircon in our new van had blown a valve, and blew up.\u00a0\u00a0 That’s when I discovered to my absolute horror that reverse cycle aircons all have a temperature point where they can no longer function as a heater and in our particular case that was 3 degrees, which now it was zero that was 3 degrees ago.<\/p>\n Our van temperature plummeted and was it was now almost as cold inside as it was outside.\u00a0\u00a0 We were partially saved by the little blow heater but in our large offroad van that blow heater struggled to keep the van at 16deg, but at least it was better than nothing.<\/p>\n One of the group with a virtually identical also new van had a diesel heater and he sung its praises loudly. \u00a0 I checked it out, gave it a thorough going over and was very very impressed to say the least.\u00a0\u00a0 Their van was so hot<\/em> inside I almost passed out and I was sure the chicken they were having for dinner had cooked itself sitting on the bench.<\/p>\n That was Friday night and by 9.05am on Monday morning I had ordered a diesel heater kit from a local supplier.\u00a0\u00a0 There were cheap knockoffs around back then, but the unit I experienced and was star struck by was the Eberspacher Airtronic 2.2kW, so that is what I got and to be honest its repeatedly proved itself and performed flawlessly.<\/p>\n I had no idea if gas heaters were even around back then but Im certain that would not have effected my choice. \u00a0 With all the diesel and gas heater facts I have today, I’m still not sure I would choose gas over diesel but I believe gas is at least as good an alternative, and in some regards a better option.<\/p>\n Unit costs.<\/strong>\u00a0 With heater unit purchase costs, the ability to research and wheel and deel online the purchase price of a Truma or Eberspacher will likely end up somewhere around the similar price point.\u00a0\u00a0 Sourcing the Eberspacher unit offshore particlualrly from the UK will provide huge savings for relatively little risk.<\/p>\n Installation.<\/strong>\u00a0 Diesel heater installation its mostly plug and play, doesn’t require any licensing or regulatory compliance, and the entire installation is well within the skillset of most handy people.\u00a0\u00a0 Gas heater installation is different in that gas compliance is required so whilst the unit placement and duct work can be done by the handyman, at least some so 3rd party assistance is required for the gas works\u00a0 and that will attract a cost.<\/p>\n Outsourcing the entire heater installation of wither unit will of course add cost to the purchase price, and more so with the gas compliance required for the gas heater.<\/p>\n The diesel heater’s combustion intake and exhaust go vertically through the floor so the heater can be installed almost anywhere.\u00a0\u00a0 The gas unit needs to be flued to an external wall.\u00a0 In addition regulations forbid installation of the flue near a window or door so that may or may not impact the preferred installation location; or may well make installation of a gas heater impossible.<\/p>\n Its important with the gas heater to confirm all gas plumbing and the instal location is compliant and signed off.\u00a0 I know from experience caravan service centres will use unqualified and unskilled staff to do gas plumbing work, which is not only illegal but potentially very dangerous<\/p>\n From an article written by industry supplier Everything Caravans, states that there are a selection of gas heaters on the market overseas which failed muster under Australian compliance which is said to be strict as a result of RV gas heater related deaths. \u00a0 The Truma gas heater is the only gas unit compliant with Aust gas regulations.\u00a0 With our countries generally slow and second rate safety record (Takata airbags for example) that info certainly doesn’t inspire with me with confidence.<\/p>\n Heater repairer Everything Caravans recommend the diesel heater to be a more robust when it comes to use in offroad vans, but I suspect that would mean hard core offroad<\/p>\n Running.<\/strong> Much like a house ducted heater, the gas heater when running is either on or off which is one of my personal dislikes; ie it comes on at maximum output until the preset is reach and then it switches off until the temperature drops by a predetermined amount, in the case of the Truma 2400 thats 4 degrees.\u00a0\u00a0 That has been addressed in less than complete manner with the current model having a half output setting.<\/p>\n By comparison the diesel unit varies its output automatically dependent on demand.\u00a0\u00a0 The diesel unit comes on at maximum output and reducing automatically to a silent low once it reaches the preset temperature.\u00a0 The diesel heater remains on low until its switched off, or the ambient temperature rises above the preset such as naturally with morning sunshine.<\/p>\n The diesel heater is fed diesel by a dose pump, which makes a ticking sound. The dose pump provides a constant and precise “dose” of fuel at each tick dependent on demand; ie the dose volume remains constant, but the frequency increases and decreases to match demand … and this is one of the favourite criticisms of diesel heaters.\u00a0 The dose pump audibly ticks each time it pumps a dose to the heater, much like a loudish clock.\u00a0 The pump can dose up to twice a second at maximum output, and down to every 2 seconds or so when the heater is on low ….. but it ticks, and it ticks, and it ticks, and it relentlessly ticks.<\/p>\n These are audio recordings of our diesel heater in various proximities and stages of operation.\u00a0\u00a0 Aside from the dose pump in the quiet of night whilst in bed, you wont hear much of this action from inside the van … but the neighbours might<\/p>\n\n