In typical fashion.......does anyone have experience with gas ducted heating their vans..... It's an option on the Lotus Trooper and we're thinking about it....
Interior Gas Heaters
- Thread starter peterg
- Start date
We have ducted gas. Love it so simple clean and neat. Only issue is install is limited by lots of regs and the cost of entry is high compared to the Chinese diesel heaters. For an oem install should be great around $2k I guess? The combined hws and heater sounds a great concept but I've read a few neg reviews on the original truma hws only. and although very happy with the gas heater the truma adventa AC is a POS IMO.
As @17triton said we had a Truma gas heater in our Expanda - worked well, but we used a lot of gas in a 24 hour period camped at Hall's Gap one winter. Certainly worked well though.
I fitted a diesel heater to our Journey - very happy with that. Friends have just bought a camper trailer which has a combined diesel hot water and heater - they are happy with that as well.
If you are going to be off the grid and using the van in winter sometimes then definitely get the heater.
Bill
I fitted a diesel heater to our Journey - very happy with that. Friends have just bought a camper trailer which has a combined diesel hot water and heater - they are happy with that as well.
If you are going to be off the grid and using the van in winter sometimes then definitely get the heater.
Bill
So @Billrw136 - having owned both a Diesel and Gas heater, which is your preference?
We are still waiting to take delivery of our new van (20.64.1 OB) however I can guarantee we will need to add a heater if I want to use this more than 3 months of the year. Whilst in a park we have the 240V reverse cycle option, I am hoping to set it up for free camping.
Thanks in Advance
The reverse cycle is ordinary as a heater. Some better than others but noisey even if it works. Get a proper heater you won't regret it. For mine if you can put up with the diesel you can't beat it for value. But they both have the pros and cons and it depends what's going to work for you and also the installation. I will say we haven't noticed an excessive gas usage with the heater but then @Billrw136 had it in an expanda which isn't the warmest of things with canvas everywhere? For us the thetford fridge is the user of most gas they work better than the domectics but boy use more gas!
What are the pro's and con's of each?
I only started looking at the diesels as I saw on in action - didn't even realise you could get gas.
I only started looking at the diesels as I saw on in action - didn't even realise you could get gas.
Each are going to justify there purchase one way or another. Look up the Rv plumber he lists both and some pros and cons.
Diesel
For current rig if I went diesel these were some of my cons iam struggling now to keep to my payload another 10kg I didn't need. the install was going to mean I had an exhaust/inlet under the van I didn't want this. Also I fill the cruiser at super high flow truck stops when traveling. I didn't then want to be moving to the baby bowser to be filling another 2-3litres in the heater tank. I don't like diesel at the best of times and it can smell burning it. Not inside but the poor soul camped right next to you can cop it. If you don't use it you have to be careful of algae etc. some report issues with extreme cold but you could add an additive? And also pump noise, I reckon you could get around this.
Pro it was cheap and you didn't need to get certified. Diesel is easy to get.
Gas
pro one fuel source quiet and clean. No issue if I don't use the van for a year. Other than the 2-3kg of the heater I have added very little to the total weight.
Con expensive, fussy were you can mount it and you need a gas certified plumber to sign it off (but this only cost $120.) I guess gas is a little harder to get but really in country refills are just about everywhere just can be exy?
In the right rig I'd have diesel no issue, I think both are great you just need to consider what works for you?. Some tools will defend the decision to buy one or the other like its there honor ffs
Diesel
For current rig if I went diesel these were some of my cons iam struggling now to keep to my payload another 10kg I didn't need. the install was going to mean I had an exhaust/inlet under the van I didn't want this. Also I fill the cruiser at super high flow truck stops when traveling. I didn't then want to be moving to the baby bowser to be filling another 2-3litres in the heater tank. I don't like diesel at the best of times and it can smell burning it. Not inside but the poor soul camped right next to you can cop it. If you don't use it you have to be careful of algae etc. some report issues with extreme cold but you could add an additive? And also pump noise, I reckon you could get around this.
Pro it was cheap and you didn't need to get certified. Diesel is easy to get.
Gas
pro one fuel source quiet and clean. No issue if I don't use the van for a year. Other than the 2-3kg of the heater I have added very little to the total weight.
Con expensive, fussy were you can mount it and you need a gas certified plumber to sign it off (but this only cost $120.) I guess gas is a little harder to get but really in country refills are just about everywhere just can be exy?
In the right rig I'd have diesel no issue, I think both are great you just need to consider what works for you?. Some tools will defend the decision to buy one or the other like its there honor ffs
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We have the Truma gas heater in ours. LOVE it. Heating is essential down here on the south island and it gets a decent workout. We've only had this new van for a couple of months and the heater has been one of the huge improvements we made over our last van. Would never order another new van without one fitted.
Hmm - so now I need to look at both options. I guess once I get the van and use it over summer I'll slowly figure out my payload (it will be close to full I suspect and with the weight of the tug I don't think increasing the payload of the van is going to help - I'll be over the 6T mark.
Hopefully in my travels I can see examples of both. I'm not to concerned about cost (I mean it matters, but getting it right is more important to me). Seems the price of each is similar for a unit of the same capacity.
Hopefully in my travels I can see examples of both. I'm not to concerned about cost (I mean it matters, but getting it right is more important to me). Seems the price of each is similar for a unit of the same capacity.
This is an interesting discussion, as we ponder on our choice for a new van.
We did feel the cold for the first time early this year and found the Heron reverse cycle did take the chill off but certainly didn't really warm it up too much.
Most of our camping is in warmer areas but we certainly don't want to freeze if venturing south in the future so we, perhaps in our ignorance, were thinking of just adding a small 240v heater for that.
Now I'm wondering if that will be enough! Our preference is to keep things as simple as possible as our ability to sort out any onboard heating issues is limited so I'd be interested to hear if the portable heater will work for the few times we'll need it.
Any advice from practical experience?
We did feel the cold for the first time early this year and found the Heron reverse cycle did take the chill off but certainly didn't really warm it up too much.
Most of our camping is in warmer areas but we certainly don't want to freeze if venturing south in the future so we, perhaps in our ignorance, were thinking of just adding a small 240v heater for that.
Now I'm wondering if that will be enough! Our preference is to keep things as simple as possible as our ability to sort out any onboard heating issues is limited so I'd be interested to hear if the portable heater will work for the few times we'll need it.
Any advice from practical experience?
Hi Dobbie,
Depends what kind of portable heater you are talking about. Gas, electric, ??? I hope it goes without saying that an un-flued gas heater in a confined space would be a recipe for disaster. And of course, electric is only any use if you are in a caravan park (connected to 240v mains power)
Depends what kind of portable heater you are talking about. Gas, electric, ??? I hope it goes without saying that an un-flued gas heater in a confined space would be a recipe for disaster. And of course, electric is only any use if you are in a caravan park (connected to 240v mains power)
Yep. Agree that a portable electric is only useful if in a caravan park but, on reflection, that's what we headed for when we froze last time.
We have a small dimplex oil heater which is not too heavy and could be packed in.
I just wonder if it's too Spartan for southern climes....I'll try it out next winter...and may decide it's easier to avoid the cold rather than get too complicated.
I totally agree with either the diesel or onboard gas heaters for you southern folk! If I lived down there, I'd certainly go for one or the other. I hate being cold!
I'll follow this with interest.
We have a small dimplex oil heater which is not too heavy and could be packed in.
I just wonder if it's too Spartan for southern climes....I'll try it out next winter...and may decide it's easier to avoid the cold rather than get too complicated.
I totally agree with either the diesel or onboard gas heaters for you southern folk! If I lived down there, I'd certainly go for one or the other. I hate being cold!
I'll follow this with interest.
We are looking at this as well.
The Chinese Diesel heaters are cheap under $1k or cheaper and you can install yourself.
With the brand names going around Leasurefest they where around $1500.
Gas you need to get certified so either you pay someone to install and cert or install yourself and find someone to cert.
Price wise if you want someone else to install depended who I asked $100-$200 more for Gas or the same.
The Chinese Diesel heaters are cheap under $1k or cheaper and you can install yourself.
With the brand names going around Leasurefest they where around $1500.
Gas you need to get certified so either you pay someone to install and cert or install yourself and find someone to cert.
Price wise if you want someone else to install depended who I asked $100-$200 more for Gas or the same.
on a $2K product, I consider this to be the same price (well the right outcome will outweigh the small price difference if that makes sense)
Easy fix for all this
Move to WA, you never need a heater here
That's what I thought about Qld and NT....and I've been camping in both places when temps have been below zero. At least in qld, we do tend to get warm sunny days more often after low overnight temps, whereas in Vic NSW and SA it can be cold all day, then colder at night!
I won't even mention TAS!!
So...we need something to keep us warm at night and not so much for daytime.
(I think I'm just trying to save some money and rationalising, maybe)
:focus:
For my family (me, wife and kids 11&12) the real benefit of a heater not dependent on 240v is in the morning. None of us are good at staying in bed past 6:30am and in central Australia in winter when the sun doesn't get up till after 7 and it's after 8 before it's comfortable to be in shorts the heater is awesome. We are from Brisbane though where a harsh winter is several days of mins under 10c.