Bongo heating recommendations!

Anything non-technical about the Mazda Bongo Friendee van

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Treetalk
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Bongo heating recommendations!

Post by Treetalk » Tue Feb 05, 2019 2:51 pm

I'm sorry if this a bit of a boring question, but I need to ask anyway!

I've read a few threads but am not really understanding .... I doubt I'd want heating all night, but in the occasional evening when the temperature is on the cool side, it might be nice to have a warmish van for a couple of hours prior to duvet-time.

So my question is:

1. If electric hook-ups, whats the best way to heat up bongo for a while?

2. If no hook-ups e.g. wild camping or basic campsite. Is there even a way to get heat in this scenario?

Thank you.
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Re: Bongo heating recommendations!

Post by Bob » Tue Feb 05, 2019 3:01 pm

If you've got hook up a small electric radiator is good, even a greenhouse heater will keep the chill off.

A big advantage is they are silent if you should need it overnight, otherwise a fan heater will pump out heat.

Don't go for too much wattage as you don't want to trip the supply. :wink:

Wild camping, if you've a conversion lighting a burner might do it, but as with all fossil fuels carbon monoxide it the thing to watch.

Personaly I'd be wary of any gas heating, too easy to nod off, but then if the budget runs to it the Eberspacher night heater is very good, and there are much cheaper copies.

Just down to cost v amount of use. :?

Hope that helps. :)
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Re: Bongo heating recommendations!

Post by g8dhe » Tue Feb 05, 2019 3:25 pm

I use a 0.45Kw oil heater in the van when on EHU from Argos/Aldi/Lidl https://www.argos.co.uk/product/4152291 also this year stuck it on in the van overnight when the snow and ice was about and I wanted to get out first thing in the morning, without the hassle of defrosting everything in the mornings!
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Re: Bongo heating recommendations!

Post by Jillygumbo » Tue Feb 05, 2019 3:53 pm

g8dhe wrote: Tue Feb 05, 2019 3:25 pm I use a 0.45Kw oil heater in the van when on EHU from Argos/Aldi/Lidl https://www.argos.co.uk/product/4152291 also this year stuck it on in the van overnight when the snow and ice was about and I wanted to get out first thing in the morning, without the hassle of defrosting everything in the mornings!
Same with my Eberspacher: when really cold left it on low all night (plugged into ehu). Toasty and frost-free in the morning!
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Treetalk
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Re: Bongo heating recommendations!

Post by Treetalk » Wed Feb 06, 2019 3:32 pm

Thanks. I'll be getting something cheap and cheerful.

Is an 'oil heater' and an 'electric radiator' the same? If different, is one better than t'other?
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Re: Bongo heating recommendations!

Post by g8dhe » Wed Feb 06, 2019 3:57 pm

Not always, oil heaters have the characteristic shape of several identical elements put together the heater is in the bottom tube and the hot oil then circulates up one side and down the other of each segment. Electric radiators is more generic and there are styles which don't normally look at all the same.
The nice thing about the oil type is that the surface of the radiator never gets excessively hot as the heat energy is radiated from over the entire surface, rather than from one spot which has to be a lot hotter to get the same amount of energy out into the air. Which means you don't run a risk of burning anything or yourself when in the confines of the van.
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Re: Bongo heating recommendations!

Post by Treetalk » Wed Feb 06, 2019 8:12 pm

cheers for that, I think I'll get a little oil radiator for now.
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Re: Bongo heating recommendations!

Post by Bob » Wed Feb 06, 2019 8:16 pm

For twenty five quid you won't go wrong. 8)
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Re: Bongo heating recommendations!

Post by winchman » Wed Feb 13, 2019 4:02 pm

I recently fitted a Chinese diesel heater and can't fault it, can be used when parked or travelling, only about £130 now very good facebook group about them too
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Re: Bongo heating recommendations!

Post by Rup328 » Thu Feb 28, 2019 10:20 pm

I have a Webasto petrol heater in my Wellhouse Leisure converted fixed high top which works very well. It is fitted under the passenger seat in the engine bay and draws in air from the passenger footwell and expels warm air into the rear cabin.
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Re: Bongo heating recommendations!

Post by mikeonb4c » Fri Mar 01, 2019 11:19 am

The oil radiators are silent, cheap and effective but need 240v hookup. The Webasto/Eberspacher/Chinese things need skilled (and really, for insurance, approved fitter) installation. Their big advantage is they need no hookup (though they do need a healthy leisure battery). Their downside is cost, complexity/need for servicing (relative to an oil radiator) and (some owners have said) noise, both inside the vehicle and (some say, if not well silenced) nuisance to neighbours. For me also, personally, I prefer radiant heat to blown air heat.
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Re: Bongo heating recommendations!

Post by teenmal » Fri Mar 01, 2019 12:35 pm

Rup328 wrote: Thu Feb 28, 2019 10:20 pm I have a Webasto petrol heater in my Wellhouse Leisure converted fixed high top which works very well. It is fitted under the passenger seat in the engine bay and draws in air from the passenger footwell and expels warm air into the rear cabin.




It would be interesting to know by how much this installation Increased your Insurance Premium.?

Take care.
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Re: Bongo heating recommendations!

Post by Rup328 » Sat Mar 02, 2019 1:31 am

teenmal wrote: Fri Mar 01, 2019 12:35 pm
Rup328 wrote: Thu Feb 28, 2019 10:20 pm I have a Webasto petrol heater in my Wellhouse Leisure converted fixed high top which works very well. It is fitted under the passenger seat in the engine bay and draws in air from the passenger footwell and expels warm air into the rear cabin.




It would be interesting to know by how much this installation Increased your Insurance Premium.?

Take care.
It was part of the conversion carried out by Wellhouse Leisure in 2012 and I have all the installation certificates with the van paperwork. As for increasing premium I am not sure - this is my first campervan and it is insured with a speciaĺist motorhome insurance company for £430 fully comp.
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Re: Bongo heating recommendations!

Post by kandabongogirl » Mon Jun 10, 2019 5:16 pm

Bob wrote: Wed Feb 06, 2019 8:16 pm For twenty five quid you won't go wrong. 8)
You sure can't. Nor can you for £14.99 or £17.58
The 0.45kW oil jobbies mentioned by G8dhe are currently on price drop sale at Argos reduced from £25 to £14.99.
Just bought one - and used some of the savings to add the £2.59 to extend guarantee to 3 years.
Thanks for the link Geoff.

It was cold in early May at Kilchoan, Ardnamurchan - and the fridge on EHU wasn't quite chucking out enough heat, so a wee heater has been on the 'look out list' since :wink:

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Re: Bongo heating recommendations!

Post by bongolow » Fri Jan 10, 2020 2:03 am

Picked up one of these the other day at Lidl - Salter 500w heater. £14.99. Great..!

http://offers.kd2.org/en/gb/lidl/pgkAW/
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