I have a Wallas Nordic DT in my AntiShanty and have also considered putting one en leu of a Planar in my Tundra for my V2. It’s EXTREMELY efficient and quiet. It’s probably the most reliable system out there. It’s on tier with Webasto’s reliability but much more elegant and doesn’t soot as easily bc of the design in my experience. Always amazes me how hot it can get on level 6 and you can still hold your hand to the top. Having said all this, I do think a ducted solution would be better to pipe into the tent top…
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What heater hose is everyone using?
Any reason I shouldn’t use this? Amazon - Hon&Guan 3 inch 16 FT Long Air Ducting, Heavy-Duty Four-Layer Protection Dryer Vent Hose for Heating Cooling Ventilation and Exhaust-with 2 Clamps, Black
Also, I’m hoping to put the heater and fuel tank into a rotomold cooler. This will keep the fuel contained in the event of a spill. I assume it’s okay to do this with proper intake and exhaust venting on the cooler like the Keegan build.
I have that ducting in 8’, its been fine.
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I posed a similar question recently for the 2kw crowd and 60mm ducting? Is there anything flexible like the above link in 60mm? I haven’t found it if there is.
Is my best bet to just get a 60 → 75mm adapter and then use the flexible 75mm that seems plentiful?
+1 to this, I also have 60mm ducting and want a flexible alternative. I wonder how well an adapter would work. Please let me know if you find a good solution… That 10ft 60mm rigid ducting takes up so much space in the truck.
Where can I upgrade this muffler?
Finally got around to finishing the heater. The 12v 10a plug on the Jackery seemed to work fine. Ran it at 4.9hz for an hour. Camping starts tomorrow.
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Sorry - was out on surgical recovery for a minute. I built a system around the DAKOTA 135+ Battery. It runs at more extreme cold/hot temps than most LIPO4 smart batteries, has a TON of power. I just wanted the ability to run lights, fridge, heat & charge phones for 3 days in the dark (worst case) without hitting 0% charge and it works. I am also using the DC-DC charge module from Australia w/ solar, so if the sun comes out OR if I drive my truck, it charges my Dakota.
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Just wrapped up my heater build for my 3rd gen Tacoma using one of the storage cubbies. Worked with @jedgar to build the cubby mount.
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such a clean install!
do you have any worries about mud and water crossings? thats been keeping me from going this route.
No, all of the electrical components are at the level of the box or higher, that would be a seriously wet crossing and above what I use the truck for. I would only run into problems if I try to “swim” the truck, however, at that point I would be worried about my engine intake over the heater.
Also, I sealed all of the provided connectors with electrical grade silicone to make them waterproof. and I sealed all of the pass through from the box to the exterior to protect the heater unit.
Finally, the combustion air intake is up above the wheel well to keep it protected from spray, and I added a u bend like a snorkel as a precaution.
Regarding mud, as you can see in the photo everything is well sealed and protected. (You cant even see the combustion air intake above the fuel pump). My cold air return is just pulling air from the inside of the truck so I am not making the heater work harder by trying to always heat air from outside temp.
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I mounted mine the same…
One thing to look out for is the muffler falling off make sure to tighten tighten the part were it connects to the heater…
Also a pit bike muffler is the way to go…way way more quiet …and make sure to let it burn at the highest temperature 15 minutes at least before turning it off …
It helps it stay clean and run properly…I have my cubby blocked so it’s kinda a pain to take apart and clean…
The mud really doesn’t affect it I didn’t do a closed cubby.
What fuel pickup are you using on the Rotopax?
Started my diesel heater build…just in time for warmer weather. I’m using a 5KW heater and plan to duct it to our GFC and trailer. I’m using a larger plano bin so the fuel is in the bin to contain any leaks and I’ll have plenty of room to store the ductwork.
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More progress on the heater.
I didn’t soak the heat wrap long enough before baking it and it got a bit brittle.
Hopefully the exhaust wrap doesn’t continue to shed.
Controller mounted in the case. Plan is to use Bluetooth or the remote to control the heater.
Wingnut style hose clamps so it’s easy to pack up and I can use varying lengths of deducting or a splitter if needed.
Added a section of heater tube with a Y so I can heat the GFC and the trailer, which the 5KW heater should be sufficient for. I may need to mount the exhaust outlet to a metal plate instead of directly to the Plano box because I assume it’s going to get hot enough to melt the plastic.
I know the green flex hose has some poor reviews but it’s what I had and I have enough to replace any leaking sections for 5+ years. I need to put hose clamps on the black section of fuel line still.
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This looks awesome! And very similar to the case I have but WAY cleaner! You may want to consider adding some venting to the case. You’ll be surprised how hot the ambient heat off the heater and exhaust will create. You don’t want the unit to overheat or you’ll burn out the motherboard.
The Bluetooth is clutch; I’m using the same heater in my Toy Hauler it’s been working great!
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I have a pair of computer fans on the way for venting and I think I’m going to fabricate a metal plate where the exhaust exits so I don’t melt the Plano box…maybe a small sheet of aluminum riveted to the box.
Here’s the finished interior shot. The Y fitting, a 16ft heater duct, and the exhaust fit with room to spare. I’ll add another 10ft length of duct in there as well to heat both truck and trailer.
I also rerouted the exhaust to get it further from the air intake.
Anderson on the outside to get power to it. I may drop a lithium in it at some point and have a fully self contained unit.
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So these days we empty the bed less between trips… but it’s still really clean and modular. We could tear down 90% of this in a few minutes.
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which fire extinguisher and mount is that?