All you need to know about diesel heaters
There’s something about the cooler months. You know the recipe for great winter travelling – a drop of red, a comfy caravan or motorhome, a little cheese, crackers, figs and cool starry nights.
You settle in to allow the winter magic to fill your van with romance and brrrrr – it’s a bit too cold in your dreamy, yet isolated campsite.
One way of raising the van temperature from frosty to a sublime level of pure cosiness is to investment in a diesel heater.
Diesel heaters are arguably a reasonable heating solution to the problem of keeping your home-on-wheels snug and warm this winter. And the options are good. The trouble is, deciding if you really need one. Then if you do need one, there’s the problem of finding the right one for you.
Do you need a diesel heater or not?
When it comes to diesel heaters, there are a good supply of trusted brand names. Let’s look at the common options.
Erberspacher is touted as the Mercedes Benz of diesel heaters. The manufacturer croons about its reliability, high altitude performance and comprehensive install kits. Webasto also offer very popular and quality products.
Using known brands is key to finding success with diesel heaters. Those supplied via China, although typically cheaper, have developed a bad reputation for poor performance in terms of reliability, parts availability and, most importantly, safety.
The advantages of diesel heaters are that;
The fuel is readily available.
A very precise monitoring of fuel supplies is possible via the fuel-gauge.
Heaters can be mounted outside the vehicle.
Webasto provides its products with an exhaust silencer and a silent pump, to make sure your weekend away isn’t ruined by a noisy pump putting away in the background
Thankfully, there’s not much to worry about with diesel heaters and RV& Caravan Centre in Port Macquarie, Forster-Tuncurry or Ballina are prepared to retrofit your heater into your motorhome or caravan.
Weather or not?
Turning blue from the cold isn’t much fun on your winter adventure. However, if weather predictions are anything to work on, then things aren’t going to cool too much. The Bureau of Meteorology says that both maximum and minimum temperatures for May to July are likely to be warmer than average Australia wide except in the south-west. That doesn’t mean you won’t want a heater – it really depends on how you feel the cold.
User Tip
Diesel heaters are reasonably maintenance-free but should be inspected every two years. It is also recommend operating the heater every two months for 10-15min.
Installation is simple but care should be taken to make sure that the fuel pump, exhaust and air-intake are all installed correctly.
Let us know your story?
Warming up with diesel heaters