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Discussion Starter · #1 ·
Hi Folks -

I was wondering if there was a Webasco/Espar style space heater that used regular gas rather than diesel.

My Transit is the Ecoboost gas engine - would love to add a heater than can tap into the vehicle fuel rather than a propane based heater.

Thanks
Steven
 

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I have an Espar Airtronic B4 going on its second winter and love it. The "B" designation is for the gas fired models and the "D" is for diesel.
 

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Hi Folks -

I was wondering if there was a Webasco/Espar style space heater that used regular gas rather than diesel.

My Transit is the Ecoboost gas engine - would love to add a heater than can tap into the vehicle fuel rather than a propane based heater.

Thanks
Steven
You might want to have a look at this website and then give them a call: http://www.suremarineservice.com
 

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Yep, I've got the webasto just like Atoine. Installed similarly too. It's a fantastic heater. Just got back from a week long camping trip down to the north coast and back. Even in my uninsulated cargo it's fantastic and more than ample even in moderately cold weather. We had quite a few 24-30 degree nights and the front living space area of my medium roof lwb cargo was easily 65 degrees or greater. Only insulation is the interior package coroplast style wall liners and custom insulated window coverings. Bare ceiling and lots of exposed bare metal. Still will probably do a bit of insulation so it's not running continuous all night, but totally sufficient for an uninsulated van in all but the coldest temps.

Even running at full tilt consumption is around 1 gallon every 15 hours or so. My 105ah deep cycle agm house battery is sufficient to run the heater and Engel fridge, plus some interior lighting, USB charging, etc. On the coldest nights running full tilt all night we'd go from about 12.8V to 12.1V over the course of 15+ hours. Most nights (Mid 30s) we only ran down to around 12.3V.

Highly recommended. Drives out moisture, keeps condensation down or non-existent, makes winter camping fun.
 

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They appear to be pretty reliable. Some people have to service the burner periodically—take the heater apart and clean out carbon buildup. But apparently running the heater on high 20 minutes per month helps keep things clean.

They are very serviceable. Every part is replaceable. A new burner is around $80. The most expensive bit that might ever need replacing is the fuel pump. An official one costs ~$240, but I've heard of people using aftermarket ones.

Full repair manual here:
http://webserver.flak.no/vbilder/Airtop%202000ST_vedlikeholdsmanual%20engelsk.pdf

Webasto repair video here:

Pretty straightforward to take apart and service.
 

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The diesel version is more finicky than the gas ones. With the diesel you're supposed to disconnect the fuel line and run it on pure kerosene once or twice a year to clean out the combustion chamber.

There's not as many gas ones out there compared to diesel so I haven't really heard much feedback on routine servicing.

???
 

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Some have installed a separate tank and just run the heater on kerosene.

If I wanted a heater I would consider a Propex propane fueled heater. Suspect that it would be more reliable because propane burns cleaner than diesel. May be quieter because it can be mounted under the van?

http://www.propexheatsource.com/heaters/hs2211-furnace/

So far my quiet reliable 12 volt heating pad has worked well in my application but I have not travel in real cold climates.
 

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Some have installed a separate tank and just run the heater on kerosene.

If I wanted a heater I would consider a Propex propane fueled heater. Suspect that it would be more reliable because propane burns cleaner than diesel. May be quieter because it can be mounted under the van?

http://www.propexheatsource.com/heaters/hs2211-furnace/

So far my quiet reliable 12 volt heating pad has worked well in my application but I have not travel in real cold climates.
I have this Propex heater installed under my van. At some point, I will post some build info on it. Now that you mention it, I should capture some audio so you can hear it. Inside the van, it is not silent, but it is not loud. It is louder outside the van than in. That does present a odd circumstance when you are in a campground where everybody else is camping without heaters. That happened to me recently in Joshua Tree. In the morning, I walked to the campsite across from me and asked them if they could hear my heater. They said no, but they had a fan that drowns out most sounds. I can't speak to reliability as I've only used it maybe 10 times (2 of them were at 5F). The Propex guy at Westy Ventures was nice, patient and shipped quickly. When their website is working, they do mention 2 issues that cause problems, mostly at altitude: fuel contamination and intake and/or exhaust pipes too short.
 

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Discussion Starter · #18 ·
We have the Webasto Air Top 2000 gasoline.

We bought the Webasto over the Espar because the gas version is cheaper.

Here is our installation:
http://faroutride.com/air-heater-installation/

atone -- love your website, lots of great info.

You mention on the Webasto install and then the follow up that it's real noisy - even with the muffler? I'd hate to make a lot of noise pollution at a campsite -- would be good to stay as stealth as possible.
 

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atone -- love your website, lots of great info.

You mention on the Webasto install and then the follow up that it's real noisy - even with the muffler? I'd hate to make a lot of noise pollution at a campsite -- would be good to stay as stealth as possible.
It is still noisy. I would be worried if a tent was set just beside my van on the same site. For neighbour sites, I think it's fine. It is still much less noisy than a generator, A/C or people drinking around a campfire...

We have no regrets going the Webasto way. It produce a nice dry heat and push hot air all over the van.
 

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Discussion Starter · #20 ·
It is still noisy. I would be worried if a tent was set just beside my van on the same site. For neighbour sites, I think it's fine. It is still much less noisy than a generator, A/C or people drinking around a campfire...

We have no regrets going the Webasto way. It produce a nice dry heat and push hot air all over the van.
So, was all the effort you put into quieting the heater (air intake, exhaust muffler, fuel pump) worth the effort?

From your website, it doesn't wound like it made much of a difference.
 
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