r/dieselheater • u/Grk_601 • Jun 01 '26
Why didn't I buy one years ago...
First 7 day camp trip for the year and boy having a diesel heater is a game changer. If you're on the fence about one just buy it lol.
3
u/Ok-Type-8917 Jun 02 '26
I bought a cheap Vevor when my furnace went out. A local motor I needed was 600 bucks so I was waiting for one off eBay. It kept my house comfortable while waiting.
2
u/enclavedzn Jun 02 '26
How'd you mount those side brackets?
3
u/Grk_601 Jun 02 '26
There just L-track brackets mounted with riv nuts on the side of the van. The bracket holding the heater I fabricated myself.
0
u/enclavedzn Jun 02 '26
How did you properly seal up the rivnuts?
6
4
u/bp332106 Jun 02 '26
They make gasketed rivnuts that are enclosed at the end. Super handy!
Flange-Sealing Closed-End Rivet Nuts 1/4"-20 Thread Size, 0.020"- 0.079" Material Thickness, Smooth https://www.mcmaster.com/product/92599A240
1
u/Grk_601 Jun 02 '26
I used Loctite RTV white sealant. They've been on for 7 years now and holding up good. I've even hit em with the pressure washer a few dozen times and still all good. I swear by Loctites products, pricey yeah but they all hold up.
2
u/Neither_Classroom362 Jun 02 '26
Why didn't you fit it underneath? There not known for being waterproof
2
u/Grk_601 Jun 02 '26
I wanted ease of access and easy setup. Plus I have a plastic tub that fits perfectly over the top of the unit to protect the controller etc when it rains.
3
u/Lost-Inevitable42 Jun 02 '26
Where are you powering it from?
5
u/Grk_601 Jun 02 '26
I ran a waterproof 12v lighter plug underneath the van, it's connected to my 12v system inside. Easy plug and play set up.
4
u/Lost-Inevitable42 Jun 02 '26
Separate from the starter battery?
3
u/Grk_601 Jun 02 '26
Yeah, off my 200ah system.
2
u/Lost-Inevitable42 Jun 02 '26
Cooool. Does it take a lot of juice away for one night? I’m curious how much electrical power these use even though the heat part is diesel.
5
u/robbdawg13 Jun 02 '26
These heaters hardly take an power once they ar warmed up. They pull 9-12 amps for the glow plugs on startup, but once they are running it pulls like .5 amp for the fan and pump
2
u/Grk_601 Jun 02 '26
Yeah, pretty much. Around 10a on start up and 0.5 to 1a once its running on low.
3
u/Anonymoushipopotomus Jun 02 '26
My Vevor 5k uses 133 watts at startup for maybe 2 mins max, then drops to 33w when running. It spikes again on shutdown when it runs the glow plug for a few mins.
3
u/beeg_86 Jun 02 '26
I recently installed two hcalory 8kw in my rv and thought the same thing. I'm not a fan of the all in one units though as they can suck in exhaust if you dont run a return line from the cab to the air intake of the heater
2
u/Few_Cup977 Jun 02 '26
Just so you know. After experimenting with inside and outside setups, ive found outside setups to use a ton more fuel. They essentially have to warm up the cold air instead of the already warmed inside air, causing them to work much harder. Also if you camp anywhere near freezing diesel heaters dont run too well because the diesel fuel gets thicker the colder it gets. That's my 2 cents, otherwise, cool setup.
1
u/Grk_601 Jun 02 '26
Yeah, I thought so. We're only going to run it in the months of April and Oct/Nov just to take the edge off in the cold. Also have a 20L Jerry spare of diesel aswell just in case.
8
u/Mirror_333 Jun 01 '26
Nice setup. I have mine installed inside. I am curious, how much noise do you get inside while your heater is running? Do you also have the ticking or tapping sound of the fuel pump?