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Bus Discussion => Bus Topics ( click here for quick start! ) => Topic started by: Scott & Heather on January 11, 2021, 04:09:28 AM
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Haven’t been on here much lately. Just trying to survive a complete collapse of my career thanks to lockdowns which appear to have done nothing at all to stop the virus but have most definitely destroyed all of the momentum in my 12 year music career. Ok enough about that.
We are in Michigan this winter where I have at least some work. I’ve always heated the coach with a few space heaters and tossed one in the plumbing bay too so pipes wouldn’t freeze. This works but results in a huge monthly electric bill and honestly managing three or four space heaters with kids turning them up and me turning them down...it just became pesky. So I finally drank the kool aid and bought a Chinese Diesel Heater. Took me a solid day to install in my front luggage bay, and ducted it throughout the coach. I’ve been running it for about a week now with zero issues and wonderful dry even heat. It keeps us at 75°F when the temp is 19°F. But I do have a feeling that it won’t keep up once temps fall to the single digits. Thinking of buying a second unit to add some BTU. But for anyone wanting to do this, it’s worked for me. Time will tell on the longevity of these cheapo units. But I could buy ten of them before I was out the money for one Webasto or Eberspacher.
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@Scott&Heather
Sorry about your misfortune. I have followed your posts and am confident you will make a comeback. IMO
10-4 on the Chinese Diesel Heater install.
I know several avid busnuts who use them with great results and for the prices they sell for - why not?
We just bid on two identical units so one can keep the other running in emergency.
Keep us posted as yours is in real needed action!
Good luck and keep the faith...
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Up here around Calgary, you often see diesel boiler heaters on Market place. I bought a used Webasto Thermo Top C, 17,000 btu. They are used in transport trucks for cab and engine pre-heat. I plumbed it inline with the coolant hose to the front driver defroster. It heats my baggage bays, the dash heat, and the engine. Works like a hot damn. It just needed a good clean and a tune up. And reliable too...
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Haven’t been on here much lately. Just trying to survive a complete collapse of my career thanks to lockdowns which appear to have done nothing at all to stop the virus but have most definitely destroyed all of the momentum in my 12 year music career. Ok enough about that.
We are in Michigan this winter where I have at least some work. I’ve always heated the coach with a few space heaters and tossed one in the plumbing bay too so pipes wouldn’t freeze. This works but results in a huge monthly electric bill and honestly managing three or four space heaters with kids turning them up and me turning them down...it just became pesky. So I finally drank the kool aid and bought a Chinese Diesel Heater. Took me a solid day to install in my front luggage bay, and ducted it throughout the coach. I’ve been running it for about a week now with zero issues and wonderful dry even heat. It keeps us at 75°F when the temp is 19°F. But I do have a feeling that it won’t keep up once temps fall to the single digits. Thinking of buying a second unit to add some BTU. But for anyone wanting to do this, it’s worked for me. Time will tell on the longevity of these cheapo units. But I could buy ten of them before I was out the money for one Webasto or Eberspacher.
They are a low cost alternative and you are right you can replace 10 of those for the price of a new major brand boiler plus they are made to throw away went they fail,they cost less than you can have a tune up done on a AquaHot,I saw those for under 75 bucks in Texas the guy would take 50 bucks if you purchased a lot of 5
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The only concern I'd have with those units is safety. Things like proper insulation, spacing, etc.
Are you able to compare to an Espar in that regard? I watched a video from a truck guy comparing them but he didn't get into the safety aspect.
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Scott installed in the bay I wouldn't install one in a confined space or inside the bus like I saw people do
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One can build a safety net around it the way it's contained or mounted.
At least they're combustible fired & not flammable.
I get nervous when I see the word gasoline in their literature!
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Here's a side-by-side comparison: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cIWUD-OM4A&t=3s
The Chinese one he's got is supposed to be a gasoline model, but apparently it only runs on diesel.
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I'd add a few extra toxic fume alarms. Easy to think that cheap crap could easily leak out diesel related fumes into the cabin.
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The same author of that video has another on one of the 1st Chinese air/water heater. In the UK sells for $350. Don't see them on line here yet. Then he has another video of a place in UK that has an attachment that goes on the hot air out on the cheap air heater to heat & pump hot water. Pretty cool stuff for really cheap.
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I bought 2, installed one. Keeping the second as a hot spare. In my poorly insulated coach, nothing like yours, our single one has kept it 60+ into the single digits. My family seems to prefer to sleep cold so it’s no issue.
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I run one in my race trailer. Works great (when I actrually get to use the trailer) and ordered another one for the bus. 2 caveates ...
the controlers are not very good but spares controller panels are available separately
and
I run mine on kerosene when in a group - less smoke/fumes - cleaner burning. If you utilize the tank that comes with it, run a gallon of lerosene through it one in a while to clean out the burner chamber.
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Up here around Calgary, you often see diesel boiler heaters on Market place. I bought a used Webasto Thermo Top C, 17,000 btu. ...
I'd be inclined to shop at a large truck wrecking yard and harvest something like this. Sure used but first grade quality used is a better deal than the cheapo china units.
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Maybe, but those Webastos are a major pita from all the posts with issues over the years. And expensive. At the price, even I might consider one or a few instead of propane.
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The Eiberspacher in my 102DL3 is rated over 80,000 btu and came with the bus as OEM equipment. Pretty common for any northern D series of that era so they should be available. I know of at least one person scrapping out a bus that has one. Mine fired right up and works fine, is clean inside. I can't see it costing all that much to buy one in good condition.
Jim
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Webasto burners give good service if you maintain them. Just like anything else. You can't expect it to run forever without good regular service. Or else you go from one break down to the next...
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We had a Webasto in our first bus a few years ago, and it was there since the 90s when the conversion was done. It hadn't been maintained in at least a few years, but it was possible to get it up and running without too much effort. As said, doing the annual maintenance is required for reliability.
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Webasto is better quality as evidence by the teardown comparison video. Whatever faults the Webastos have, one would think the China units made so much poorer can only experience far more issues.
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I think the Pro/Heat used in the Oasis systems are less stressful than a Webastos not near as touchy since it not a high pressure fuel system.I have the later model Aqua/Hot in the coach it seems to be better than the older Aqua/Hot no problems yet except the check valves Aqua/Hot mounted wrong but that was no biggie
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I 2nd the pro/heat unit as this is the 2nd one for me the 1st one was in the MCI and I never had any problems with it in the 10 years I had the coach and I hate to say it but I never did any service on it zero
the aqua hot I HAD IN THE CURENT COACH WAS SUCH A PAIN IN THE @$# I removed it and gave it away for $180 and replaced it with the pro/heat . zero problems with the pro/heat
dave