Where to fit night-heater?

[lucky13]

I have an unconverted 2019 T6.0 Kombi SWB with just the standard seats and layout downstairs but with a pop top for sleeping in.

We have a leisure battery underneath the passenger front seat,

I’d like to install a 2kw diesel heater ideally underneath the van for safety and noise.

Where underneath the van would be the best place for this especially to keep it safe from
being hit by road debris and as dry and clean as possible ?

Many thanks

 

[oldiebut goodie]

 

[oldiebut goodie]

or

 

[Rioja John]

You can by a bracket of eBay to fit the heater beneath your van.

 

[oldiebut goodie]

That is what is pictured above - the Webasto bracket, around £70 on or off Ebay.

 

[Rioja John]

This is the bracket I used quite a bit cheaper.

Bracket Mount & Nuts for VW T5 T6 Webasto Eberspacher Chinese Diesel Heater | eBay

VW T5/T6 Diesel Heater Bracket Mount for Eberspacher Airtronic heater Webasto Chinese Diesel Heater Stainless Steel. Eberspacher Airtronic D2. Eberspacher D1LC. Eberspacher D1LC Compact. Webasto Airtop 2000.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[oldiebut goodie]

Cheap nasty flimsy things - I would never use one. There are two places where failure could develop and it is only supported by two bolts. A heater has a lot of mass to vibrate mounted like that. I bought one to see if it was suitable, I didn't think so. I know that a lot of people have fitted them but you do need something more substantial - I would never recommend them, it is an expensive piece of kit that you are hanging on that.
I had a heater in for overhaul that had been in a van crash - it was mounted in a pukka Webasto plate mount like above, the mount was all bent up but the heater was completely protected.

 

[JumpShip]

Very neat

 

[rod_vw]

You could always the genuine VW brackets and under shield but your bank manager may not like it! I've done it like that once many years ago including the genuine intake grill etc. in the driver's door step.

 

[Gsixty]

That is what is pictured above - the Webasto bracket, around £70 on or off Ebay.

Do you think this one would work? Nearly half the price of Webasto.

https://www.bobilvans.co.uk/product-page/autoterm-t5-t6-mounting-bracket

 

[oldiebut goodie]

I don't see any reason why not, it is basically a copy of the Webasto one for 2 Kw heaters - far better than those that flap about on two bolts. I did always think that the Webasto one was overpriced but now this one looks more affordable albeit looks like lighter gauge metal.

 

[drinfinity]

Mines on a two-bolt flapper. Still ok after 2 years, but would have considered the Bobilvans one if it was available then.

 

[rod_vw]

This is the genuine VW bracket set-up as used on factory fitted Webasto & Eberspacher heaters.


This is the ducting under the van, item 1 ducts the in-going heating air from the right front door step via a grill in the plastic step insert.

It all costs an arm & leg and not really worth the effort as equally good alternatives exist as @oldiebut goodie points out. The only possible advantage, and I never noticed it, is that the heater assembly is fitted on rubber mountings.

 

[oldiebut goodie]

Note that the above is all designed for the larger factory fit heaters hence the robustness and cushioning and larger ducting, 3500/Evo 40/ Evo 55 and similar variants. These heaters are considerably larger and heavier than the piddly little 2Kw heaters that Webasto designed their mount for ( although the larger heaters will just fit in them snugly ).