Heaters

[marley]

Hi all,

has anyone had any experience of the  Catalitic heaters if so are there any local stockists of the Camco wave 3?

Gone me Pete

[Barry & Maggie]

Hi Pete

My experience with catalytic heaters is some years old now.  I  bought one to use in my VW Westphalia, but the big problem with these heaters is… “Condensation”.   I suppose they’re much like paraffin heaters in that respect  –  for ‘x’ amount of gas, there is ‘y’ amount of moisture produced.  They’re probably fine for use when tent camping, but less satisfactory in caravans/motorhomes, where condensation is a big enemy.

So I got rid of mine.  I recommend you continue to ask around to obtain a consensus of up-to-date opinion.  As I say, my experience of them is some years old now, though I can’t see how they can have changed the chemistry!

They are available on eBay  shipped from the US  for £265…  https://tinyurl.com/uhhjtzk

They’re also available from Amazon.uk for £337…  https://tinyurl.com/tqxzskt

Let us know how you get on with this  Pete.  It would be nice to know if these heaters are viable in our m/homes.

Barry

[nozzi]

Hi Pete

I’ve never owned one but I do know that as Barry says, they produce a lot of moisture. They would also use up the Oxygen in the van and give off CO2 which is not poisonous but is an asphyxiant so you would need ventilation

You can get ones for indoor use which have a low Oxygen sensor, but should not be used whilst sleeping.

But maybe you already know that.

Nozzi

[marley]

Hi,

thanks for the info, it does state in the literature that a small window must be open while the heater is in use, which is for air quality, but i would imagine that a window ajar would cancel out most of the condensation. I will contact the firm, and ask what there recommendations are, but i do appreciate the feed back.

Gone me Pete

[Barry & Maggie]

Good luck with this, Pete.

It does seem that leaving a window open to combat condensation and air quality does rather negate the whole object of having an extra heater.

I was quite shocked when I saw the price asked for these.  Maybe consider an accessory heater such as Propex (gas) or Eberspacher (diesel – but a slightly bit noisier than the Propex, I believe)?  A bit more expensive, perhaps, but an infinitely better product.

Something to consider?

Good luck and as always, let us know how this idea progresses?

Barry

[marley]

Hi again,

Yes my thoughts exactly, but as i do a lot of  wild camping, i was looking for a heater which does not have  to rely on battery to run the fan? and the  wave 3 seemed a good idea.

I don’t know how long the leisure  battery would last in winter while using the conventional blown air heater which is fitted to the Exsis? if not connected to a hookup, perhaps a second battery is the answer?

Gone me Pete

 

 

 

[Barry & Maggie]

Ah  that’s the “how long is a piece of string” question!

It depends on so many things – the condition/age of the battery, how many other electrical items you use, the outside temperature, the temperature you want to maintain inside, high or low fan setting and so on.

I’m in exactly the same position as you… we exclusively wild-camp.  I fitted a second battery and a b2b battery charger (which maximises charging whenever the engine is running – 5 or more times faster than normal).  We have never run out of electricity and we wild-camp in winter too!

So perhaps look at a second battery first and see how that system holds up with your normal usage?  If insufficient, then maybe a third battery and/or a b2b charger?

Some reading for you…

http://www.aandncaravanservices.co.uk/battery-to-battery-chargers.php

Battery to Battery Chargers

Good luck!

Barry

[marley]

Hi Barry,

Thanks for that, i don’t use very much power, (1 small light for reading , and television when i can get a signal, but only for 2/3 hrs, so i suspect i will go down the same route as yourself, can you give me some details regarding the charger?,

Gone me Pete

[Barry & Maggie]

It’s a Sterling b2b.  I bought it cheaper when Sterling had one of its regular sales on their eBay site – keep an eye open.

I had it professionally fitted, along with the second battery and the 1500w Sterling inverter.

The chargers are very simple, but they need to measure the temperature of the battery(ies) they are charging, that’s all.

Barry

[marley]

Hi all, sorry but its me again, as i have not  had a winter in the van, i am struggling to understand the heater system, having read the manuel. As i understand it when the  operating unit is switched to No 5, for winter, surely you need the fan to distribute the hot air ?.so if the fan is tuned on, it follows that the heater in winter mode is then  cancelled ?or is it?

[Barry & Maggie]

I’m not sure what you mean by ‘winter mode’ – probably Hymer- or Truma-speak for “having a bit of heat come out”!

The Truma blown-air heating works in five ways…

• 1. Cool, Low fan
• 2. Cool, High fan
• 3. Off
• 4. Warm, Low fan
• 5. Warm, High fan

In addition, you can control the heat level within the ‘van by means of the green illuminated inner dial – the thermostat.

So, in use, in winter, freezing cold outside, you could turn the thermostat dial to the highest number possible and turn the fan to ‘High’ – clockwise two stops from the midway ‘Off’ position.  You will hear the fan start to softly whirl, and then the heater give a ‘pop’ as it starts up, and then shortly, heat will start to be blown out of the vents  getting hotter and hotter as the heat exchanger warms up.

At some point, when you’re warm enough and you like that temperature, gently turn the green-illuminated inner dial anti-clockwise VERY SLOWLY while you listen for the fan to click ‘off’.  You have now set the temperature so the heating will come on and off to automatically maintain that temperature you have chosen.

You can do this on a cool British summer evening  as well as the depths of an Arctic winter!  You can turn the temperature right down, fan on ‘Warm, Low’ and leave the heating all night, gently coming on and going off, to just take the chill off the air.  Or you can switch it off altogether, to save gas and electricity.

Some of this is ‘trial and error’, Pete – to just “know” what is the right dial position for “your” favourite temperature.  But once you get in the swing of it, you’ll love it!  By the way,  the heater sends out a constant same-temperature heat, boosted by a low- or high- fan and controlled by a thermostat, that’s all – just like an electric fan heater really.

I’ve explained at length, because I know some ‘newbies’ read these pages.  By the way, to reassure those who are nervous, these heaters are perfectly safe.  The combustion takes place in a sealed box that gets air in from the little round vent on the outside, and then exhausts the depleted air out via the same inlet/outlet vent.  The air within the ‘van is drawn into the heat exchanger via the large square vent below the basin hinge and from behind the kitchen units,  passes over the heat exchanger (totally separated from the combustion within the heater box) and the heated air is then blown out into the ‘van.  I hope that puts people’s minds at rest regarding the safety of leaving these units on all the time – they are quite safe.  Of  course, you MUST have a CO2 alarm in your Exsis – I urge you to get one NOW if you haven’t one.  And check the battery regularly!

I hope you enjoy your winter wild-camping… we do!  And we’ve never been cold.

Barry

• This reply was modified 4 years, 5 months ago by Barry & Maggie.

[marley]

Hi again,

yeah thanks for the info, i will just suck it and see while on the road.

gone me Pete

[Chris and Peter]

Hi Marley,
I don’t worry about running the built-in Truma heater (which we find quite satisfactory) off the leisure battery. The manual states that the fan takes 1A on “low” and 2,3A on “high”. So – theoretically at least! – with e.g. a 90Ah battery you could run the heater for 90 hours on “low”, and that’s nearly 4 days on end.
Our 75W solar panel and two 75Ah batteries give us peace of mind!
We also carry a very simple 230V heater (700W or 1200W selection switch) for heating things up quickly (and economising on gas) when we’re hooked up. Effective, if noisy.

[nozzi]

Like Chris, we use a n electric fan heater when on sites. We also carry a small oil-filled radiator (£20 from Argos or B&Q) which keeps the chill off overnight without the noise of a fan.

We’ve been on some very cold ski trips, but always been toastie in the van.

A good insulating screen and cab window cover can make a huge difference!

Nozzi

[Barry & Maggie]

I echo Nozzi’s comment re. a good insulating windscreen cover.   They make a huge difference in winter AND in summer, helping to maintain an equable temperature inside, despite whether it’s freezing or roasting outside.

Recommended!

Barry

[Tresjolie]

Might be worth looking at this

https://murciatoday.com/man-dies-in-motorhome-fire-in-puerto-de-mazarr%C3%B3n_1246344-a.html?#bottom_navigate

Tom and Carol

[Barry & Maggie]

A good and timely caution, thank you, Tom.

[Author]

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