Using Gas Heating while Driving in a Motorhome

[Blue Moon]

Evening all,
We’ve had Moho‘s of various guises for many years but never really used them in anger during the winter months. We now have an A class that we are planning on using extensively over the coming months. The std Fiat cab heater is ok, sort of but I don’t think it’s up to the job of warming such a large space. I’ve read that if I fit a gas crash valve (Truma Duo C) we can have the rear gas heating on whilst driving. Is this correct or not advisable? Will the gas fumes escape ok whilst driving? Please don’t shoot me down if that’s a stupid question

 

[Roby2008]

Did it for years, had the crash sensor gas valve, never turned the gas off while travelling and would run heating if required.

 

[Itsmcb]

I fitted a heat exchanger with a 12v fan under one of the rear bench seats in my van. Heat is supplied by teeing off the cab heater pipes under the bonnet. Very easy to do and only took me a few hours in total. Works really, really well.
This type of thing:

 

[Peavy]

From the Truma user manual:
The burner is fan-assisted, which ensures that operation is problem-free, even
when on the move.
So, It should be ok.

 

[Yorick]

Whenever I stopped anywhere in the cold, I'd leave the engine running and heating blowers on full. That heated the back quite quickly

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[n8ess]

Never really needed additional heating whilst driving, but I suppose I could run the diesel heater if required.

 

[Tombola]

Yes, I do it all the time, mine was factory fitted

 

[royandsharont]

Yes that’s correct but you need the crash proof regulator and the crash proof hose, both have valves in them to shut off on impact.

I think you are supposed to shut off the gas valves to such as oven and water boiler though whilst travelling with it on.

 

[Jimuck]

Would love to run the heater when driving but the control panel is switched off the minute the engine starts on mine.

 

[WESTY66]

It is possible via the gas with the suitable crash test regulator, but having had both Truma and Alde, i personally prefer the Alde!

Ah the benefits of Alde, can heat the whole bus without running the gas (runs off engine heat) and also a Truma twin speed fan under the drivers seat again heated by the engine, it’s hard to see a downside!
Oh and when it’s really sub, sub zero we can heat the engine from the Alde heating.

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[Badknee]

Would love to run the heater when driving but the control panel is switched off the minute the engine starts on mine.

Yes uk vans do that. Total pita.

 

[Lenny HB]

Would love to run the heater when driving but the control panel is switched off the minute the engine starts on mine.

Even though our panel stays on the heater is wired with a perminatly on 12v supply so you can run the heating regardless of panel on or off.

Why not just Rewire the heater direct to the battery with a 10 amp fuse close to the battery.

 

[Lenny HB]

I've never found a need to run the heating while driving. If the van is cold I run the gas heating for 20 to 30 mins before setting off then the cab heater can maintain the temperature.

 

[Jimuck]

Never thought of that. Thanks.
The leisure battery is literally 2 foot from the heater on our Bailey so should be easy

 

[Lenny HB]

Never thought of that. Thanks.
The leisure battery is literally 2 foot from the heater on our Bailey so should be easy

You may need to run a supply to the CP Plus panel as well.

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[IRHP]

Would love to run the heater when driving but the control panel is switched off the minute the engine starts on mine.

British van problem

 

[Lenny HB]

British van problem

Still think they are building caravans, shows in the layouts as well.

 

[Pausim]

Evening all,
We’ve had Moho‘s of various guises for many years but never really used them in anger during the winter months. We now have an A class that we are planning on using extensively over the coming months. The std Fiat cab heater is ok, sort of but I don’t think it’s up to the job of warming such a large space. I’ve read that if I fit a gas crash valve (Truma Duo C) we can have the rear gas heating on whilst driving. Is this correct or not advisable? Will the gas fumes escape ok whilst driving? Please don’t shoot me down if that’s a stupid question

The regulator with crash shut off provides half the protection by shutting down the low pressure supply to the accommodation but the high pressure side from the bottle to the regulator must also be protected. Some refillable bottles have built in rupture protection valves e.g. the current Alugas ones. If your cylinders do not have built in rupture protection then you will also need cylinder pigtails with rupture protection. I find the high pressure side from bottle to regulator just as scary as the domestic part, a 7 bar leak is going to produce a bang far quicker than a 0.03 bar leak.

 

[Dart]

Just one thing to remember if you are leaving the gas on when travelling (with suitable safety fittings), if your fridge is set to Auto it will fire up on gas a few minutes after you turn the engine off so if you stop for fuel it's best to flick the fridge off Auto while you are in the filling station incase you are there long enough for it to spark up.

 

[stevewagner]

Just one thing to remember if you are leaving the gas on when travelling (with suitable safety fittings), if your fridge is set to Auto it will fire up on gas a few minutes after you turn the engine off so if you stop for fuel it's best to flick the fridge off Auto while you are in the filling station incase you are there long enough for it to spark up

If the fridge has AES it shouldn’t light until 15 mins after the engine has stopped

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[L' Hobo]

I have found, in 50yrs of wandering, a simple thick blanket or curtain, between the cab & hab area, works wonders!

Hab area can be heated later!

 

[Widge]

I fitted a heat exchanger with a 12v fan under one of the rear bench seats in my van. Heat is supplied by teeing off the cab heater pipes under the bonnet. Very easy to do and only took me a few hours in total. Works really, really well.
This type of thing:
View attachment 841707

Our 2001 Fiat chausson already has one fitted below the window, under the table between the bench seats, with a switch for the fan on the dash, i think it uses basicly the instalation fiat uses if it was a crew cab van.

 

[nicholsong]

The regulator with crash shut off provides half the protection by shutting down the low pressure supply to the accommodation but the high pressure side from the bottle to the regulator must also be protected. Some refillable bottles have built in rupture protection valves e.g. the current Alugas ones. If your cylinders do not have built in rupture protection then you will also need cylinder pigtails with rupture protection. I find the high pressure side from bottle to regulator just as scary as the domestic part, a 7 bar leak is going to produce a bang far quicker than a 0.03 bar leak.

We have the old 37Mb regulator screwed directly onto the gas cylinder.

 

[Soycd]

You could fit a diesel heater? A friend has just fitted one to his self build and it can run all the time. Pretty much all the European vans have a crash regulator so you can run the heating of LPG whilst on the move.

 

[L' Hobo]

It is possible via the gas with the suitable crash test regulator, but having had both Truma and Alde, i personally prefer the Alde!

Ah the benefits of Alde, can heat the whole bus without running the gas (runs off engine heat) and also a Truma twin speed fan under the drivers seat again heated by the engine, it’s hard to see a downside!
Oh and when it’s really sub, sub zero we can heat the engine from the Alde heating.

Probably copied from an older version that is fitted to my 1989 VW T25 diesel Westfalia California?
Engine water heaters both front and in rear of hab area + gas powered hab heater.
It can get cold in Northern Germany!

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[L' Hobo]

You could fit a diesel heater? A friend has just fitted one to his self build and it can run all the time. Pretty much all the European vans have a crash regulator so you can run the heating of LPG whilst on the move.

There is already one fitted in my 2007 Murvi Morello.
Heats both water and air.

 

[Lenny HB]

We have the old 37Mb regulator screwed directly onto the gas cylinder.

Can't travel with the gas turned on then.

 

[tonka]

It is possible via the gas with the suitable crash test regulator, but having had both Truma and Alde, i personally prefer the Alde!

Ah the benefits of Alde, can heat the whole bus without running the gas (runs off engine heat) and also a Truma twin speed fan under the drivers seat again heated by the engine, it’s hard to see a downside!
Oh and when it’s really sub, sub zero we can heat the engine from the Alde heating.

Be aware the heat exchanger is an option and not standard with all Alde heating systems. You may upset those with the cheaper version when they spend an hour looking how to turn it on

 

[rod_vw]

Previously we've had Eberspacher blown air heating for the habitation area which has always been used on the move as and when required, sometimes never switched off for days just relying on the thermostat to control it.

Now running a larger van with a Truma Combi e (gas) which also gets used whilst on the move without any problems.

 

[Basildog]

We have had 2 vans with rear heating that was on the engine coolant system, one was a Laika the other was the Winnebago, I am always amazed how few manufacturers actually think about rear heating, the Swift Kontiki tag we had was freezing in the back when the kids traveled in it