Vlog 18: Propex HS2000 campervan heater installation (part 1)
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- čas přidán 5. 09. 2024
- A video about installing a Propex HS2000 LPG heater into my DIY campervan. Rather than bolt it to the floor as most people do, mine ended up on a shelf above the nearside wheelarch, for reasons I explain in the video.
If you liked the video and wish to leave me a tip, thank you!
www.ko-fi.com/...
See also the next vlog in which I continue the install: • Vlog 19: DIY campervan... and also this vlog where I add more insulation wrap to the heater's exhaust pipe: • Vlog 27: Adding extra ...
For more details, see my blog post at vandemonium.co....
Side window install: • Vlog 12: installing a ...
Rear windows install: • Vlog 9: installing bon...
Tools and parts used (Amazon affiliate links)
DeWalt jigsaw: geni.us/Van_De...
DeWalt drill: geni.us/Van_De...
DeWalt mitre saw: geni.us/Van_De...
The portable toilet is this one: geni.us/Van_To...
Sink unit is: geni.us/Van_Si...
Heater unit: geni.us/Van_Pr...
Web www.vandemonium...
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Looking forward to your continued progress. I'm especially keen to see how you tackle the holes for the heater and LP tank.
Coming soon!
after the heatered arguments with locations i'd say you chose well! your doing extremely well 😊
soon be done now!
You have obviously had a merry old time imagining all the various abstract design parameters. And done it good. Your progress is inspiring and gratifying. I can’t wait to see the camping adventures! Congratulations!
I've dedicated my Sunday to watching as much Vandemonium as possible. I don;t want to watch too much as I want to look forward to watching more videos in the future. You are doing a sterling effort and I am hooked.
It’s all coming together you need to start to plan where you are going to be going in it and all you need now is a Whippet! Keep them coming 👍😀🐾 Regards Dave
Learn something new every day even at my age! Never heard the term spigot before... Keep them coming David 🍷🍷
I wouldn't have used the term myself but I got it from Propex themselves :-) I'm not even sure it actually fits the definition but it works as a nice word!
Wow I think your doing a fine job. I do like your idea of having your top counter hinged where your ice chest will be @. That way it will be easier for you to get in & out of the chest. Plus give you extra counter space if needed.
Keep up the great work.
Thanks for sharing.
Chris
I'm just about to put one of these in my Merc 413, after finally deciding that a wood burning stove takes up too much space and weight. I will probably go through the floor as I have space but I really like the idea of running the thermostat to my bed so if its cold in the morning I can turn on the heater without having to get out from the duvet. Great video
Propex heater install looks very neat and the repositioning has worked out a space saving plus
Water squared away, heater (by now) squared away, furnishings shaping up well -- you're in the home stretch. Hurrah!
You've been proving to be quite the clever boots with these projects.
I really enjoy these videos. I hope they continue after the van is complete.
In your first canal videos you were using a hand drill to install a hook. Look how far we've come.
Progress!! and you're making a nice job of it.... for a news presenter...Really, for being an amatuer craftsman , it looks pretty good!
Good placement for the heater. It was a surprise to me that you put one in. I though you would be using the van in summer or fall of the year. You must be planning winter travels. Since I toss and turn in my sleep I wouldn't have put the heater control anywhere it could be kicked in my sleep but you're not me you may be one of those guys who don't move and it's perfectly safe where it is. For your propane tank vents why not drill up from under the van. That way, you can be sure, you won't put a hole in anything important. You're fill your space up fast, leave a path into the back unless you're going to climb over the passenger seat. :-) If you do have a back doctor on retainer.
Not for winter I doubt but chilly nights in Spring and Autumn perhaps. With the control in the far corner - and the bed longer than I am tall - I shouldn't hit it by accident. As for drilling up, the problem still arises of finding a suitable place for the holes to go that will also accommodate the heater above it. At this point it wasn't so much not hitting anything as coinciding the drilling with a suitable location. It should all be clear in the next video or two!
David nice to know that Propex have tech support and will actually respond by e-mail. Gives piece of mind.
Yeah they've responded quickly on a couple of occasions.
absolutely brilliant. I cant believe you are attempting all this , I am very impressed with all your work . I am intending doing similar for my daughter's T 5 van in the spring. I am taking inspiration from all your builds .Gerald
Great stuff so far watched every video can’t wait to start having a go on my vw caddy when I get it! For someone with little experience of this your ending up with a real nice van and loads of new tools 😁
Thanks for this. I fitted a Propex HS1600 to my campervan over the weekend and this was a useful reference. You’re right to use that insulating sleeve on the exhaust pipe, oh boy it gets hot. I’ve ordered the sleeve now - my van has a lot of underseal on it which I’d rather not set fire to! As you’ve said elsewhere, superb support from Propex themselves.
Glad it was useful. Yes, in hindsight having now run the thing and experienced just how steaming hot that pipe gets, I'm not entirely convinced I was wise to locate it as I did even with the heat shielding wrap. Then again, even an inch or so away from the pipe is substantially cooler. I think I'm going to get some further heat wrap like I have round my boat engine's exhaust and add that as well, plus add a reflective heat shield between the heater exhaust and the gas filler pipe. Agreed also about Propex, very responsive.
I (half)seriously considered running the exhaust through a water jacket and using it to generate hot water as a by product! Your video was especially helpful as I actually read too many forums (and, in fact, comments on your videos) - it amazes me how many folk don't grasp the concept that the air coming in from outside (for combustion) and the air being heated (taken from inside the van) are totally separate! I read so many comments where folk got themselves wrapped around the axle about that.
Haha yes I noticed that too! I like your water idea, bit like the system on my boat which uses the engine heat for that purpose.
I have had this heater for 2 winters. Very good heater. Keep an eye on your batteries when running it in cold weather as the fan runs more, obviously. One thing to learn before it happens. How to clear a “Lock Out”. Imagine. Freezing cold evening, heater on full. Toasty warm, just settling down with a glass of Port & some fine cheese. The heater stops & the red light comes on! Van cools rapidly! This does happen occasionally. The fix is simple, if you know how, so get to it, the answer is in the manual under faults!
Yes, I've heard about that - will look it up. Cheers!
It’s all looking amazing. You’re such a neat worker!
Thank you, as ever :-)
I think I’d have put the fresh water container as the smaller one. You could always back it up with a couple of Camelbak style 3 liter water pouches (6 or 7 quid off AliExpress, fold down to very small when empty) for times when you’d be gone longer, but I’d be worried about thoughtlessly accidentally overfilling the waste water and flooding the van more than about running out of fresh.
IDK Dave looks like a professional install to me. Again well done my friend.
Hello David
It occurs to me while watching your video you could secure with screws a cargo lash around your water tanks to keep them safely in position. Available from tool station indexed under 'straps'. A very good job you've done on the van though.
I can remember fitting one of those to my first motorhome because we wanted some heat in the back which could be run whilst on the move. I think I got it for £40 from a scrapyard which was originally in a BT van! Great bits of kit!
Bargain!
Well that's one way to do it. I like your thinking. Great job 👍
David-Since you have the extra wire length for the thermostat you might also consider putting velcro on the back which will allow you to attach it to the carpet anywhere along the van wall above the bed while sleeping. Like your cabinet work. Very practical. Have a good week. mk
Neat idea. Too late now, it's been fitted! I wouldn't want the cable trailing though, bit ugly.
David, not sure how strong the heater fan is, but the more bends in the hot air flow pipe the less flow of warm air. Better if you can to have it as straight as poss, minimum bends. Another good vid..
Unfortunately, it has to go there. It only bends a couple of times, should be OK.
Vandemonium it will be fine in my Luna caravan the hot air runs outside under the van..also the full length of the van..so it gets a blast of cold sir before the "hot" air emerges..
You're a regular renaissance man aren't you? Cracking job so far. Keep in mind that there is profit in these things. Buy a new van, kit it out yourself (will be easier next time with what you've learned thus far) and then sell for profit. £££
Not saying to do it like but if all else fails, at least you know now that you can build motor homes and there's definitely money in it alright. Put in some serious hours, get a van done in a couple of weeks and you could easily be on a few grand profit which ain't bad for half a months work... Own boss and so forth.
It equals a win in my books. :D
Tempting! Whether anyone would buy my work is another matter entirely :-)
People buy motorhomes and stuff like that all the time. And from the manufacturer or a specialised company, the profit margin they pull in is massive.
An example is the place where my mate works... Won't mention no names but they buy brand new Mercedes Sprinter vans and then they pimp them out. Don't get me wrong, they're actual coach builders so its super quality work but they buy a van brand new from Mercedes for somewhere between 15 and 20 grand and once it's been through the works, it comes out the other side for 75 grand. Being that they have council contracts to supply said vans, the work doesn't dry up.
Same with VW though. Brand new, you can get a Transporter Shuttle for about £27 grand. By the Transporter California though which is VW's dedicated camper van with creature comforts like a bed and a sink and that same van is now selling brand new for £46 grand on the road. And it doesn't have one of those nifty gas powered heaters you've installed in yours. (Boom, thats a key selling point).
But VW vans going from 27 grand for the 7 seater van to 46 grand for the camper... That's a hell of a mark up for a bed and a sink and a few storage cupboards... Well, by rights, it has a tilt up roof too but that's high end. Naturally you don't go for that market. You go for the younger market and generally, they can't afford super expensive vans anyways.
That and at the moment, there's a bit of a craze going on with the 20-somethings traveling around in camper vans. Its actually fashionable for the younger generation these days. Back in my day, the younger generation would have to be dragged into a van to get in one.
Obviously you know how much your van cost and how much you've put into it so far so it shouldn't be too hard to work out some prices to find some wiggle room where you can get a tidy profit by coming up with a cheapish van, kitting it out and undercutting the cost that the manufacturer would charge for the same thing.
Hell, you do it to a couple of vans and buy the vans for the same place, you'll probably be able to wrangle some deal with the dealer for discounts on the vans... More profit right there.
Something to think about if nothing else... Pull out the tablet, get on google and work out how cheap you can get a new van for and how cheap you can source the materials for. At the very least, it'll give you something to think about on the rainy days where you can't do work on the van.
Plus, you have actual videos on CZcams showing how you do it and showing your workmanship. Better than paid advertising is that. :)
The Enterprise just needs the right name - Vanderminium Conversions ??
That window does make it bright in the van, nice. I would like to say that I believe that you are going to have to extend the exhaust pipe for the heater if you plan too have it exit under the van. It will need to be extended so that the end of the exhaust pipe is NOT under the passenger compartment. Otherwise warm exhaust will rise up under the van and find a way inside. I'm sure you planned that but you didn't mention it and I became worried for your safety as a result. I must complement you on either your goid luck or good planning that allowed you to use a useless void to place the furnace, and make a nice short gas line. Nicely done.
The whole system is already towards the back of the van, at the wheel arch, and where the pipe exits is right in the corner of the back of the van. The exhaust pipe therefore exits out to the corner. Cheers
The by-product of propane combustion is carbon dioxide and water. Many propane heaters exhaust these by-products directly into the cabin air you breathe. Unlike diesel, gasoline (petrol?) or kerosene (spirits?) the chance of carbon monoxide poisoning is extremely low. Un-vented heaters DO however carry the chance of oxygen starvation which is the real culprit. Some un-vented propane heaters, if not most, are designed to extinguish before the oxygen levels get dangerously low. This has saved many lives. In Davids set-up all concerns of CO are a non-concern. Besides it appears he vented into a wheel well. No problem.
Wow! Extremely smart looking installation! Beautiful framing all around and the flooring is beautiful! Really enjoyed the video!
Thank you
If you are looking into fridges, some of the sailing channels have good ideas on how to build the cold box and have the working bits somewhere else so you have the most food room.
Yeah, ta, I did a lot of reading. The one I wanted had a detachable compressor but these things are so damned expensive so I've had to compromise, as you'll see in a future vlog.
Wait until you get the surfing bug, you’ll need wet storage and a changing screen. A10’ longboard on the roof would just finish the van off nicely. 🏄♂️
I'm not a surfer, I think! Besides, the solar panels will be on the roof :-)
It is certainly shaping up! You will be out camping in this van in no time!
Your pun game is on point, by the way. Every vlog, every time 👍😀
With a bit of rethinking things a slowly falling into place bro, nice one. ATB
Hi watched this many times you explained it very well love it
Thank you
Looks like quite the sensible plan for arranging things. I like the short gas lines, less to go wrong. The way you have assembled and mounted things is a lot better than I saw in some professionally made vans.
The additional window is also great. Just the question: Where will you put in storage for things like kitchenware and your clothes?
Thanks. Clothes will go in the underbed storage. Pans / kettle either under the hob/sink or on a yet-to-be-built shelving unit.
Brilliant progress, David!😊☺😀👍👍👍
The intake is the plastic pipe since it’s admitting outside ambient temperature air into the combustion chamber. The exhaust pipe is stainless steel because it’s expelling very hot air from the combustion chamber. And yes, since it’s running through the interior of the van it definitely needs to be insulated. The way you’re explaining it here is a dangerous situation and hopefully you didn’t discover that they were backwards the hard way.
No, the intake and outlet pipes are both stainless as supplied by Propex. I'm fully aware the exhaust is hot hence my insulating it, exactly as Propex advised. I am following the manufacturer's recommendation, as I explained in the video.
I also made it clear that usually it would be installed into the floor with the exhaust and inlet poking directly outside.
Love this guy. He should be a comedian.
Nice job David.👍 Just a couple of observations 1: I would consider fitting a washable polyurethane filter to the cabin air inlet to the heater. 2. A top access fridge may be more efficient but they are a right royal pain in the spigot when it comes to convenience -if it’s not too late you may wish to thing again. I think the efficiency gain is finely drawn anyway.
Too late!
Vandemonium Oh well never mind I am sure you will get used to it. Biggest problem tends to arise from a blocked drain which then means ‘stuff’ at the bottom can get damaged. I used to out a layer of cans at the bottom to prevent more susceptible food getting damp in the event of a blockage.
Vandemonium I bought a Waeco CFX35 Top loading chest Fridge this year. My 3 way Fridge, also a Waeco started playing up in gas mode. All rather annoying as it was only 20 years old! The new fridge is 12v only & is absolutely fantastic. Very efficient, quiet & very convenient. I can control it via an App using WiFi. I have 210 watts of solar & it hardly touches the power. Will be interesting to see how it does in the winter. Temperatures cooler but much less solar. I would never return to a conventional front opener now. Cost is high £639.95 but it has a 3 year guarantee. Easy to clean etc & automatically switches from 12v to 240v when you plug in to shore power.
I couldn't stretch to the bigger versions or the latest model! Originally I wanted a Waeco or Dometic model that gets installed into the furniture but at £595 each, it's just too much! Hence why I ended up looking at the self-contained models like the CDF26 that I bought. Got it for £375 which is a relative bargain (on at £440 or so the next "cheapest" price I could find) so I was pleased with that. I've only tested it briefly but it very, very quickly took the temp down from 19C to 4C and was very quiet, so I'm happy so far. It'll be interesting to see how much power it uses when on the battery / solar (200W solar, yet to be installed and a 160Ah AGM battery)
It all made perfect sense to me - good job all round and another great vlog. =D
Looks like it's really coming along well! Keep up the good work!
The air inlet and the exhaust must be spaced far enough apart so that no exhaust gases are sucked in through the air inlet.
Yes
Complicated stuff😳 looking like a job well done.😊
Interesting that they said you could connect it like that it does make installing it so much easier.
Yes, I was rather surprised too although since then I have seen a similar installation using the marine version on a small narrowboat. I can't say I'm hugely comfortable with it, I'd rather have mounted it conventionally but there just wasn't a sensible place to put it due to the spare tyre underneath at the back, and the two huge chassis members running along the length of the van on either side underneath the units. I'm still somewhat paranoid about the heat off the exhaust despite my later addition (see other videos) and will continue to ponder even further insulation on it.
Love this unit, the whole idea of it. What I don’t love: they forgot to spend a few more pennies for a digital thermostat. I don’t love choosing my mix of blue and red knowing exactly what shade of blue and red will make me comfortable.
They do sell a digital thermostat version for slightly more money
Actually,”Spigot” is a particular style of tobacco pipe. Being a former pipe smoker and a pipe collector I am very familiar with that style of pipe.
Great video, just one suggestion with your water jugs...
Use the smaller one for your supply so that the supply runs out before the grey water is full! If you do it the other way round you leave the possibility of running out of space in your grey water jug and having a messy overflow! Yes ok likely not going to happen but I'd still eliminate any possibility!!
It won't happen; 90% of the fresh water will be drunk as tea :-)
Vandemonium
Ha ha yes.... most British answer of all time!
Hooray for heat!
I would go ahead and put in the air inlet plug/screen to the cabinet. You build with very tight tolerances and might starve the heater of air. Nothing wrong with air flow to a place with heat and water as well, minimizes mold I should think. You don't want mold.
I assure you that cabinet is not made with "tight tolerances", gosh if only you could see it up close!!
Vandemonium, just concerned for your safety. I did see that there were many advise comments. Maybe too many, I trust you know best how things stand in your new adventure vehicle. Best of luck and safe travels. 💖
I do appreciate the concern but given the gaps between the panels on the kitchen unit and the three holes I drilled in them to enable pulling them off the magnetic mounts, there should be sufficient airflow. Cheers
Brilliant explanation for the propex - thank you. Just as an aside, painting the back of the tongue and groove as well as the front may have reduced the bowing? Apologies if this has already been discussed
Glad it was helpful!
I think you are doing a fantastic job with fitting the van on your own. You probably already thought of this but if you haven't, please get a carbon monoxide detector. Just as an added measure of protection for yourself. Thank you.
There will be 2 CO alarms, a smoke alarm and an LPG alarm. Cheers
Vandemonium . Glad to hear. I didn't hear it mentioned that's why I asked. I also like your cruising the cut channel. Awesome stuff. Thank you.
Well I'll say it again, because you've done it again - well done sir! ;-)
I would suggest that you use the smaller water can for you are freshwater otherwise you could overflow the gray water tank making quite a mess. If the freshwater is the smaller of the two then you know when that is empty it's time to dump the gray water.
That won't happen; 90% of the freshwater will end up being drunk as tea!
That is a great way to do all your gas items
Is it possible to use a boat skin fitting for the exhaust and air inlet of the heater on a van? Can you mount Propexes on their side? Just a thought... Thanks for another great video
I'm sure I read somewhere that you can mount them on their side, yes.
I definitely agree with the chest /top style fridge. They are way more efficient. Which brand/model are you going with? If it would fit in that same space you might be able to put it on a slide out type setup to maybe help keep it stable and power cord hidden. Cool vid
I wanted a Waeco BI41 (if I recall correctly) but they're fantastically expensive like all 12V fridges - around £600. I just can't justify that. So I've ordered a portable Dometic model, half the capacity (21l) but it only needs to keep milk and tomatoes cool etc. That was still £375!
Vandemonium cool. Ive seen alot of those used. From what i have researched any of the decent chest fridges use hardly any power so paying a little more so your battery doesn't drain quickly is worth it in my book . And if you consider that the compressor doesn't have to run as much should mean you'll get longer life out of it versus a side door . Looking forward to seeing how you set it up. As you say over there cheers :)
Chilling tomatoes below 12 deg C destroys their flavour. commercial toms are chilled in transit, and at the store so have already lost a great deal of flavour. SO grow your own (almost impossible in the UK without a greenhouse) or buy at farmers' markets. Not easy on a narrow boat. SO you have to use Italian canned to get flavour. Not too good in salads though.
What's the model number ??
I wonder if wiring the incoming and outgoing burn tubes, would help keep the exhaust cooler, while warming the intake air too, and both wrapped in rock wool or fiberglass for insulator around them both. Of course the intake outside end should be a space on outside of van from the exhaust, to avoid re-circulation of exhaust into the intake port. Also, why not take both through the side of van, with some sort of metal pass through port for each, the intake below the heated exhaust port, since the latter exhause would rise, insuring intake would always have truly fresh air incoming.
No. You would need a heat exchanger to accomplish any heat transfer. Why not just install the heater as recommended by the manufacturer?
I've just installed my Propex today, (for the third time - don't ask), and I thought I'd look at a couple you tubes to see how other people had done it - your's was the first video. I thought ' hang on - I recognise that voice ' - Man of many talents! I realise it's a little while ago now, but great video by the way - I think it's a great idea to run your air inlet and exhaust that way. Wish I could have done it that way. Any issues since? Looking forward to watching some more.
No issues other than my own general paranoia about the exhaust pipe being too hot inside and burning something despite all the insulation I wrapped it in. I would have liked better distance between the exhaust and the gas tank inlet pipe too but I don't know what I can do about that.
@@Vandemonium well, I guess if it's lasted this long and you haven't got hotter than intended (!), must be working ok!
Hi there, nice video. There's one thing that's bothering me, I believe the pipes should be the other way around. Metal one for exhaust and the black one for air inlet.
Both pipes coming off the spigots are metal. Neither are black.
That was a whole lot of talk about holes. But it made sense.
How long before there is a cheap Chinese copy of the propex?
I've got the same propex heater and the exhaust gets very hot.
Good to know. I asked them about that ages ago, since I was wondering whether it would burn the ply floor of the van through the hole (this was before I moved it) but they said as long as the correct sized holes were used (I forget what this is, maybe 50+mm??) then it would have sufficient clearance. I shall be very careful to watch it and check it when it first runs.
Ps. Very well presented as usual.
Is the furnace controller a thermostat. If so it needs to be exposed to the air so it can sense the air temperature and turn the furnace on or off as the air temperature changes. Enjoying the built and your proplem solving abilities.
It is, though curiously it seems to have no air inlet vent anywhere on the body.
I guess they are "electronic" thermostats. These thermostats need a hole as small as pin hole to work efficiently.
PS:- I suggest to place somewhere a bit higher because thermostat might give wrong values of temperature if it gets covered with a bedspread or blanket.
Too late, I've installed it now! I'll have to see how it goes...
You've put a lot of thought into your build, nicely done. As you see we're all second-guessing you, but with the best intentions to make sure we'll all see you off on your first trip safe and sound ...so to add: have you considered there to be any issues with the proximity of the heater to the hob? i.e. sparks or heat emanating from one or the other, drips of cooking oil, etc.?
I don't think so, the gap to the hob is sufficient, no oil should leak through.
From the look of things, you have fitted the wrong pipes on your combustion air in, and exhaust. It should surely be the stainless hose on the exhaust?
I assure you I have not. The exhaust hose is indeed metal of some kind.
Hi.. Your getting on very well with the van.. Only thing I would like to say.. I have been building camper for over 30 years..? I just noticed that you have put your propex on the passenger side..? I would like to advise you to run the exhaust all the way to the rear and exit the rear of the van.. I say this as in the past, It might not be you but you will not have the van for ever.. If you put the exhaust out the side of the van and you decide to put an awning on to it, you or the next owner will vent exhaust fumes in to the awning...? and we know what happens then...? I am enjoying all the videos so far.. Thanks loads.. Kevin
Hi. Ta. The whole unit is at the back and the exhaust exits there. Cheers
Great episode David, cheers. Hope you're going to stay safe and invest in a carbon monoxide detecter (not doubting your heating skills!) although, do they detect all kinds of burnt gasses? I have no idea.
Two CO detectors, one smoke alarm and an LPG alarm.
Vandemonium
Excellent David, should do the trick, I knew you'd have thought of it 👍
A small steel plate over the wires going through the wood will prevent anyone from putting a nail through the wires. This is require in the U.S.
Sounds like a good idea.
On a owner-modified van build? No. Maybe in California because they ditest folks that LIVE on wheels. In the United States only the Department of Transportation is concerned about vehicles only when new. Were there rules for vehicle modification (like those concerning buses in California) millions of life-styles would be at risk. Oh the humanity of it all...
As you have the heater and hob in a confined space have you considered a Carbon Monoxide alarm, and possibly a gas alarm too as the bottle appears to be going inside the van? Another excellent vlog as ever!
There will be two CO alarms, a smoke alarm and an LPG alarm. The gas bottle is in a sealed locker, vented through the floor, as you'll see.
Vandemonium You should be safe with that lot then! 😀
You could play a drinking game to this video. Everytime you say the word "here" you take a shot... I lost count!
Word of advice. Dont T piece the gas line. A gas manifold is a requirement for multipul device isolation. If you have a fault on either device you will have to completely shut off your gas rather than being able to isolate each device. Also a drop vent under each gas joint and no more than 750mm or rubber pipe in the whole system 👍not keen on the routing of the hot exhaust but at least you have it in writing from the manufacturer.
Hi. Ta. Each feed from the T has its own isolator so the items can be separately turned off. There are drop vents, as you will see. The piping is all copper except the high pressure from cylinder to regulator. The hot exhaust is wrapped in a heat sleeve.
Good work mate
Change over the water containers i.e. grey 13l and fresh 10l and you shouldn’t have a flooding incident. Regards AJ
That won't happen; 90% of the freshwater will end up being drunk as tea!
Well that's useful to know - means you could have a lot more options placing the heating. Placing the dropout holes for the Heater and for the Cooker might be tricky - should have 50mm of containment to hold the gas in place (so to speak) around the edges so the leaking gas doesn't just flow out. Where did you get the 13ltr water container?? thats a useful but not common size.
I got it from either Kiravans or Clearcut Conversions or somewhere like that, I forget the exact one
Thanks - Yes Kiravans - not cheap - but a great solution.
www.kiravans.co.uk/campervan-cookers-sinks/water-containers/13-litre-water-container-hinged-handle-bung-top
very informative... been looking at dual (gas/240v) heaters for a van... so a couple of questions..
1-How did you calculate the heating requirement for the van size?.. cant find any space/temp increase data on their website.
2-Can you have it running when moving?
I did no calculation; the van is quite small so if the heater failed to do the job it would be a total failure as a heater. As this unit is fairly standard on a lot of compact campervans, I took it as read that it would be up to the job. No idea about using it on the move; I doubt I would because I would tend to turn the gas off at the bottle when moving.
Looks like by this point things were starting to heat up. ;)
With the heater control, haven't you forgotten about the extra height for the mattress again (plus your bedding)?
Oops
Why dont you feed from the thermostat back to the unit, so that the extra cord can be tucked in the unit area.... So u dont have coils of wire by your bed.....still no cutting ..... But extra coil would be in unit enclosure ..... Hung or secured away from the unit. Would be a cleaner instal by your feet . :)
The wire won't be visible, it's going to be boxed in.
A switchable Y-fitting in the heater`s air intake could supply you with fresh heated air from outside, just a small hole in the sidewall...
Is that a petrol van or a diesel? As diesel, i would choose a diesel heater, as long as there`s fuel to drive, there`s fuel to heat!
;-)
Nice work, thx for the vid!
Not sure why I'd want to use gas heating up cold air from outside?! If the heater's on, I want it heating the air in the van which is what it's designed to do. Regarding choice of heater, I explain in the blog post, link in video description. Cheers
@@Vandemonium Sorry for the late reply. I wanted to weigh in on this as I'm just recovering from carbon dioxide poisoning. That's not a typo, I mean the stuff you breathe out. (At least I assume you do; you don't look like an alien. 😉) When people say "oxygen starvation", the real problem is carbon dioxide build-up. While there is plenty of oxygen in the atmosphere, just a couple of hundred extra parts per million over the normal amount of carbon dioxide is enough to measurably reduce brain function, and it builds up surprisingly fast. Normal house bedrooms commonly build up large amounts; more than enough to halve brain function if I remember right. None of this is new info; the British government was trying to enforce minimum ventilation standards for homes in the 1980s.
You may not have to worry too much because, as you say, you go outside when you want to stand up, and I guess you spend a lot of time driving the boat around too, but I can entirely understand why someone would want to heat cold air from outside. Actually, there's 2 reasons, although the second is much less important. If you take fresh winter air and warm it, it's very nice!
What I want is a heat exchanger so I can constantly exchange air with the outside without losing more than a little bit of heat.
We have the same Propex heater in our campervan and found it very unreliable, proun to different error codes (intermittent flashing red light on the thermostat controller) difficult to reset, disappointing and expensive, particularly with a dedicated on board Lpg tank servicing both the heater and hob. The heater fan also consumes a far bit of 12v battery power when off grid. Not ideal!
Oh, how odd! I did need to reset it occasionally on start-up but it always did so without issue. And I used the heater quite rarely so consumption wasn't a problem. It didn't seem to use much power though so that's puzzling.
Iv had same problem. I can't understand how they are so expensive. They never work.
perhaps i can help you, power usage is under 20watts an hour, consumes 1kg of butane per 7hours.what were the error codes indicating,? I have the hs2000 set up on my boat, apart from being a little loud,it works very well, regards dave
Make sure the inlet can't suck in exhaust fumes....
Fear not, all taken care of.
Can you operate the t/stat when mattress in place, or you may need toe extensions.
Not sure yet!
I’d be curious as to how much that heater gets used as time goes on. In our T@B trailer, just using the 2 burner cooktop seems to warm things up quite a bit. The heater gets used very seldom and it’s nice to have one now and again but a small space with good insulation doesn’t require much heat. Are your windows capable of venting a little bit of fresh air into the van?
I've the vent above and a side window slides
👍 thanks again !
Would it not be better to fit the thermostat higher in the van. Regards AJ
I won't be able to operate it with my toe then ;-)
I believe you have the intake and exhaust pipes reversed. The metal is exhaust and the rubber is the intake.
No, I assure you I did not. They are both metal pipes.
@@Vandemonium also, the inlet is bigger, the exhaust is smaller and hotter thus more insulated. None of that is weird! Air inlets are always bigger than the exhaust, because otherwise you starve the flame which means CO which means bad things. Air inlets are also uninsulated.
Neither pipe is insulated (until I added insulation, which is optional, later). I reiterate that I have the pipes quite correctly attached.
How does the heater manufacture feel about an air filter over the furnace air return duct to keep dust, bugs, etc. out of the furnace?
No idea!
Like listening to Monty Python, wiggle , wiggle, say no more.
Hello,
I just bought one but I don't know what gaz regulator I have to use with it... I have got a 50 mbar gaz regulator, should it work? If not, please let me know which one I'll have to buy... Thank you
You'd best email Propex, they have really good technical support by email. I think 50 may be too high but check with Propex themselves.
@@Vandemonium Thank you for your quick response!
What made you go for a gas powered heater, and not a diesel powered one? Are they cheaper to run compared to the diesel ones (price of gas Vs price of diesel?)
Please see the blog post, link in video description.
Why did you blur out your boat in the background?
At the time, I was keeping my boat name private.
9:20 From here on, it shall be known .. as a 'foot knob'! * throws fist in the air *
How noisy is the propex heater? Is the fan on continuously when the heater is on? Thinking of getting one for my 17 ft trailer. Thanks so much.
Hmm, it's not exactly quiet though I suppose it depends where you mount it. Yes, the fan runs continuously.
interesting that some air is burned to heat other air.
Not sure if anyone else had this problem but, when David said "they said its fine" @04:33 did anyone elses Siri kick off?!
Seriously?! What did it do?
It just did it again! It activated then asked it's usual question then said "You're welcome"!!!
Can you tell me where you obtained the thermal wrap used around the exhaust pipe?... also how hot does the exhaust pipe get, as I'm wondering how the hole in the bottom of the van would be sealed if a very hot pipe was passing through! I'm wondering if I can use the thermal wrap to allow the exhaust to exit close to the spare wheel without damaging the tyre.
From Propex. You will also see in a later video I added additional exhaust wrap, from Amazon. It's very hot as it exits the unit itself but much less so by the time it goes out the end of the pipe. That said, I am not offering any advice, fit at your own risk and take care etc etc! The instructions on fitting (if the pipe exits directly through the floor) just mention making a specific diameter hole, nothing else regarding heat proofing.