Can I co-locate a diesel heater with a gas hot water system?

[POD]

We've bought a new-to-us Trayon camper to replace the one that was destroyed in an accident last month and I am wanting to transfer the diesel heater that I installed in the old one, across to the new one. I wasn't 100% happy with the location that I installed it in previously, it was under the cabinet where we store most of our food for a trip and the heat from the ducting and the exhaust was heating up the food cabinet.
The Trayon has a Truma gas hot water heater in it's own cabinet and I think there would be room in that cabinet to install the diesel heater. I don't know if this would be a safe idea or not? We use the hot water system all the time and the diesel heater occasionally. Certainly there would be times we would want to run them simultaneously.

[loanrangie]

To me it would make sense to locate them together, my only concern would be if there was a gas leak then starting the diesel heater might ignite it.
Bit of a what if scenario but the only downside i could think of.

[POD]

Yes I've decided to locate the heater in the same cabinet with the HWS, I was concerned about the heater igniting any gas leak but if there was a gas leak the HWS would ignite it anyway. Probably put a floor vent in the cabinet.

[Tins]

LPG is heavier than air, so I'd say a vent is a must. Still, if you have a gas leak then the diesel heater would be the least of your worries. Or one of them. You could stick something like this (https://hlpcontrols.com.au/products/lpg-gas-detector-mains-powered-with-alarm) in there. That one is mains powered, but I reckon there'll be 12 volt ones around.

I'm interested in how you do this. My OKA has a diesel heater located in the cab. Never been happy with that arrangement and also want hot water. These (https://dieselheaters.com.au/shop/diesel-water-heater-for-caravan-rv-built-in-unit-replace-gas-caravan-hot-water-heaters/) look good, if a little pricey. But maybe getting rid of the gas bottle altogether isn't such a bad idea.

[POD]

LPG is heavier than air, so I'd say a vent is a must. Still, if you have a gas leak then the diesel heater would be the least of your worries. Or one of them. You could stick something like this (https://hlpcontrols.com.au/products/lpg-gas-detector-mains-powered-with-alarm) in there. That one is mains powered, but I reckon there'll be 12 volt ones around.

I'm interested in how you do this. My OKA has a diesel heater located in the cab. Never been happy with that arrangement and also want hot water. These (https://dieselheaters.com.au/shop/diesel-water-heater-for-caravan-rv-built-in-unit-replace-gas-caravan-hot-water-heaters/) look good, if a little pricey. But maybe getting rid of the gas bottle altogether isn't such a bad idea.

That diesel HWS is pretty pricey, but so is the Truma gas HWS that we currently have, around $950. The posh-pack Trayon campers come with a diesel heater that does both the hot water and the room heating, Apparently they are not available for private purchase as Trayon have some kind of licensing arrangement on them.
There are plenty of 12v gas sniffers on the market between about $60 and $200, but as mentioned there is already an ignition source in the cabinet if there were a gas leak. I'll probably stick with putting a vent in the floor of the cabinet. Or maybe in the door like the gas bottle cabinet. One complication compared to where I had the heater mounted before is that I'll need to route the diesel line from the RHF to the LHR of the camper; the previous arrangement had the heater in the adjacent locker to the fuel tank. Not an insurmountable problem.

[Tins]

One complication compared to where I had the heater mounted before is that I'll need to route the diesel line from the RHF to the LHR of the camper; the previous arrangement had the heater in the adjacent locker to the fuel tank. Not an insurmountable problem.

Or give it its own tank if you have the room. They don't use much.

[Tins]

You seen these? (https://dieselheaters.com.au/shop/combination-diesel-air-electric-water-heater-for-caravan-motor-homes/)

[POD]

Or give it its own tank if you have the room. They don't use much.

It has it's own tank, i.e. a 5L jerry-can type container that lives in the locker with the gas cylinder. I think I'll re-mount it in the same place, it has the convenience of being on the bowser side of the Defender. I already have a boatload of the small-diameter plastic tubing for it. And yes, they are very economical to run.

[POD]

You seen these? (https://dieselheaters.com.au/shop/combination-diesel-air-electric-water-heater-for-caravan-motor-homes/)

That's interesting. Trayon promote theirs as though it were the only show in town. There's a big advantage to the gas HWS and diesel heater that I already have though; I already have them! We run a gas stove too (with the same advantage) so it's no extra hassle to have the gas cylinder. The gas lasts ages, too.

[Tins]

There's a big advantage to the gas HWS and diesel heater that I already have though; I already have them!

I hear you!


We run a gas stove too (with the same advantage) so it's no extra hassle to have the gas cylinder. The gas lasts ages, too.

I have two gas stoves, one in and one out. I like to cook on a fire or coals, but putting the kettle on, well....

I don't have hot water though. Decisions, decisions.

[POD]

I hear you!



I have two gas stoves, one in and one out. I like to cook on a fire or coals, but putting the kettle on, well....

I don't have hot water though. Decisions, decisions.

Well I'm going to have a very good Truma gas HWS available soon. Dismantling all the fittings and accessories from the written-off camper, the only thing that is not already present in the replacement camper is the diesel heater. We'd never had hot water before when camping, used the thing heaps!

Speaking of putting the kettle on, I was camping with a mate in January, him in his Travelander and me in the Trayon. I put the kettle on then went outside, got distracted, sat down by the river, turned around a while later and spotted billows of smoke coming out of the Trayon!!! One of those folding silicone kettles, nothing left but the stainless steel base! Funny that there was no smell afterwards from the smoke that filled the camper.

[oka374]

Tins I installed one of those combined air and water heaters in the slideon I'm refurbishing, they work well and are a copy of the Truma combi.
Has both diesel and 240v operation for air and water and and can operate either on its own or both together.
Much more compact than the Webasto Thermotop system I installed in the Oka 13 years ago and without the complexity of the glycol loop too. Might have to install one in the Oka as it would save space and weight.

[Tins]

Tins I installed one of those combined air and water heaters in the slideon I'm refurbishing, they work well and are a copy of the Truma combi.
Has both diesel and 240v operation for air and water and and can operate either on its own or both together.
Much more compact than the Webasto Thermotop system I installed in the Oka 13 years ago and without the complexity of the glycol loop too. Might have to install one in the Oka as it would save space and weight.

Thanks Peter. #74 is moving closer to the front burner, slowly. That looks like a better solution than a double system to me. I think I'd like to delete the gas bottle altogether. Not sure about indoor cooking, maybe induction. I had #74 parked in Qld for a bit, and found that someone had loosened the regulator and opened the tap just a bit. Empty bottle was inconvenient, but the potential for nastiness was more than I like. I could put the bottle behind locked doors but I think it's time.

Sorry, POD, but maybe this is not thread hijacking, but of interest....

[Tins]

Speaking of putting the kettle on, I was camping with a mate in January, him in his Travelander and me in the Trayon. I put the kettle on then went outside, got distracted, sat down by the river, turned around a while later and spotted billows of smoke coming out of the Trayon!!! One of those folding silicone kettles, nothing left but the stainless steel base! Funny that there was no smell afterwards from the smoke that filled the camper.

You must really have wanted a new camper! Couldn't burn it down so attacked a tree!

[oka374]

John we've never had gas in the Oka, right from the start, diesel cooktop, diesel HWS and central heating. Normal 240v 1L, 1000 w cordless electric jug, toaster, breadmaker, single induction cooktop, microwave and coffee machine. 240v is supplied by a Xantrex 1800w pass through PSW inverter, we mostly free camp and rarely connect to mains power even when it's available on the odd occasion we stay in a caravan corrall.
Started out with 480ah of AGM's but when the Winston LFP cells became available changed over to 400ah of lithiums as they weighed 80kgs less and had a much better usage cycle.
The batteries have always been charged solely by solar, initially by just over 650w but that too was upgraded to the current 1100w.
There is the capability to charge from the Oka's alternator but I've never used it other than to test to see if it works.
The Winston batteries are now approaching 13 years old and the capacity test done two years ago showed better than new and they wouldn't have changed much if at all in the meantime.
We are finding as time goes on that most cooking is done on the induction especially in warm weather as the diesel cooktop does tend to heat the interior. The diesel cooktop is great for long cooking jobslike stews, roasts in the camp oven etc and in cold weather where it assists in cabin heating.
Like John sorry for hijacking the thread a bit.
Peter

[Tins]

Hmm.. Hadn't considered a diesel cooktop. #74 currently has a gas four burner and oven setup. I neither like it nor need it. I won't say I haven't used it though. But I prefer to cook outside when poss. There is a gas camping stove built in out there, but it can go too. Perhaps I'd better join the RV show circuit for ideas.

[loanrangie]

Combined diesel heater and HWS would be good but couldn't find any cheap chinese units - surely they exist ?
I wonder how wrapping some copper tube around a cheap heater would work ?

[Tins]

Combined diesel heater and HWS would be good but couldn't find any cheap chinese units - surely they exist ?

You would think so. Closest I've found on the forty thieves mob is a diesel parking heater that also works as a block heater to prevent coolant freezing. Might be adaptable I guess..


I wonder how wrapping some copper tube around a cheap heater would work ?

Interesting thought. Off to ewetoob I go. If it can be done someone will have. Or maybe you should patent it, Nick.

[Tins]

Another rabbit hole.... Heck, I already have a German diesel heater in the OKA which is quite capable of forcing me outside if I set it too high. But this is all interesting. Diesel cooktops and hws. The cooktop one is great as I don't have the batts to run an induction one. Going to have to choose at some point.