72. First test of my campervan diesel heater (Planar / Autoterm)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ต.ค. 2024
- In what is arguably my dullest video yet - and that really is saying something - I present a few minutes of me touching my hand to an exhaust pipe and saying "yes, it's hot" as I do the first test run of the newly-installed Planar / Autoterm diesel heater in the campervan, as well as CO checks and making sure the van isn't about to be set alight.
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Tools & Parts used for my campervan build
Autoterm diesel heater: geni.us/Van_Au...
Renogy 2kW inverter: geni.us/Van_Re...
Sink: geni.us/Van_Ne...
Induction hob: geni.us/Van_In...
Portable toilet: geni.us/Van_To...
Fridge: geni.us/Van_Co...
Old sink unit: geni.us/Van_Si...
Old heater unit: geni.us/Van_Pr...
Old Inverter: geni.us/Van_In...
Charger: geni.us/Van_Ma...
Solar Controller: geni.us/Van_So...
Gas Alarm: geni.us/Van_Ga...
DeWalt jigsaw: geni.us/Van_De...
DeWalt drill: geni.us/Van_De...
DeWalt mitre saw: geni.us/Van_De...
DeWalt circular saw: geni.us/Van_De...
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never thought a simple heater installation could provide you with TWO cliffhangers! 😂
I know!! 🤣
That in itself is a brilliant selling point for this particular brand of heater 😂
The sequel was worth the wait. Well done.
More cliffhangers than a Jon Pertwee Dr Who series :-)
You're not the only one doing "heating" videos - a certain Canadian is to. I admit I might have been multi tasking, but still useful to see how it turned out.
Yes, I’ve been watching of course!
That type of heater has been well tested by the trucker community in the US. They’re very dependable and quiet. You’ve got about the same amount of space so it’ll keep you toasty.
As a trucker they are great heaters and kick out so much heat
It’s more or less based on webasto dieselheaters. The company produce since 1930.
"Squint your ears to hear it"👍😊 glad to see this thorough video
lol. A small mushroom cloud was observed, but was later traced to the initial startup of a small van heating system. the occupant is recovering well. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
But the operator said the wood was not more that tepid. His skin was not melting.
You do make a good vlog David. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
A little tip I learned from an ex-Navy man: If you want to see if something it hot (like a ship's hatch), feel it with the back of your hand. That way, if it is hot, you don't burn your fingers, which you'll probably need.
I just recently watched Slim Potatohead install a heater into his fiberglass camper. Interesting to see the differences.
Yes, me too
I was wondering when we would see part 2. Looking forward to the “heated” debate in the comments about what you could have done better or at least differently. 😉Cheers.
Whew! That had me on the edge of my seat! Not sure I could have taken much more excitement, so I'm glad you left off when you did. 😁
Seriously! Behave and don't burn things!!! Especially things attached to you. LOL. Looks pretty awesome and darn quiet!
For the rest of my life, whenever I'm trying really hard to hear something, I will hear you saying "squint your ears"! 🤣
I was excited like that when I run my heater for the first time in the van...
🤣
That exhaust wrap seems to be a good idea, I remember getting burned instantly when I was touching it, looked like a part of a thread burned into my arm...
Thx for showing!
👍👍👍
Squint your ears, and the look on your face saying "you know what I mean, don't quibble", had me chuckling. David, this is the kind of thing that would make us happily watch while you read the phone book.
Bet the coal from the narrow boat is looking pretty good right now,and David I love ya for just posting stuff like this.
Meh, coal leaves so much dust!
Squint my ears; I love it; thanks David
Another cliffhanger!?!?!? Well done David, you'll sleep much better if you aren't worried about your heater.
I really can't understand how you can make these videos so riveting! I was right there with you during all the testing and faffing about. I will watch anything you post so you have a fan for life! LOL😂
😀😀😀
"Squint your ears" Now there's a term I’ve never heard before, but it makes perfect sense to me! Being unfamiliar with this type of heater, I was apprehensive on your behalf, but things seem to be just fine. The red diesel might show up better in the plastic hose until the red dye permanently discolours the inside of the tubing.
Damn.....just as the pump bursts into life Episode 2 comes to an abrupt end and Dave leaves us hanging for Episode 3!!
I think the system I had in a van I used to own was a Webasto and on ignition it sounded like a 747 engine building up to taxi out for take off. I often got some strange looks from folk!
Yes, the one on my boat (also Webasto) I used to compare to Concorder at takeoff!!!
Damn you David, now I have that song in my head. It was a big hit for Glenn Frey. Anyway great job getting the heater in. Thanks David.
I probably would personally have mounted a more robust thermal barrier between the heater and the wood below. I guess that’s just me. Well done on your successful installation. Happy, warm camping beckons. Enjoy. 👏👏👍😀
Cheers!
Autoterm is now offering a petrol (gasoline) fuelled model here in Canada yaaay! Not needing multiple fuel types is a benefit for my camper. Thanks for the video David
Am going to try and use this in my allotment shed. I'm looking at the shed as if it was a narrowboat or van and seeing how I can best use the space and having a heater in the shed during the winter would be wonderful.
Hi David watching you now. You will be absolutely fine with the heater and trust me you want to hear the thumping noise as it’s a great indicator it’s working well. We had these heaters or similar on our old boat and it reassuring to know it’s working with the thumping noise 😊 silence will be a worry! Phil
Haha it’s all quiet now that the fuel’s run through the line properly, no audible clicking from the pump at all. But you can certainly hear the fan blowing the air.
Excellent! Welcome to the world of Planar ownership - may your cockles be forever warm. That controller looks very posh compared to the older ones. I think that the high CO readings from the exhaust are due to the 'newness' burning off - we had the same thing with our (LPG) truma water heater - the engineer just let it burn for half an hour and took another reading and it was way down. I know your pump is inaudible (and you're probably fed up with people suggesting it...) but it will be even more inaudible(!) if you mount it on a rubber exhaust 'bobbin' (a rubber bush with a thread at each end - only a few £) that will fit between the pump 'P' mounting and the side of the gas locker. The difference will become apparent if/when you sleep in the van with the heater running.
On the edge of my seat waiting for part 3 :)
" You have to squint your ears" hahaha - love it! (I will use it - music teacher) *= )*
for what its worth, im in australia, do a shit load of camping, have a van and do some vids ( blatant plug there when youre bored heh ) Anyway, i bought a portable diesel heater in 2018, chinese jobby, look them up your self, for $188 AUD delivered, a small set up involved, nothing major, and first start was similar to what i just saw here.... it would shut off so i restarted it about 3 times until the fuel was pumped though the lines. Has been flawless since. As its " portable " i can move it, to heat my van i run pipes in through my vans window with some pipes when camping in an australian winter...23 C inside, 1 C out side....if its pissing rain and chilly i can sit under my vans awning with it blowing on my legs. It runs via an anderson plug on my 200 series landcruiser. 5 litre diesel tank gives me about 25 hours, thats way cheaper than running the genny to have the ac on heat in the van. I have 3 friends who have them as well, and they love them when camping when its cold. You will thank your self in 12 months for doing this. Gleno.
Your excitement is so infectious and amusing especially when you said that you would get in the van and test it as though you were actually in the van ...lol
Well done! I am glad you got rid of the air bubbles; cavitation can damage any engine, even small ones like heaters.
You’re simply brilliant to be able to do all these things and have them turn out so well!
Vindication for your mods old chap. Right as rain. A very thorough shakedown. Well done, David! Looking forward to your follow up as to how effective it is. Cheers.
Great video. You need a non-contact thermometer to check temperatures and not your hands.
Haha I have one but forgot to get it out of storage
I yelped at the end!! Great vlog David, thank you. I’m currently thinking of getting a diesel heater for my MH. She’s not in the first flush of youth and I’d prefer to have the gas fire taken out and a diesel heater installed in its place. Finding your DH vlogs extremely useful.
Cheers. As always, never do what I do!!
It's getting hot in here ! 💥
David: As always a very enjoyable video. I checked the like button/thing/hand to show my support for your fine efforts. Please continue.
Many thanks!
Amazingly fun, David! Thank you!
Yay, it's working. Well done. Gloria 🐂
Relieved to see it's a successful installation. Nice work! 👍😁
Dry Land Kansas says it's 30 degrees F. in Kansas today. Your heater would be very welcome here.
Exciting stuff David,
Well done. Clever man. It’s amazing what you can do if you set your mind to it. Great example for us all.
Yay for things that work!
Can wait to see the rest og the van mods💕
Very well done David, I’m pleased it all worked out. I am surprised how quiet the system is, even with my ears on full ‘squint’ . 🤣
If you can touch the wood it's all good! Try touching a wooden steering wheel that has been parked in the sun in Queensland. You will have a new appreciation of how hot wood can get, and how good modern varnishes are.
Congratulations on a successful install. Be well and stay safe.
Good job, David.
What a treat to have a good working furnace in your camper van.
Good Job
Thanks 👍
Nice one. You can do some more travel vids now and keep warm. Winner....
Sounds like you did a good installation job.
Well the story will continue. Be careful. Looks like installation was straightforward. Waiting for the next Vandemonium adventure!
Cracking bit of work done there David. I do hope it won’t take too long on a cold morning to warm up for you !!
Thank you!
Excellent Job David, you'll become an engineer in no time. 😁
it seems you've covered all the bases David , and i know you'll keep a sharp eye
Very nice! I'm always a bit apprehensive when firing up something like this for the first time, but this seems to be going well. Bonus points for the handheld CO detector and exercising it with the exhaust - that test does prove that the detector works. I would guess that the CO numbers might go down a bit as the heater sorts itself and settles down to run, or, if not, that there may be a procedure for tuning the heater performance. Not that CO out the back of the van is a critical concern, anyway - but there might be some efficiency gains from cleaner combustion. It will be interesting to see your fuel consumption rate when you run the heater at full howl.
Well done David Waiting for more
Next thrilling episode 😁 Maybe a rubber mount to quiet the fuel pump? There are a lot of videos on people silencing the fuel pump.
Cheers but as soon as it was running properly it was inaudible
Hello David, Congratulations on getting it going. Have a couple of ideas for you. 1. You could place some of that vibration pads between the pump and metal housing. That should decrease the volume of it. 2nd. Make sure your hot air is blowing toward the cab of the van. Slightly down. This will aid in uneven heat and premature temperature cut off. Make sure nothing plastic is close to it. I have melted several different items from the hot air. It does make a great water bottle warmer. I would place one about 10 inches in front of it overnight. Had hot water to brush teeth and wash face in the am. Good trick for truckers in the states. Sorry this was not meant to be a book worthy of a full cup. Joe
Cheers, the pump was inaudible once it was running properly
Very useful. For a long time Ive been contemplating putting one of these heaters in our small cabin cruiser. You pointed up some whoopsies I would not have anticipated
To stop the pump noise reverberating, I suspended my pump from cable ties which allowed it to move slightly rather than it turning my van into a tambourine lol
Cheers but it was quiet as soon as was up and running
@@Vandemonium ah that’s good to know as I have the older pump that still has a distinct tick to it. I’ll have to upgrade.
@@Vandemonium ah that’s good to know as I have the older pump that still has a distinct tick to it. I’ll have to upgrade.
Great job
good work sir
Reminds me of my 50-year-old Webasto. It almost never starts on the first try. I think this is because the manual says the vertical distance between the heater and the diesel tank should not exceed 30cm and this is the case only if the tank is absolutely full. When the distance increases it sometimes needs 2-3 starts - each drawing some 20 amps until the plug goes out and the current drops to 4 amps.
I think this was just because the fuel pipe was empty from pump to heater
I'd say "Now you're cooking with gas!" But I guess you USED to be. lol
Either way, congrats that it's all working brilliantly. Love to see your vids and successes!
I've been considering something like this as a backup heater for our small dog kennel. Thanks for all the detail if we do that it will no doubt be quite helpful in how we choose to do our installation. I appreciate checking the CO monitor on the exhaust as well and I don't think a few hundred PPM CO on first run is unexpected at all. I'd love a followup on that count after the heater has been broken in for a few hours. Thanks again.
Good idea, I'll try to remember to test it again
Smart move love it.
Well done David
And so it continues. I’m thinking that around fifteen minutes into your report, a cute hand puppet might add some visual interest to the under the counter shot… 😊
David, love the videos, mate, just wanted to give you some advice with regards to your CO meter; avoid placing it at the exhaust pipe. Think of it as trying to drink from a fire hose, or turning your stereo to maximum volume. The sensor is designed for sampling low-concentration leaks, not a full-on jet stream. Doing that will burn it out really quick, and it won't be of much use when you're depending on it for your safety. Cheers!
Cheers; it's not a permanent installation there, just a one off to see if it was working and if any was coming out!!
Yes sir, I understand it was a spot check, just didn't want you to end up with a paperweight by doing that test on any sort of regular basis. I've had them fail well before their advertised 3-year lifespan by my guys "testing" them on fire engines like that and it doesn't take much to render them inoperable. I appreciate that you make safety a priority in your videos on both of your channels, and I hope you're enjoying a warm night if you're out in the van 🍻
Thanks. Fortunately, at home with both central heating and a duvet!
Might be dull but you look like you know what you are doing for a change :-) Well Done! (Better stop fiddling with the exhaust or your hand will be "Well Done" too)
The most I have heard the word tepid used in such a short space of time in donkeys years
Impressive, David! I am puzzling over a chicken or egg question as I watch your troubleshooting skills. Did you learn such logic in the field as a reporter/producer or is it a matter of logic for you and a skill you have always possessed? Impressive start up! Good to know those heaters are self priming and though I heard the clicks quite clearly, I did not hear the fan. So far I am impressed with the device and suspect I will use it in my build. Still debating the diesel issue and I have seen some that use unleaded fuel but know next to nothing about their safety, efficiency or operation. Great video!
I think I've always had a diagnostic kind of mind. Strictly, the heaters are not self-priming, but I didn't have a good way to do it, hence the halfway house shown! The fan is noisy but the pump stopped clicking
David, have you considered adding a thermal camera to your kit for projects like these? I picked one up a couple years ago and have found it quite useful, plus the pictures they take would be great for B-roll. If nothing else it's great fun pretending to be the Predator hunting Arnie.
I must see what they cost because it would be fun
@@Vandemonium they're a tad pricey, but the cheapest options seem to be the modules that plug into a smart phone (120-160 GBP?). Maybe a bit of a hard sell when just touching bits with your bare hands is free.
Ooh, ouch that's a bit pricy indeed. I shall have to give it a miss!
Hi David
I have three Chinese heaters one in my workshop, one in my boat & the third one in my work van & to be honest they are still working great today four years later I've had no problems with any of them at all & they do get really hot & give so much heat.
I know some people don't like them but to be honest if one packed up tomorrow i would not complain, the one in my workshop gets used the most & then the one in my van, on cold frosty mornings i don't start my engine in my van just turn the heater on & seconds later my vans all de frosted
i agree David this is not your best work but i still look forward to your next video
Cheers
A couple years ago I installed a Planar heater in my boat. The heater unit sits in a locker outside of the cabin and is vented to the outside. The muffler is also inside the same locker as it kicks off some heat while the heater is running it pre-warms the air being used to heat the cabin. The controller I have is the digital display from Planar which shows what the temperature is where the heater is. At -10C the locker can be at +15C with the heat from the muffler. Which I hope is reducing the amount of fuel required to heat the air being blown into the cabin.
Your installation is excellent although I might suggest that you reorient the exhaust muffler to not hang down so much. It might get snagged on a gutter or similar and get ripped off.
It has to hang there, it can't be any higher up as the pipe is coming down from the van
So, the pump sounds like a distant kākāpō 🙂
The exhaust will clear the wood, eventually, when it char’s it sufficiently! 😂😂😂😂
Like your portable tester
David, you may want to rotate that muffler for more ground clearance. I would be worried with that placement for the exhaust because it might hit the ground when you leave some sharp driveways.
It has to be that way round according to the instructions. I think if I crack that on a rock, I’ve gone too far ofd road!
David, great video as always. Has me on the edge of my seat. 🙂
One thing though, the touch test on the wood is misleading. It will probably not be an issue in your case, because I doubt that you would reach the temperatures to acually ignite wood (it chars before it burns and your CO alarm would probably detect that). But touching will not give you a good impression on what's going on. Wood is a terrible heat conductor. It can literally be burning and you can touch it very close to the flame. That's why you can hold a burning match right until the flame reaches your fingertips. To get a good impression, you would have to remove the heat source and touch the wood right where the contact point was.
On the other hand, wood that has been heated over some time, stays hot for a while, because it has a hard time getting rid of the heat for the same reasons.
Ah, good info, cheers. I'll try to point my temperature detector at it instead
Well done David, another job well done. I do hope you mention the difference in cost between LPG, and Diesel. Which is cheapest to run? in your follow up Vlog. & finally, what motivated you to make a change. I don't remember if you had already mentioned this previously. 🖖
Cheers, I did mention it in a prior video
@@Vandemonium OK, thank you. 🖖
Well done!
Well done 👍👍👍
Great vlog!
I was going to suggest in an earlier episode, for connecting press-fit pipes, you try the cyclist's trick of applying a few drops of washing up liquid to the outside of the narrower pipe, near the opening. But, this soap may later contaminate the liquid (or any heated liquid) that flows through the flexible pipe and nozzle. I've not tried that part of it.
Try pump just off horizontal to grab hold of fuel ,also exhaust is insulated from any combustible surfaces ,any further info just type in installing diesel van heater on You tube
Cheers
Tune in next time, when we answer the question, "What ELSE is hot?" 🙂
🤣🤣
David, you should always start the monoxide tester away from your heater so that the countdown time can purge the sensors with fresh air before testing. (Boilerman)
I do!
awesome!
Dave. I don't want to be a safety jerk. And maybe you know this and considered it and the expected temperature of your pipes being very low. But for the sake of discussion. When checking things like the exhaust pipe or a doorknob for heat you should use the back of your hand not the inside to check the temp. If that pipe is too hot then your body on reflex will close your hand. If the pipe is inside like you did here you will close around that pipe or doorknob which results on longer contact and worse burns. If you use the back of your hand then you can pull your arm / hand away only suffering the initial heat.
I did not know that
I learned it the easy way in fire fighting school,( being told.) Then the hard way when grabbing something that I had no idea it was hot. I was wearing liners so the burn was minimal (layers of glove liner to burn through but it did grip and did burn through) Turns out the back of the hand is just as sensitive to heat as the front, but doesn't carry the risk of reflex closure onto the object. The palm especially likes to contract closed. Great videos and hope my advice is never needed . Cheers
Another job well done. Just a question - if/when you sell the van will you have to get someone to certify all your work as safe, or is that not required?
Not that I'm aware of. Privately used vehicles don't require any certification, though you have to if you rent them out
Oh Lordy, pass the smelling salts! Part 2 would surely result in an excitement overload.
Haha I hope so!
The pump may have clicked at first because it had no fuel it at the start, then it stopped clicking once it had fuel. A cavitating pump may be pulling gas out of the oil although diesel shouldn't have light ends in it. It cannot pull air out of the fuel. Light ends are hydrocarbons with a higher vapor pressure such as found in petrol. A seriously cavitating pump creates vacuum bubbles but they disappear in the pump.
This is it exactly. The lift pump on my Mercedes diesel does the same thing.
Did you try the CO meter at the heater outlet vent? That is where I would be most worried about the CO entering into the van. The pump and fan would work as "white noise" for me making sleeping easier.
No because the hot air outlet is physically separate from the burner chamber so unless the device is physically broken, no combustion products come out of the hot air vent. But if any did, it would have registered on the device just as it was within the van.
Try suspending the fuel pump from a couple of cable tie so it is free to vibrate in isolation - no amplification from hard surface - hope that helps.
Cheers, it was inaudible once it was up and running
I know you like to be careful and safe - could you grab a bag of the CO from the exhaust and pour it over the detector on the inside?
ForestyForest did a video about a silent fuel pump when you get sick of it ticking all the time. the person who made them is/was jamesbrowningsmith a fellow brit keeping the pound alive and all that
Cheers but as soon as it was running properly it was inaudible
Nice job David, atb