Heaters in the camper

Yeah def gonna need photos of this!

Question for you about this heater, how are you powering it? Can it be powered by something like a Jackery? I love the look of this unit and, although expensive, if I can power it easily enough I might purchase one. Thank you!

The Planar unit is highly efficient, however on startup it does pull a bit of power. I tried mine on a Goal Zero Yeti 500X and it was too much draw. My little GZ hit the overload limit every time. Compare specs to your Jackery perhaps? Now running a LiPO4 battery connected to 12v ports directly and it works like a charm.

1 Like

Single digits in the UP MI. HCalory unit from Amazon powered by a Bluetti EB70. 65 degrees in the tent.

3 Likes

LOL! Just did the same exact thing with my heater yesterday after having a chillier “fall” day. Hopefully it fired up for you just like mine did. Ran it for 30 minutes flawlessly.

Well, in case some of you missed it. I’m in the middle of the final touches of installing a Autoterm Planar 4kW Petrol heater. I think this is going to be the best upgrade to date.

Here’s some details on my build page - 2014 Ram Big Horn - Build out

In case any of you are wondering. Yes there’s enough fuel pressure in your pump to blow the line off if you break the line retention clip :joy:

I was a little late to work this morning :man_shrugging:

1 Like

Good looking set up!

What flange is that connecting the flex hose to the side wall?

I use a Camco Olympian Wave 3 catalytic heater. Propane tank outside the truck, hose running through the corner of the rear panel. It’s radiant heat so it works better if your interior is insulated.

1 Like

Interesting but considering how much moisture propane heaters create how’s the condensation inside the tent?

The inside of the roof needs some felt applied to it. And need a roof vent or side vents near the top.

Personally, I did not have issues with condensation but that may be because I was in dry environments. In humid environments, def need some mods for condensation even without a heater.

Condensation is definitely an issue up here in the PNW so I only run a propane heater for a couple minutes at night and in the morning to knock the chill out. Looking into external diesels now. Well-reviewed, costly Russian-made Planar or lesser (in most categories) Chinese product?

I am trying to understand what the strategies/differences are between these different diesel heaters, both are pictured in this thread.

  1. Some people buy the small heater alone and build it into a Pelican-type case with a fuel tank attached to the outside.
  2. Though the same heaters come in a “All in one” version, which seems to be the same thing but pre-built. However the price is the same.
    Attached is an Amazon Link that shows what I’m talking about. Under “Color” are the two options. Obviously the tank size is different, but what are the advantages of each and the dis-advantages of each? Specially if the price is the almost the same, (<$10) but there is much more gear needed to build the diy briefcase…
2 Likes

I started with the Amazon All in One in the beginning. While it works, it’s a pain in ass to set up and it was finicky. If you want to do it right from the beginning, I recommend building one into an Apache style case and use @keeganbuilds kit. I have built 3 heaters now with his kit and it’s unmatched.

3 Likes

I got one of these on black friday sale for real cheap https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BM5M4BV8?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details but haven’t used it yet.

I’m wondering if I could get away without the exhaust and intake pipe extensions and attach the filter/muffler directly to the ports. It seems like that is the layout in the video above more or less.

1 Like

You could but there could be two issues. One, not enough back pressure; two if the combustion air intake and the exhaust are too close that could cause ignition issues.

1 Like

Still working on it. Had my all in one unit in the bed for over a year and just got sick of the space.

Mounted it in the cubby. Made a quick tank box to test it. I need a better thank though, sick of the smell.

Justin

2 Likes

Thanks to @GainzGFC recommendation, I have officially started converting my Silvel all-in-one into a sealed unit using @keeganbuilds kit. Having a garage party in a couple weeks to help some buddies do the same.

6 Likes

You won’t be dissapointed. @Buhlockaye actually converted the exact same unit into the Apache as well.

2 Likes

I recommend disassembling the unit and making sure you have everything needed in Keegan’s video. When I did it, was missing a couple things that I had to improvise on. Took some more time but turned out great in the end!

6 Likes

This looks like the same thing more or less as the Keegan builds system, minus the build… Does anyone have experience with this heater being finicky or unreliable? Specifically at Altitude? (10,000’ or so?)

What were the issues that you experienced with the All In One, Hunter? I’m still on the fence here between paying more money to build my own and getting one already built. I feel that someone out there has to have solved the problems of the cheaper Chinese Amazon heaters by now.
Sorry but I’m not quite sold yet on which way to attack this and where to put my money. Can someone sell me one way or another?

1 Like