The phrase you're looking for for the overheating issue with the 3 inch hose is "friction loss". The fan can't move enough air to effectively keep the heat exchanger from getting too hot. The larger hose reduces the friction of the air moving through the larger pipe keeping the heater running cooler.
I am on my second season with my 5KW Vevor ($120) and it has worked flawless for me. It also has altitude adjust and have had it at 12,000 feet working without issue. App works fine and you see it across many models. I did upgrade my fuel pump that was quieter than the one that came with it.
I like the idea of using a power brick. As I am a tinkerer it shouldn't be too hard to do. Finding out the power needs of your diesel heater is easy enough. Finding a brick to work with that should be fairly easy too. Adapt the output ends of the brick with Anderson Powerpole connectors... You have now given me another project idea. Thanks, Matt! Edit: One thing to test out with using the brick with a power station is the inefficiency of converting the power twice. There is loss with the inverter in the P.S. (DC to AC) and then more loss with the brick taking it back to DC.
Great overview, Matt and very helpful. Thank you for taking the time. FYI - The case that Planar uses is made by, Nanuk, a Canadian company, hence the Maple Leaf sticker on the lid. In some ways, I think Nanuk's cases, which cost less, are actually better than Pelican's, especially with the latches. Nanuk will private-label cases for all sorts of applications and industries. Hint, clue. :)
I love my HCALORY, I updated to a 4inch hose, I haven’t needed it to ever be above level 2, never a issue with it. I run it off a 55ah lithium ion battery, 1 tank of fuel last me 2 nights, the battery has lasted 4 nights with no issues. I will be looking at an additional heater to have if I need one.
At 18:12, your video locks up right when you were about to let the CAT out of the bag. Power stations 12v socket plugs are only rated at 10 amps and WON'T run your diesel heater because the heater pulls 10 AMP or a little more on start up. MY Bluetti AC180 WON'T ALLOW MY HEATER TO START UP AND RUN OR WILL MY OTHER 2 POWER STATIONS IF USING THE 12V 10 amp socket. So that's why the manufacturers of heaters are providing a 110-volt power supply so you can run the heater off your Power Station. I use 2 Diesel heaters in my barn, and i run both of them off 12-volt power supplies and have a 50ah lithium back up battery on them in case of a power outage so they will stay running and not cause damage to themselves caused by a power outage and no cool down cycle. MY experience shows Power Stations Will Not Run a Diesel Heater if using the 12 volt 10 amp Cig sock to run the diesel heater. The heater pulls to many amps on start-up.
I have the Lf Bros N2t. Used it four nights in November in Northern AZ and Southern Ut. Worked great, on low it was using about 4l in 8hrs. The no spill gas cap is nice, and it was super easy to set up.
I have the hcalory one that looks very similar to the sunster one in your video. It worked great at 7,400 ft for a week. I could see the altitude on the controller adjust from at home in Iowa to at elevation on my trip. My bluetti ran it fine on 12V, but I had the 120V adapter with me too just in case.
Another great vid Matt! I just ordered the updated HCalory based on the review you did last year (yeah takes me awhile). Will let you know if the fuel pump noise has improved. Appreciate all the great info!
The Sparks Overland heater is best one hands down. High quality components organized neatly in a sharp box. I run it in Colorado above 10,000’ no problem. This is not a greasy shop heater. Premier unit for sure.
I've had my vevor for 5 years now and still running perfect, I run it on the lowest setting in zero degree weather and maintains 70 degrees without any issues. no need to spend hundreds of dollars to heat a rooftop tent. save your money and get a vevor.
That Sunster looks pretty tempting for my use. I just looked and for $20 more, they have a Pro Model. Only thing is Amazon is saying 1-2 months is typical delivery. Slow boat from China is a real thing!
I picked up a Vevor 5kw a few years ago. It was the tall style like the 4x4 Colorado model. It works fine although I had some issues early with the power station being able to start it up (problem now fixed) The second season I took it apart and used the components to build a DIY case style along the lines of the square ones. 5kw will cook you out of your RTT. It's fine if using it for a small space heater like a shop. But now I am looking for a 2kw to swap out the 5kw heat exchanger in my case style. It will be nice to get longer run times out the same amount of fuel/battery too. I figured that if I spend the $100 and it isn't for me, it's a cheap lesson. So far it's working out. I should always be able to sell it if I want to upgrade down the road.
These things are super basic and simple to repair and use. Absolutely no reason to spend hundreds of dollars for the privilege of a phone number to call. My cheap $90 heater has been working for years. They're all pretty much the same.
@@stephenvieira7765 Good point. It makes me wonder two things. If the $500+ units are really that superior of products, why do they NEED a call line? Sure, it's nice to have but shouldn't they not need it? Next is: there's a cost to having someone to man the calls. That has to be blended into the original purchase price, no?
Have the new HCalory TB2. Has a power brick, great app, internal diesel tank, altitude adjustment. From what I understand, much quieter than previous. Never noticed fuel pump. Worked great on a 10 degree trip last week in high altitude. Best thing, I can buy 3 or more of them with the same features as the higher end ones. How helpful is support going to be in the middle of the night when you're on the trail? How much is a nicer fuel cap worth?? While its nice to have all these options when they are given to you... which one would you plunk your personal dollars down for? After a lot of research, I went with the TB2. Agree use a good 4 inch hose, not some crappy 3 inch. Was worthless with 3 inch hose. The TB2 has 3 1/2 inch hole, so I go 3 1/2 to 4 inch, back to 3 inch into the tent as my 4x4 Colorado tent has a small hole for the hose.
If you have reservations about your Chineseum diesel heater, pack a lil buddy propane heater with you . JIC . I always try to take more than one heating option.
Hi Matt! That's quite the collection! Did you see the diesel heater at Expo PNW (Houswin) that had a built-in rechargeable battery? Autoterm UK also makes one called Travel Box 2.0. Autoterm/Planar also made a new "Arctic" heater that has both AC and DC (similar to the service offered by Overland Addict to add AC power).
So I guess my question is, for the value which one do you think is best for your first diesel heater? Just got an Aspen Lite as my first RTT and I’d love to do some winter camping out here in Northern Arizona
I've been wondering about heater house insulation so you don't lose all the heat before it reaches your tent or into your vehicle. I'm wondering if there is fiberglass heating hose wrap insulation you can recommend for the house? This is impotent when you live in the Arctic as I do. Temps of-40°C/F are common here, so you need to make sure you donny waste heat in the hose.
Your videos are very informative. Thanks. I have a question about a different service you promote. Is there a way to contact you not through a comment section. Thanks
Thanks for the breakdown! I need some advice: I have a SafePal wallet with USDT, and I have the seed phrase. (alarm fetch churn bridge exercise tape speak race clerk couch crater letter). What's the best way to send them to Binance?
So I have my lf bros nt-2 mounted inside my pop up truck camper. Some have said it is not to be used indoors but lf bros says it is fine. What are your thoughts on this? I do have the exhaust wrapped and fiberglass fiberglass mat under it and everything is routed downhill. The intake draws air from inside and I might open a hole to draw in fresh air but the very nature of a pop up already allows air in.
Too many variables for how hot you want to be and how much space you're trying to heat. I've never had an issue with it lasting all night on a full tank of fuel. If I'm running them on low getting two nights is very possible.
Nice explicative review on diesel heater. Does anyone know why there are no readily available gasoline heaters? Also I saw one version of forced air heater that uses propane. Gasoline or propane heaters would be more appealing to me since I already use these fuels.
Hi can you tell me the name of the video that you seen birch creek ranch I saw it but can’t remember the name of the video tried to find it but I can’t find the video I was looking for
Planar heater products use Autoterm heaters as a brand are owned by a Russian company called Advers. The company continues to manufacture / supply from there today. They are NOT European heaters as some sites are attempting to claim to avoid restrictions and deceive potential customers. They are also now stating manufactured in Latvia, however just where are all the component parts originating from? This is borne out by available images which show the new 'production' plant - all seem to show assembly or finished product. No sign of any PCB manufacture, casing manufacture etc etc. Now ask yourself where is the finance paid going? Long established companies do not gift away rights to their products to newly set up entities. In the real world it is the other way around by the way of loyalties to the parent company. The same suppliers also mask the name and use Planar instead (the old name prior to rebranding). They are the same! Consider how any warranty claim will be delt with if they cannot access parts in the future and ask yourself if you really want to support the Russian economy, in anyway. Remember it only takes a few pence to manufacture a bullet from any taxes generated on Autoterm sales by the Russian regime, sadly the same bullets kill innocent civilians.
@@OzarkOverlandAdventures Its not a theory I can send you the links or you can look it up. Yes, that's correct; "Planar" heater products, which are often marketed under the brand "Autoterm," are indeed owned by a Russian company called Advers, which manufactures the heating systems and is considered the parent company behind both brand names.
@@johns7809 I already knew the heat exchangers were from Latvia. The fact that you know and care about all the rest is what's odd. You need a hobby. LOL! So you're saying people should support the Chinese companies instead?
@@OzarkOverlandAdventures There good products made in Chinese companies like Iceco almost all computers TVs iPhones and almost everything we own. I'm Ukrainian and don't support doing business with Russian companies so they can kill my Brothers & Sisters.
Creating an objective video on diesel heaters (that were all given to me and disclosed in the video) to help people with their buying decisions is "shilling all the things"? Some people just love to complain about everything. SMH!!!
It’s only 7:30am but I’m confident you’ll win dumbest comment of the day today. 😂😂 Does your comment apply to everything? How about a refrigerator? What about a vehicle? Phones? Is it ok to buy a TV if you can’t fix it yourself? 🤷🏼♂️🤦🏼♂️🤦🏼♂️
@@OzarkOverlandAdventures I mean, he isn't wrong in this case, especially since these things are extremely basic. After years of use my 11 year old changed the pump himself. Again, these things are super, super, super basic, unlike refridgerators, phones, tvs, etc.. and cheap replacement parts are all over Amazon.
As to the gas caps, put a latex/neoprin/silc glove over the mouth of the fuel tank and then put the cap on while in transit remove glove when in use.
Great idea
The phrase you're looking for for the overheating issue with the 3 inch hose is "friction loss". The fan can't move enough air to effectively keep the heat exchanger from getting too hot. The larger hose reduces the friction of the air moving through the larger pipe keeping the heater running cooler.
I am on my second season with my 5KW Vevor ($120) and it has worked flawless for me. It also has altitude adjust and have had it at 12,000 feet working without issue. App works fine and you see it across many models. I did upgrade my fuel pump that was quieter than the one that came with it.
same, love my vevor
What pump did you upgrade to? Thanks.
Also wondering which pump you have gone with. My 5KW Vevor shows on Tuesday and I want to make sure it is optimized for my Sedona trip in a few weeks.
I like the idea of using a power brick. As I am a tinkerer it shouldn't be too hard to do. Finding out the power needs of your diesel heater is easy enough. Finding a brick to work with that should be fairly easy too. Adapt the output ends of the brick with Anderson Powerpole connectors... You have now given me another project idea. Thanks, Matt!
Edit: One thing to test out with using the brick with a power station is the inefficiency of converting the power twice. There is loss with the inverter in the P.S. (DC to AC) and then more loss with the brick taking it back to DC.
Thanks Matt. Great clear review.
You broke it down from part time to full time outing uses.
Great overview, Matt and very helpful. Thank you for taking the time.
FYI - The case that Planar uses is made by, Nanuk, a Canadian company, hence the Maple Leaf sticker on the lid. In some ways, I think Nanuk's cases, which cost less, are actually better than Pelican's, especially with the latches. Nanuk will private-label cases for all sorts of applications and industries. Hint, clue. :)
I love my HCALORY, I updated to a 4inch hose, I haven’t needed it to ever be above level 2, never a issue with it. I run it off a 55ah lithium ion battery, 1 tank of fuel last me 2 nights, the battery has lasted 4 nights with no issues. I will be looking at an additional heater to have if I need one.
At 18:12, your video locks up right when you were about to let the CAT out of the bag.
Power stations 12v socket plugs are only rated at 10 amps and WON'T run your diesel heater because the heater pulls 10 AMP or a little more on start up. MY Bluetti AC180 WON'T ALLOW MY HEATER TO START UP AND RUN OR WILL MY OTHER 2 POWER STATIONS IF USING THE 12V 10 amp socket. So that's why the manufacturers of heaters are providing a 110-volt power supply so you can run the heater off your Power Station.
I use 2 Diesel heaters in my barn, and i run both of them off 12-volt power supplies and have a 50ah lithium back up battery on them in case of a power outage so they will stay running and not cause damage to themselves caused by a power outage and no cool down cycle.
MY experience shows Power Stations Will Not Run a Diesel Heater if using the 12 volt 10 amp Cig sock to run the diesel heater. The heater pulls to many amps on start-up.
true but the new bluetti elite will run them as it allows ~160 watts on dc supply
I have the Lf Bros N2t. Used it four nights in November in Northern AZ and Southern Ut. Worked great, on low it was using about 4l in 8hrs. The no spill gas cap is nice, and it was super easy to set up.
That’s awesome
I have the hcalory one that looks very similar to the sunster one in your video. It worked great at 7,400 ft for a week. I could see the altitude on the controller adjust from at home in Iowa to at elevation on my trip. My bluetti ran it fine on 12V, but I had the 120V adapter with me too just in case.
Another great vid Matt! I just ordered the updated HCalory based on the review you did last year (yeah takes me awhile). Will let you know if the fuel pump noise has improved. Appreciate all the great info!
The Sparks Overland heater is best one hands down. High quality components organized neatly in a sharp box. I run it in Colorado above 10,000’ no problem. This is not a greasy shop heater. Premier unit for sure.
absolutely agree.
HOLY CRAP that’s a lot of heaters.
Confirmed. lol
I've had my vevor for 5 years now and still running perfect, I run it on the lowest setting in zero degree weather and maintains 70 degrees without any issues. no need to spend hundreds of dollars to heat a rooftop tent. save your money and get a vevor.
That's awesome but your experience is the exception. I've personally had a Vevor that failed.
This is great information again you have helped on a heater. Off landing or preparing aspect of it. Thank you. PS need run times on a tank
Have an hcalory v1 and it works great love it. Looking at getting the V2 with internal tank.
Hoping to see a review of the Sparks or at least a good walkthrough of it sometime soon,
Hi Matt, I truly liked this video. Thank you so much for sharing.🚙
That Sunster looks pretty tempting for my use. I just looked and for $20 more, they have a Pro Model. Only thing is Amazon is saying 1-2 months is typical delivery. Slow boat from China is a real thing!
Great instructional video and you covered the whole subject very well.
Thanks!
Just in time, needing one myself but might go the cheap route just to test out.
I picked up a Vevor 5kw a few years ago. It was the tall style like the 4x4 Colorado model. It works fine although I had some issues early with the power station being able to start it up (problem now fixed)
The second season I took it apart and used the components to build a DIY case style along the lines of the square ones.
5kw will cook you out of your RTT. It's fine if using it for a small space heater like a shop. But now I am looking for a 2kw to swap out the 5kw heat exchanger in my case style. It will be nice to get longer run times out the same amount of fuel/battery too.
I figured that if I spend the $100 and it isn't for me, it's a cheap lesson. So far it's working out. I should always be able to sell it if I want to upgrade down the road.
These things are super basic and simple to repair and use. Absolutely no reason to spend hundreds of dollars for the privilege of a phone number to call. My cheap $90 heater has been working for years. They're all pretty much the same.
@@stephenvieira7765 Good point. It makes me wonder two things. If the $500+ units are really that superior of products, why do they NEED a call line? Sure, it's nice to have but shouldn't they not need it? Next is: there's a cost to having someone to man the calls. That has to be blended into the original purchase price, no?
Thank you. Matt great information
Great in depth info, as always!!
Thanks!
Thanks so much for all this excellent knowledge and now you can heat up the whole neighborhood when power goes out. :) :)
That is actually an excellent point
Have the new HCalory TB2. Has a power brick, great app, internal diesel tank, altitude adjustment. From what I understand, much quieter than previous. Never noticed fuel pump. Worked great on a 10 degree trip last week in high altitude. Best thing, I can buy 3 or more of them with the same features as the higher end ones. How helpful is support going to be in the middle of the night when you're on the trail? How much is a nicer fuel cap worth?? While its nice to have all these options when they are given to you... which one would you plunk your personal dollars down for? After a lot of research, I went with the TB2. Agree use a good 4 inch hose, not some crappy 3 inch. Was worthless with 3 inch hose. The TB2 has 3 1/2 inch hole, so I go 3 1/2 to 4 inch, back to 3 inch into the tent as my 4x4 Colorado tent has a small hole for the hose.
As someone who is shopping this to semi hard mount one in the bed. the Sparks overland heater is awesome. The sunster is kinda a pain if in Canada...
If you have reservations about your Chineseum diesel heater, pack a lil buddy propane heater with you . JIC . I always try to take more than one heating option.
Great timing for this video 😊
its summer here in cambodia
Good information matt
Appreciate it.
They all should come standard with a battery that self charges. I think there’s only one on the market right now that does that.
That would make them bigger and heavier. I wouldn't have a need for that. SOME should have that option. lol
@ lookup the Houswin model S diesel heater. It’s the same size or even smaller than the ones you have.
Nice video Matt, I was looking real hard at that LP Bros. If you wind up getting rid of that one, let me know. I might buy it.
Hi Matt! That's quite the collection! Did you see the diesel heater at Expo PNW (Houswin) that had a built-in rechargeable battery? Autoterm UK also makes one called Travel Box 2.0. Autoterm/Planar also made a new "Arctic" heater that has both AC and DC (similar to the service offered by Overland Addict to add AC power).
Apparently I missed that at PNW. Wasn’t aware of the Planar ones either. Thanks. I’ll check them out.
The temp of the exhaust might be interesting to compare.
What kind of fuel do you recommend? Diesel, kerosene or mix 50/50 of both? Great reviews btw….
So I guess my question is, for the value which one do you think is best for your first diesel heater? Just got an Aspen Lite as my first RTT and I’d love to do some winter camping out here in Northern Arizona
I've been wondering about heater house insulation so you don't lose all the heat before it reaches your tent or into your vehicle. I'm wondering if there is fiberglass heating hose wrap insulation you can recommend for the house? This is impotent when you live in the Arctic as I do. Temps of-40°C/F are common here, so you need to make sure you donny waste heat in the hose.
Your videos are very informative. Thanks. I have a question about a different service you promote. Is there a way to contact you not through a comment section. Thanks
Thanks for the breakdown! I need some advice: I have a SafePal wallet with USDT, and I have the seed phrase. (alarm fetch churn bridge exercise tape speak race clerk couch crater letter). What's the best way to send them to Binance?
So I have my lf bros nt-2 mounted inside my pop up truck camper. Some have said it is not to be used indoors but lf bros says it is fine. What are your thoughts on this?
I do have the exhaust wrapped and fiberglass fiberglass mat under it and everything is routed downhill. The intake draws air from inside and I might open a hole to draw in fresh air but the very nature of a pop up already allows air in.
any videos of real life operating times?
Too many variables for how hot you want to be and how much space you're trying to heat. I've never had an issue with it lasting all night on a full tank of fuel. If I'm running them on low getting two nights is very possible.
I’ve seen several diesel heaters both imports from Asia and high end establish brands from Europe that use a phone app for control.
It’s becoming very common.
How well does “y”ing the hose work to warm two areas
I've never done it but a friend has and it works well with the larger heaters.
Best option without buying the most expensive one is to just build your own I’ve found
Nice explicative review on diesel heater. Does anyone know why there are no readily available gasoline heaters? Also I saw one version of forced air heater that uses propane. Gasoline or propane heaters would be more appealing to me since I already use these fuels.
There definitely needs to be more fuel options.
Quick question off subject but in your opinion whats the simpliest hot water source while overlanding
i'm a big fan of the Kakadu shower
How does a propane heater stack up against a diesel heater?
Horrible. Fire hazard, goes through a ton of propane overnight and creates massive amounts of condensation in your tent.
@ thank you for the advice and information!
@@OzarkOverlandAdventures the Propex propane heater works great and doesn’t have the issues the diesel heaters have.
Hi can you tell me the name of the video that you seen birch creek ranch I saw it but can’t remember the name of the video tried to find it but I can’t find the video I was looking for
I've never been to a birch creek ranch. Are you referring to the one in the Owyhees?
Hey Matt did you guys sell your Off Trwx Fennix?
It was on loan from Expedition Trailers and was returned to them.
@OzarkOverlandAdventures i see what's your honest opinion on ut versus a patriot X1 ???
@ I really like the layout of the Feenix better than the Patriot.
@OzarkOverlandAdventures same here much better use of space and storage areas.
Planar heater products use Autoterm heaters as a brand are owned by a Russian company called Advers.
The company continues to manufacture / supply from there today. They are NOT European heaters as some sites are attempting to claim to avoid restrictions and deceive potential customers.
They are also now stating manufactured in Latvia, however just where are all the component parts originating from?
This is borne out by available images which show the new 'production' plant - all seem to show assembly or finished product. No sign of any PCB manufacture, casing manufacture etc etc.
Now ask yourself where is the finance paid going? Long established companies do not gift away rights to their products to newly set up entities. In the real world it is the other way around by the way of loyalties to the parent company.
The same suppliers also mask the name and use Planar instead (the old name prior to rebranding). They are the same!
Consider how any warranty claim will be delt with if they cannot access parts in the future and ask yourself if you really want to support the Russian economy, in anyway.
Remember it only takes a few pence to manufacture a bullet from any taxes generated on Autoterm sales by the Russian regime, sadly the same bullets kill innocent civilians.
@@johns7809 that’s some crazy conspiracy theory slippery slope rabbit hole you went down for a diesel heater. 😂😂😂
@@johns7809 to be clear… you’re advocating for supporting Chinese made products? 🤔🤦🏼♂️
@@OzarkOverlandAdventures Its not a theory I can send you the links or you can look it up. Yes, that's correct; "Planar" heater products, which are often marketed under the brand "Autoterm," are indeed owned by a Russian company called Advers, which manufactures the heating systems and is considered the parent company behind both brand names.
@@johns7809 I already knew the heat exchangers were from Latvia. The fact that you know and care about all the rest is what's odd. You need a hobby. LOL! So you're saying people should support the Chinese companies instead?
@@OzarkOverlandAdventures There good products made in Chinese companies like Iceco almost all computers TVs iPhones and almost everything we own. I'm Ukrainian and don't support doing business with Russian companies so they can kill my Brothers & Sisters.
Shilllll all the things.
Creating an objective video on diesel heaters (that were all given to me and disclosed in the video) to help people with their buying decisions is "shilling all the things"? Some people just love to complain about everything. SMH!!!
If you can't fix one of these, you shouldn't buy one.
It’s only 7:30am but I’m confident you’ll win dumbest comment of the day today. 😂😂 Does your comment apply to everything? How about a refrigerator? What about a vehicle? Phones? Is it ok to buy a TV if you can’t fix it yourself? 🤷🏼♂️🤦🏼♂️🤦🏼♂️
@@OzarkOverlandAdventures I mean, he isn't wrong in this case, especially since these things are extremely basic. After years of use my 11 year old changed the pump himself. Again, these things are super, super, super basic, unlike refridgerators, phones, tvs, etc.. and cheap replacement parts are all over Amazon.