But I thought I'd share this. These little British-made heaters are great (but spendy). They burn about 1/3 pound of propane per running hour.
The model I chose was the HS2000. They are only 18" long, 9" deep and 4 3/4" tall. They do need an inch of clearance on the top and sides. The 1" intake and exhaust pipes for the combustion chamber exit from the bottom.
I designed in enough room for mine behind the cooler. In the upper photo, the hot air inlet is on the left and the cold return is on the right. Keep in mind that the air comes in at about 180º so you really need some space above your bedding inside the cabin.
The propane comes in on the right side. Make sure you have enough room for the elbow fitting down below.
The black heat line is a special low-noise product that significantly reduces the decibel level produced by the heater. It's sold by the U.S. importer, Westy-Ventures. http://www.westyventures.com/propex.html
I had to hunt for the elbows I used for a cleaner installation for the hot and cold airlines. I found a pair of "Eberspaecher Webasto Heater 75mm Car Air Ducting Pipe Elbow Outlet Connectors" on eBay for $8 apiece. They fit nicely into the supplied Propex vent fittings after a little work with a drum sander.
For installation, the heaters come with a full-sized diagram that marks where to drill the combustion exhaust and air hoses which for the
The first problem I had was that they are plumbed for British propane fittings. I found a "Straight Adapter, 1/4 NPT Female x 1/4 BSPT Male" on McMaster Carr to fix this issue. It's their item #1786N128.
The installation requires two 1 3/4" holes to be drilled through the floor. Since my floor is 1 1/4" thick, it almost allows for the hose clamps that hold the intake/exhaust pipes on to nest in the holes. I solved this problem by joining two small (and skinny) hose clamps for each tube. 2" holes would be easier.
But now you've got two large holes in the floor and since the heater sits about 1/2" off the floor these holes are not sealed. I solved this problem with two pieces of .040 aluminum and RTV high-heat silicone.
Here's the detail:
Since I installed a Partner stove that needed a high-pressure regulator, I needed two different regulators. One for the Propex (it comes with a two-sage 11" WC regulator) and one for my cookstove.
Here's how I mounted mine next to my 11-pound tank:
I'm lucky enough to have a good friend that's been in the propane installation business for thirty years. Of course, I brought him in on the project. He talked me out of black pipe and into rubber hose. I'm glad he did. It was an easy task to run the 112" hose back to the heater. And of course, he made the hose up for me with 1/4" NPT fittings. I think that cost me $15.
I wired in a cutoff switch for the electrical line to the heater. There's a tiny parasitic draw that could be a problem after a month or two. I think I figured out that it would be about 10 amps per month if it was left hot.
Heat isn't often needed in a teardrop, but when it's icy, it's a good thing.
Tony
