Diesel tent heater install

Velor has a good assortment of heaters at very good prices, thanks for mentioning them!

I wish someone made a all in one unit with the exhaust and burner intakes on the side- has anybody seen one? I’d love to be able to put it on my plastic tailgate or on the roof of the truck- guess that’s another safety feature so people have to put it on the ground or on a metal sheet. My homemade one in a HF metal tool box has the burner air inlet and exhaust on the side so I can put it down anywhere without worrying about melting whatever is underneath it. I do have an all in one unit also and used copper 90° elbows to plumb the exhaust off the side but it’s still too close to the ground so it can’t sit on heat sensitive surfaces.

 

All of the chinese diesel heaters can be run turned on the side, glow plug outlet must be on top.
These heaters were designed with the exhaust outlet down to facilitate going through the firewall of a cab and down towards the ground so that no fumes could enter the heater air inlet. Outputting the exhaust from the side you still need to preserve that separation, while avoiding backpressure from extreme bends.
The fiberglass wrap is a PITA

 

I've been looking to do something similar. I know this is an old thread. But great job and thanks for the inspiration!

 

I would take a very close look at the heating chamber with plastic shell off before mounting it to be sure you have a decently cast one without cracks and that the wires aren't in direct contact with metal.
These are two very common issues that have nearly killed people and on RTTs the fire would be directly underneath you.

 

Thanks Mav!

 

Another reason I went with the Eb. This is one thing I didn’t want to take any chances with.

 

Ran this heater 31 hours straight without a problem.

 

That’s a great setup

 

You should insulate your hose it would heat up much more efficiently.
I have an insulation blanket that wraps around and fastens with snaps.

 

Please post photos and details! Great idea. I use this thing 3 to 4 times a year and it all fits into one box. Didn't want to make it to bulky or complicated. Would love to see you blanket and any links for materials.

 

I only needed one. You'll probably need more than one with the length of your hose.
https://www.heatso.com/thermoduct-insulation-for-75-80-90mm-ducting-hose/

It would probably be easier & less expensive to buy blanket sew it up and add snaps.

 

Installing a diesel tent heater sounds like a smart move for staying cozy during camping trips. I haven't personally tackled that project, but I remember when we were prepping for a chilly camping weekend. We debated between using Night storage heaters or a portable heater. Eventually, we opted for the portable one for its convenience. Make sure to follow the installation instructions carefully, and stay warm out there!

 

This will be a timely post since it's supposed to reach 85 degrees here today (sic).

I've been waiting on a couple parts for a Diesel heater mod I've been planning. A month ago I picked up an HCalorie 5K BTU suitcase style diesel heater from Amazon for a great price since we're heading into summer. Overall this heater is setup pretty well with the exception of the fuel tank which seems like a cheap afterthought. It's thin material and the tank also sits about 3" higher than the rest of the unit so it's a heavy counter weight trying to tip the unit over on anything but a hard even surface. I also didn't want to use their fuel pickup that must be installed by cutting a hole in the bottom of the tank. The thin tank material and it's poorly located fuel pickup is where they missed the boat, this is going to be knocking around in the back of the truck so I wanted something more durable. Who wants to get to the campsite and find out there's a gallon of diesel fuel sloshing around in the bed of the truck

Normal configuration:



I'm using a 1.3 gallon Rotopax style fuel container.



I drilled the container and installed a fuel pickup tube.



Then cut out and drilled an alum plate that conforms to the tank mounting holes in the heater and the rotopax mount.

This allows for the tank holder to be placed at a location where the tank is against the ground when standing, eliminating the heavily weighted side that makes it unstable.





I always intended to use this when working in the garage in the winter so I needed a way to run it off a 110V outlet. These can draw up to 10A for a few minutes during startup so I opted for a 15A power brick.



Parts I used:
Tank: https://www.amazon.com/VEVOR-Container-Adjustable-Compatible-Motorcycle/dp/B0CTR4KQGL
Fuel Pickup:

$8 Parking Heater Fuel Stand Pipe Compatible with Webasto Eberspacher Parking Heater Sender Standpipe Pick Up Clip Hose Kit, Strong Durability

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BPX1QHH7?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
Power Supply for using it to warm the garage in the winter:

$29 Shentian 100-240V Main to 12V Charger Socket,AC/DC Converter,Power Adapter (12V/15A)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09LVFT9YL?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

 

I dig that fuel tank alot! Might have to pick up one to keep a spare 1.3 gallons of 2-stoke gas in the truck.

 

It's thick plastic material and the mount holds it well. I haven't gotten the key lock to work right yet but in my case I wasn't planning on using the lock anyway.