Diesel Heater Mods....

[Rbertalotto]

I played around with my All In One diesel heater today.
Built a simple transport case out of plywood



Using some scrap 2X2 aluminum, I raised the heater up a bit. Also added a perforated aluminum heat shield on the bottom...



Then using some copper pipe, I extended the combustion intake and the exhaust so it is easier to attach the intake pipe and exhaust pipe.



They extend a bit out side of the case, making hookup easier





I had to turn various bushings on the lathe as the fittings from China don't match any plumping fittings we have here in USA.

One note, I had soldered all these parts together. But solder melts at around 190 degrees and these pipes get up to 225 degrees as verified by my infrared thermometer. The solder simply dripped out and the fittings on the exhaust side fell apart. I ultimately used steel pop rivets to secure everything. Works great!

And now very easy to set up when needed.

Next I'm ordering some 3" insulated flexible heater pipe to reach the RTT when the heater is on the ground....

 

[Hillbilly Heaven]

Silver soldering might work. I know when silver soldering it requires MAP gas as it does have a higher melting point.

 

[Red90]

Copper exhaust will probably corrode out.

 

[Toyaddict]

Copper exhaust will probably corrode out.

That was my first thought, copper certainly doesn't stand up to the condensate from a natural gas / propane furnace. I wasn't sure if diesel / kero combustion gases would have the same effect.

 

[86scotty]

I have back-burnered buying and modding one of these probably til next Fall when it gets cold again. My plan is a semi-permanent mount in the bed of my pickup underneath RTT with the only daily set up to be running the heater hose up in to the tent.

My question is about DC power. How do you power this? I was thinking of just making an extention cord with a power point (cig lighter) plug. This type doesn't have a built in battery, does it?

 

[Rbertalotto]

Wait a minute.....Water in a copper pipe will corrode it? Don't we have copper water pipes in our houses?

My question is about DC power. How do you power this? I was thinking of just making an extension cord with a power point (cig lighter) plug. This type doesn't have a built in battery, does it?

Although I bought this all in one unit, I'm now wishing I had bought the permanent mounted unit and mount it in the trailer like you are proposing with only the heater hose needing deployment. Being in the trailer it would be quiter to the neighboring campers.

I power this unit from a portable battery box I built with a 100Ah AGM battery. Charging it via solar and a DC to DC car charger. Very little current draw once it is heated up.

 

[Rbertalotto]

I thought about silver solder or simply TIG welding the copper pipe together. But I saw a few other folks did this and use pop rivets to mechanically affix the pipes.

 

[Toyaddict]

Wait a minute.....Water in a copper pipe will corrode it? Don't we have copper water pipes in our houses?



Although I bought this all in one unit, I'm now wishing I had bought the permanent mounted unit and mount it in the trailer like you are proposing with only the heater hose needing deployment. Being in the trailer it would be quiter to the neighboring campers.

I power this unit from a portable battery box I built with a 100Ah AGM battery. Charging it via solar and a DC to DC car charger. Very little current draw once it is heated up.

Water from a condensing type furnace, w.h, etc will corrode copper. I have a few calls a year from said problem.

 

[Red90]

Wait a minute.....Water in a copper pipe will corrode it? Don't we have copper water pipes in our house.

The products of combustion are corrosive. Seen a lot of copper exhaust pipes?

 

[86scotty]

Despite alot of people bear a huge ********** of hate toward those connectors, and will claim meltdown or death just by looking at one too long...
That proposal might work, But its riding on the edge of capacity on those type of connectors.
Those heaters draw only a few amps running, which is within connector capacity. But draw about 10A during ignition what lasts about a minute.

Hmmm. I've never had a problem. To be clear I'm very familiar with the power requirements of these heaters. I've had a few. I just wasn't sure if the all in one boxes had some kind of hidden battery or magic inside. I didn't think so but wasn't sure.

Anyway, from everything I've run off of power points I would certainly risk it and adapt to maybe a small Anderson power pole if it didn't work out. I usually run 10 gauge to clusters of power points and fuse them at the battery (30 amp) and right behind each power point (5-10). 30 amp set up. I never have considered a bottle neck at the actual power point connector.

 

[Rbertalotto]

Latest Mod is I bought a 16' / 3" hose from AMAZON. Made an adapter sleve from the semi ridgid hose that came with the heater to this new hose. Works great. Now I can put the heater some distance from the tent and lower the noise to me while sleeping.

3" aluminum air duct

 

[helidave]

I got the same hose. It seems like it gives the air a bit of a plastic-y smell when it gets hot. Have you noticed that too?

 

[Rbertalotto]

Have not noticed a smell, but have not used it in the tent yet....We shall see