Night heater and air suspension on off-road camper

[Johan Mer]

I just bought a 2017 4M/diff SWB that I plan to convert to a camper and install skid plates (front, tank, diff, exhaust), large tires to be able to take it on light off-road tours in Europe. Firstly, the Webasto installer I talked to recommended to place the heater under the floor to the right as I want swivel passenger seat and have a leisure battery under driver's seat (left hand drive). As I expect to drive through deep puddles etc. I'm not so fond of having the heater underslung. I want to take it both on ski tours (-15C) and to summer trips in Europe (+35). He recommended 2KW as large won't fit underneath, but I would have liked a stronger heater mainly to avoid having to much insulation in the summer as the mass in the walls will take a long time to cool of . What's your thoughts? Secondly, it's factory raised with 30 mm, putting a pop top means that I can't get under parking garages limit so thinking about installing air suspensions. What's your thought on that?
It has the rear heater installed (don't know if it's AC also). I don't know if I'm happy about that or not, ha, ha! It takes space but might be useful if I decide to install seats in the back at some point. But at the same time it takes up a lot of useful space....

 

[oldiebut goodie]

Someone is talking through his arse!
This is how my 4Kw Webasto Evo40 is fitted ( by me ) - OEM bracket keeps it at exactly the same height as a 2kw offering. I don't go swimming in my van though, fords and so on would be a no-no with any underslung heater. I recommend an internal mount for any heater if your van is to be used in this way. ( I don't have any oem mounts left in stock now as supply from Germany has got too expensive since Brexit.)




Here is someones 2Kw installation (- don't use them to fit one as they have made a basic mistake in the routing of the fuel line!)

 

[Johan Mer]

Interesting, the model he suggested was Air Top 2000STC. Anyways, I thought that underslung wouldn't be a good idea so I might look for a way to place it in the van. A swivel seat is prohibiting under passenger seat mount. I wonder if it would be an idea to relocate the consumption battery under driver seat to make space for the heater as I'm exchanging that for Lithium so have to mess around with that installation anyhow and the location for the batteries is probably a bit more flexible.

 

[oldiebut goodie]

Why would the swivel stop installation? If there is enough room for a battery under a swivel there is certainly enough height for a 2K heater as you only need 140mm height from the floor for clearance above the heater on a 2Kw. It is more the adblue tank under the driver's seat ( on LHD ) that is a restriction.
With a 3.5/3.9/4Kw you will need 170mm width, 500mm length and 190mm height for clearance. Webastos measurements as that is what I deal with. I don't know at all if the larger heaters will fit under there as I haven't tried.

 

[Johan Mer]

The driver seat is fixed but as the Adblue tank prevents installation the batteries can stay. However, I'm looking at swivel for passenger, just thought the turning action would interfere with a fixed mounted heater.

 

[Ads_Essex]

The driver seat is fixed but as the Adblue tank prevents installation the batteries can stay. However, I'm looking at swivel for passenger, just thought the turning action would interfere with a fixed mounted heater.

The swivel sits on top of the seat base, so just the seat turns

 

[Salty Spuds]

I have a LWB on VB air with a 30mm lift kit.
Webasto 2kw heater slung externally under the drivers seat (RHD). We ski for 6 weeks in the alps jan/Feb Covid permitting, plenty warm enough for us to sit in shorts & t shirts on a night with external temps of -20C. The same van goes to Portugal in summer in temps of +30, you can’t have too much insulation. Stop overthinking it.

 

[oldiebut goodie]

I should think that living in Sweden would lead me to using more than 2Kw if only for a very much quicker warm up when getting back to the van. This is what I wanted in my van so fitted the 4Kw.

 

[Johan Mer]

Thanks, Salty Spuds and oldiebut goodie. My only experience with camper vans is a 12 m Neoplan bus we drove through Africa 1981. It had heavy insulation in the walls intended to keep heat out but that worked against it's purpose. Insulation kept the cool air from the night during the morning but the heat in the walls took forever to disappear in the night. A nightmare at +35C/100% humidity. But your use case is exactly what I intend to do, so a professional spray foam insulation and 2 Kw under swivel passenger seat is probably the best. Would like 4KW but I can't see it fitting in seat base.

What's your thinking about air suspension?

 

[Salty Spuds]

Love the VB air, wouldn’t be without it. Spray foam insulation is a new one on me for use in a van. I can’t see any benefits over multi-layer foil tbh & would make wiring & furniture fitting “interesting”. Be interested to see how you get on with it.

 

[Johan Mer]

Salty Spuds, good to hear that you like the VB air. Well, spray foam appears to provide good insulation and handle condensation better as it sticks to the sheet metal. They say it also provide sound deadening by itself. But it is expensive and require careful planning of wiring etc. The plan is to install the heater and temporary furniture use it for a while to see what layout I like and then decide on the permanent layout/spray foam. But I'm learning and gathering info, so could change...

 

[oldiebut goodie]

Be careful with spray foam - if it isn't closed cell it will absorb moisture. A mate of mine thought that he was being clever by filling his voids in a sailing dinghy with spray foam but it wasn't closed cell so became waterlogged, he then had to cut open bulkheads to get in and dig it all out. I wouldn't use it in a vehicle or boat for this reason without it being closed cell.

 

[Johan Mer]

Yes, I have understood that it should be closed cell. The heat and expansion also risk warping the sheet metal if not done properly. Have to investigate further, might go the traditional route. Also depends if I can find an experienced van sprayer in vicinity of Stockholm.

 

[CAB]

Interesting, the model he suggested was Air Top 2000STC. Anyways, I thought that underslung wouldn't be a good idea so I might look for a way to place it in the van. A swivel seat is prohibiting under passenger seat mount. I wonder if it would be an idea to relocate the consumption battery under driver seat to make space for the heater as I'm exchanging that for Lithium so have to mess around with that installation anyhow and the location for the batteries is probably a bit more flexible.

This is our 2kw Webasto under the RHD Drivers seat. It has a swivel installed, don't ask me what one it is though!

 

[Johan Mer]

Thanks CAB, looks like it would be possible to even have the 30 mm lowered swivel base if you place it more to the left?

 

[CAB]

Thanks CAB, looks like it would be possible to even have the 30 mm lowered swivel base if you place it more to the left?

Certainly looks like it

 

[Johan Mer]

Ordered an Aguti H210 swivel (-3cm lowered to accomodate swivel plate hight) and 2KW Webasto which should fit under seat according to these drawings I found in a thread in the German forum.

 

[Johan Mer]

Just to report back, the heater fits fine under the swivel seat.