Truma or what

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Littleoldman

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Just looking
Hi all, need some advice on what heating and water system. I was originally going to use a Truma for the heating and water but now I'm not sure. Since watching many videos on van builds, so many people are using Eberspacher for the heating and they seem great value, and it might be easier to access diesel than propane. But what system do I look at for the water? For me I have to look at the budget, the Truma is somewhere near £1500 and I'm getting a quote for a fitted gas tank and that will be at least £500. Is it's possible the alternative will be nearer £1000? I will need a source of gas for the cooking whichever system I choose so there will be some cost for that. Are the diesel systems cheaper to run than the Truma? And what about the noise generated by both? I have a bias towards the Truma because it is the only system that I have focused on, but this is new waters for me, and any help and advice is welcome. Thanks
 
Propex malaga for water? And a China ebersp copy from amazon £229 with a year warranty?
 
Thanks morrmorr. Good to have feedback from users of the products.
 
I fitted a Truma for the hot water and a Propex for the warm air heating, also have a fan heater built in for when on electric.
Gromitt was selling a Propex heater, don’t know if it’s been sold yet.
 
Thanks Mikeco, I was told last week that it's a good idea to have 2 different units rather than one so if one stops working you have use of the other. I like the fan heater idea, will definitely do that.

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We’ve got a propex hot water heater for when on ehu, works a treat and Truma gas heater. Apparently you can get the new truma heaters that have both in one unit.
 
Off da grid, thanks, still don't know what to do. Decisions, decisions!
 
morrmorr said:
Propex malaga for water? And a China ebersp copy from amazon £229 with a year warranty?
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I’ve just taken a Malaga out and a Propex? warm air heater out, fitted a Truma.
I preferred the simplicity of the old setup.
Truma should be great........when we get used to it!
 
I'm building a van at the moment as well and I went for the Truma 4E and a underslung LPG tank.
I need gas for cooking so I needed a gas install regardless. I know there are diesel cookers but they are far too expensive for me. However a LPG system is pretty reasonably priced, tidy install saving space with the tank under the van. Has a lot of capacity. You can fill it for small money all across Europe.

Then it was the case of the heater. After having looked around for a while I decided on the Truma combi. I don't have much science behind that other than I really just liked it, I believe in the product. You are also only installing a single appliance rather than a water heater and an air heater. I have a space for the unit in my layout as well.

In the future I might consider adding air con and iNet system to control the thing from my phone, that's cool but hardly necessary. I think what sold me was just that I like the system as a whole. I didn't want to faff with multiple different systems. There may be better options but this one seemed the easiest.
 
We also used a Truma 4e and underslung LPG when we did our self build five and a half years ago. We use the van all year round and have found it keeps us cosy in the coldest months. Typical gas cost is £8-10 per year which also includes cooking.

This month we had our first problem with it but service from Truma was excellent. The main control board was faulty and needed replacing. With the constant thermal cycling and vibration from British roads, I wonder that they last 5 minutes, never mind 5 years!

Good news is that our replacement board is now iNet compatible and we can go digital controls and even internet enabled.

I would not hesitate to use Truma again if I ever did another build - which according to management is very unlikely.

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ericroy said:
We also used a Truma 4e and underslung LPG when we did our self build five and a half years ago.

I would not hesitate to use Truma again if I ever did another build - which according to management is very unlikely.
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Ditto (a 6E for us), and ditto regarding the next build, and ditto regarding the management.
 
Just back from visiting the Motorhome show in Birmingham NEC and spoke in detail to a rep from Truma. I have placed an order with them for the 4E and they now do a kit which includes all the other stuff you need including outlets, water fitting and ducting. While I was there saw a product from Eberspacher which is a complete heating and hot water system and it runs on diesel. It was expensive at £2100 but most of the parts such as the flues and heater is fitted under the van. What ruled it out for me was the extra costs and I have already fitted an LPG tank under the van and wanted to make more use of that than just for the cooker. But if I ever built another (I am enjoying this build so won't rule that out) I think I would seriously look at the Eberspacher. I was in the main disappointed with the Motorhome show. If you want to spend your money buying a van it would have been a great experience, for a humble self builder there was not enough to warrant a visit unless you live close enough to get there and back in a day or your staying there in your van. In my social circle I can't think of many that could splash out tens of thousands or even more on these vans, also I'm suspicious that the build quality is sometimes compromised with large van builders. It's definitely true of volume house builders.
 
It would be better if it were cheaper, the £2100 did not include fitting. It's worth looking Europe wide before you buy.

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Hate diesel heaters! They are noisy and smelly! Have had them on two vans but never again. The exhaust might be on the opposite side to the door but if the wind blows the wrong way, the fumes enter when the door is opened which is a no-no for asthma suffers.
 
The wife has asthma so it's not looking good, luckily I'm going for Truma. In this system the heater and the exhaust are under the van. Do you think this might help? I like the input from people who have experience of different ways of heating the van. It really helps newbie's like me.
 
landscaper said:
Funny how the word “Truma” is so close to “Trauma”!
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Just try and understand the Truma operating controls that came with our van. We still have to think about it every time we turn on the heating/hot water!
Having said that, it does work well. There gone and jinxed it for us! :eek:
 
WE have used Truma systems for 13 years and in the past 6 months purchased another new van with a Truma system - it is just that over the years although mainly reliable it has on a few occasions caused us trauma! Although on retrospect no more trauma than our oil boiler at home.

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Thanks all, I will have to get to understand it.
 
I mentioned on October 17th that I had placed an order, well what I had done was decided to place an order. You would think that would be easy! Well it's not so with Truma. When I got home from the show I phoned Truma (Thursday), spoke to a nice lady who said she would contact me the next day. She did and told me that the salesman would be back from the show on the following Monday and would contact me to take my order. On the Tuesday didn't get a call so spoke to the same lady again. She said the salesman had my details and would be in touch. The following Monday I rang again and same lady said they would get in touch. Today, Friday no one been in touch, this is now two weeks and a day since I have been trying to buy their product. They must be so successful that they can ignore a potential sale. I'm getting close to buying a Webasto.
 
I bought my 6E from this place. Despite being a breakers, the boilers are new and come with all the bits. They have the normal digital control panel, external flue, cables etc. Only thing I had to buy was 65mm blown air ducting.

They are the newer black colour, not silver as in the picture.

And these are 6kw, not the 4kw of the 4E. For £1250!
 
Nostrovia said:
I bought my 6E from this place. Despite being a breakers, the boilers are new and come with all the bits. They have the normal digital control panel, external flue, cables etc. Only thing I had to buy was 65mm blown air ducting.

They are the newer black colour, not silver as in the picture.

And these are 6kw, not the 4kw of the 4E. For £1250!
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That's a really good price, surprised it comes with the CP Plus controller as the retail on those alone is around £250.
 
Maybe I don't recall this correctly, but I think the electric Truma Combi was over £500 more than the gas-only one. £500 buys an awful lot of gas, especially if refillable, so I don't consider the premium worth it. Gas, whether standard bottle or refillable costs less per calorie-worth of diesel (I've not bothered to check recently), so I'd always prefer gas to diesel for heating unless there was a good reason to not carry gas at all.

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two said:
Maybe I don't recall this correctly, but I think the electric Truma Combi was over £500 more than the gas-only one. £500 buys an awful lot of gas, especially if refillable, so I don't consider the premium worth it. Gas, whether standard bottle or refillable costs less per calorie-worth of diesel (I've not bothered to check recently), so I'd always prefer gas to diesel for heating unless there was a good reason to not carry gas at all.
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Agree, always had gas only Truma's on the vans we have had it's been a €450 option never considered it worth it.
 
Nostrovia, thanks for the info. I live an hour from this company and I was there a few weeks ago for a look around. Didn't see these heaters unfortunately. Going to order one in the morning. Thanks for helping my dwindling budget. It's a great saving.
 
Hi All Im going to start looking into this as well shortly, Perhaps someone can clarify a point for me, I read that the Truma has a 10l hot water storage tank. Is that really enough to have a decent shower for one person let alone 2? Is it not better to go for something that is tankless and can produce endless hot water?
Im looking at something like this. http://www.rainbow-conversions.co.u...-iwh-15-e-instantaneous-water-heater-lpg.html
 
If it didn't work, Truma wouldn't be able to sell it.
You need to learn to shower with less water - we can get two showers without waiting.
Remember that you'll mix with cold water and can 'boost' the temperature for even more heat.
All that water is extra weight to (heat and) carry. Learn to use less. It's not too difficult.
 
Mhambi said:
Hi All Im going to start looking into this as well shortly, Perhaps someone can clarify a point for me, I read that the Truma has a 10l hot water storage tank. Is that really enough to have a decent shower for one person let alone 2? Is it not better to go for something that is tankless and can produce endless hot water?
Im looking at something like this. http://www.rainbow-conversions.co.u...-iwh-15-e-instantaneous-water-heater-lpg.html
Click to expand...
10Lt is plenty, every day we use our van we both have a shower without any problems.
Endless hot water OK if you have an endless water supply.

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