I'm a truck driver and have used these diesel heaters (most companies use the more expensive but modular Eberspacher brand, though they are all the exact same design) for years as a bunk/cab heater when the engine is off. They work absolutely great, right up until you have to clean the burn chamber out of all the soot because it won't light. The reason the startup time takes 3-5 minutes is because the fan blows for a few minutes to get fresh clean air inside the burn chamber while the glow plug heats up enough for the fuel pump to start pushing fuel into the burn chamber to cause initial ignition, which you can hear. Once it lights off, you're good to go. They CAN be very picky systems, but they are typically good for about 1000-ish hours before it needs a full service. One negative I am aware of is that during teardown service is that you absolutely WILL destroy the OEM gasket, which tends to be a low quality paper gasket, and you're left to either fabricate another one out of something better or order another OEM paper one. Pro tip, in a pinch, you CAN spray brake cleaner or starter fluid into the burn chamber via the AIR inlet to get a quick light if the glow plug isn't lighting the diesel fuel off and erroring out, which is usually due to soot clogging it and not a faulty glow plug. Just be a very conservative so as not to flood the burn chamber and cause a pressurized explosion, as it's about the size of a plum and will fill quickly. Do not use an external ignition source. Also, brake cleaner can be used to flush most soot out, just spray it in via the FUEL inlet and use pressurized air to blow through the FUEL inlet directly into the burn chamber, while plugging the air inlet to prevent backflow, the black soot liquid will flush out via the exhaust pipe. I hope this little bit of info helps out at some point.
The fix for the overheat is to use a 4 " hose with a very small section of 3 " so you can mount it to the outlet. That length of 3 " hose has proven to be to restrictive. Try this and I think you will be happy.
Other reviews have also mentioned the 4” tube solution. Seems like a great buy. I’m curious if the 8W is overkill (designed for 270 ft2). Reviews mention since these run best when they run hot. There’s a 5W combo version like the one OTG reviewed. The 2W version (designed for 100 ft2) must be mounted with a separate fuel tank.
Since you lengthen the three-inch tube, it's getting too much back pressure. once you put a 4-inch tube with a reducing Coller from 3 inch to 4 inch it should run like a champ. Another thing to do is put a tether off of the exterior of your tent so the 90-degree bend is gradual once it enters your tent. good luck and cheers!
I bought mine on ebay from vevor it was 74 bucks i love it cant wait to use it in winter on camping trips. Not wrong about the exhaust outlet and air inlet the placement is really dumb but i cut 2 small blocks from a treated 4x4 i had laying around and screwed a piece to both sides and it gave me the clearance i needed to have it on the ground and more stability so it wont tip over as easy. The tire step is a common and great way to do it too. 👍🏼
One safety note: make sure the tank is empty or the cap is really tight before traveling with fuel on a bumpy road. I had fuel leak out around the cap on a particularly rough journey. I have that same heater that I just got about a month ago. I’ve used a Wave 3 or buddy heater before so this season will be great with dry forced air heat. I’m setting mine up in a similar fashion to you except mine goes through a canopy window instead of up to a tent so I have a lot less hose for it to push through. The hose that comes with it is definitely too short. I actually liked it that it was not wired with a plug cause I set mine up with an XT60 plug for my fuse box. I did the initial test run to make sure it works then a couple weeks later ran it for a couple hours to field test it. It works great. I got a little bit of smoke on start up but it seems to burn really clean once it’s going. I’m hoping to test it out over night this coming week in my first snow camp of this season.
Yeah it’s a good unit for sure. And I agree with the note on the fuel. My can smelt like pure diesel when I got to camp. I’m glad the wiring worked out for you. Given that it’s designed to be super adaptable for multiple application, I think it’s a good call. I was trying to highlight that this is not a overland specific product and would need some work to make it work for that. Mine smoked for like 15 ish minutes on first start up. Been absolutely fine since
Look online for instructions to adjust the burner settings. You can adjust the amount of fuel the pump puts out as well as the fan/motor rpms. If you increase the fan speed and reduce the amount of fuel being burned, your output temps will go down. Also, be cautious with that hose as it isn't rated for the high heat that will be produced on the output(hot) side. You may notice odd fumes as that hose gets hot and begins to off-gas. The tubing that came with the heater works for the high temps so i just ordered a couple more lengths and spliced them together. Last thing- to eliminate diesel exhaust getting in to your tent, use that long hose you have as a return from your tent back to the heater. It will also increase your efficiency a bunch since you are feeding the heater warm air from the tent, rather than the cold outside air. These heaters work great and if you adjust the settings a bit it wont be finicky at all.
GREAT VIDEO. Been using my Vevor heater for a couple years now it’s never failed me. Also it’ll overheat and shut off if the settings are just too hot for the conditions(not cold enough yet).
Yeah that very well might have been it. It wasn't THAT cold that night. I more so think it had to do with the kink in the hose, but that is a good note.
Download, even print the error codes... I spent 2 nights in the Ohoco forest in 24* temps. I reached out via Zoleo Sat device to family to run the trouble code. My youngest sister saved us with her reply. The Bluetooth FOB... Buy 15' of wire and the manual knob controller run it up to the RTT. the knb is also illuminated. Don't say I didn't tell you.
@OFFTHEGRIND I enjoy your work bro. They are worthy heaters. Just get the manual knob controller. I run the same set up configuration on my Taco. Oh... just so you know. Outside Bryce Canyon another 24* outing. Things were running smooth all night. I heard a series of beeps while laying in the RTT. I came down and checked all my lithium battery set up etc.... Everything checked out. I was concerned with the beeping... The heater was low on fuel. That is a nice feature. So... if ya hear beeping. Be safe brother. Love to roll with you sometime.
@OFFTHEGRIND Home Depot sells a 3" galvanized elbow that swivels and conforms from straight to 90*. That's all I use to ensure I get no kink at the heater. I also added another muffler. I have 2 mufflers butt up. We never hear it at night. The mufflers...along one edge is a small drain port. Exhausting from the heater the muffler should be orientated on edge with that drain hole facing down. I also prop the entire exhaust tube mufflers at the far end on a rock and clean earth to prevent a forest fire. 3" galvanized adjustable elbow from HD. 15' Wire and manual control to the RTT over that FOB and display panel. Note: When I switched to the manual knob over the funky display I wondered if it would provide cooling run down when I switched to the off position. It does. ( heater needs to cool down before shutting off). Keep less reliable display in tool bag for redundancy. 2 mufflers at away end of unit. Over clear earth. I use a short tent pole. One end set verticle on earth, the feed the black duct hose over the tent pole/broom stick pushing the accordion hose down for repacking/compressing. I have 2 of these heaters one for the iKamper 3.0 and the other for the annex. Get over some of the set up/break down, go manual knob. I love the heaters. William ( Bellingham WA) PS... Remember I said I reached out to family at 0100hr in the Ochoco Forest via Zoleo to find the error code? I never rained that night, sleet and snow. I slipped what I thought was a perfect sturdy Costco bag over the heater to keep rain off of it. I thought it was easily loose fitting. Error code: Restricted Air flow. 😅😅 find a looser way to shelter it.
The reason it is overheating is because the hose is too restrictive. I watched another channel where the guy changed the hose to a 4-inch hose with adaptors on the end to fit the 3-inch fittings supplied....no more overheating issues.
How do you keep the unit dry when it’s raining or snowing with it’s mounted on your tire? Also was curious how you are running the wires to your eco-flow? Cheers.
Thanks for your video, considering buying one of these and I would like to see how it holds up. So it sometime in the future maybe in the spring it would be nice to get your opinion of the unit.😎👍
@OFFTHEGRIND I'm gonna go ahead and think that acronym isn't youtube friendly😂 We shall meet soon David. I really needed to get this canopy camper business delt with.
Great review, I have an older version of this one and have ran mine for several hours but still have a bad smell when running it to my tent. What eco flow do you use?
Tx for great vid. Could you tell me where are cables to ecoflow?... on all reviews of those heaters I never saw electric cables attachments to power stations in a car. I just bought one and I wonder how to connect it.
I had to get a 12v plug and wire it to the heater. Just used some butt connectors. Then I just put it through the door and closed the door. The wires are thin enough to where it works and will seal the door.
The issue I have with this gear is, if I'm heading out into the quiet woods, and the quiet woods get even quieter at night when I'm going to presumably want to run the heater, why would I want to pollute the environment with the sound of a periodically running diesel engine?
@thomascronquist1604 You seem to be confused. I wasn't describing environmental particulate pollution. I was describing noise pollution at night in a quiet forest
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When a company is deceitful or evasive in the least, even if the overall product is a good one, I'll take a pass. Cutting corners to widen the profit margin is not a long-term profitable way to market an otherwise good product.
I don’t think they are being either. I think their goal was to market it to a wide audience rather than a specific niche like overlanding. They delivered a good product that needs to be adapted for the users specific use
Год назад
@@OFFTHEGRIND Not really a very wide audience if you stop and think about it. Let's not overthink this, it does one thing. Nonetheless, I applaud your very safe response.
![I Used A CHEAP Diesel Heater To Heat My Rooftop Tent [COLD CAMPING]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/fmD6ykdAAsM/mqdefault.jpg)
I'm a truck driver and have used these diesel heaters (most companies use the more expensive but modular Eberspacher brand, though they are all the exact same design) for years as a bunk/cab heater when the engine is off. They work absolutely great, right up until you have to clean the burn chamber out of all the soot because it won't light. The reason the startup time takes 3-5 minutes is because the fan blows for a few minutes to get fresh clean air inside the burn chamber while the glow plug heats up enough for the fuel pump to start pushing fuel into the burn chamber to cause initial ignition, which you can hear. Once it lights off, you're good to go. They CAN be very picky systems, but they are typically good for about 1000-ish hours before it needs a full service. One negative I am aware of is that during teardown service is that you absolutely WILL destroy the OEM gasket, which tends to be a low quality paper gasket, and you're left to either fabricate another one out of something better or order another OEM paper one.
Pro tip, in a pinch, you CAN spray brake cleaner or starter fluid into the burn chamber via the AIR inlet to get a quick light if the glow plug isn't lighting the diesel fuel off and erroring out, which is usually due to soot clogging it and not a faulty glow plug. Just be a very conservative so as not to flood the burn chamber and cause a pressurized explosion, as it's about the size of a plum and will fill quickly. Do not use an external ignition source. Also, brake cleaner can be used to flush most soot out, just spray it in via the FUEL inlet and use pressurized air to blow through the FUEL inlet directly into the burn chamber, while plugging the air inlet to prevent backflow, the black soot liquid will flush out via the exhaust pipe.
I hope this little bit of info helps out at some point.
Very informative thank you
The fix for the overheat is to use a 4 " hose with a very small section of 3 " so you can mount it to the outlet. That length of 3 " hose has proven to be to restrictive. Try this and I think you will be happy.
I will definitely give that a shot. It got better when I removed the kink in the hose and seemed to flow fine, but not sure if that is a permanent fix
Other reviews have also mentioned the 4” tube solution. Seems like a great buy.
I’m curious if the 8W is overkill (designed for 270 ft2). Reviews mention since these run best when they run hot. There’s a 5W combo version like the one OTG reviewed. The 2W version (designed for 100 ft2) must be mounted with a separate fuel tank.
That's what I've seen also
Since you lengthen the three-inch tube, it's getting too much back pressure. once you put a 4-inch tube with a reducing Coller from 3 inch to 4 inch it should run like a champ. Another thing to do is put a tether off of the exterior of your tent so the 90-degree bend is gradual once it enters your tent. good luck and cheers!
I bought mine on ebay from vevor it was 74 bucks i love it cant wait to use it in winter on camping trips. Not wrong about the exhaust outlet and air inlet the placement is really dumb but i cut 2 small blocks from a treated 4x4 i had laying around and screwed a piece to both sides and it gave me the clearance i needed to have it on the ground and more stability so it wont tip over as easy. The tire step is a common and great way to do it too. 👍🏼
One safety note: make sure the tank is empty or the cap is really tight before traveling with fuel on a bumpy road. I had fuel leak out around the cap on a particularly rough journey.
I have that same heater that I just got about a month ago. I’ve used a Wave 3 or buddy heater before so this season will be great with dry forced air heat. I’m setting mine up in a similar fashion to you except mine goes through a canopy window instead of up to a tent so I have a lot less hose for it to push through.
The hose that comes with it is definitely too short. I actually liked it that it was not wired with a plug cause I set mine up with an XT60 plug for my fuse box.
I did the initial test run to make sure it works then a couple weeks later ran it for a couple hours to field test it. It works great. I got a little bit of smoke on start up but it seems to burn really clean once it’s going.
I’m hoping to test it out over night this coming week in my first snow camp of this season.
Yeah it’s a good unit for sure. And I agree with the note on the fuel. My can smelt like pure diesel when I got to camp.
I’m glad the wiring worked out for you. Given that it’s designed to be super adaptable for multiple application, I think it’s a good call. I was trying to highlight that this is not a overland specific product and would need some work to make it work for that.
Mine smoked for like 15 ish minutes on first start up. Been absolutely fine since
For he price .. even though its finicky.. still Worth it. I had to learn some tips.
Very well priced unit.
Great review.
Thanks
Look online for instructions to adjust the burner settings. You can adjust the amount of fuel the pump puts out as well as the fan/motor rpms. If you increase the fan speed and reduce the amount of fuel being burned, your output temps will go down. Also, be cautious with that hose as it isn't rated for the high heat that will be produced on the output(hot) side. You may notice odd fumes as that hose gets hot and begins to off-gas. The tubing that came with the heater works for the high temps so i just ordered a couple more lengths and spliced them together. Last thing- to eliminate diesel exhaust getting in to your tent, use that long hose you have as a return from your tent back to the heater. It will also increase your efficiency a bunch since you are feeding the heater warm air from the tent, rather than the cold outside air. These heaters work great and if you adjust the settings a bit it wont be finicky at all.
GREAT VIDEO. Been using my Vevor heater for a couple years now it’s never failed me. Also it’ll overheat and shut off if the settings are just too hot for the conditions(not cold enough yet).
Yeah that very well might have been it. It wasn't THAT cold that night. I more so think it had to do with the kink in the hose, but that is a good note.
Download, even print the error codes... I spent 2 nights in the Ohoco forest in 24* temps. I reached out via Zoleo Sat device to family to run the trouble code. My youngest sister saved us with her reply.
The Bluetooth FOB... Buy 15' of wire and the manual knob controller run it up to the RTT. the knb is also illuminated.
Don't say I didn't tell you.
lol thanks
@OFFTHEGRIND I enjoy your work bro. They are worthy heaters. Just get the manual knob controller.
I run the same set up configuration on my Taco. Oh... just so you know. Outside Bryce Canyon another 24* outing. Things were running smooth all night. I heard a series of beeps while laying in the RTT. I came down and checked all my lithium battery set up etc.... Everything checked out. I was concerned with the beeping...
The heater was low on fuel. That is a nice feature. So... if ya hear beeping. Be safe brother. Love to roll with you sometime.
@OFFTHEGRIND Home Depot sells a 3" galvanized elbow that swivels and conforms from straight to 90*. That's all I use to ensure I get no kink at the heater.
I also added another muffler. I have 2 mufflers butt up. We never hear it at night. The mufflers...along one edge is a small drain port. Exhausting from the heater the muffler should be orientated on edge with that drain hole facing down. I also prop the entire exhaust tube mufflers at the far end on a rock and clean earth to prevent a forest fire.
3" galvanized adjustable elbow from HD.
15' Wire and manual control to the RTT over that FOB and display panel. Note: When I switched to the manual knob over the funky display I wondered if it would provide cooling run down when I switched to the off position. It does. ( heater needs to cool down before shutting off). Keep less reliable display in tool bag for redundancy.
2 mufflers at away end of unit. Over clear earth.
I use a short tent pole. One end set verticle on earth, the feed the black duct hose over the tent pole/broom stick pushing the accordion hose down for repacking/compressing.
I have 2 of these heaters one for the iKamper 3.0 and the other for the annex.
Get over some of the set up/break down, go manual knob.
I love the heaters.
William ( Bellingham WA)
PS... Remember I said I reached out to family at 0100hr in the Ochoco Forest via Zoleo to find the error code? I never rained that night, sleet and snow. I slipped what I thought was a perfect sturdy Costco bag over the heater to keep rain off of it. I thought it was easily loose fitting.
Error code: Restricted Air flow.
😅😅 find a looser way to shelter it.
The reason it is overheating is because the hose is too restrictive.
I watched another channel where the guy changed the hose to a 4-inch hose with adaptors on the end to fit the 3-inch fittings supplied....no more overheating issues.
How do you keep the unit dry when it’s raining or snowing with it’s mounted on your tire? Also was curious how you are running the wires to your eco-flow? Cheers.
Hey bro, can you put the links for the tire table thing and the hose you're using? Thanks - love the content !
What is the name of or who makes the table tire holder thing?
it's called a tire step. lots of models. 35-40 bucks
There is only a large power draw on startup shutdown, rest of the time it only draws a few volts
Can you use any diesel fuel like from gas stations?
where did you get your tire rack for the diesel heater
3” hose is the problem with long lengths, causes overheating. Need to use 4”
Thank you for an honest review
Awesome video.. what’s the brand of your tire table??
link for the hose please
So user error=quirky?
Great honest review. Appreciate it!
Always!
Hi, what battery are you using in it?
Thanks for an awesome and honest review! One question, what is the shelf unit you have on the tire and where can I get one?
I came here looking for the same answer.
What's the tire mount the unit is sitting on?
Thanks for your video, considering buying one of these and I would like to see how it holds up. So it sometime in the future maybe in the spring it would be nice to get your opinion of the unit.😎👍
Hot stuff, coming through!
Haha why did we not get a chance to hang out when I was up there!? You’re a DAMF
@OFFTHEGRIND I'm gonna go ahead and think that acronym isn't youtube friendly😂
We shall meet soon David. I really needed to get this canopy camper business delt with.
Did the control led display quit working yet ? It's not water proof.....
Thanks for sharing!
Used my Vevor for the first time last weekend. Worked great! So how much louder is it without the muffler?
Needs an extra fan to help push air !!
Where did you get the tire step from?
It was just an Amazon find. I think it was like $40
@OFFTHEGRIND Thank you! Great video btw.
@mmunoz5875 of course! Thanks!
Did you have condensation in the tent when using this?
it's blowing out hot dry air.
Where can I get one of those tire racks?
I got mine from Amazon
could you let me know what to even call it? Looking and still can't seem to find it.@@OFFTHEGRIND
@@robertforman9946 they are called tire tables
Great review, I have an older version of this one and have ran mine for several hours but still have a bad smell when running it to my tent.
What eco flow do you use?
I use the River 2 series. I have the Pro and the Max
Do you have to run the heater couple hours every time before you put the hose inside the tent ?
No definitely not! Just the first start up you want to run it for a bit
Tx for great vid. Could you tell me where are cables to ecoflow?... on all reviews of those heaters I never saw electric cables attachments to power stations in a car. I just bought one and I wonder how to connect it.
I had to get a 12v plug and wire it to the heater. Just used some butt connectors. Then I just put it through the door and closed the door. The wires are thin enough to where it works and will seal the door.
@@OFFTHEGRIND Oh - thx a lot - it looked like there are no cables with closed doors - now I understand.
Any issues with rain?
This is what I was thinking it doesn't look wether proof at all
Is it blue tooth
Good review, thx
So since the bronco has a removable top does it get really cold in winter when you're driving? Or do you feel cold air seeping through?
No i don’t. It’s seems to be really well sealed. I know that was lent the case with the early ones off the line but mine has been great!
So it’s plugged into your rig by cigarette lighter, if ran all night it would not drain your battery dead?
He mentioned plugging into Eco Flo ! That’s basically a battery generator
You need a 4 inch hose
You were here who asked and another guy about heater me, Jake, Derek, Michael cause now quiz for a quiz about that guy healer
I really think these things are just the luck of the draw. Mine ran great for 12 hours with a sharp bend int the hose as it left the unit.
Wear the hood or don't wear the hood.
I have cold ears
The issue I have with this gear is, if I'm heading out into the quiet woods, and the quiet woods get even quieter at night when I'm going to presumably want to run the heater, why would I want to pollute the environment with the sound of a periodically running diesel engine?
It's barely audible and beats freezing. You probably snore louder.
@TN-ez6lz I don't snore. People who choose to snore are auditorially selfish. /s
If you don’t want to pollute, stay home.
@thomascronquist1604 You seem to be confused. I wasn't describing environmental particulate pollution. I was describing noise pollution at night in a quiet forest
When a company is deceitful or evasive in the least, even if the overall product is a good one, I'll take a pass. Cutting corners to widen the profit margin is not a long-term profitable way to market an otherwise good product.
I don’t think they are being either. I think their goal was to market it to a wide audience rather than a specific niche like overlanding. They delivered a good product that needs to be adapted for the users specific use
@@OFFTHEGRIND Not really a very wide audience if you stop and think about it. Let's not overthink this, it does one thing. Nonetheless, I applaud your very safe response.
He wasn't being safe; he was being truthful. It does one thing but in a wide variety of situations.
if this is where i think it is, if this near greenwater/ lonesome lake?
did you try the 4" hose solution? did it help?