Winter Camping can be pretty tough here in Sweden. Temperatures can range from -5c to as low as -40c across the winter period. Although camping in extreme low temps is not something I seek, I do like to camp down to about -15c over winter. Having a Diesel heater system onboard the Jeep XJ is a great way to create a warm environment in an Awning Room, Ground Tent or Roof Top Tent so that you can escape the bite of winter and warm up yourself and your gear. Diesel heaters also consume little fuel and run on 12v so you can run them through the night provided you have a stout leisure battery and don't run the heater on full power for many many hours. In this video I take the all in one Chinese Diesel Heater I bought, strip it down and repackage it into a weather proof, self contained unit that can be mounted to my tire carrier or roof rack. These units can be noisy so this build focuses on eliminating pump noise so that you can sleep just to the drone of the intake and exhaust which is far easier on the ears much like white noise. My only take away from this would be to advise you to move the air intake to the underside of the case so that you get a much better weather resistant unit than mine. I will build a small cowl to cover my intake to aid with sideways rain. You will find all the gear I used in the description below. Thanks for watching.
Hey it would be much more efficient if you added a second duct to pull air out out of the space your heating through the heater then back into the space that way the heater doesn’t have to battle the outside temperature once it heats up the space it would also eliminate the risk of exhaust gasses being blown into the heated space
@@Cam-gb1cu I'm sure there are many ways to do it but retrospectively this has functioned very well for me for about one year. I have made some small changes since then, like a bigger fuel tank, longer exhaust fitting. Normally these days the ducts pull air from inside the tent and recirculate it. Thanks for watching.
Great build, you gave me some great ideas! One thing I did to my portable unit was drill out the vent hole on the tank and installed a 1/8” small ball valve. Allows me to carry at angle without leakage. Thanks for the video👍
I’ve been running a Chinese diesel heater in our caravan and it’s been great. A game changer in the cold weather. Great and neat build for overland travel 🤙
Hello from the Smokey Mountains of North Carolina. I want to thank you for taking the time to make this video. I learned more here in 30 minutes then during my entire venture on trying to understand these heaters. We are Jeep people too....2019 JL Rubicon and a 2002 TJ Sahara. We are considering getting an Overland Trailer for our mountain adventures and HEAT is the one thing I have not wrapped my mind around yet. People don't realize that when you compact your kit and equipment into an Overland Platform that you need both efficiency and effectiveness. This is a challenge when trying to meet in the middle. We are trying to assemble extreme long term solutions whereby Propane is just not suitable. We run a Springbar Canvas Tent with a Winnerwell wood stove now as our common area heat source and I am scratching my head on what to use for the trailer at night...I am leaning towards the diesel heater systems. Be Safe.
Thanks for watching and for the comment. Trying get effectiveness and efficiency is always a mind racking challenge of trial and error for me. The diesel heater has changed things over the winter and has proven to be a essential carry item regardless of where I'm going. I've used it to keep the cab warm in a breakdown for the family while I worked on the Jeep in the cold. Its also great for camping. My only advice would be to pack a spare Glow Plug, ECU Control Board and Fan Unit for the heater. This sounds kind of counter productive because its implying that the unit is prone to failure but its more than these are the most likely components that fail. They can be swapped in a short period of time and your warm again. Just my take on it, but over all they are great. Good luck on your adventures and thanks again.
Very nice build. I like this idea of having it outside, just in case something goes wrong. I could mount this in a box on a hitch cargo carrier for use in my van. Thank you for showing this.
Thanks for watching. It's still working well over a year later. I just plumbed it into the fuel tank so it's not so heavy and big. Good luck with the build 👍
Great video, i made the mistake of buying 5mm diametre fuel line and the pump wouldnt pump it through,i wish i had seen this video before hand. I've since bought the correct fuel line and it works perfect. Thankyou.
I love this idea, I've seen a few videos lately about folk trying to silence them. I have mine in my converted Mazda Bongo in place of my rear heater matrix and linked into my tank. One I seen used a marine fuel tank instead so I'm thinking that putting this type of system up on the roof rack with a big marine fuel tank and using the space inside for my batteries as I could double up to two, that would free up space in the front for a compressor. Cheers for another project, I thought I was done for a while..!
Commenting before I even watch it - the scandal! But after a bitterly cold morning at work it's now 10am and I'm home, warming up with a mug of tea and so ready for a new W&WA video. Roll VT! :)
I wrapped my exhaust pipe with header wrap, I also run two hoses inside the tent. Heat in one side and fresh air out the other. My theory is twofold. First: the heat inside the tent will be warmer than outside air, essentially recirculating warm air, being easier on the heater. Second: circulation of the air should be healthier on the lungs.
The only issue with recirculation is the terrible amount of condensation in the tent. Pumping in fresh air from outside eliminates condensation and keeps the tent warm and dry. It also feels warmer because its not damp air. I've run my heater two winters now, temps from -5 to -25c. Condensation isn't good in these conditions.
@@WorkshoptoWilderness heck that could be my issue. Living in TN, humidity and condensation are so normal, I never thought the heater could amplify the situation
@@nate4036 Give it a try and see how it goes. For me it was terrible and the tent was so wet in the morning. I cant run a recirculating setup in the jeep or tent for this reason.
Makes sense that there shouldn’t be any hot spots or melting on the heater housing itself, as long as the fan is running its cooling itself. The only real danger is the exhaust port, but you got that squared away. Well done, im working on a similar setup now.
Thanks for the comment. It seems to be running well. I've upgraded the fuel tank since this video. Just slight bigger with the feed from the lowest point. I did a camp last week and the heater ran for 15 hours so fingers crossed its all good. Hope the build goes well and thanks for watching
Check the little hole at the side of the glow plug, if this is blocked it will cause white smoke, the hole is for the air to mix with the fuel, if it can't, this will cause the problem, and replace the gauze inside the glow plug hole.
Hockey pucks....haha genius. Who'd have known how many uses they could have. That's a great little setup you've built. Sort of makes me think I wish I hadn't hard mounted mine into the trailer. One of those awning carpets for the floor might work well - waterproof on the underside, fluffy on top.
Good old hockey pucks. Their good for bump stops at least! Hopefully the carpets work. The awning room is not really an ideal room for winter but at least its wind and waterproof so it holds the heat fairly well. A mylar blanket on the roof may help also. Thanks for watching mate and hope all is well!
Great video man! It's really cool that you shared all your building and testing process! Thx for the fuel line diameter tip. Love your jeep too :) Cheers from France
Solid build. I saw your video on accident but am happy 8 did. I was going to buy the same self contained unit last year and didn't want to have to lug it in and out my truck every time. This year I'll make that change. My winter tents in Northeast USA can range big time.but the lows are well below zero degrees Fahrenheit. Thanks a ton for making this edit and video. I'll let u know how my unit turns out when I build.it up
Thank you for this video! I am actually building a kit right now with the same d-heater. So thanks for the information. The jeep rig and your electrical system is pretty awesome. Thanks again!
I really am looking for a weatherproof setup and yours is the winner! The only thing I would add or change is a longer exhaust pipe or move the exhaust to blow the other direction. I think it is too close to the fresh air intake. Watching the air heater animation shows that is where it gets its air to blow to the front of the unit. I also recommend a carbon monoxide detector inside the tent for safety.
Great job on the build. I was worried the plastic box and foam wouldn't like the heat. Another channel that goes into Alot of detail about these Chinese heaters is J Mc an aussie guy. I have no affiliation, just thought they were informative
Thanks! Its still going strong over a year later. The box seems to have survived without any signs of heat fatigue. Its a bit big though and I think the next build will draw fuel directly from my fuel tank to save space. I know that guy, learnt a lot from him. Nice guy and he goes into great detail.
I picked up six of the Ebberspacer heaters (DL1 first gen) for only 200 USD about 25 years ago. Replaced bearings on one of the motors but now I have at least two working units. They did not cm with pumps and I wound up paying around $125 for one OEM pump from one of the truck supply shops. There is a Gent in the UK who is making an electronic dosing pump that is fully adjustable based on the size of heater, no more clicking! They have no fancy control panel but I did get one basic adjustable thermostat with the lot. These things are great for warming up small areas and workshops. Espar also makes gasoline based heaters as well if ones vehicle does not use diesel.
Nice job with the box, just a couple things you might want to consider 1. A return air hose in the tent to the inlet of the heater this will warm the tent faster by having to warm cold air. 2. I understand why you took the inlet cover off to mount the bracket ,but w/o the vent cover you might have foam get into the fan. I mounted my heater in a metal tool box on its side with the glow plug facing up the air inlet fuel line an exhaust out the back. I installed 2 motorcycle batteries and a 10 amp battery charger inside the tool box. I had to make some changes I used plastic flex hose connectors which melted on the discharge side of the heater after long several hours of max output I found metal ones on Amazon.The other thing I use an external fuel tank out side the tool box I sleep better not having fuel tank next to the heater. One more thing I used high temp silicone 3” turbo hose in the box inlet &discharge. I have fuel pump noise issue to I think I’m going to incapsulate the pump in foam insulation to cut down the Solenoid chatter. Good luck with your project I can tell you really put a lot of thought into it.
Thanks for the suggestions and info, its certainly far from perfect and even now ive made some changes to it including the inlet cover to stop foam getting into the fan. I do still want the fuel tank in the box but its changed a lot since this video. The fuel tank is inside a 5.56 ammunition container with a small hole in the bottom for a hose. The winter temps here drop extremely low and I like the whole unit including the tank keeping warm inside the box. Thanks again and appreciate the info! Good luck on your build also!
I've seen a few of these type of videos where people are drawing in air from outside rather than air from inside the space to be heated. Making the heater work far harder than it needs to.
The heater doesn't work any harder. That's not how they work. It's just a fan pulling air over a heat exchange. It runs how you set it and fuel control is constant. Also an important note is that pulling from outside cuts down massively on condensation in the tent which is the main reason people do it. Dry air, dry clothes makes a big difference. I lived in the jeep for 15 weeks every day and condensation is shit mate
Great job Mike! Been looking forward to this diesel heater build. Very detailed as always. I hope it proves to be reliable and gives you the performance you want from it. Looking forward to the camping trip video. Cheers 🍻
Nice video. I'm currently building a trailer made from the rear end of a jeep Comanche and been looking for ideas of what I might want to add to make it into a nice little off-road camping trailer.
You should try and bring the heat in low and let it rise. Also a return hose from the RTT Or Awning room that way the heater is not needing to heat outside air .
You can get a low noise pump cuts down noise but not totally goes. Best idea it lagging around pump to deaden the sound. Or even put it in a electric conduit box totally enclose it and lag inside.
Saw a video where guy screwed a cup hook into wood above then suspended the fuel pump from that hook by running a zip tie ( tie wrap ) through the mounting hole on the pump bracket. It was super quite after that.
Hi Mike, I'm a new subscriber, great video mate, thanks for sharing but can I just say the silencer needs to be vertical and not horizontal. Just twist it 90 degrees so the fixing hole is at the top and the drip hole at the bottom. It's there to stop it from rusting. Again, thanks for a great video and keep up the great work.
You know all those "GREEN" people? You know the ones that want to ban cars and engines? And PETROL? Really looking forward for them to go on a "SURPRISE CAMPING TRIP"! hope they stay real warm with all the hot air they make! On another note. THIS IS BRILLIANT! I wanted to do one of these for a Powerwheels. Its so cold in the winter. And it does get cold at night. And most of the time? Thats when we find time to go up to the Local Icecream place. I'm thinking about getting one this next month and starting on the build. I plan to use some kind of clean biodiesel or kerosene. Having something like this in a BOX makes this a SUPER easy thing to do while not having to do much in the way of Plumbing. I wonder if they make them even smaller then this unit?
I know you said you’ve tried nearly everything, but you might consider trying something like fat-matt or noico butyl sound deadening material On that sheet metal in addition to your other mitigation methods
I actually just came up with it on my own, but I guess its all been done before in this day and age. Anyway, works great and also heats my garage. Thanks for watching
Excellent build, thanks for walking us through it! I recently had the opportunity to try a prepackaged version like what you started with and I think it’ll be a game changer for camping with our baby. Even in the summer it’s cold at high elevations. I’m considering following suit and doing something similar, my only hold up is I’m not sure about running a dual battery. I’m just concerned about the weight! But LiPO is extremely expensive. I haven’t quite figured out a solution...
I think its a game changer like you say. Even just keeping the car warm while baby sleeps and camps getting setup. Or in the event of a brake down. I took Max out yesterday funnily enough just in -1c, but the wind was something else and he got very cold. Having the heater just allowed me to keep him warm while I dug the snow away from under the Jeep. I just need to build a tire carrier rack for it. Batteries are a hard one. My leisure battery is 38kg! I does its job, but its heavy. Lipo costs a lot but its size is worth it I think. Under a rear seat or tucked away so you don't notice it. Thanks for watching and for the comment.
You need to run the Rear fan inlet inside, no difference than vans or trucks and so forth..Makes a HUGE difference, circulating warmer air....Amazes me how people put these outside and not run the main inlet inside as well....Madness
@@WorkshoptoWilderness My apologies, read you did that while reading comments after. But I left this for anyone who might be considering an outside install...
I generally just put a 24 inch pipe on the end and bend it away. Still alive a year later and I use the heater every day in the workshop. Thanks for watching
Where did you get the red intake filter? Nice build. I’m just waiting on my unit to build in a waterproof briefcase. Using a removable Rotopax when I need a refill. Also was looking at protecting the fuel line by slipping it into a rubber braided hose. It will be outside so the UV rays shouldn’t degrade it over time🤙
How about a bit of pipe insulation over the fuel pump? Also running the Exhaust towards the back of the unit, towards the hinge. Making it further from the air intake.
im not sure it will make a huge difference but for the fuel line my heater came with what some would call thin plastic fuel line. I think it maybe nylon? Many youtubers suggest using this fuel line instead of the greenish color flimsy one that comes with a lot of these heaters.
Can confirm! Thought I was upgrading by buying “better” fuel hose.. Turns out softer walled hose seems to absorb the pulse of the pump. Had loads of issues until I swapped back.
Thanks for watching, and I'm glad the video could provide something. I've got Cooper ST MAXX on there. A terrible winter tire, to be honest, but with some studs and siping, they perform alright.
'Hi' from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Just watched your video and really enjoyed it... Maybe I 'missed it' and I haven't tried to read all of the comments posted below BUT - would it be possible for you to post the EXTERNAL dimensions of the case you used? (Internal would be nice also but that might be harder to do). Reason - I just took delivery of a 5 kW heater and have been contemplating building up a portable system such as the one you constructed and it looks like the case that you used might be just about ideal and I would like to get one or something very much like it BUT THE LINK TO THE CASE ON AMAZON IS NO LONGER VALID. Thanks.
@@WorkshoptoWilderness Absolutely. I am really pleased with the dry warmth and comfort it provides and how efficient it is. Your weather proof design is very nice, but your Jeep is awesome!! It looks in great shape. Have fun. Cheers.
Great video, thanks! I do have a question, does it have a ventilation mode for the summer months, if it was permanently installed in a van/pick-up setup? I’m planning to do a trip from Nordkap to Cape Town, so I’m only gonna need the heating in the start of the trip, but wanted the ventilation as well in the hot summer nights :-)
Hey, Sadly its just for heat in this case. I don't believe it has a feature for just running the fan without the heat exchanger running. I'm sure there is a method for just running the fan off a battery as its 12v. I just did a google search and there are lots of people using them for air circulation using fresh air by making some kind of direct connection between the main power in + and - wires and a switch. Apparently its possible so hopefully this helps. Thanks for watching.
Hey man, really enjoyed your video...I built an Espar D2 into a Pelican case last year, i'm currently putting everything together to build another D2 into a smaller Pelican style case...in an ideal world I am including a small battery and a solar panel to charge it so it is completely self contained! Thanks for the ideas; how much voltage does yours pull for say 8 hours on low? Thanks!
Thanks for this video! Very helpful. I was wondering where you found the 75mm / 3" hot air supply hose flange that you mounted to the side of the box (at about 14:50 on your video). I'm struggling to find something that will work for my build. Thanks!
Thanks for watching! I used a 3" cold air intake kit from ebay. It comes with two metal flanges and a hose - www.ebay.co.uk/itm/363666816930?hash=item54ac3b3fa2:g:SaoAAOSw9S5hxXdy The plastic duct front and back is this - www.ebay.co.uk/itm/193722591991?hash=item2d1ac42af7:g:I4IAAOSwNqBfca19 Its just pulled in half so it can be used at both ends.
Mike, I was just thinking I need another video from you to motivate me to carry on with the Jeep, and here it is! 😁Though, I can't really complain about the cold here as it's only -5 in Stoke. Where did you get your padded overalls from dude? There is icicles coming out of the taps at work 😂
Haha well here is another one. -5 in Stoke is pretty cold. Its getting warmer here now so only around -3 to -7 over the next few weeks. Much better for my first camp in months. Those overalls were from the second hand shop. Absolutely brilliant! I've been looking for something like them for ages. Hopefully you guys get some warmer weather soon, cold everywhere at the moment. Thanks for watching.
I'm not sure what that is to be honest. This system was useful but i rebuilt it in the recent videos so it took its fuel for the jeeps main tank and was a much smaller unit. Seem to be working well so far. What's the thing you mentioned?
Looking to pu my 5K heater into a metal tool box. What you think about sound dedening meterial on the inside, like the ones they use for cars when doing auto installs. Did you tru that in the original metal heater box?
Thanks for watching! I'm using the plastic cold air intake ducting. Its the cheaper stuff you get from these diy kits from eBay. I actually like it but its bad for heat loss so it must be insulated using a blanket or sorts. I haven't made anything yet for it but when wrapping it in a towel it did make a significant difference to the heat coming from the duct. Thanks again!
Doesn't that hot exhaust hose heat up the inside of the box to a dangerous point next to all of that plastic, not to mention the fuel tank?? I saw another build where they put a computer fan in the side of the box to keep the inside of the box from getting hot.
No it doesn't, I run it almost daily sometimes for ten hours a day in the workshop and it's perfectly fine. The key to exhausts whether in an engine bay or this little thing is leaving an adequate air gap.
I use the exhaust dampener and that does make a big difference. The intake one does nothing in my case. The only issue us the exhaust dampener is fairly cheaply made and they fail internally and block the exhaust causing the unit to shut down. Its best to keep and eye on them, that's why mine is outside of the box so I can just grab it and pull it off. Thanks for watching
@Workshop & Wilderness Adventures the exhaust gets clogged when the muffler is not turned with the tiny dimple facing down. It is the exit for exhaust moisture, which will clog the exhaust system. That's why the unit shuts down periodically.
Is there any reason the marine exhaust port didn't get installed on the same side as the heater exhaust instead of the fresh air intake side of the box?
I didn't build it properly basically. It worked out okay because it meant the e exhaust pointed away from the awning room when on the tire carrier. I updated the design recently.
It did leak. I changed the tank to a closed system with a one way valve. I now use the same heater, but in a smaller box and it takes fuel from the jeeps tank.
I've tried to find the box on eBay but no luck... the link is gone sadly. I think its like 30L in total. I don't use this box anymore and gave it to a mate so I cant check it.
Yeah you can hear the ticking noise anymore. You can only hear the fan. Its a nicer sound and better to sleep too. You can buy an actual silent pump from eBay though so that might be a better option. Thanks for watching.
As an old HGV driver the night heater needs to be run up occasionally during the summer months to keep things moving so to speak that way if something is going to stop working you can get it fixed and ready for when you need to use it and the loud fuel pump tick whenever you start it up usually quietens down when it reaches temperature so take it out during summer and run it up for a while
Winter Camping can be pretty tough here in Sweden. Temperatures can range from -5c to as low as -40c across the winter period. Although camping in extreme low temps is not something I seek, I do like to camp down to about -15c over winter. Having a Diesel heater system onboard the Jeep XJ is a great way to create a warm environment in an Awning Room, Ground Tent or Roof Top Tent so that you can escape the bite of winter and warm up yourself and your gear. Diesel heaters also consume little fuel and run on 12v so you can run them through the night provided you have a stout leisure battery and don't run the heater on full power for many many hours.
In this video I take the all in one Chinese Diesel Heater I bought, strip it down and repackage it into a weather proof, self contained unit that can be mounted to my tire carrier or roof rack. These units can be noisy so this build focuses on eliminating pump noise so that you can sleep just to the drone of the intake and exhaust which is far easier on the ears much like white noise.
My only take away from this would be to advise you to move the air intake to the underside of the case so that you get a much better weather resistant unit than mine. I will build a small cowl to cover my intake to aid with sideways rain.
You will find all the gear I used in the description below.
Thanks for watching.
Hey it would be much more efficient if you added a second duct to pull air out out of the space your heating through the heater then back into the space that way the heater doesn’t have to battle the outside temperature once it heats up the space it would also eliminate the risk of exhaust gasses being blown into the heated space
@@Cam-gb1cu I'm sure there are many ways to do it but retrospectively this has functioned very well for me for about one year. I have made some small changes since then, like a bigger fuel tank, longer exhaust fitting. Normally these days the ducts pull air from inside the tent and recirculate it. Thanks for watching.
I am looking for more information no this ?
Yeah recirculated polluted humid inside air through heater, that's smart.
Great build, you gave me some great ideas! One thing I did to my portable unit was drill out the vent hole on the tank and installed a 1/8” small ball valve. Allows me to carry at angle without leakage. Thanks for the video👍
I thought you had left the you tube world, I used to sub your old channel and then you were gone, happy to see that you are still around…
Great project there, interesting point about fuel line diameters and cavitation.
Thank you for taking the time to create this video, Mike. Thoroughly enjoyable to chill, relax, and learn.
McQ...missed the videos !!!
Just noticed your new stuff !!
Excellent 👍😁
your side tent is warmer than my house, good work
Turn the muffler so that the 'dimple' faces down. It allows any moisture from the exhaust to escape and not impede the exhaust line.
I’ve been running a Chinese diesel heater in our caravan and it’s been great. A game changer in the cold weather. Great and neat build for overland travel 🤙
Hello from the Smokey Mountains of North Carolina. I want to thank you for taking the time to make this video. I learned more here in 30 minutes then during my entire venture on trying to understand these heaters. We are Jeep people too....2019 JL Rubicon and a 2002 TJ Sahara. We are considering getting an Overland Trailer for our mountain adventures and HEAT is the one thing I have not wrapped my mind around yet. People don't realize that when you compact your kit and equipment into an Overland Platform that you need both efficiency and effectiveness. This is a challenge when trying to meet in the middle. We are trying to assemble extreme long term solutions whereby Propane is just not suitable. We run a Springbar Canvas Tent with a Winnerwell wood stove now as our common area heat source and I am scratching my head on what to use for the trailer at night...I am leaning towards the diesel heater systems. Be Safe.
Thanks for watching and for the comment. Trying get effectiveness and efficiency is always a mind racking challenge of trial and error for me. The diesel heater has changed things over the winter and has proven to be a essential carry item regardless of where I'm going. I've used it to keep the cab warm in a breakdown for the family while I worked on the Jeep in the cold. Its also great for camping. My only advice would be to pack a spare Glow Plug, ECU Control Board and Fan Unit for the heater. This sounds kind of counter productive because its implying that the unit is prone to failure but its more than these are the most likely components that fail. They can be swapped in a short period of time and your warm again.
Just my take on it, but over all they are great. Good luck on your adventures and thanks again.
Very nice build. I like this idea of having it outside, just in case something goes wrong. I could mount this in a box on a hitch cargo carrier for use in my van. Thank you for showing this.
Thanks for watching. It's still working well over a year later. I just plumbed it into the fuel tank so it's not so heavy and big. Good luck with the build 👍
Great video, i made the mistake of buying 5mm diametre fuel line and the pump wouldnt pump it through,i wish i had seen this video before hand. I've since bought the correct fuel line and it works perfect. Thankyou.
I love this idea, I've seen a few videos lately about folk trying to silence them. I have mine in my converted Mazda Bongo in place of my rear heater matrix and linked into my tank. One I seen used a marine fuel tank instead so I'm thinking that putting this type of system up on the roof rack with a big marine fuel tank and using the space inside for my batteries as I could double up to two, that would free up space in the front for a compressor.
Cheers for another project, I thought I was done for a while..!
Commenting before I even watch it - the scandal! But after a bitterly cold morning at work it's now 10am and I'm home, warming up with a mug of tea and so ready for a new W&WA video. Roll VT! :)
Thanks for watching mate!
Wow! Great job! thank you so much for an inspiration! Many greetings from Slovakia!
I wrapped my exhaust pipe with header wrap, I also run two hoses inside the tent. Heat in one side and fresh air out the other. My theory is twofold. First: the heat inside the tent will be warmer than outside air, essentially recirculating warm air, being easier on the heater.
Second: circulation of the air should be healthier on the lungs.
The only issue with recirculation is the terrible amount of condensation in the tent. Pumping in fresh air from outside eliminates condensation and keeps the tent warm and dry. It also feels warmer because its not damp air.
I've run my heater two winters now, temps from -5 to -25c. Condensation isn't good in these conditions.
@@WorkshoptoWilderness heck that could be my issue. Living in TN, humidity and condensation are so normal, I never thought the heater could amplify the situation
@@nate4036 Give it a try and see how it goes. For me it was terrible and the tent was so wet in the morning. I cant run a recirculating setup in the jeep or tent for this reason.
Great video . Turn your muffler 180 degrees so the drain hole faces down
Makes sense that there shouldn’t be any hot spots or melting on the heater housing itself, as long as the fan is running its cooling itself. The only real danger is the exhaust port, but you got that squared away. Well done, im working on a similar setup now.
Thanks for the comment. It seems to be running well. I've upgraded the fuel tank since this video. Just slight bigger with the feed from the lowest point. I did a camp last week and the heater ran for 15 hours so fingers crossed its all good. Hope the build goes well and thanks for watching
Check the little hole at the side of the glow plug, if this is blocked it will cause white smoke, the hole is for the air to mix with the fuel, if it can't, this will cause the problem, and replace the gauze inside the glow plug hole.
Hockey pucks....haha genius. Who'd have known how many uses they could have. That's a great little setup you've built. Sort of makes me think I wish I hadn't hard mounted mine into the trailer. One of those awning carpets for the floor might work well - waterproof on the underside, fluffy on top.
Good old hockey pucks. Their good for bump stops at least! Hopefully the carpets work. The awning room is not really an ideal room for winter but at least its wind and waterproof so it holds the heat fairly well. A mylar blanket on the roof may help also. Thanks for watching mate and hope all is well!
I almost went down this route but in the end bought a heater buddy and rechargeable fan to bring fresh air into the space, no children about though !
Great video man! It's really cool that you shared all your building and testing process! Thx for the fuel line diameter tip. Love your jeep too :) Cheers from France
Thanks so much for this awesome video! The fuel pump is driving me mad so I will be copying this video exactly! Brilliant detailed video !
Solid build. I saw your video on accident but am happy 8 did. I was going to buy the same self contained unit last year and didn't want to have to lug it in and out my truck every time.
This year I'll make that change. My winter tents in Northeast USA can range big time.but the lows are well below zero degrees Fahrenheit.
Thanks a ton for making this edit and video. I'll let u know how my unit turns out when I build.it up
Thank you for this video! I am actually building a kit right now with the same d-heater. So thanks for the information. The jeep rig and your electrical system is pretty awesome. Thanks again!
I really am looking for a weatherproof setup and yours is the winner! The only thing I would add or change is a longer exhaust pipe or move the exhaust to blow the other direction. I think it is too close to the fresh air intake. Watching the air heater animation shows that is where it gets its air to blow to the front of the unit. I also recommend a carbon monoxide detector inside the tent for safety.
Very cool build but that Jeep is just awesome 😎💯💯💯🇫🇮🍻
Awesome video mate! That worked really well and looked proper tidy! Great stuff!. Hope you're all doing well. Keep it up Mike!
Great informative vlog. Many thanks.
Great job on the build. I was worried the plastic box and foam wouldn't like the heat. Another channel that goes into Alot of detail about these Chinese heaters is J Mc an aussie guy. I have no affiliation, just thought they were informative
Thanks! Its still going strong over a year later. The box seems to have survived without any signs of heat fatigue. Its a bit big though and I think the next build will draw fuel directly from my fuel tank to save space. I know that guy, learnt a lot from him. Nice guy and he goes into great detail.
I picked up six of the Ebberspacer heaters (DL1 first gen) for only 200 USD about 25 years ago. Replaced bearings on one of the motors but now I have at least two working units. They did not cm with pumps and I wound up paying around $125 for one OEM pump from one of the truck supply shops. There is a Gent in the UK who is making an electronic dosing pump that is fully adjustable based on the size of heater, no more clicking! They have no fancy control panel but I did get one basic adjustable thermostat with the lot. These things are great for warming up small areas and workshops. Espar also makes gasoline based heaters as well if ones vehicle does not use diesel.
Nicely done!
Lol, lot of work to do some camping, i just wait till spring..:) great video, thanks for the upload..:)
It is really but I personally really enjoy it, keeps me sane from the other things in life. Thanks for watching.
I see the rise from exhaust port to exhaust through hole as a potential moisture gathering point. Other than that, good job.
Nice job with the box, just a couple things you might want to consider 1. A return air hose in the tent to the inlet of the heater this will warm the tent faster by having to warm cold air. 2. I understand why you took the inlet cover off to mount the bracket ,but w/o the vent cover you might have foam get into the fan. I mounted my heater in a metal tool box on its side with the glow plug facing up the air inlet fuel line an exhaust out the back. I installed 2 motorcycle batteries and a 10 amp battery charger inside the tool box. I had to make some changes I used plastic flex hose connectors which melted on the discharge side of the heater after long several hours of max output I found metal ones on Amazon.The other thing I use an external fuel tank out side the tool box I sleep better not having fuel tank next to the heater. One more thing I used high temp silicone 3” turbo hose in the box inlet &discharge. I have fuel pump noise issue to I think I’m going to incapsulate the pump in foam insulation to cut down the Solenoid chatter. Good luck with your project I can tell you really put a lot of thought into it.
Thanks for the suggestions and info, its certainly far from perfect and even now ive made some changes to it including the inlet cover to stop foam getting into the fan. I do still want the fuel tank in the box but its changed a lot since this video. The fuel tank is inside a 5.56 ammunition container with a small hole in the bottom for a hose. The winter temps here drop extremely low and I like the whole unit including the tank keeping warm inside the box. Thanks again and appreciate the info! Good luck on your build also!
I've seen a few of these type of videos where people are drawing in air from outside rather than air from inside the space to be heated. Making the heater work far harder than it needs to.
The heater doesn't work any harder. That's not how they work. It's just a fan pulling air over a heat exchange. It runs how you set it and fuel control is constant. Also an important note is that pulling from outside cuts down massively on condensation in the tent which is the main reason people do it. Dry air, dry clothes makes a big difference. I lived in the jeep for 15 weeks every day and condensation is shit mate
Great job Mike! Been looking forward to this diesel heater build. Very detailed as always.
I hope it proves to be reliable and gives you the performance you want from it. Looking forward to the camping trip video.
Cheers 🍻
Appreciate the comment and thanks for watching!
use 2 pipes to vent intake from within the tent.
Wow what a great guys work
Really enjoyed this video, it worked and worked well, Nice One !!
Nice video. I'm currently building a trailer made from the rear end of a jeep Comanche and been looking for ideas of what I might want to add to make it into a nice little off-road camping trailer.
You should try and bring the heat in low and let it rise. Also a return hose from the RTT Or Awning room that way the heater is not needing to heat outside air .
You can get a low noise pump cuts down noise but not totally goes. Best idea it lagging around pump to deaden the sound. Or even put it in a electric conduit box totally enclose it and lag inside.
Saw a video where guy screwed a cup hook into wood above then suspended the fuel pump from that hook by running a zip tie ( tie wrap ) through the mounting hole on the pump bracket. It was super quite after that.
Perhaps one of those insulated pop up tents made for ice fishing would serve you well reducing the need for heat.
Wouldn't expect anything else from you bud perfect 👌
Hi Mike, I'm a new subscriber, great video mate, thanks for sharing but can I just say the silencer needs to be vertical and not horizontal. Just twist it 90 degrees so the fixing hole is at the top and the drip hole at the bottom. It's there to stop it from rusting. Again, thanks for a great video and keep up the great work.
Thanks Bers, I've corrected that now so it can drip down. Appreciate the heads up. Thanks for subscribing and for commenting.
this is a really good idea. Thx for posting this, I am gonna copy it.
You know all those "GREEN" people? You know the ones that want to ban cars and engines? And PETROL?
Really looking forward for them to go on a "SURPRISE CAMPING TRIP"! hope they stay real warm with all the hot air they make!
On another note. THIS IS BRILLIANT! I wanted to do one of these for a Powerwheels. Its so cold in the winter. And it does get cold at night. And most of the time? Thats when we find time to go up to the Local Icecream place. I'm thinking about getting one this next month and starting on the build. I plan to use some kind of clean biodiesel or kerosene.
Having something like this in a BOX makes this a SUPER easy thing to do while not having to do much in the way of Plumbing. I wonder if they make them even smaller then this unit?
I know you said you’ve tried nearly everything, but you might consider trying something like fat-matt or noico butyl sound deadening material On that sheet metal in addition to your other mitigation methods
Great job keep up the good work and God bless from America
Great presentation, thank you
Wow 👏, what else is there to say but AWESOME 👌.
You must have seen the quiet heater pump designed built by another great brit. Been tested here in Canada by foresty forest...works great.
I actually just came up with it on my own, but I guess its all been done before in this day and age. Anyway, works great and also heats my garage. Thanks for watching
@@WorkshoptoWilderness you built with phenomenal detail! I'm talking just about the pump he designed, peristaltic not clicker.
@@lenward474 Its not too bad but i think some small changes might help it along. Ah nice, I will have to check his videos out. Do you have a link?
@@WorkshoptoWilderness ruclips.net/video/Xt_Sm0cgvJo/видео.html this is forest link Canada to tests and email
Your exhaust muffler is sideways…look for the small water drainage hole… that needs to point down… excellent build
Thank you, I will take a look at it and locate the drainage hole.
Excellent build, thanks for walking us through it! I recently had the opportunity to try a prepackaged version like what you started with and I think it’ll be a game changer for camping with our baby. Even in the summer it’s cold at high elevations. I’m considering following suit and doing something similar, my only hold up is I’m not sure about running a dual battery. I’m just concerned about the weight! But LiPO is extremely expensive. I haven’t quite figured out a solution...
I think its a game changer like you say. Even just keeping the car warm while baby sleeps and camps getting setup. Or in the event of a brake down. I took Max out yesterday funnily enough just in -1c, but the wind was something else and he got very cold. Having the heater just allowed me to keep him warm while I dug the snow away from under the Jeep. I just need to build a tire carrier rack for it.
Batteries are a hard one. My leisure battery is 38kg! I does its job, but its heavy. Lipo costs a lot but its size is worth it I think. Under a rear seat or tucked away so you don't notice it.
Thanks for watching and for the comment.
Good work
You need to run the Rear fan inlet inside, no difference than vans or trucks and so forth..Makes a HUGE difference, circulating warmer air....Amazes me how people put these outside and not run the main inlet inside as well....Madness
Yeah I do these days, obviously makes a big difference. Just didn't have the hose when I made the video.
@@WorkshoptoWilderness My apologies, read you did that while reading comments after. But I left this for anyone who might be considering an outside install...
Ah no worries, it's a valid point for anyone watching
Thank you for the video. Nice work but the gap between exhaust and heater intake is a worryingly small. Do not rely on CO detectors.
I generally just put a 24 inch pipe on the end and bend it away. Still alive a year later and I use the heater every day in the workshop. Thanks for watching
@@WorkshoptoWilderness fair enough. As long as you're not going sleeping with it on thermostat 👍👍🙂
Where did you get the red intake filter? Nice build. I’m just waiting on my unit to build in a waterproof briefcase. Using a removable Rotopax when I need a refill. Also was looking at protecting the fuel line by slipping it into a rubber braided hose. It will be outside so the UV rays shouldn’t degrade it over time🤙
How about a bit of pipe insulation over the fuel pump?
Also running the Exhaust towards the back of the unit, towards the hinge.
Making it further from the air intake.
im not sure it will make a huge difference but for the fuel line my heater came with what some would call thin plastic fuel line. I think it maybe nylon? Many youtubers suggest using this fuel line instead of the greenish color flimsy one that comes with a lot of these heaters.
Can confirm! Thought I was upgrading by buying “better” fuel hose.. Turns out softer walled hose seems to absorb the pulse of the pump. Had loads of issues until I swapped back.
Hi, perfect video, I was inspired, thank you, take care, of course I LIKE.
PS: What tires do you have on your car please? What brand is it? Thank you.
Thanks for watching, and I'm glad the video could provide something. I've got Cooper ST MAXX on there. A terrible winter tire, to be honest, but with some studs and siping, they perform alright.
24:54 is some pretty insane ASMR
'Hi' from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Just watched your video and really enjoyed it... Maybe I 'missed it' and I haven't tried to read all of the comments posted below BUT - would it be possible for you to post the EXTERNAL dimensions of the case you used? (Internal would be nice also but that might be harder to do). Reason - I just took delivery of a 5 kW heater and have been contemplating building up a portable system such as the one you constructed and it looks like the case that you used might be just about ideal and I would like to get one or something very much like it BUT THE LINK TO THE CASE ON AMAZON IS NO LONGER VALID. Thanks.
Also exhaust insulation tape might give a little extra piece of mind.
Great video sir. 👍
Hey! Great Jeep! I made a similar heater as well. Cheers from Canada!
Hey thanks for watching! They certainly help with the cold.
@@WorkshoptoWilderness Absolutely. I am really pleased with the dry warmth and comfort it provides and how efficient it is. Your weather proof design is very nice, but your Jeep is awesome!! It looks in great shape. Have fun. Cheers.
@@CheaperJeeperTV Appreciate that, i'm going out tomorrow night for a test run in the awning room. Hoping I stay warm. The dry warmth is a huge plus.
Have you checked the air hole next to the glow plug isn't plugged on the eberspacher,these things are easily fixed.
brilliant project ..i noticed the volume decreasing a bit more as you clipped every catch on the flight case
Thanks for watching. That's the audio gain on the microphone. I returns to normal after
Great test. I'm trying to figure out the internal dimensions of the case? I subscribe 🇦🇺
I tried to find the case again but its MIA. I think it was 55x33x28? something around there. Definitely 55x33 but the height I cant remember.
Great idea! Yeah that's cold!
I've been looking into something like this. Have you ever thought about building and selling them? I would buy one!
Likewise!!!
I'm in Texas, these would sell like crazy!
Great vid and great job, well done👍 Is there a link for the exhausttube sealer as well? Cheers Heinz
Thanks for watching! Sadly I don't have a link but look up High Temperature Stove Seal.
Great video, thanks!
I do have a question, does it have a ventilation mode for the summer months, if it was permanently installed in a van/pick-up setup?
I’m planning to do a trip from Nordkap to Cape Town, so I’m only gonna need the heating in the start of the trip, but wanted the ventilation as well in the hot summer nights :-)
Hey, Sadly its just for heat in this case. I don't believe it has a feature for just running the fan without the heat exchanger running. I'm sure there is a method for just running the fan off a battery as its 12v.
I just did a google search and there are lots of people using them for air circulation using fresh air by making some kind of direct connection between the main power in + and - wires and a switch. Apparently its possible so hopefully this helps.
Thanks for watching.
What about recirculating the air buy putting a cold air duck into the tent. That air would be warmer then outside air.
Purchase an Espar fuel pump. It is quiet. Also, nice work.
Hey man, really enjoyed your video...I built an Espar D2 into a Pelican case last year, i'm currently putting everything together to build another D2 into a smaller Pelican style case...in an ideal world I am including a small battery and a solar panel to charge it so it is completely self contained! Thanks for the ideas; how much voltage does yours pull for say 8 hours on low? Thanks!
Great video Mike as always. I am online looking for a heater to copy yours. Thanks
Im follow you im from Egypt
Thanks for this video! Very helpful. I was wondering where you found the 75mm / 3" hot air supply hose flange that you mounted to the side of the box (at about 14:50 on your video). I'm struggling to find something that will work for my build. Thanks!
Thanks for watching! I used a 3" cold air intake kit from ebay. It comes with two metal flanges and a hose - www.ebay.co.uk/itm/363666816930?hash=item54ac3b3fa2:g:SaoAAOSw9S5hxXdy
The plastic duct front and back is this - www.ebay.co.uk/itm/193722591991?hash=item2d1ac42af7:g:I4IAAOSwNqBfca19
Its just pulled in half so it can be used at both ends.
Well done, Mike! I intend to use one of these in my pop up camper. I do need to find out where you got that pass through for the exhaust.
Looks like something that would be used in the marine industry as a bulkhead pass-thru
Nice👍🏼good jobs🤔
nice setup. do you have a link to a shop, that have the black plastic tube, you use for hot air
Mike, I was just thinking I need another video from you to motivate me to carry on with the Jeep, and here it is! 😁Though, I can't really complain about the cold here as it's only -5 in Stoke. Where did you get your padded overalls from dude? There is icicles coming out of the taps at work 😂
Haha well here is another one. -5 in Stoke is pretty cold. Its getting warmer here now so only around -3 to -7 over the next few weeks. Much better for my first camp in months. Those overalls were from the second hand shop. Absolutely brilliant! I've been looking for something like them for ages. Hopefully you guys get some warmer weather soon, cold everywhere at the moment.
Thanks for watching.
have you considered an in line primer bulbto prime the pump/engine prior to ignition, much like a boat motor?
I'm not sure what that is to be honest. This system was useful but i rebuilt it in the recent videos so it took its fuel for the jeeps main tank and was a much smaller unit. Seem to be working well so far. What's the thing you mentioned?
Looking to pu my 5K heater into a metal tool box. What you think about sound dedening meterial on the inside, like the ones they use for cars when doing auto installs. Did you tru that in the original metal heater box?
love the build!
Excellent video , a pleasure to watch. Im curious what you are you using for ductwork?
Thanks for watching! I'm using the plastic cold air intake ducting. Its the cheaper stuff you get from these diy kits from eBay. I actually like it but its bad for heat loss so it must be insulated using a blanket or sorts. I haven't made anything yet for it but when wrapping it in a towel it did make a significant difference to the heat coming from the duct.
Thanks again!
Doesn't that hot exhaust hose heat up the inside of the box to a dangerous point next to all of that plastic, not to mention the fuel tank?? I saw another build where they put a computer fan in the side of the box to keep the inside of the box from getting hot.
No it doesn't, I run it almost daily sometimes for ten hours a day in the workshop and it's perfectly fine. The key to exhausts whether in an engine bay or this little thing is leaving an adequate air gap.
Fascinating. RS. Canada
You might try some car audio sound proofing if the sound persists.
Hi. Nice job please i have a question the control myebe in side on your room
would a plastic tarp under the room and maybe marine carpet inside
Yeah that would make a big difference!
Hey Mike, I may have missed it but did you try the damper they sell for the noise? I was just wondering if they make any difference
I use the exhaust dampener and that does make a big difference. The intake one does nothing in my case. The only issue us the exhaust dampener is fairly cheaply made and they fail internally and block the exhaust causing the unit to shut down. Its best to keep and eye on them, that's why mine is outside of the box so I can just grab it and pull it off. Thanks for watching
@Workshop & Wilderness Adventures the exhaust gets clogged when the muffler is not turned with the tiny dimple facing down. It is the exit for exhaust moisture, which will clog the exhaust system. That's why the unit shuts down periodically.
Is there any reason the marine exhaust port didn't get installed on the same side as the heater exhaust instead of the fresh air intake side of the box?
I didn't build it properly basically. It worked out okay because it meant the e exhaust pointed away from the awning room when on the tire carrier.
I updated the design recently.
Awesome !
Brilliant idea! Nice setup. How many kW does the heater put out?
Thanks for watching. Supposedly it puts out 8kw but to be honest its more like 5/6kw. They just bend the truth a bit on the Chinese units.
How does it handle being carried by the handle? Does fuel leak out of the vented fuel cap?
It did leak. I changed the tank to a closed system with a one way valve. I now use the same heater, but in a smaller box and it takes fuel from the jeeps tank.
What litre is this box? I’ve followed the link in description but the link is broken.
I've tried to find the box on eBay but no luck... the link is gone sadly. I think its like 30L in total. I don't use this box anymore and gave it to a mate so I cant check it.
Great video, 1 question did all of that help with the noise of the pump
Yeah you can hear the ticking noise anymore. You can only hear the fan. Its a nicer sound and better to sleep too. You can buy an actual silent pump from eBay though so that might be a better option. Thanks for watching.
As an old HGV driver the night heater needs to be run up occasionally during the summer months to keep things moving so to speak that way if something is going to stop working you can get it fixed and ready for when you need to use it and the loud fuel pump tick whenever you start it up usually quietens down when it reaches temperature so take it out during summer and run it up for a while