Update after using for a year. At the end of last season the cap on the crappy Chinese diesel tank started to leak. I think it probably always leaked, I just never noticed. I had done a not super thorough job sealing the hole I drilled in the ammo can for the fuel line to exit (I used duct tape), so it leaked on to the carpet and made the camper smell like diesel.
Lesson learned. I cleaned it all out, got a new cap that doesn’t leak, and sealed the exit hole with jb weld designed for repairing fuel tanks. Hopefully this will hold up better.
Besides that, the heater is still working great. So nice to be able to wake up in the morning and flip it on to warm up, or dry out wet gear.
I know it’s not meant to be. The leak wasn’t through the vent valve, it had bad threads. I have not had issues with keeping the lid of the ammo can closed while running it, I think there is enough extra air volume in there to accommodate and/or the ammo can is not a complete airtight seal.
When I was referring to the hole I sealed with jb weld, I was talking about the hole I drilled in the bottom of the ammo can to allow the fuel line barb to exit the can
Yeah I haven’t had an issue with it but if I ever do, I’ll probably just drill a tiny little hole in the ammo can somewhere near the top. My guess is that it’s not 100% airtight anyways though and therefore not causing issues
Has anyone found a good solution for a longer 3” (75mm) air duct? I’d like to get my heater off the tailgate and back on the ground. So probably need like 10’ minimum. I’ve tried some ‘foil’ type ducts and they’re crap! Because it’s not a permanent install it doesn’t hold up to packing/unpacking and breaks apart.
Yep, have a Webesto gas heater tucked into one of the side pockets in a Tacoma. Plumbed into the gas tank, it’s very convenient, and burns a tiny amount of fuel.
I have heard the gas one has issues running over 5000 feet without building up too much carbon. No first hand experience but something to look into since you are on the west coast.
Depends if you have access to a lift or not. Either way dropping, opening and draining the tank was the biggest part of the headache. Drill small hole, insert feed that was provided with heater, run it to the included fuel pump and then good to go after mounting it where you want.
I replaced the side storage pocket with an aluminum box that I put together with the cutouts for the heater.
Pictures are from a while ago, I’ve replaced the pvc elbow with a steel one that a muffler shop put together for me, but i have a hose that I can run anywhere I’d like attached to that elbow.
As for the elevation, I haven’t had any issue with it yet, but I will note that it’s only been out above 9k a couple times. It does have a “high elevation mode” that I didn’t use and got me through a couple 10-20 degree nights great.
For me, I like to remove one square from the floor of the tent, then prop a mister buddy heater on my cooler to let the heat rise up through the square hole. This really only works one person in the tent. This has kept me warm in negative 20!
The one thing I saw on the weekend of a guy rocking a topper setup. Was it looked like he piped it up the rear fender into what I would assume was that little storage box in the Tacoma’s. I should’ve taken a picture.
It really got me thinking of the same thing; just for those times you want to be a little more stealth. I tell yeah though, not having to flip the tailgate down every time I want to get out is a game changer. But it is a little bit of extra crap to carry around…or potentially forget.
Have you checked out John Mck 47 on YouTube? This guy knows everything about these diesel heaters. He has like a 12 part series on them. I highly recommend anyone interested in these heaters to watch all of his videos. I’m in the process now of building one in a box. There’s a great larger pelican case harbor freight has to contain all the components. Running a longer exhaust can also benefit for location installation. Corregated heating pipe is a great option to transfer heat from the unit to the tent area.
