Thank you so much for this. Just sitting here freezing on our first trip away in the lakes and we remember seeing this video before we got the van, so just rewatched. Now we’re nice and toasty. Thanks again. 😊
Crystal clear Will. Much more detail than other vids out there. As you say 99% of reported issues are probably the incorrect use of Heat Immediately. I am sure this video will prove invaluable to new 6.1 owners.
I’ve watched this video 3 times after having a complete nightmare with my diesel heater on a 6.1 beach (June 22) whilst camping yesterday. With Will’s help I’ve finally mastered using the auxiliary heater and I’m confident of it working perfectly for me in the future. The only exception I have is that my heater doesn’t cut out when I start the ignition so maybe that’s because it’s an extra on the beach or they have changed the specification.
Thank you! And so glad you managed to get it sorted. We find we actually have to drive away for ours to cut out, not just start the ignition. Have you tried that?
Absolutely the same experience ! Camping in winter (yesterday) -5 degrees Celsius and the cabin heater f.cked up. So I ran the engine 3x 0,5 hours to keep my small daughter and me warm. Now I see how easy it is when you know! Big thanks bro!!! :)
will cracking video learnt so much , van arrives friday and so glad that this video came out now lol, if they just changed a couple of phrases and colours it would be so much simpler ...... imagine trying to read the manual and understand that , this is why videos like this are worth their weight in gold thank you
You’re very welcome! Yes, it’s taken us a few months and some trial and error to figure it all out. Very poor software user interface on the screen to be honest!!
@@CampervanTime just how you got lost a little yourself showed how poor that design is , whats so frustrating with stuff like this is how with not too much thought simple it actually could be?????
You guys have cost us a fortune with your excellent reviews! I had no option but to order our Beach a few months ago and no doubt loads of the items you've reviewed. Watching your vids should mean I'm fully clued up when it finally gets delivered next year. Joking apart, keep up the great vids, very informative for many newbie and experienced Californiaists.
Great video thanks. We did finally work out the basics for overnight camping this year, but your explanation of the “pre-warming” function using the remote is new info for when we get our own Ocean soon.
Hi thanks for the video, i actually set it for 120 min the first night and now we are freezing during our trip. How can i reset th zero the heater so it works continuously?
Thanks for the video!! really helpful information (I was driving mad with the heating, the functions and how to made it run correctly). One question (as we are 3 travelling): is there any tip to heat the upper space more than the lower? The heating outlets are right at floor level and the lower part gets very hot and the upper part not so hot. It should be the other way round, as the upper part is always cooler because it has a canvas. Thanks a lot!!!
Thanks again for this useful tutorial . Even French VW Sales guys are confused with this T6.1 heater ... After 2 weeks in hazardous presets i definitively forgot ventilate and Timer operating mode . Heater always select at 5 , and Fire !
Interesting vid thanks. I’m super happy with my Eberspacher now with it’s simple controls that don’t require a degree to operate. Honestly can’t see why VW have deemed it necessary to over complicate this.
Thanks Will, very informative. We’ve hired 6.1’s twice and both times not had much luck with the heater. I have Raynauds (cold hands/feet) so love my heat. Sounds dramatic I know, but I’ve even thought of cancelling my 6.1 on order and getting a T6 instead! But if as you say it does get nice and warm, I’ll stick with my order. Just got to wait until next October though sadly.
Ahh! A fellow Reynaulds sufferer... me (Will) too, since I was 24 years old although mostly just my hands. Such a pain, literally sometimes. Trust us, you won't have a problem getting warm in the T6.1, the heater is just fine and can get very warm.
@@CampervanTime Awesome! Thanks. Yes it is horrible. It’s mainly my fingers too. I’ve recently bought a rechargeable handwarmer which really helps, but as you know once your hands get cold it’s really hard to warn them back up. Thanks for your great videos by the way. Really good stuff. Phil.
Such an informative video! Needed this last winter!! Explains everything I needed particular reference numbers to relative temperatures and the consumption figures. On the last point, mind if i ask how you came to those figures please?
Phew, limit was a Beach with extras that were important to me as it will be my main vehicle. Cost is high and wasn’t sure, went for it in the end and have just watched this. If I hadn’t id be very upset now as unable to change order spec. This reminds me of working with a German technical company and pointing out the logic of operation is not user friendly, technical manager agreed. Boss said no that’s how it works!
Hi, Thank you so much for this excellent presentation. Very useful to deeply understand how it works. I have a question. I have read on a French California T6.1 forum that following situation happened to several users who selected the "heat immediately" function with a timer of 120 minutes (with roof open). After the 120 minutes, the console was displaying a message saying that the 120 minutes have finished, but the console was completely blocked. No way to escape of that window. It means that they couldn't close the roof as well, etc... The only way to escape was to remove four fuses to reset the console. Never heart the same story?
I used to work for a car company and this is what happens when you let engineers design the UI and UX with little to zero testing with actual people. Like you were managed to work most of it out in the end, but it made little sense. Our bigger issue was that the heater worked fine when sleeping downstairs but when sleeping upstairs we found the small hole you crawl through did not actually allow much heat up into the space when the heater was on all night, so in the morning it was cold up and toasty down.
Ahh yes, we used to find that too but the iso-top seems to have resolved that for us. That said, there are quite a few people who have ducted the air up the top using various methods over the years too.
Excellent video Will all has be come clear now - after spending a freezing night in the Cali because the heater stopped working probably we because just used the heater with the heat immediately function via the fob turning it off and on again as we got too hot and too cold until if must have finally run out of time and it stopped working altogether and after a bit of fiddling with the control panel I managed to freeze the control panel and locked outselves out completely - I do how ever have one question - if I was to set the heater via the control panel to work continuously and then went up to the upper bed and realised it was getting too hot can I turn off the heat continuously via the fob to save me getting out of Bed or does this have to be done via the control panel
Hi there! Thanks for the video. I think it will be very helpful as I am about to camping in winter in a few days. Two dumb questions of a camper beginner if you dont mind. 1. How would I know that with the heater switch on the whole night, it will not consume my main battery, fuel or anything related to the car without being connected. I am asking you, because the 1st night we wont be able to connect/plug electricity but I hope to be with enough fuel to be continuosly warm at night to sleep. 2. How dangeroulsy can be with the heater switch on the emission or release of any monoxide CO during the night. I asking you because the auxiliary battery is moved on with diesel correct? Thanks once again and sorry to bother with dumb questions. As I will be renting for a week during winter I wanted to check some safe issues. Thanks for sharing cool videos, keep posting up.
Hi, really useful video, thank you. I took a new VW ocean out with heater last weekend. It cut out in the middle of the night, which maybe I was using the wrong setting. In the morning I couldn’t get it to work at all, and the screen had a combination of an error message and the loading function on repeat. I thought for a moment that I would be stuck at a campsite unable to lower the roof. However, eventually it came off loading so I could. Strangely, by the time I had driven home, I was able to use the heater again.
Oh dear, that doesn't sound good. I must admit, ours has been good as gold but I know others have had software updates on theirs to solve some issues. Hopefully hasn't put you off?
We have a Coast 2021 with a ekstra built in Webasto heater which is placed under the pass. seat. Works great. Does the Coast with man. gear and 110 hp engine have a diesel heater which heats up the engine whilst driving It's b... cold in Denmark at this moment, but when start up and drive a few kilometers heat starts coming out of nozzles....so is that the diesel heater thats helping to warm up the engine. I do hope you understand me.
Yes I understand you - yes I think you'll find it is the 'hidden' engine coolant diesel heater that will be doing that for you. Have you got a sticker on the side of your door with a Webasto label on? ThermoTop ? If so, yes you have.
I’m not too sure about the ambient temperature when these were taken, BUT, think of it like climate control, in that the heater will get the interior to the required temp and then cycle on/off to keep it roughly there give or take a degree or two. So, it doesn’t really matter what temp outside. It’s quite quick to work too - I’d say about 2 mins before you get full heat from the vent from being off completely, then it just depends how long it needs to run to warm up the interior to whatever setting you have asked for.
Hi will great video Could you please expand / clarify When the ignition needs to be switched on or off when using this heater an does the ignition need to be left on ??????
Thanks Will, picked up a Coast yesterday and this was only vid that made sense 😅. VW should simplify it by removing all the heat / ventilate 'immediately' layer of software so it's a bit more like the T6 Cali. I notice others saying that temp sensor position is more sensitive than T6 causing heater to switch off and on more than T6 but as long as there is decent comfort this Winter I'm ok with it 🤞
@@CampervanTime I've built some stuff to redirect some hot air in the roof, it work like a charm but then the temperature is off because it's hotter above than below ;)
Well not really, but on one of the other comments it was suggested to maybe set it to come on every day for 20 mins to keep condensation down when storing the van and having it plugged in ?
Agree it’s so complicated and took me months of testing to figure it out. I have a T6 and a T6.1 Ocean and although the T6.1 heater works ok the T6 heater is wayyyy much better. It seems to give a more aggressive hot heat as compared to the T6.1
Interesting - we haven't found that issue with ours yet compared to our T6 one. I wonder if it is just the finer control of the 1-10 range rather than the old control panel perhaps?
Great video as ever. Have you got any idea how much diesel the heater is using? (I know the heater stops when there is only a few liters left in the tank)
Just thinking about the "Heat immediately" function using "Ventilate"...... Your Cali has been parked most of the day in the sun...inside it's over 40 degrees, couldn't you use the "Ventilate" function to COOL the van before getting in? Something to try later next year?
Great video! Do you know if this applies for other VW cars such as the Passat GTE and Superb Hybrid as the latter mention they have an auxiliary heater. Secondly, can it cool down the van during a hot summer evening, or is it purely for warming in winter? Thank you :)
It doesn't cool (the aircon is still engine powered, not electric). The VW hybrid cars tend to have electric heaters fitted in them so they can operate on full electric mode and still heat the cabin, so they do work remotely via the app.
@@CampervanTime thanks for your replay :) unfortunately will not work :( departure time must be activated before started and it can be just one at once - but will find the way ;). For now just one time ventilation in the middle of the night (around 3am) can be very helpful from condensation and fresh air point of view.
Thanks for another great video. I worked most of this out by trial and error (with frequent errors!). I have a problem with the timer settings though. Whenever I set the timer it will start the heating at some random time, always earlier than set. It seems to vary between 10 and 40 minutes earlier than the programme says. Is that a fault you've heard of that requires the software update?
That's an odd one! I'll have to try it again in ours and report back, but I don't think we have that same issue. Sounds like it might need a software update.
Will, Love your reviews & info.... A question about 'departure time on 2021 Ocean (confusing name - perhaps lost in translation). Surely it should be 'heating come on' time or more meaningful. According to the user manual and various 'youtube' research, If I set a 'departure time' of Monday 07:00am, then this is the time that the auxiliary heating should come on (time/heat as set under heat immediately) My heater works really well, when heating immediately, it also kinda works when setting the timer - sorry, 'departure time'. The problem is, when setting the 'departure time', the heater actually comes on 30-40 mins earlier - so, 06:30am for my example above. have you come across this before? Thanks Tony
Hi Tony, I do need to try this in ours as it’s not really a function that we’ve had any cause to use really. The manual does state that it should come on at the set time whereas others have found as you have, it comes on before ! I’ll give it a try and report back.
Some of us also have a third option under "Heat immediately". Besides "Ventilate" and "Air Aux. Heater" there also is an option called "Water". This is for pre-heating the engine and systems in cold mornings i.e. by using the remote. Not to get confused with the Webasto heater, that will first start while the engine is running.
Well, it actually IS the Webasto if it comes to heating the coolant. This unit is in all variants to ensure conformity with the pollution regulations. The only thing that you get with the „second“ auxiliary heather is a controllable valve that routes the engine circulation to the passenger area, and that you can operate it when the engine is not running.
Hi guys, we wondered if you had experienced an error message when using the auxiliary heater. We have had approx. three occasions where we can’t start the heater and we get an ‘Error: auxiliary heater, come up on display panel. We have subsequently packed up drove for while and then later find it works ok, until next time. Breeze at Poole sent us your video which we already had studied but this did not help, on this occasion. Van is booked in now with Breeze in Poole in April...earliest appointment...wondered if the Christa OBD2 would help? Appreciate any advice.
Hello! Sorry to hear you're having problems. Carista OBD2 won't help with this, as this is a separate module completely to what that can diagnose. If we start with the basics - have you got enough fuel in the van? The aux heater will only start if the low fuel light isn't on and the batteries are charged up enough. Second, have you been running the aux heater on 'heat immediately' or 'heat continuously' ? If you have been using heat immediately a few times, then it does require a drive round before that works again (as that function is only designed to be used for short periods). Heat continuously doesn't need that and is the option you want if you are parked up and want continuous heat.
Hi, thanks for reply. Yes did all the usual checks, fuel, battery, inlet/outlet not covered. Interesting tho I have used the heat immediately function and it appears to happens after this. And yes after a drive it clears error message. Disappointing the owners manual does not explain this quirk of operation. Will ensure we only use the heat continuously once we arrive at campsite from now on. FYI spoke to Steve at campervantastic at NEC last week and he advised to check if we had latest software update as pre Aug 21 vans required a software update, he had some of his new vans with some faults. Ours was after that hence we’ve booked into VW to check this out also.
Yep, we do need to have our software updated at some point too but we haven’t had any control panel issues so far ! Sounds like it’s the heat immediately quirk that’s you’re issue though 👍
Hi! We recently had issues with our heater and had our control unit swapped. Ever since, we don’t need to turn the ignition on when starting the heater. Anyone knows if this is correct, maybe updated by Volkswagen? Or should I take the van to the shop again to search for more issues causing this behaviour? Many thanks
Late to the party but another tip especially for the summer is to run the heater continuesly on level one. This gives some fresh air without using any diesel. So it only ventilates. Sound strange for a heater but worked quite good for us in Italy.
Ok we had a weekend of using the heater and still experiencing issues. We heated continuously however anything below level 9 doesn't work even when the outside temperature is 5 degrees. Level 9 also means after while gets too hot. Seems like there is not a happy medium. Mike
That doesn't sound as though it's working as it should do. I wonder if it has a faulty temperature sensor or something. We can really tell a difference in ours between the different numbered settings in heat continuously. It does kick in and out but they really do make a difference. We've never set ours to 9 as 5 or 6 is usually plenty hot enough. Maybe a trip to the dealer :(
I think you made a small mistake at 12:49. You say the heater will come on at 07:00 as set. But that's not true. The setting means that the heater will start in advance and the car is warm and ready at the departure time.
Thanks - I need to do some more testing then as if that is what you’ve found on yours then it contradicts what the owners manual says - I quote “When the departure time is reached, the auxiliary heater is switched on and the yellow indicator lamp in the display of the central control panel lights up”. It’s entirely possible that the manual is wrong too of course!! I will do some testing with ours again to see when it actually switches on. 👍
Really informative- thank you.You explained what seems a complicated system really well. Just wondering with the presets in the VW- can you preset more than one time for it to come on? In our van we can pre-set three times in a 24 hour period for it to come on- which is lovely during the colder nights.. Just wondering if this is an option with VW campers?
Thanks! Yes you can - there are three presets you can set, although I think (like most owners) we just switch it on at a certain heat level number, then leave it all evening / overnight etc, then off when we don't want it on at all. Out of interest, do you get a remote control with the Nugget? I am assuming it is a westfalia panel?
@@CampervanTime The panel has recently been changed for the newer models- we are hoping to do a vlog on this soon so should know more detail then. In regard to remote control, what the Ford Nugget has is a Ford Pass app that you can turn on the engine remotely from and heat the cab up before you get in. Great to see how different vans work- love it and love your channel.
Another insightful video thanks team! Random related question - hook up cable any recommendations on length of cable to get? Only ever used the battery but going off next week and think might need that heater on a little more than usual and fancy the comfort of being plugged in!
@@toy581 1.5 gauge is generally ok for 10a constant load, 2.5 gauge is for 13a constant load. So, if you are planning on running a 3kw fan heater, for example, you'll need 2.5 gauge. If you're running lower power items then 1.5 gauge is just fine. We use 1.5 gauge.
Hi guys great video again and very useful. Can I just check something… If for example you set the temperature to level 4 (18 degrees), Will the heater switch off when it gets to 18° but then switch back on again when it drops below? (Just like your home heating with a thermostat) thanks in advance.
Yes that’s basically right - it will cut in and out but not very frequently. I haven’t measured the amount of temperature drop before it fires back up again but it will be a couple of degrees I’d think. The temperatures are approximate, so it just gives you a rough guide, but yes - it cuts in and out automatically.
@@CampervanTime thanks guys… when I eventually get my Ocean I’ll probably have a ton of questions for you! 😂 Thanks to you guys we’ve already bought our Ridge Monkey and Seatosummit mattress! 👍🏻
Great, thanks again, another useful bit of info that we couldn’t wait beyond this evening to watch, despite months until delivery 🤦🏻♂️😂 Sooo, if on all night, not withstanding the settings obviously, how big a drain is it on the batteries? ( not on hook up)
It’s not too bad actually. It’s the firing up of the heater which uses the most electrical power to heat the glow plug in the heater, so depending on how many times it does that = how much power it uses really. Running the little fuel pump and fan isn’t much power at all. We haven’t tested it to maximum but I am sure 48 hours + is possible.
Good question! We’ve never selected level 1 as it’s just SO low on the 6.1. In the T6 level 1 was usually plenty for sitting and having lunch on a cold day etc but not in the T6.1!!
Great videos! I like you channel! What is about ventilation in camping mode (not immedeate mode)? After activating of ventilation to sleep in Cali in the hot night I have to choose the level 1 to 10, but it seems that only level 1 is actually in operation even if I choose level 10. VW told me that ventilation is allways runs in level 1 only, which is very confusing. Some experience here? Would be very helpfull! Thank you! Some
I think they are correct as the ventilation function actually uses the dashboard vents and not the normal heater output in the bottom of the b pillar. I seem to remember you might be able to manually adjust the fan speed for it on the climate control knob on the dash though.. haven't had a play with that for a while.
I speak about the venrilation in camping mode, which is from b-pillar, and have nothing to do with normal venrilation from dashboard which is deactivated in camping mode because the car and engine are off. Would it be possible to try it out? I am currious if you have level 1 only or leveles 1 to 10 are possoble. Thank you! :)
You've neglected to mention an important fact with the Heat Immediately function. It is meant to be used to pre-heat the van before you drive off in the morning. If you run it repeatedly beyond an accumulated value of 180 minutes it could crash the Control Unit requiring a reboot via removal of fuses. To avoid that you need to reset the timer before it reaches 180 minutes by driving the van for a few minutes.
As usual a triumph of design from VW. Who wants the diesel heater controls in the cab ? You need the controls next to you in bed, to adjust the temperature, without getting out of bed all the time ? It is all to save money by putting all the controls of everything in one unit, whether the customer wants them there or not. Just like the id3, which has penny pinched in only putting two buttons for the window winding, instead of a proper company that fits 4. Never mind, there are plenty of badge snobs that will ignore the lack of quality, just so they can say they have a VW, even though they come with rubbish penny pinching designs incorporated.
I used the heat immediately function and couldn’t get the heater to work again on my latest trip. I changed sites and the same Thing happened again. I’ve read somewhere that if you use heat immediately a couple of times then you have to drive somewhere to use any of the heating functions again. Is that your understanding. I was thinking my heater was malfunctioning
Yes I believe that is right - although we just never use that function, probably because our last T6 Cali didn't have it so we're pre-conditioned to just switch the heater on, and then off when we don't want it any more !
My dashboard stuck with the “Error: auxiliary heater”, so I even can’t close my rooftop right now and start moving. Just staying at the parking place. Please help. How to fix or reboot it?
I cannot begin to understand why it was designed like this. The heater works great in my opinion but the controlls couldn’t get anymore complicated. Not too bad when you get used to it. Still a joke though. Thanks Will !
Important thing not mentioned: Heat immediately works only 180 minutes without driving in between so dont use it while you parked at the campsite and plan not to drive away soon 😉
Not a lot at all! You won't notice the consumption of diesel. It does use quite a lot of power (electric) though, so just make sure you're leisure batteries are nice and full if you are off grid for a while.
@@CampervanTime thanks so much for answering my question. Just to add that as someone waiting eagerly for our first Cali, that your channel has been really useful and helpful.
I find our Eberspacher uses about 1 litre per 5 hours when running continuously on a low (20*c) setting, if run on high which is almost impossible as it’s too hot expect to use about twice that, we set it to 16*c at night and it just cuts in and out as needed, power use is pretty low too. Ours is not in a Cali but I had it retro fitted to our T5 and it seems easier to use than in the Cali. Wouldn’t stop me buying a Cali though !
Quick question, guys. I know the diesel heater, in the Ocean 6.1, uses electrical power to fire up the combustion and to circulate the warm air with a fan but everytime i use my heater it shows an 11 Amp draw. This seems excessive to me. Can anybody confirm what their heaters are drawing, please? 🙏🏼
The diesel heater uses a glow plug to fire up the combustion and there is quite a difference in power draw from when the heater is powering the glow plug to just running the fan. The glow plug doesn't need to be running for the full duration of heating either. Typically it runs the glow plug for about 2 minutes to get everything nice and hot and then it runs without it (giving heat) with much lower power draw. 11 amps is pretty normal at startup. The manual for it from Eberspacher says circa 100 watts at startup, so that would be 10 amps (at 12v), plus a bit of load in the rest of the van.
in Ireland the heater doesn't come as standard in the coast you have to pay extra and its the same for the dsg automatic you have to select it as an extra , they come as standard in the uk rip off Ireland 😰🥶
Why would you place the control for a diesel heater in the cab, instead of where you want it, next to your bed, so you don't have to get in and out of the bed to change the diesel heater temperature. The only reason, i think Volkswagen would do that, is to save money by putting all the controls in the same place. They did the same thing having two window winder buttons instead of four on the ID3. Penny pinching.
You can - with the heater remote control it comes with, although this only operates the 'heat immediately' function, ie for a max of 120 mins at a time, but better than nothing.
Thank you so much for this. Just sitting here freezing on our first trip away in the lakes and we remember seeing this video before we got the van, so just rewatched. Now we’re nice and toasty. Thanks again. 😊
Great stuff! Enjoy your first trip away 😀
This video will be doing the rounds for many years!!!
Thank you. After a very cold first night in our new ocean I am glad I found this video to make sure it’s the last very cold night we have 😊
Glad it helped!
Crystal clear Will. Much more detail than other vids out there. As you say 99% of reported issues are probably the incorrect use of Heat Immediately. I am sure this video will prove invaluable to new 6.1 owners.
Thanks Stuart!
Thank you! All clear now! I made the 'ventilate' mistake in the Black Forest one night in November!
Ouch!!
Superb video. I think I've watched it 4 times! Now I get it! Thanks Will.
I’ve watched this video 3 times after having a complete nightmare with my diesel heater on a 6.1 beach (June 22) whilst camping yesterday. With Will’s help I’ve finally mastered using the auxiliary heater and I’m confident of it working perfectly for me in the future. The only exception I have is that my heater doesn’t cut out when I start the ignition so maybe that’s because it’s an extra on the beach or they have changed the specification.
Thank you! And so glad you managed to get it sorted. We find we actually have to drive away for ours to cut out, not just start the ignition. Have you tried that?
@@CampervanTime fair point I’m sure your right so I’ll test that next time.
Absolutely the same experience ! Camping in winter (yesterday) -5 degrees Celsius and the cabin heater f.cked up. So I ran the engine 3x 0,5 hours to keep my small daughter and me warm. Now I see how easy it is when you know! Big thanks bro!!! :)
will cracking video learnt so much , van arrives friday and so glad that this video came out now lol, if they just changed a couple of phrases and colours it would be so much simpler ...... imagine trying to read the manual and understand that , this is why videos like this are worth their weight in gold thank you
You’re very welcome! Yes, it’s taken us a few months and some trial and error to figure it all out. Very poor software user interface on the screen to be honest!!
@@CampervanTime just how you got lost a little yourself showed how poor that design is , whats so frustrating with stuff like this is how with not too much thought simple it actually could be?????
@@CampervanTime even just " quick heat with time limit?' or " constant heat?" would just solve that whole issue!!
Agreed! Even more frustrating is that they could fix this with a simple software/firmware update on that panel I’m sure…. But I suspect they won’t !
Thanks for that, I now understand the heating for when we get our t6.1. Currently have a beach with heater and your right I wouldn’t be without it. Xc
Great stuff, glad it’s helpful
Great simple explanation - we have now “got it” (I think?).
Thanks, glad it was helpful
You guys have cost us a fortune with your excellent reviews! I had no option but to order our Beach a few months ago and no doubt loads of the items you've reviewed. Watching your vids should mean I'm fully clued up when it finally gets delivered next year. Joking apart, keep up the great vids, very informative for many newbie and experienced Californiaists.
Oops and oh dear! Sorry about that, these can get expensive really quickly ! Glad you’re finding the info helpful, hope the wait isn’t too painful 😩
Great video thanks. We did finally work out the basics for overnight camping this year, but your explanation of the “pre-warming” function using the remote is new info for when we get our own Ocean soon.
Great! I hope your wait isn’t too long…
Hi thanks for the video, i actually set it for 120 min the first night and now we are freezing during our trip. How can i reset th zero the heater so it works continuously?
Many thanks for a simple explanation!
Thanks for the video!! really helpful information (I was driving mad with the heating, the functions and how to made it run correctly).
One question (as we are 3 travelling): is there any tip to heat the upper space more than the lower? The heating outlets are right at floor level and the lower part gets very hot and the upper part not so hot. It should be the other way round, as the upper part is always cooler because it has a canvas.
Thanks a lot!!!
Another massively helpful video - really looking forward to our Coast arriving in March (ish)
Not long now then! Glad you found it useful 👍
Thanks again for this useful tutorial . Even French VW Sales guys are confused with this T6.1 heater ... After 2 weeks in hazardous presets i definitively forgot ventilate and Timer operating mode . Heater always select at 5 , and Fire !
Interesting vid thanks. I’m super happy with my Eberspacher now with it’s simple controls that don’t require a degree to operate. Honestly can’t see why VW have deemed it necessary to over complicate this.
I know - crazy really. They'd have been better off just using the Eber control panel itself rather than re-invent the wheel !
Thanks Will, very informative. We’ve hired 6.1’s twice and both times not had much luck with the heater. I have Raynauds (cold hands/feet) so love my heat. Sounds dramatic I know, but I’ve even thought of cancelling my 6.1 on order and getting a T6 instead! But if as you say it does get nice and warm, I’ll stick with my order. Just got to wait until next October though sadly.
Ahh! A fellow Reynaulds sufferer... me (Will) too, since I was 24 years old although mostly just my hands. Such a pain, literally sometimes. Trust us, you won't have a problem getting warm in the T6.1, the heater is just fine and can get very warm.
@@CampervanTime Awesome! Thanks. Yes it is horrible. It’s mainly my fingers too. I’ve recently bought a rechargeable handwarmer which really helps, but as you know once your hands get cold it’s really hard to warn them back up. Thanks for your great videos by the way. Really good stuff. Phil.
I can see you replied (I got an email) but for some reason YT deleted it ! It does that randomly, sorry!
Such an informative video! Needed this last winter!! Explains everything I needed particular reference numbers to relative temperatures and the consumption figures. On the last point, mind if i ask how you came to those figures please?
The consumption figures are from the manufacturer information on the heater unit itself 👍
Phew, limit was a Beach with extras that were important to me as it will be my main vehicle. Cost is high and wasn’t sure, went for it in the end and have just watched this. If I hadn’t id be very upset now as unable to change order spec. This reminds me of working with a German technical company and pointing out the logic of operation is not user friendly, technical manager agreed. Boss said no that’s how it works!
Hi, Thank you so much for this excellent presentation. Very useful to deeply understand how it works. I have a question. I have read on a French California T6.1 forum that following situation happened to several users who selected the "heat immediately" function with a timer of 120 minutes (with roof open). After the 120 minutes, the console was displaying a message saying that the 120 minutes have finished, but the console was completely blocked. No way to escape of that window. It means that they couldn't close the roof as well, etc... The only way to escape was to remove four fuses to reset the console. Never heart the same story?
Haven't heard of that particular issue, but the 120 minute length is true for the heat immediately function.
Amazing explanation. Thank you so much. Keep these coming please 😊 love the channel
Thanks!
I used to work for a car company and this is what happens when you let engineers design the UI and UX with little to zero testing with actual people. Like you were managed to work most of it out in the end, but it made little sense. Our bigger issue was that the heater worked fine when sleeping downstairs but when sleeping upstairs we found the small hole you crawl through did not actually allow much heat up into the space when the heater was on all night, so in the morning it was cold up and toasty down.
Ahh yes, we used to find that too but the iso-top seems to have resolved that for us. That said, there are quite a few people who have ducted the air up the top using various methods over the years too.
Excellent video Will all has be come clear now - after spending a freezing night in the Cali because the heater stopped working probably we because just used the heater with the heat immediately function via the fob turning it off and on again as we got too hot and too cold until if must have finally run out of time and it stopped working altogether and after a bit of fiddling with the control panel I managed to freeze the control panel and locked outselves out completely - I do how ever have one question - if I was to set the heater via the control panel to work continuously and then went up to the upper bed and realised it was getting too hot can I turn off the heat continuously via the fob to save me getting out of Bed or does this have to be done via the control panel
Good question, I don't think we ever tried that. I think it should stop it but do give it a go and post back on here so others will know too!
Hi there! Thanks for the video. I think it will be very helpful as I am about to camping in winter in a few days. Two dumb questions of a camper beginner if you dont mind.
1. How would I know that with the heater switch on the whole night, it will not consume my main battery, fuel or anything related to the car without being connected. I am asking you, because the 1st night we wont be able to connect/plug electricity but I hope to be with enough fuel to be continuosly warm at night to sleep.
2. How dangeroulsy can be with the heater switch on the emission or release of any monoxide CO during the night. I asking you because the auxiliary battery is moved on with diesel correct?
Thanks once again and sorry to bother with dumb questions. As I will be renting for a week during winter I wanted to check some safe issues. Thanks for sharing cool videos, keep posting up.
What about cooling? Does the system works as cooler?
Hi, really useful video, thank you. I took a new VW ocean out with heater last weekend. It cut out in the middle of the night, which maybe I was using the wrong setting. In the morning I couldn’t get it to work at all, and the screen had a combination of an error message and the loading function on repeat. I thought for a moment that I would be stuck at a campsite unable to lower the roof. However, eventually it came off loading so I could. Strangely, by the time I had driven home, I was able to use the heater again.
Oh dear, that doesn't sound good. I must admit, ours has been good as gold but I know others have had software updates on theirs to solve some issues. Hopefully hasn't put you off?
No, definitely love the van. It’s going in for a check with VW, they were really helpful. Thanks for all the videos, really helpful!
You're very welcome 👍
Good video. Very helpful info on a very confusing subject. I was so annoyed with the bonkers menu and operating manual from VW.
We have a Coast 2021 with a ekstra built in Webasto heater which is placed under the pass. seat. Works great.
Does the Coast with man. gear and 110 hp engine have a diesel heater which heats up the engine whilst driving It's b... cold in Denmark at this moment, but when start up and drive a few kilometers heat starts coming out of nozzles....so is that the diesel heater thats helping to warm up the engine. I do hope you understand me.
Yes I understand you - yes I think you'll find it is the 'hidden' engine coolant diesel heater that will be doing that for you. Have you got a sticker on the side of your door with a Webasto label on? ThermoTop ? If so, yes you have.
@@CampervanTime Yes 12 volt 5,o kW Thermo Top Evo, is that the one. You cover a lot ground when talking about Cali. Thanks a lot
Yes, that’s the one. You have a Diesel engine heater 👍
Good video, what is the outside temperature for this measures? Maybe 0 degrees C? how long does the heating work before you reach these degrees?
I’m not too sure about the ambient temperature when these were taken, BUT, think of it like climate control, in that the heater will get the interior to the required temp and then cycle on/off to keep it roughly there give or take a degree or two. So, it doesn’t really matter what temp outside. It’s quite quick to work too - I’d say about 2 mins before you get full heat from the vent from being off completely, then it just depends how long it needs to run to warm up the interior to whatever setting you have asked for.
@@CampervanTime thanks. keep up the great work.
Thanks, we’ll do our best!
Hi will great video
Could you please expand / clarify
When the ignition needs to be switched on or off when using this heater an does the ignition need to be left on ??????
No, ignition does not need to be on at all to run this heater 👍
Very informative.
Thanks Will, picked up a Coast yesterday and this was only vid that made sense 😅. VW should simplify it by removing all the heat / ventilate 'immediately' layer of software so it's a bit more like the T6 Cali. I notice others saying that temp sensor position is more sensitive than T6 causing heater to switch off and on more than T6 but as long as there is decent comfort this Winter I'm ok with it 🤞
Glad it helped! It does seem unnecessarily complicated on the 6.1 that is very true!
Ps below relates to operating mode asks for ignition to be on ?
Do you know where is located the temperature probe that measure the temperature for the levels of the auxiliary heater?
I don't actually. I will have a bit of a hunt around to see if I can find out.
@@CampervanTime I've built some stuff to redirect some hot air in the roof, it work like a charm but then the temperature is off because it's hotter above than below ;)
Can you use phone to turn it on via we connect ? I have it in Audi A5 and it is awsome function in winter.
No, no on the Cali, but you can use the radio remote control it comes with and it has a REALLY long range on it too!
Great video, thanks. California Chris had a go at this but forgot to mention the ventilate function.
Do you expect to ever use that function?
Well not really, but on one of the other comments it was suggested to maybe set it to come on every day for 20 mins to keep condensation down when storing the van and having it plugged in ?
Agree it’s so complicated and took me months of testing to figure it out.
I have a T6 and a T6.1 Ocean and although the T6.1 heater works ok the T6 heater is wayyyy much better. It seems to give a more aggressive hot heat as compared to the T6.1
Interesting - we haven't found that issue with ours yet compared to our T6 one. I wonder if it is just the finer control of the 1-10 range rather than the old control panel perhaps?
Great video as ever. Have you got any idea how much diesel the heater is using? (I know the heater stops when there is only a few liters left in the tank)
I have read it somewhere and think it is between 0.1 and 0.5ltrs of diesel per hour, depending on power output/heat setting. Basically not a lot!!
Just thinking about the "Heat immediately" function using "Ventilate"...... Your Cali has been parked most of the day in the sun...inside it's over 40 degrees, couldn't you use the "Ventilate" function to COOL the van before getting in? Something to try later next year?
Sounds like a good idea 👍. I do long for warm weather again!!
Great video! Do you know if this applies for other VW cars such as the Passat GTE and Superb Hybrid as the latter mention they have an auxiliary heater.
Secondly, can it cool down the van during a hot summer evening, or is it purely for warming in winter?
Thank you :)
It doesn't cool (the aircon is still engine powered, not electric). The VW hybrid cars tend to have electric heaters fitted in them so they can operate on full electric mode and still heat the cabin, so they do work remotely via the app.
So using departure time settings - can program ventilation for whole night using 4 departure times each for 2h slots ?
Hmmm not sure about that, you'd have to give it a go. We never used ours like that I'm afraid.
@@CampervanTime thanks for your replay :) unfortunately will not work :( departure time must be activated before started and it can be just one at once - but will find the way ;). For now just one time ventilation in the middle of the night (around 3am) can be very helpful from condensation and fresh air point of view.
Really helpfull video !!! Thank you taking time to explain it so clearly ;-)
You’re welcome!
Thanks for another great video. I worked most of this out by trial and error (with frequent errors!). I have a problem with the timer settings though. Whenever I set the timer it will start the heating at some random time, always earlier than set. It seems to vary between 10 and 40 minutes earlier than the programme says. Is that a fault you've heard of that requires the software update?
That's an odd one! I'll have to try it again in ours and report back, but I don't think we have that same issue. Sounds like it might need a software update.
No, thats normal.
Its designed to be warm at the time you set. So it needs to start warming up a bit earlier than the time set.
Will,
Love your reviews & info....
A question about 'departure time on 2021 Ocean (confusing name - perhaps lost in translation). Surely it should be 'heating come on' time or more meaningful.
According to the user manual and various 'youtube' research, If I set a 'departure time' of Monday 07:00am, then this is the time that the auxiliary heating should come on (time/heat as set under heat immediately)
My heater works really well, when heating immediately, it also kinda works when setting the timer - sorry, 'departure time'. The problem is, when setting the 'departure time', the heater actually comes on 30-40 mins earlier - so, 06:30am for my example above.
have you come across this before?
Thanks
Tony
Hi Tony, I do need to try this in ours as it’s not really a function that we’ve had any cause to use really. The manual does state that it should come on at the set time whereas others have found as you have, it comes on before ! I’ll give it a try and report back.
Some of us also have a third option under "Heat immediately". Besides "Ventilate" and "Air Aux. Heater" there also is an option called "Water". This is for pre-heating the engine and systems in cold mornings i.e. by using the remote. Not to get confused with the Webasto heater, that will first start while the engine is running.
Ok, that’s the first time I’ve heard of that function, thanks for sharing.
@@CampervanTime It is actually called "Water Aux. Heater" and not just "Water" as I first remembered :-)
Well, it actually IS the Webasto if it comes to heating the coolant. This unit is in all variants to ensure conformity with the pollution regulations. The only thing that you get with the „second“ auxiliary heather is a controllable valve that routes the engine circulation to the passenger area, and that you can operate it when the engine is not running.
Hi guys, we wondered if you had experienced an error message when using the auxiliary heater. We have had approx. three occasions where we can’t start the heater and we get an ‘Error: auxiliary heater, come up on display panel. We have subsequently packed up drove for while and then later find it works ok, until next time. Breeze at Poole sent us your video which we already had studied but this did not help, on this occasion. Van is booked in now with Breeze in Poole in April...earliest appointment...wondered if the Christa OBD2 would help? Appreciate any advice.
Hello! Sorry to hear you're having problems. Carista OBD2 won't help with this, as this is a separate module completely to what that can diagnose. If we start with the basics - have you got enough fuel in the van? The aux heater will only start if the low fuel light isn't on and the batteries are charged up enough. Second, have you been running the aux heater on 'heat immediately' or 'heat continuously' ? If you have been using heat immediately a few times, then it does require a drive round before that works again (as that function is only designed to be used for short periods). Heat continuously doesn't need that and is the option you want if you are parked up and want continuous heat.
Hi, thanks for reply. Yes did all the usual checks, fuel, battery, inlet/outlet not covered. Interesting tho I have used the heat immediately function and it appears to happens after this. And yes after a drive it clears error message. Disappointing the owners manual does not explain this quirk of operation. Will ensure we only use the heat continuously once we arrive at campsite from now on. FYI spoke to Steve at campervantastic at NEC last week and he advised to check if we had latest software update as pre Aug 21 vans required a software update, he had some of his new vans with some faults. Ours was after that hence we’ve booked into VW to check this out also.
Yep, we do need to have our software updated at some point too but we haven’t had any control panel issues so far ! Sounds like it’s the heat immediately quirk that’s you’re issue though 👍
Hi! We recently had issues with our heater and had our control unit swapped. Ever since, we don’t need to turn the ignition on when starting the heater. Anyone knows if this is correct, maybe updated by Volkswagen? Or should I take the van to the shop again to search for more issues causing this behaviour?
Many thanks
Late to the party but another tip especially for the summer is to run the heater continuesly on level one. This gives some fresh air without using any diesel. So it only ventilates. Sound strange for a heater but worked quite good for us in Italy.
Can't wait for summer to see if it'll also work on old T5 Cali
Ok we had a weekend of using the heater and still experiencing issues. We heated continuously however anything below level 9 doesn't work even when the outside temperature is 5 degrees. Level 9 also means after while gets too hot. Seems like there is not a happy medium. Mike
That doesn't sound as though it's working as it should do. I wonder if it has a faulty temperature sensor or something. We can really tell a difference in ours between the different numbered settings in heat continuously. It does kick in and out but they really do make a difference. We've never set ours to 9 as 5 or 6 is usually plenty hot enough. Maybe a trip to the dealer :(
I think you made a small mistake at 12:49. You say the heater will come on at 07:00 as set. But that's not true. The setting means that the heater will start in advance and the car is warm and ready at the departure time.
Thanks - I need to do some more testing then as if that is what you’ve found on yours then it contradicts what the owners manual says - I quote “When the departure time is reached, the auxiliary heater is switched on and the yellow indicator lamp in the display of the central control panel lights up”. It’s entirely possible that the manual is wrong too of course!! I will do some testing with ours again to see when it actually switches on. 👍
Really informative- thank you.You explained what seems a complicated system really well. Just wondering with the presets in the VW- can you preset more than one time for it to come on? In our van we can pre-set three times in a 24 hour period for it to come on- which is lovely during the colder nights.. Just wondering if this is an option with VW campers?
Thanks! Yes you can - there are three presets you can set, although I think (like most owners) we just switch it on at a certain heat level number, then leave it all evening / overnight etc, then off when we don't want it on at all. Out of interest, do you get a remote control with the Nugget? I am assuming it is a westfalia panel?
@@CampervanTime The panel has recently been changed for the newer models- we are hoping to do a vlog on this soon so should know more detail then. In regard to remote control, what the Ford Nugget has is a Ford Pass app that you can turn on the engine remotely from and heat the cab up before you get in. Great to see how different vans work- love it and love your channel.
Ah in video comes up switch ignition
On control panel ?
So once you have set times with ignition on , you can then turn ignition back off ??
That's right
Another insightful video thanks team!
Random related question - hook up cable any recommendations on length of cable to get? Only ever used the battery but going off next week and think might need that heater on a little more than usual and fancy the comfort of being plugged in!
Well, we have a 25m one and it’s always been long enough so far. Some people choose to carry two, a 10m and a 15m.
@@CampervanTime thank you! It's a minefield just seen now need to choose between 1.5 - 2.5 gauge! Any tips ;)
@@toy581 1.5 gauge is generally ok for 10a constant load, 2.5 gauge is for 13a constant load. So, if you are planning on running a 3kw fan heater, for example, you'll need 2.5 gauge. If you're running lower power items then 1.5 gauge is just fine. We use 1.5 gauge.
@@CampervanTime thanks - always so many variants and choices!
Hi guys great video again and very useful. Can I just check something… If for example you set the temperature to level 4 (18 degrees), Will the heater switch off when it gets to 18° but then switch back on again when it drops below? (Just like your home heating with a thermostat) thanks in advance.
Yes that’s basically right - it will cut in and out but not very frequently. I haven’t measured the amount of temperature drop before it fires back up again but it will be a couple of degrees I’d think. The temperatures are approximate, so it just gives you a rough guide, but yes - it cuts in and out automatically.
@@CampervanTime thanks guys… when I eventually get my Ocean I’ll probably have a ton of questions for you! 😂
Thanks to you guys we’ve already bought our Ridge Monkey and Seatosummit mattress! 👍🏻
Great stuff! I presume you've tested both of those in the house already. If not, WHY NOT!!
@@CampervanTime The mattress yes but not the Ridge Monkey as we’ve only just got it this week…
We’ll give it a go though 👍🏻
Custard... it's the only real way to test it properly 🤣🤣😁
great great video 👍
Thank you 👍
Great, thanks again, another useful bit of info that we couldn’t wait beyond this evening to watch, despite months until delivery 🤦🏻♂️😂
Sooo, if on all night, not withstanding the settings obviously, how big a drain is it on the batteries? ( not on hook up)
It’s not too bad actually. It’s the firing up of the heater which uses the most electrical power to heat the glow plug in the heater, so depending on how many times it does that = how much power it uses really. Running the little fuel pump and fan isn’t much power at all. We haven’t tested it to maximum but I am sure 48 hours + is possible.
When would you choose level 1, 12 degrees Celsius?
Good question! We’ve never selected level 1 as it’s just SO low on the 6.1. In the T6 level 1 was usually plenty for sitting and having lunch on a cold day etc but not in the T6.1!!
Great videos! I like you channel!
What is about ventilation in camping mode (not immedeate mode)?
After activating of ventilation to sleep in Cali in the hot night I have to choose the level 1 to 10, but it seems that only level 1 is actually in operation even if I choose level 10.
VW told me that ventilation is allways runs in level 1 only, which is very confusing.
Some experience here?
Would be very helpfull!
Thank you!
Some
I think they are correct as the ventilation function actually uses the dashboard vents and not the normal heater output in the bottom of the b pillar. I seem to remember you might be able to manually adjust the fan speed for it on the climate control knob on the dash though.. haven't had a play with that for a while.
I speak about the venrilation in camping mode, which is from b-pillar, and have nothing to do with normal venrilation from dashboard which is deactivated in camping mode because the car and engine are off.
Would it be possible to try it out? I am currious if you have level 1 only or leveles 1 to 10 are possoble.
Thank you! :)
You've neglected to mention an important fact with the Heat Immediately function. It is meant to be used to pre-heat the van before you drive off in the morning. If you run it repeatedly beyond an accumulated value of 180 minutes it could crash the Control Unit requiring a reboot via removal of fuses. To avoid that you need to reset the timer before it reaches 180 minutes by driving the van for a few minutes.
Thanks for sharing, useful for us all to know.
As usual a triumph of design from VW. Who wants the diesel heater controls in the cab ? You need the controls next to you in bed, to adjust the temperature, without getting out of bed all the time ? It is all to save money by putting all the controls of everything in one unit, whether the customer wants them there or not. Just like the id3, which has penny pinched in only putting two buttons for the window winding, instead of a proper company that fits 4. Never mind, there are plenty of badge snobs that will ignore the lack of quality, just so they can say they have a VW, even though they come with rubbish penny pinching designs incorporated.
The heater also comes with a remote fob, I’ll be using that in bed. 🥰
@@andrewbrown-bq4gg it also heats the engine before you start it on cold mornings to get the oil circulating better.
@@pluc99-pl99 that bit of information I didn’t know, only just joined the vw world (picked up my California this week)
I used the heat immediately function and couldn’t get the heater to work again on my latest trip. I changed sites and the same Thing happened again. I’ve read somewhere that if you use heat immediately a couple of times then you have to drive somewhere to use any of the heating functions again. Is that your understanding. I was thinking my heater was malfunctioning
Yes I believe that is right - although we just never use that function, probably because our last T6 Cali didn't have it so we're pre-conditioned to just switch the heater on, and then off when we don't want it any more !
My dashboard stuck with the “Error: auxiliary heater”, so I even can’t close my rooftop right now and start moving. Just staying at the parking place. Please help. How to fix or reboot it?
Wish I’d seen this when I had an Ocean 6.1. Couldn’t understand the heater or instructions so got rid of it. 😮
Also I imagine the heat continuously is the best option and the one you use most of all?
Certainly is!
Can you set the heater to come on remotely via the VW app?
Unfortunately not... That would have been a nice addition, especially when in other VW cars you can - like the id.3....
Thanks a lot for the explanation. It is very helpful 🙏
I cannot begin to understand why it was designed like this. The heater works great in my opinion but the controlls couldn’t get anymore complicated. Not too bad when you get used to it. Still a joke though. Thanks Will !
My thoughts exactly!! I wonder if it all makes sense in German, but the translation just isn't good? Maybe one of our German subscribers can tell us?!
Important thing not mentioned: Heat immediately works only 180 minutes without driving in between so dont use it while you parked at the campsite and plan not to drive away soon 😉
Thanks for mentioning that 👍
Have an Ocean on order, could anyone just give me an indication of how much diesel the heater uses? I’m guessing very little.
Not a lot at all! You won't notice the consumption of diesel. It does use quite a lot of power (electric) though, so just make sure you're leisure batteries are nice and full if you are off grid for a while.
@@CampervanTime thanks so much for answering my question. Just to add that as someone waiting eagerly for our first Cali, that your channel has been really useful and helpful.
I find our Eberspacher uses about 1 litre per 5 hours when running continuously on a low (20*c) setting, if run on high which is almost impossible as it’s too hot expect to use about twice that, we set it to 16*c at night and it just cuts in and out as needed, power use is pretty low too. Ours is not in a Cali but I had it retro fitted to our T5 and it seems easier to use than in the Cali. Wouldn’t stop me buying a Cali though !
Quick question, guys.
I know the diesel heater, in the Ocean 6.1, uses electrical power to fire up the combustion and to circulate the warm air with a fan but everytime i use my heater it shows an 11 Amp draw. This seems excessive to me. Can anybody confirm what their heaters are drawing, please? 🙏🏼
The diesel heater uses a glow plug to fire up the combustion and there is quite a difference in power draw from when the heater is powering the glow plug to just running the fan. The glow plug doesn't need to be running for the full duration of heating either. Typically it runs the glow plug for about 2 minutes to get everything nice and hot and then it runs without it (giving heat) with much lower power draw. 11 amps is pretty normal at startup. The manual for it from Eberspacher says circa 100 watts at startup, so that would be 10 amps (at 12v), plus a bit of load in the rest of the van.
@CampervanTime thank you for the reply. Much appreciated 🙏🏼
in Ireland the heater doesn't come as standard in the coast you have to pay extra and its the same for the dsg automatic you have to select it as an extra , they come as standard in the uk
rip off Ireland 😰🥶
Oh dear! Is it cheaper than the uk model though?
Why would you place the control for a diesel heater in the cab, instead of where you want it, next to your bed, so you don't have to get in and out of the bed to change the diesel heater temperature. The only reason, i think Volkswagen would do that, is to save money by putting all the controls in the same place. They did the same thing having two window winder buttons instead of four on the ID3. Penny pinching.
Without this video I would be going absolutely insane trying to understand it. The way it has been coded is complete bollocks.
Glad it helped!
Ps Great video
Thanks!
It’s just a shame you can’t just press the Key fob and put it on instantly when you want so you could have the key fob next to you?
You can - with the heater remote control it comes with, although this only operates the 'heat immediately' function, ie for a max of 120 mins at a time, but better than nothing.