Thanks for the share. I’m still not sure about a diesel heater. I watch all these reviews and I’m trying to comprehend which will be the best for me. I don’t anticipate a lot of winter camping, but we’ll see but thank you for the review and happy holiday holidays.
Have you tested this diesel heater or the Sunster using a portable battery bank? I have read reviews on the sunster that the 12v plugs on most battery banks are not adequate enough to run diesel heaters. I have a Jackery 500 and a EcoFlow Delta 2 that I would use for power. Curious to know your thoughts about power options. Love your videos and hope to have a channel like yours in the future. Thanks for taking us on your adventures.
I test every heater with power stations. The only ones that have reliably ran every diesel heater are the Bluetti. The Jackery ran a couple, and thats it. All of the other power stations need to run the heaters from the AC port. This is not ideal as you are going DC -> AC -> DC which is not very efficient. However, since the heaters are only pulling about 15 watts while running, the efficiency loss is really not a big deal in the long run.
I paid $85 for my Chinese diesel heater. you know the usual red colored ones. It is my only source of heat for over a year now in my cargo camper conversion. I did get a scare last week when it started putting out a lot of smoke. I panic ordered another one at $93 from the same seller, and then found out. I had a load of bad diesel. Clean the diesel out and it’s working fine now. New one is in stock in case I need it.
Right now I just have a battery I had to buy at O'Rielly's when our main battery died on a recent trip. I do 8 pumps of grease in RVC"s on every oil change. Hope that helps.
Propex propane heaters are much more reliable, quiet, and don’t smell. Also don’t require carrying diesel around. I wouldn’t trust anything else in extreme cold conditions.
I certainly cannot disagree with you there. Some of the other diesel heaters we have tested recently are extremely quiet and I never get a smell from them. Yes, carrying yet another fuel source (especially one that tends to be messy) is an issue, but the trade off is heaters that are $200 - $600 vs a Propex which is going to start at $1,500. Yes, I am a big believer in "buy once, cry once", there is also a part of me that goes "if it works, don't fix it". If I can run a cheap diesel heater, that doesn't cause me any problems, that is quiet enough for me, and fits the budget, then don't overspend. Sure, one-ton axles on our Jeep would be better for reliability in the long term, but do I really NEED to spend the money when what I have is working perfectly fine?
@@TrailTraveler I agree with you for sure. If it works don’t fix it. But, I like peace of mind especially when out with little kids in the middle of the mountains.
I’m curious how much diesel fuel did this unit used up? I have a HCalory SS2 model and it sucks up the full 6L tank over a 10 hour period. This is running it on about 60% (level 6) of max and running it into a tent that is not insulated. I didn’t recirculate the heat so not sure if that makes a huge difference. Just wanted to know your fuel consumption to compare if this is normal.
@@TrailTravelerYou didn’t recirculate the intake air, correct? Do you think it would significantly help in fuel efficiency if I recirculated? My output hose was about 6 feet long.
@@kimwong2053 Correct, I don't think it makes much of a difference. I have tried with and without and I doubt I could even get a measurable difference. The absolutely, single most important thing is to minimize heat loss from the hot air hose. The two main ways are 1) Keep it as short as possible, 2) Use an insulated hose.
LiFePo4 batteries won't charge or discharge if they get below 32 degrees F. Yes, you could keep it in the warm tent with you (e.g. via power station) and some have heaters in them (using their own power). But for having a battery in the trailer, I believe AGM is probably the way to go for cold weather use.
Thanks, I did not know that. I have seen some LiFePo4s that have built in heaters, but that seems to be like it would suck up for power than its worth.
@TrailTraveler You're welcome! I agree on the power loss to keep a LiFePo4 battery warm using its own energy. Truthfully a power station in a diesel heater warmed tent is probably the way to go if using LiFePo4.
My trip a few weeks ago was around 25 degrees and I kept the Bluetti Elite 200 v2 outside the entire time with no issues as a test. It didn't have any issues, but I wouldn't do that on a regular basis, that was for a product review test.
I Like Your videos! Maybe I will see you on the trails.
Thanks for the share. I’m still not sure about a diesel heater. I watch all these reviews and I’m trying to comprehend which will be the best for me. I don’t anticipate a lot of winter camping, but we’ll see but thank you for the review and happy holiday holidays.
If you aren’t likely to use it a lot, then save some money and get this one. If you are going to use it a lot, then get the LF Bros N2 Pro
That diesel heater setup is awesome!
It worked extremely well
@@TrailTraveler fantastic!
Have you tested this diesel heater or the Sunster using a portable battery bank? I have read reviews on the sunster that the 12v plugs on most battery banks are not adequate enough to run diesel heaters. I have a Jackery 500 and a EcoFlow Delta 2 that I would use for power. Curious to know your thoughts about power options. Love your videos and hope to have a channel like yours in the future. Thanks for taking us on your adventures.
I test every heater with power stations. The only ones that have reliably ran every diesel heater are the Bluetti. The Jackery ran a couple, and thats it. All of the other power stations need to run the heaters from the AC port. This is not ideal as you are going DC -> AC -> DC which is not very efficient. However, since the heaters are only pulling about 15 watts while running, the efficiency loss is really not a big deal in the long run.
I have an EcoFlow river Max 576 that runs my hcalary diesel heater. From the 12 volt socket
You need some cooking lessons from your wife😅. PS loved seeing Lucas 🐶 too. 🙂
So true, so true
I paid $85 for my Chinese diesel heater. you know the usual red colored ones. It is my only source of heat for over a year now in my cargo camper conversion. I did get a scare last week when it started putting out a lot of smoke. I panic ordered another one at $93 from the same seller, and then found out. I had a load of bad diesel. Clean the diesel out and it’s working fine now. New one is in stock in case I need it.
what brand of engine battery do you use? How often do you lube your RCV axles? Thank You, I'm working on a new build.
Right now I just have a battery I had to buy at O'Rielly's when our main battery died on a recent trip. I do 8 pumps of grease in RVC"s on every oil change. Hope that helps.
Cross your safety chains. That way, if it disconnects, the chains will catch it. Preventing the trailer from nosing into the ground.
I have seen numerous debates on that, I used to always do it and probably should continue just for good measure.
You cannot cross if the chains originate from the same point in trailer. Just a reminder.
@@foolthepity In the very first shot, you can see that ours are on either side of the hitch.
Here in Australia it’s a legal requirement to cross the chains, Police will fine you if not crossed.
Propex propane heaters are much more reliable, quiet, and don’t smell. Also don’t require carrying diesel around. I wouldn’t trust anything else in extreme cold conditions.
I certainly cannot disagree with you there. Some of the other diesel heaters we have tested recently are extremely quiet and I never get a smell from them. Yes, carrying yet another fuel source (especially one that tends to be messy) is an issue, but the trade off is heaters that are $200 - $600 vs a Propex which is going to start at $1,500. Yes, I am a big believer in "buy once, cry once", there is also a part of me that goes "if it works, don't fix it". If I can run a cheap diesel heater, that doesn't cause me any problems, that is quiet enough for me, and fits the budget, then don't overspend. Sure, one-ton axles on our Jeep would be better for reliability in the long term, but do I really NEED to spend the money when what I have is working perfectly fine?
I'd hope so. $100 Chinese heater vs $2k for their portable heater is quite the difference.
@ Yeah that’s ridiculous. I made a waterproof box for my Propex heater out of a $35 20 gallon plastic bin from Menards.
@@TrailTraveler I agree with you for sure. If it works don’t fix it. But, I like peace of mind especially when out with little kids in the middle of the mountains.
do you notice a chemical odor from that hose you are using? I did and changed it out
This isn't the hose that came with it, it's one I ordered from Amazon. I never had any odor from it.
I’m curious how much diesel fuel did this unit used up? I have a HCalory SS2 model and it sucks up the full 6L tank over a 10 hour period. This is running it on about 60% (level 6) of max and running it into a tent that is not insulated. I didn’t recirculate the heat so not sure if that makes a huge difference. Just wanted to know your fuel consumption to compare if this is normal.
I went through about 80% of the tank over a 12 hour period running about 40%.
@@TrailTravelerYou didn’t recirculate the intake air, correct? Do you think it would significantly help in fuel efficiency if I recirculated? My output hose was about 6 feet long.
@@kimwong2053 Correct, I don't think it makes much of a difference. I have tried with and without and I doubt I could even get a measurable difference. The absolutely, single most important thing is to minimize heat loss from the hot air hose. The two main ways are 1) Keep it as short as possible, 2) Use an insulated hose.
@@TrailTravelerThank you so much for the tips! I do have an insulated hose but I’ll try to shorten it more next time.
Did you say “CPAP machine “?
Yes, I have sleep apnea
@@TrailTraveler Don’t we all. I always figured a night or two or three wouldn’t be an issue leaving it home. Not your experience?
@ for some, not good for me. It pulls very little power so it’s not a big deal
LiFePo4 batteries won't charge or discharge if they get below 32 degrees F. Yes, you could keep it in the warm tent with you (e.g. via power station) and some have heaters in them (using their own power). But for having a battery in the trailer, I believe AGM is probably the way to go for cold weather use.
Thanks, I did not know that. I have seen some LiFePo4s that have built in heaters, but that seems to be like it would suck up for power than its worth.
@TrailTraveler You're welcome! I agree on the power loss to keep a LiFePo4 battery warm using its own energy. Truthfully a power station in a diesel heater warmed tent is probably the way to go if using LiFePo4.
My trip a few weeks ago was around 25 degrees and I kept the Bluetti Elite 200 v2 outside the entire time with no issues as a test. It didn't have any issues, but I wouldn't do that on a regular basis, that was for a product review test.
40 deg is not cooled to be wearing glove
It was in the mid 20s
Unhealthy food
Ok, well, you do you. If I'm freezing my butt off, I might not be inclined to fix a better meal.