Which night-heater?

[zombie_T6]

I have one of the Chinese clones that cost £115 and has a programmable timer and remote for upto 50m away. Had it for a while now and its been faultless. I have it installed under the drivers seat and controller mounted in the back of the van. Have a look at my build thread for more info/images.
I couldn't justify the expense of the big brands for the small amount of use it would actually be getting.
That said I do find myself using it to defrost the van in the am before I get into it so it does have more use than I expected it to!

 

[rover220]

was very happy with planar in my t5

 

[Ayjay]

Here's another vote for the Planar - ours has the 7 day timer but no remote. However, have you got access to mains power where your van is parked overnight? We have a waterproof outside socket near the drive that is protected by a RCD - the night before, we plug in a 10M extension cable and 2Kw fan heater. The heater is on the rear parcel shelf of the car to be used (with the middle head rest removed) and left switched on. After that, it's a simple job to flick the power switch indoors for 15 minutes, chucking the extension and heater in the back and driving off in a toasty car. That said, down here in the SW, the times when we actually have a hard frost first thing in the morning seem to be getting fewer as each year goes by.

 

[Stuthewarrior]

That's a good idea Using 240v heater. I park by a garage with power so this could be a good option.

Thanks
Stu

 

[St4n99]

If you have 240 available then oil heaters are great
De'Longhi TRNS0505M Oil Filled Radiator - White https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01M0UHYDT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_NKDMDbG0PTE7W

 

[Ayjay]

That's a good idea Using 240v heater. I park by a garage with power so this could be a good option.

Thanks
Stu

Just remember to turn the motion sensor in the security system off when you set it up otherwise, a fan heater will trigger it.

 

[johnmacster]

I had a Planar in my T5, I was very impressed, it was quiet as well. Will be getting one again in the T6 before winter arrives.

 

[Shaun Witts]

I have one of the Chinese clones that cost £115 ...

I don't think I would trust a Chinese clone costing £115 to safely ignite a flame burning fuel underneath my van...
Oh, I am sure it works, and it may well work for a long time. But I could never be convinced that it meets the required regulations for the safe operation of such things.

 

[Shaun Witts]

I've got a Webasto installed in my van (as part of the original conversion). It has the mobile App, so I can start it up from the house while having breakfast, and then walk out to a warm van. As such, I have not yet had a chance to proove that my heated screen works...
I sleep in my van most weeks, and the heater is invaluable overnight.
I also learnt not to play the range game as the fuel pick-up is above that for the engine feed, and if the tank is drained too far, the heater system gets air gaps in the supply line, which causes it to trip. It can be reset, but will keep triping until all the air has gone.

 

[Spaghetti]

Webasto for me with the digital timer.

If I used the van for commuting, I’d program the timer to warm up/defrost the van for me.

 

[zombie_T6]

I don't think I would trust a Chinese clone costing £115 to safely ignite a flame burning fuel underneath my van...
Oh, I am sure it works, and it may well work for a long time. But I could never be convinced that it meets the required regulations for the safe operation of such things.

I'm sure your aware that diesel doesn't use a flame for ignition
But if you could never be convinced then I won't bother trying.

 

[Martin Gibson]

I have the webasto with the digital timer also. I am with @Shaun Witts on the chinese heater im afraid. If the worst happened and there was some sort of fire(flame or no flame!) then im pretty sure that those vile insurance people would never pay out for your pride and joy if it was fitted with one of those cheaper heaters. Having said that,each to his own of course,thats just my view

 

[Spaghetti]

@Dellmassive linked to this the other day. It’s interesting how the diesel heaters actually work.

 

[Martin Gibson]

Wow thanks for that @Spaghettiboy78 ,pretty much looks like a flame to me and a fairly big one at that!

 

[zombie_T6]

Well in that case I stand corrected!! I don't mind admitting when I'm wrong
It's each to their own on these vans, some only use genuine service parts where as I'm happy to use pattern parts. Some will only take their vans to VW for work where as I would never use VW.
For my set up I couldn't justify the cost for a brand vs the amount of use it would get. A clone fits my criteria on this occasion.

 

[Spaghetti]

That’s fair enough @zombie_T6 , to be fair, I was surprised at the ferocity of the burn!

I’ve read loads of reviews of the clone heaters and not found any horror stories, so you pay your money and take your choice!

 

[Martin Gibson]

I have to admit also that i didnt know how they worked and i was also surprised by how fierce it was! As i stated above,each to his own,it would be a very boring place if we were all the same

 

[Shaun Witts]

No slur intended to anyone. I have no doubt that a fully compliant heater could be manufactured in China and sold at discount in EU and the version @zombie_T6 has may well fit that category. But having read a recent Which? article regarding how compliant Chinses made USB chargers are, I would be very concerned that the same would apply to all cheap Chinese manufactured goods. Also, I am a Safety Engineer.

I use my Webasto overnight 2 or 3 times a week while working away, so it would not just be my van at risk.

Oh, and I have a petrol van.

 

[Martin Gibson]

Ill just add that i have heard one horror story about a chinese heater that switched itself on and melted a table or something but thats the only one I've heard

 

[andys]

I also didn't know how they worked, and seeing how fierce it burns in that video I'm amazed how tiny an amount it seems to run on. It never seems to make the slightest dent in the miles I get out of a tank when I have it running