Yet another diesel heater install

[Don Jaksa]

I pulled the old blast-furnace out


I strategically cut a 4" hole into the outside rail between frame and outer skin


From underneath


Unit sits nice and square

Air intake in the back, output to the cabin side
I built a hi-flow plenum to distribute the heat
The heater only feeds the two aisle heater vents for now

The unit will be boxed in...but accessible

The supplied tank is mounted for the test and could be relocated

I have this alternate dragster tank that could be mounted in the propane compartment


I am also considering this 2.5 electric water heater in the space


I am ready to connect everything, get a yellow diesel fuel can and some diesel, hook up a nice battery and see if this thing can do the job SAFELY

 

[pvfjr]

Looks like a nice, compact and tidy install.
How hard will it be to maintain the unit? I've read they often need soot cleaning or ignitor replacements, which require substantial disassembly. I think it's worth it, but I'll have to take that into account when I do my install. I think I'll want to have the reservoir in the generator compartment too. Then I can fill it straight from the station pump. My wife is extremely diesel-averse too. One little drip in the interior and I'd never hear the end of it.

 

[tmsnyder]

Looks like a nice, compact and tidy install.
How hard will it be to maintain the unit? I've read they often need soot cleaning or ignitor replacements, which require substantial disassembly. I think it's worth it, but I'll have to take that into account when I do my install. I think I'll want to have the reservoir in the generator compartment too. Then I can fill it straight from the station pump. My wife is extremely diesel-averse too. One little drip in the interior and I'd never hear the end of it.

There's a diesel heater Facebook group, my understanding is they only coke up if people try to burn used motor oil or have restrictively long exhausts or air intakes.

For as much as we use them it should never be a problem.

One good thing about mounting the tank remotely is the noise from the pump can be moved somewhere on the coach to minimize the effect.

The fuel comes up through the bottom anyway so it might as well be coming from a tank somewhere else on the coach.

 

[tmsnyder]

I pulled the old blast-furnace out
View attachment 17440View attachment 17441View attachment 17442View attachment 17450

I strategically cut a 4" hole into the outside rail between frame and outer skin
View attachment 17443View attachment 17444View attachment 17448

Unit sits nice and square
View attachment 17445
Air intake in the back, output to the cabin side
I built a hi-flow plenum to distribute the heat
The heater only feeds the two aisle heater vents for now

The unit will be boxed in...but accessible
View attachment 17446
The supplied tank is mounted for the test and could be relocated

I have this alternate dragster tank that could be mounted in the propane compartment
View attachment 17449

I am also considering this 2.5 electric water heater in the space
View attachment 17447

I am ready to connect everything, get a yellow diesel fuel can and some diesel, hook up a nice battery and see if this thing can do the job SAFELY

Cool install!!

 

[pvfjr]

There's a diesel heater Facebook group, my understanding is they only coke up if people try to burn used motor oil or have restrictively long exhausts or air intakes.

I've also read of accounts of people having them coke up just burning diesel, but they tended to burn them low and slow for long periods. Some were saying burning on high for 30 minutes at the end solved their problems.

 

[tmsnyder]

I've also read of accounts of people having them coke up just burning diesel, but they tended to burn them low and slow for long periods. Some were saying burning on high for 30 minutes at the end solved their problems.

Or killing them by switching off the power instead of letting them run through their cool-down cycle

 

[Don Jaksa]

Final install:

Here is the underside of the heater


Exhaust run:






The old port is closed:


The heater compartment:


Now to wire it up...

I had some loom and plastic conduit lying around...


Ran the control box connection to the top of the fuel tank

 

[Don Jaksa]

Thermal protection:

The hottest parts get special heat shielding on the top, bottom and front of the heater box



Tucks away pretty good


I put in front and back stops


To access the heater just pull up this flush-mount ring

 

[RvRev2]

Thermal protection:

The hottest parts get special heat shielding on the top, bottom and front of the heater box
View attachment 17613
View attachment 17614

Tucks away pretty good
View attachment 17609

I put in front and back stops
View attachment 17610

To access the heater just pull up this flush-mount ring
View attachment 17611

Very clean install.

 

[dsmithy]

Nicely done Don! How many hours will you get from that tank?

 

[Don Jaksa]

Installed the diesel heater control panel



Door closed

I decided to move the diesel fuel tank outside the coach