Wabasco or espar diesel heaters
Hello everyone, new guy here. I’m in the early stages of planning my truck and tc purchase. I pivoted slightly from planning a van conversion build to the TC as we plan to explore more remote locat...
Forum Discussion
Tlhfirelion wrote:
You touched on something that had crossed my mind. Thats the storage space I could get my removing the furnace and duct work if/when replacing the furnace with the diesel heater. I do not know yet if I could (or would want too) have a camper made without a furnace or stove with the intention adding a convection cook top and diesel heater. Also, what companies that allow you to build your own camper would allow you to delete such options and if/how that would affect a warranty. Thank you for your reply.
I'm not sure which builders would allow leaving the furnace and water heater out. You could replace them with storage doors, but if ordering new it would be better to have a proper storage compartment there. If you are going to use a forced air diesel heater like the Espar or Webasto, far better to have them install the ductwork for it, this would not be easy on a built unit. Also, you'd want the hot water lines run if you are going to have running hot water. Beyond warrantee, there is resale value to consider.
You might want to look at the Wallas products. These are used in boats and also RVs in Europe. They make forced air heaters (and these are more power efficient than the Webasto or Espar) but they also make a diesel fired cooktop which doubles as a small heater. The heat output is modest (6000 btu) but enough for a small 3 season camper. It is externally vented so no fumes or moisture issues. Doesn't heat domestic water though. And pricey.
Both Webasto and Espar make small diesel fired hydronic heaters which take little space. Be aware though, that the whole system required gets complicated and takes more space and power than you might think. There is a header tank for diesel, a header tank for coolant, a circulation pump, heat exchangers for air and domestic hot water, a domestic hot water storage tank, combustion air intake and exhaust. Makes the simplicity of the Wallas - or normal RV propane stuff - seem more attractive! The forced air Webasto/Espar/Wallas are also simpler.
