I have a 4kw Planar for my 26.5ft 5th wheel. It keeps it nice and toasty when we go boon docking in Northern BC. I strongly recommend this product if your tired of using your propane furnace and just want something portable, simple and works well.
Question about the red hose that you use, or any hose that you use (for bringing hot air into desired space). When we use the factory duct hose that comes with standard diesel heater (the hose use for bringing hot air into a space) we have no issues at all with any sort of burning smell or any smell. The challenge is that the factory duct hose to deliver heat most of the time for generic diesel heater kits is that they are too short. To remedy this we have tried and purchased many different sorts of ducts. The issue with most all that we have tried is that yes they are long enough for our application, however once the hose gets heated up it begins to emit a smell, some sort of burnt plastic or warm plastic smell (that we never got with our original factory hose). My question is, do you get any sort of smell coming from the hose that you use? What hose do you use? I see two sorts in your video, one is a longer red hose. In another clip I see a hose that is black and long. Do either of these emit smells of burning plastic? (Also some people say that the smell goes away if there is burning plastic, but we have noticed it does not and most long ducts begin to flake or crack over prolonged use). Any tips would be great! Ideally it would be great to just buy a super long version duct of identical type to what comes factory with these diesel heaters, but I have not found a place to buy a long version of the factory duct. Thanks!
Hey brother, pardon the delayed response! Seeing that we are talking about the heat output hose, there is no smell at all. The red hose you are seeing I bought on Amazon, it's not cheap: amzn.to/46oj9T3 however it's high temp, and very strong. The problem with the OEM hoses is that they are so cheap and thin, so not efficient and heat is lost due to the cheap hose. The heavier hose keeps the heat in and cold out better.
Thank you for the review and information. I noticed a plug on the battery cable connections. Is that plug able to plug into a generator, like a Jackery or GoalZero, for its 12V power source?
Would you say the 4k is overkill for 4 person tent? Or would the 2k be enough? I also live In Colorado at elevation and camping can range between 6000-10k ft elevation, wondering if that would really reduce the power of the 2kw version
After owning both the Planar 2kw and 4kw for 3+ years, I'm happy I have the larger one. I can use in large amount of settings and temps and have plenty of heat when I need it. That said, 2kw will be 'OK' for 4 person, however if you have the budget, I would recommend the 4kw. Most tents don't have thermal benefits of these RBM outdoor tents and will need more heat to keep comfortable. 4kw will give you more of a buffer in case of colder weather. Hope this helps friend!
Great review. I have gasoline for the vehicle. The Turtleback has propane. Now this would be diesel. Have you thought about a propane heater. If anything it would allow you to stick to the 2 fuel types that you already have.
Hey bud, I did consider. But propane had limitations and also the dealer that had been selling these in USA as I understood pulled distribution out of USA.
Whats your average power usage on this unit? I have a yeti 1500X that I use for my pop-up camper setup but its mostly for lights so I was planning on using it for this as well. I've seen the startup takes more energy and when its running what is the Watt per hour pull from it?
Im wondering if I could get the 4kw and use it for my RTT at night and during the day use it for a pop up shelter. Or would the 4kw be too much for the RTT
Hey bud, the case is a Pelican case so you are good there. The only thing I would be concerned about if you carried out on the open is the air ins and air out holes. If you caped them, yeah I suppose it would be OK. I keep mine in the back of my truck.
Thank you for these 2kw 4kw comparisons! I went with the 4kw after watching your videos and wonder how you setup your battery connection for the portable 4kw unit. I found some automotive connectors on amazon thinking I'll run a line from the battery to the back of the jeep but maybe there is a specific connection/quick disconnect type you recommend.
i have one myself but not got a chance to use yet. have you used yours out in the elements yet? (rain, snow etc) curious if i should put like a table or tarp over top if it rains
They had somebody at the ice fishing shows trying to sell one of those things for like 1700. 00. You can ten of the jap kit for that price. You can install one of those into just about any kind of a box and make it more efficient then what that thing costs. I installed mine into a cooler with battery and fuel tank and solar panel and usb plugs. You can take it anywhere you want and all you have worry about exhaust fumes. And they do work on lots of different fuels like used cooking oil all the to airplane gas Obviously the cleaner the fuel the better it performs. And the cleaner you can get it to burn the less carbon monoxide it gives off. It is smart always use detectors in anything that you plan sleeping in almost any kind of gas heaters.
Does anyone make and burn Biodiesel? It's not that expensive to make if you only need enough for camping. It can be done in a 5-gallon jug. I know people trying to get rid of veggie oils, if you do it right, clean it and after getting the wax out it doesn't smell like food. I know it doesn't have sulfur so it burns cleaner and it more slippery than diesel.
I know there are animal fats in used oils I'm not sure what that will do to it like clog anything. If biofuel burns cleaner I'm doing it but I'm not if it's not cleaner.
Ill look at the other on this too, I am interested if it is as quality built as Webasto units are. I know the Chinese are tin cheapies yet can works reasonably ok."
Don't kick yourself over the temperature regulating in that small stove, we burn wood year round and will say small stoves are a royal PITA to keep going. You simply don't have as much space for a lot of hot coals.
@@4wdTALK you're not kidding, im on my second chinese heater and what a nightmare. i spend weeks getting mine working and i got a half hour out of it before it kicked the bucket for good. might have to bite the bullet and spend a fortune on this just for the peace of mind.
@@RyaStream Brother you aren't alone. Don't get me wrong, who doesn't like to save money? (hand is up)... As of 2 months ago with the HCalory chinese heater, I have now tested 5 of these cheap chinese heaters over the years and each one failed horribly. Although what is funny is Hcalory had an army of their internet trolls try to bully me because of my honest review. Funny stuff, I was so inspired with their crummy attitude we will be reviewing another one of their heaters. LOL. Seriously though, if you want to spend more time actually winter camping and having that peace of mind your heater is going to do what you need it to do, with 3 years under my belt with this heater, I can say this is the best portable heater on the market.
It has to stay outside? This would not wirk for stealth vanlife. A business owner, or cop would see it and you would lose your overnight parking/sleeping rights.
@@vtran1082 do NOT do this. unless you have a permanently installed diesel heater, never run a portable in the van if you want to wake up in the morning. there are a ton of problems with just venting the gas outside, 1 you almost assuredly do not have a tight seal on the hoses. 2 exhaust pipe gets up to 400 degress and can start a fire, 3 these things are notorious for leaking exhaust in the engine themselves randomly. 4 the combustion intake MUST have fresh air, if its sucking combustion air from inside the van and burning it, bye bye oxygen. ask me how i know lol. never ever ever run a portable in a van.
What battery pack are you using to power this thank you
Awesome video I’ve been going back-and-forth on the 2 kW vs the 4 kW And this helped me make my decision and save me a little bit of money. Thank you
For my rooftop tent the 2kw is perfect. For all my ground tents, the 4kw is the way to go!
How is the vevor unit? I just bought one and upgraded the kit. Going to put it in a pelican. I know it’s apples to oranges but I’m thinking money.
I have a 4kw Planar for my 26.5ft 5th wheel. It keeps it nice and toasty when we go boon docking in Northern BC. I strongly recommend this product if your tired of using your propane furnace and just want something portable, simple and works well.
Question about the red hose that you use, or any hose that you use (for bringing hot air into desired space). When we use the factory duct hose that comes with standard diesel heater (the hose use for bringing hot air into a space) we have no issues at all with any sort of burning smell or any smell. The challenge is that the factory duct hose to deliver heat most of the time for generic diesel heater kits is that they are too short.
To remedy this we have tried and purchased many different sorts of ducts. The issue with most all that we have tried is that yes they are long enough for our application, however once the hose gets heated up it begins to emit a smell, some sort of burnt plastic or warm plastic smell (that we never got with our original factory hose).
My question is, do you get any sort of smell coming from the hose that you use? What hose do you use? I see two sorts in your video, one is a longer red hose. In another clip I see a hose that is black and long. Do either of these emit smells of burning plastic?
(Also some people say that the smell goes away if there is burning plastic, but we have noticed it does not and most long ducts begin to flake or crack over prolonged use).
Any tips would be great!
Ideally it would be great to just buy a super long version duct of identical type to what comes factory with these diesel heaters, but I have not found a place to buy a long version of the factory duct.
Thanks!
Hey brother, pardon the delayed response! Seeing that we are talking about the heat output hose, there is no smell at all. The red hose you are seeing I bought on Amazon, it's not cheap: amzn.to/46oj9T3 however it's high temp, and very strong. The problem with the OEM hoses is that they are so cheap and thin, so not efficient and heat is lost due to the cheap hose. The heavier hose keeps the heat in and cold out better.
Thank you for the review and information. I noticed a plug on the battery cable connections. Is that plug able to plug into a generator, like a Jackery or GoalZero, for its 12V power source?
Would you say the 4k is overkill for 4 person tent? Or would the 2k be enough? I also live In Colorado at elevation and camping can range between 6000-10k ft elevation, wondering if that would really reduce the power of the 2kw version
After owning both the Planar 2kw and 4kw for 3+ years, I'm happy I have the larger one. I can use in large amount of settings and temps and have plenty of heat when I need it. That said, 2kw will be 'OK' for 4 person, however if you have the budget, I would recommend the 4kw. Most tents don't have thermal benefits of these RBM outdoor tents and will need more heat to keep comfortable. 4kw will give you more of a buffer in case of colder weather. Hope this helps friend!
Great review. I have gasoline for the vehicle. The Turtleback has propane. Now this would be diesel. Have you thought about a propane heater. If anything it would allow you to stick to the 2 fuel types that you already have.
Hey bud, I did consider. But propane had limitations and also the dealer that had been selling these in USA as I understood pulled distribution out of USA.
I tried to get a Planar last year but they were sold out in the fall. They sell out fast before the winter season
Not surprised, last season there bottlenecks in everyone's supply chains. Not to mention these things are in huge demand during winter months.
Whats your average power usage on this unit? I have a yeti 1500X that I use for my pop-up camper setup but its mostly for lights so I was planning on using it for this as well. I've seen the startup takes more energy and when its running what is the Watt per hour pull from it?
Winter season is coming! Tired of all this heat and ready for cooler weather!
Brother 1000% agree!
Im wondering if I could get the 4kw and use it for my RTT at night and during the day use it for a pop up shelter. Or would the 4kw be too much for the RTT
what kind of battery life do you get ?
Can these be transported in the elements or do they have to be inside the truck?
Hey bud, the case is a Pelican case so you are good there. The only thing I would be concerned about if you carried out on the open is the air ins and air out holes. If you caped them, yeah I suppose it would be OK. I keep mine in the back of my truck.
Just placed my order for my 2kw for my RTT. This is exactly what I've been looking fkr
Thank you for these 2kw 4kw comparisons! I went with the 4kw after watching your videos and wonder how you setup your battery connection for the portable 4kw unit. I found some automotive connectors on amazon thinking I'll run a line from the battery to the back of the jeep but maybe there is a specific connection/quick disconnect type you recommend.
Would you recommend the 2k or the 4k to heat a 144-square-foot regular Shiftpod out in a standard SoCal winter?
Personally I would go with the 4kW (whish is what I have)... you have the extra power for the colder unexpected nights.
i have one myself but not got a chance to use yet. have you used yours out in the elements yet? (rain, snow etc) curious if i should put like a table or tarp over top if it rains
How heavy are those?
Edited to add: Nevermind, asked and answered. It's heavy but not as heavy as a portable air conditioner.
They had somebody at the ice fishing shows trying to sell one of those things for like 1700. 00. You can ten of the jap kit for that price. You can install one of those into just about any kind of a box and make it more efficient then what that thing costs. I installed mine into a cooler with battery and fuel tank and solar panel and usb plugs. You can take it anywhere you want and all you have worry about exhaust fumes. And they do work on lots of different fuels like used cooking oil all the to airplane gas Obviously the cleaner the fuel the better it performs. And the cleaner you can get it to burn the less carbon monoxide it gives off. It is smart always use detectors in anything that you plan sleeping in almost any kind of gas heaters.
Can something like that be tapped into your trucks diesel tank for extended use?
Yes, they sell kits for doing that
Does anyone make and burn Biodiesel? It's not that expensive to make if you only need enough for camping. It can be done in a 5-gallon jug. I know people trying to get rid of veggie oils, if you do it right, clean it and after getting the wax out it doesn't smell like food. I know it doesn't have sulfur so it burns cleaner and it more slippery than diesel.
I know there are animal fats in used oils I'm not sure what that will do to it like clog anything. If biofuel burns cleaner I'm doing it but I'm not if it's not cleaner.
What's the BTU difference between those two heaters?
2kW = ~6850 btu and 4kW = ~13,600 btu
I’m very interested in this .
Well you just heard my recommendations. A good diesel heater will change the way you look at winter camping!
Brother, get to the point.
LOL... I'm a talker bro
Ill look at the other on this too, I am interested if it is as quality built as Webasto units are. I know the Chinese are tin cheapies yet can works reasonably ok."
Don't kick yourself over the temperature regulating in that small stove, we burn wood year round and will say small stoves are a royal PITA to keep going. You simply don't have as much space for a lot of hot coals.
Thank you for the encouragement! lol still they are fun to have and cook on, but just to much work to keep a steady temperature.
the planar brand is far superior to the chinese brands. The warmth created in a RTT is amazing. I am ready to dump my Mr. Buddy
Not even a fair comparison. I've tested a number of Chinese heaters and not a single one came remotely close to these Planar heaters.
@@4wdTALK Can I use the 2kw in my Toyota Sienna? Do I need to drill a hole out of the van for the exhaust ?
@@kookietherapy9398I think you keep the heater outside and just duct in the heat with the hose.
@@4wdTALK you're not kidding, im on my second chinese heater and what a nightmare. i spend weeks getting mine working and i got a half hour out of it before it kicked the bucket for good. might have to bite the bullet and spend a fortune on this just for the peace of mind.
@@RyaStream Brother you aren't alone. Don't get me wrong, who doesn't like to save money? (hand is up)... As of 2 months ago with the HCalory chinese heater, I have now tested 5 of these cheap chinese heaters over the years and each one failed horribly. Although what is funny is Hcalory had an army of their internet trolls try to bully me because of my honest review. Funny stuff, I was so inspired with their crummy attitude we will be reviewing another one of their heaters. LOL. Seriously though, if you want to spend more time actually winter camping and having that peace of mind your heater is going to do what you need it to do, with 3 years under my belt with this heater, I can say this is the best portable heater on the market.
Would it keep a 10-10 ft tent warm?
It has to stay outside? This would not wirk for stealth vanlife. A business owner, or cop would see it and you would lose your overnight parking/sleeping rights.
Just vent the exhaust tube outside.
@@vtran1082 do NOT do this. unless you have a permanently installed diesel heater, never run a portable in the van if you want to wake up in the morning. there are a ton of problems with just venting the gas outside, 1 you almost assuredly do not have a tight seal on the hoses. 2 exhaust pipe gets up to 400 degress and can start a fire, 3 these things are notorious for leaking exhaust in the engine themselves randomly. 4 the combustion intake MUST have fresh air, if its sucking combustion air from inside the van and burning it, bye bye oxygen. ask me how i know lol. never ever ever run a portable in a van.
That thing falls way short of what most poeple would want to use it for. And the price tag is way out most budgets.
why do you say that?