Hello,
Just managed to work out for the first time how to post a message... blinking heckersly took some time.
Anyway I have a 2.5 diesel N reg Bongo and want to fit a heater to it. It's the first time I've ever had a van and it's a bit cold on occasion.
Which is the best recommended heater for it?
I'm sure expensive ones are the best but what I don't like is the wurring of an electrical fan.
A silent heater would be best!
Cheers
Andrew Dean
Best heater
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andrewdean
- Junior Bongonaut
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g8dhe
- Supreme Being
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Re: Best heater
I have an oil heater with 4/5 sections and rated at around 400/500Watts, these don't have any fans, generally it sits there quietly on EHU all the time in cooler weather. See https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/325505024824 for type/style, they seem to be getting harder to locate these days as most have 1Kw+ outputs 
Spherical VisionsRe: Best heater
Our local discount DiY chain does them, too. 
https://www.properjob.biz/shop/oil-radi ... -fin-M3734
Warm welcome to BF.
https://www.properjob.biz/shop/oil-radi ... -fin-M3734
Warm welcome to BF.
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Sally'sbongo
- Apprentice Bongonaut
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- Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2022 9:41 am
Re: Best heater
I use a 500w convector heater from Toolstation small & silent £18 last year with a thermostat on it or you can get a 2 kw for around £25 from Argos.
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Simononsolway
- Apprentice Bongonaut
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Wed Sep 22, 2021 10:29 pm
Re: Best heater
In my opinion, a good heater should be the very first thing fitted in a van. Not so much for the comfort of its occupants, but in order to control condensation and therefore rust inside panels - in turn significantly prolonging the life of your van.
Anything which relies on 240v is (IMHO) an absolute non-starter. This basically leaves the options of LPG or diesel/kerosine. Not only can these be used anywhere, they can also be used whilst driving, and at this time of year, can be turned on an hour or so before you leave for work on a chilly morning to ensure that the van is ice-free and toasty warm for when you get in it.
However, anything which burns the fuel without being vented runs the risk of creating condensation and also nasty noxious fumes. Neither of which are welcome in your van. The Truma or Carver type heaters used in caravans are usually vented through the roof and take up quite a lot of space, making them impractical for in a Bongo. Therefore, by far the best solution is some sort of 'blown air' heater which vents through the bottom of the van and just circulates lovely warm air inside.
Propex gas heaters are excellent and have the advantage of not needing much current to start them up. On the downside, they use LPG which can be quite expensive. I had one of these fitted in my old T25 and it was brilliant.
However, Diesel heaters are really the Rolls Royce of van heaters as they can be fed directly from the vehicle's fuel tank and only cost pennies to run. Typically these have been very expensive with companies like Eberspacher and Webasto producing amazing quality heaters which last for years but which cost several hundred pounds. I fitted an second hand Eberspacher in my old T2 and I also have an Eberspacher in my current Bongo. If money were no object I would opt for Eberspacher every time.
But money IS an object, so when I came to fit a heater in my sailing boat two years ago, I decided to opt for one of the Chinese Diesel Heaters which is basically a copy of an Eberspacher D2. There is a whole Facebook Group dedicated to these heaters, plus thousands of Youtube videos reviewing them. I bought one off Ebay and fitted it using some better quality hoses and ducting (rather than risking using the crap which came with the kit). Mine has been in place for two years now in an extremely damp environment and works brilliantly. It generates 5KV (a bit too hot really) and has six heat settings. It also features timer and thermostat and even has a remote control so you can operate it from the comfort of your bunk! And best of all, the whole installation cost less than one tenth of the price of an Eberspacher!
If I were to ever find myself needing to fit a heater in a Bongo in the future, I would not hesitate to go for the Chinese option and would fit it in the cavity beneath the drivers seat, ducting out behind the engine in between the two dickey seats.
Don't scrimp or take chances. I promise you will never regret it, and the extra few months of Bongoing every year which a good heater will provide will more than compensate for the cost!
Hope this helps.
Anything which relies on 240v is (IMHO) an absolute non-starter. This basically leaves the options of LPG or diesel/kerosine. Not only can these be used anywhere, they can also be used whilst driving, and at this time of year, can be turned on an hour or so before you leave for work on a chilly morning to ensure that the van is ice-free and toasty warm for when you get in it.
However, anything which burns the fuel without being vented runs the risk of creating condensation and also nasty noxious fumes. Neither of which are welcome in your van. The Truma or Carver type heaters used in caravans are usually vented through the roof and take up quite a lot of space, making them impractical for in a Bongo. Therefore, by far the best solution is some sort of 'blown air' heater which vents through the bottom of the van and just circulates lovely warm air inside.
Propex gas heaters are excellent and have the advantage of not needing much current to start them up. On the downside, they use LPG which can be quite expensive. I had one of these fitted in my old T25 and it was brilliant.
However, Diesel heaters are really the Rolls Royce of van heaters as they can be fed directly from the vehicle's fuel tank and only cost pennies to run. Typically these have been very expensive with companies like Eberspacher and Webasto producing amazing quality heaters which last for years but which cost several hundred pounds. I fitted an second hand Eberspacher in my old T2 and I also have an Eberspacher in my current Bongo. If money were no object I would opt for Eberspacher every time.
But money IS an object, so when I came to fit a heater in my sailing boat two years ago, I decided to opt for one of the Chinese Diesel Heaters which is basically a copy of an Eberspacher D2. There is a whole Facebook Group dedicated to these heaters, plus thousands of Youtube videos reviewing them. I bought one off Ebay and fitted it using some better quality hoses and ducting (rather than risking using the crap which came with the kit). Mine has been in place for two years now in an extremely damp environment and works brilliantly. It generates 5KV (a bit too hot really) and has six heat settings. It also features timer and thermostat and even has a remote control so you can operate it from the comfort of your bunk! And best of all, the whole installation cost less than one tenth of the price of an Eberspacher!
If I were to ever find myself needing to fit a heater in a Bongo in the future, I would not hesitate to go for the Chinese option and would fit it in the cavity beneath the drivers seat, ducting out behind the engine in between the two dickey seats.
Don't scrimp or take chances. I promise you will never regret it, and the extra few months of Bongoing every year which a good heater will provide will more than compensate for the cost!
Hope this helps.
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Simononsolway
- Apprentice Bongonaut
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Wed Sep 22, 2021 10:29 pm
Re: Best heater
Just as an after thought...
If you are absolutely intent on going down the 240v route, I would recommend considering buying a small dehumidifier rather than a heater. They chuck out loads of lovely heat, and have the advantage of sucking up all the condensation as well. You should be able to get one small enough to run off a small suitcase generator or even a reasonable sized inverter for when you are out and about.
(I spent three years living in a motorhome in rural Scotland and experimented with a lot of different options during the long cold dark winter nights. Can you tell?)
If you are absolutely intent on going down the 240v route, I would recommend considering buying a small dehumidifier rather than a heater. They chuck out loads of lovely heat, and have the advantage of sucking up all the condensation as well. You should be able to get one small enough to run off a small suitcase generator or even a reasonable sized inverter for when you are out and about.
(I spent three years living in a motorhome in rural Scotland and experimented with a lot of different options during the long cold dark winter nights. Can you tell?)