Gas v diesel heating

[Soycd]

I think a lot depends what you are after and what sort of motorhoming you do. For me it's the convenience of not having to think about getting more gas and changing bottles etc. Our current van came with Webasto fitted so it's a no brainer. Got a small bottle of gas for hot water/cooking and if that runs out I'll find a campsite and go out to eat.

 

[Soycd]

I assume martin was talking about the power needed to run it, ie electric, diesel heaters need a lot of power to get them going so if you have a low battery level you won't have any heating either!

Good point. I always make sure its running whilst travelling to avoid any start up issues.

 

[Lenny HB]

My propex gas heater it’s noisier than a Chinese heater. After the initial start up, the diesel heater it’s quieter.

Propex normally only found in self builds so not very common, Truma's are generally nice and quite.

 

[dash300]

Well the Eberspacher never bothers us on the boat so will be interested to see if the same holds true when the PVC arrives.
The diesel boiler at home is noisy outside but then again it's a substantially bigger piece of kit.

 

[vanVhome]

Interesting thread Allybob. My PVC on order now has the option of a truma diesel/electric boiler for an extra £500, rather then the standard truma gas/electric. It comes with the underslung gas tank as standard on both options.

Do the diesel boilers smell?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Soycd]

Interesting thread Allybob. My PVC on order now has the option of a truma diesel/electric boiler for an extra £500, rather then the standard truma gas/electric. It comes with the underslung gas tank as standard on both options.

Do the diesel boilers smell?

There can be a little bit of exhaust smell on start up but that soon goes. Never noticed it in the van though. £500 sounds good. I think a lot of others are around an extras £1000 ish. if you don't mind me asking what make PVC are you getting?

 

[Two on Tour]

As our Whale gas/electric heater was so poor and noisy I installed a Lavana diesel heater and an Afterburner controller which allows me to control the diesel heater via the controller itself, or via the internet on my phone or laptop, etc.
This gives me a lot more options not available on either an Eberspacher, Webasto,. or standard Chinese diesel heater.

 

[SpeedyDux]

Gas heating can be very noisy, we were parked up next to a Rapido a couple of nights ago, and it would have been quieter parked up at the end of a Heathrow runway.

Never had any issues with gas heating being noisy, sometimes a bit louder at first whilst it's getting up to temperature but not noisy, diesel on the other hand can sound like the Red Arrows are taking off all at once!

It helps distract from the whoosh-bangs.

 

[Lyrick]

We have a Truma 6kw diesel/electric heater in our motorhome and the only thing I can hear when it's running is the pump ticking.

 

[Lenny HB]

It helps distract from the whoosh-bangs.

At a wild spot in spain a whoosh bang arrived not content with slamming their door constantly at 11:45 pm their jet engine started up that was a manufacturer fitted one.
Another place on the same trip a neumatic road drill started up near us that was a DIY job on a Knus CB.
Never really noticed diesel heater noise before in all our Motorhoming years but a bad install makes up for a hundred good ones.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[SpeedyDux]

At a wild spot in spain a whoosh bang arrived not content with slamming their door constantly at 11:45 pm their jet engine started up that was a manufacturer fitted one.
Another place on the same trip a neumatic road drill started up near us that was a DIY job on a Knus CB.
Never really noticed diesel heater noise before in all our Motorhoming years but a bad install makes up for a hundred good ones.

It wasn't me, honest ..

 

[Allybob]

I think a lot depends what you are after and what sort of motorhoming you do. For me it's the convenience of not having to think about getting more gas and changing bottles etc. Our current van came with Webasto fitted so it's a no brainer. Got a small bottle of gas for hot water/cooking and if that runs out I'll find a campsite and go out to eat.

We've had both before and currently have Webasto. I must say we've had no problems so are probably happy to go with diesel again. Our van's getting on a bit so we're a little out of touch with current thinking.

 

[ALI G]

Interesting thread Allybob. My PVC on order now has the option of a truma diesel/electric boiler for an extra £500, rather then the standard truma gas/electric. It comes with the underslung gas tank as standard on both options.

Do the diesel boilers smell?

I also have Consort pvc on order hopefully not too long now as it's nearly a year since ordering and are in two mind's whether to opt for the Truma diesel combi after having a very unreliable Webasto combi diesel heater in a pvc.Took it out and fitted a Truma combi 4 e so bit reluctant to fit another but I think the Truma 6d set up is different. Will speak to Scot about it at Lincoln show at the weekend.

 

[busby]

Did you mean diesel? Sounds like a dodgy heating system if diesel?

Tens of thousands of trucks use diesel heaters worldwide..BUSBY.

 

[Allybob]

I also have Consort pvc on order hopefully not too long now as it's nearly a year since ordering and are in two mind's whether to opt for the Truma diesel combi after having a very unreliable Webasto combi diesel heater in a pvc.Took it out and fitted a Truma combi 4 e so bit reluctant to fit another but I think the Truma 6d set up is different. Will speak to Scot about it at Lincoln show at the weekend.

Does the Consort have an underslung gas tank? We're thinking if we heat with diesel we won't need a large amount of gas. We have an assortment of electric cooking devices for on hook up.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[ALI G]

Does the Consort have an underslung gas tank? We're thinking if we heat with diesel we won't need a large amount of gas. We have an assortment of electric cooking devices for on hook up.

Yes 25ltr underslung tank.

 

[Soycd]

Tens of thousands of trucks use diesel heaters worldwide..BUSBY.

I know. I was asking Two on Two if it was a a noisy gas heating system they heard or diesel. Gas heating doesn't normally make a lot of noise so I was curious.

 

[Basildog]

No problem with gas all moden vans have crash sensor regulators & anti rupture hoses or bottles.
No need to change bottle with re-fillables, just as easy as putting diesel in & less smelly.

Actually the vast majority of new Motorhomes and van conversions have standard gas regulators still.
Not many manufacturers fit the Crash safe regulators.

 

[Two on Tour]

I know. I was asking Two on Two if it was a a noisy gas heating system they heard or diesel. Gas heating doesn't normally make a lot of noise so I was curious.

Sorry, I missed your question.
The factory fitted Whale heater in our van is a re-badged version of the Propex HS2000E gas/mains heater.
The problem for us with this heater is very rudimentary and is either off or on full blast and does not have a variable fan speed and is very loud in the van and the heat output is abysmal.
We found that we could not have the Whale heater on at night, as when it fired up it would wake us up every time it came on.
By fitting a diesel heater it can stay on all night on a low heat setting and we sleep peacefully, and if required it can blast out and a good amount of heat.

 

[Billy192]

i have had both, personally i prefer LPG underslung truma. when i had a Diesel it was quite loud and the a smell of diesel early in the morn was brill. I think if you buy a decent one there is not much in it. Furthermore I have never had trouble getting LPG

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Lenny HB]

Actually the vast majority of new Motorhomes and van conversions have standard gas regulators still.
Not many manufacturers fit the Crash safe regulators.

Yep I'm wrong there. I always order the C remote change over & tend to think its standard. Now thinking about it the standard fit on most German Vans is a bottle top regulator.

 

[Soycd]

Sorry, I missed your question.
The factory fitted Whale heater in our van is a re-badged version of the Propex HS2000E gas/mains heater.
The problem for us with this heater is very rudimentary and is either off or on full blast and does not have a variable fan speed and is very loud in the van and the heat output is abysmal.
We found that we could not have the Whale heater on at night, as when it fired up it would wake us up every time it came on.
By fitting a diesel heater it can stay on all night on a low heat setting and we sleep peacefully, and if required it can blast out and a good amount of heat.

Thanks for clarification! We tend to do the same ref. over night.

 

[Basildog]

Yep I'm wrong there. I always order the C remote change over & tend to think its standard. Now thinking about it the standard fit on most German Vans is a bottle top regulator.

Yes for some strange reason the British manufacturers don’t ever use bottle mounted regulators, in fact they are almost impossible to find in the U.K. .
That is proper leisure vehicle ,bottle mounted regulators of the correct 30mbar and capacity of maximum 1.5 kg/h ,twin stage with over pressure protection built in .

 

[vanVhome]

There can be a little bit of exhaust smell on start up but that soon goes. Never noticed it in the van though. £500 sounds good. I think a lot of others are around an extras £1000 ish. if you don't mind me asking what make PVC are you getting?

Consort Olso

 

[vanVhome]

I also have Consort pvc on order hopefully not too long now as it's nearly a year since ordering and are in two mind's whether to opt for the Truma diesel combi after having a very unreliable Webasto combi diesel heater in a pvc.Took it out and fitted a Truma combi 4 e so bit reluctant to fit another but I think the Truma 6d set up is different. Will speak to Scot about it at Lincoln show at the weekend.

Let us know your thoughts after speaking to Scot

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[mitzimad]

Are there really reductions though? We've not lost any LPG places that I can think of and even managed to get it in the Republic of Ireland which has always been a hard place to find it.


The ONLY gas appliance that should be able to produce condensation in a van is a hob, nothing from any other gas appliance should be able to enter the interior.

most ovens vent into the van

 

[Lenny HB]

most ovens vent into the van

Had 3 vans with ovens all vented through the roof. New van on order didn't have an oven because it wasn't vented.

 

[ALI G]

Let us know your thoughts after speaking to Scot

Will do..