Eberspacher on Ebay

[jacquie]

Hello everyone. Here goes my first techie query...it's a hot topic! Boom boom!

I do some wild camping and simply a lot of sitting in my Romahome in beauty spots on cold days. I think a diesel heater is essential, but holey moley, is a new unit expensive!!
So I've been scanning Ebay for the last few months and there are all kinds of new and used units for sale - definately buyer beware, but has anyone got experience installing a used system and can give advice??

Second question...solar panels - any advice on running a tiny flat screen tv and perhaps a laptop??? What size panel??

Thanks !!

[yamaha]

Hi Jaquie - and welcome from Bridgwater! I see you live on Exmoor - our favourite run-out on a Sunday on the motorbike! Usually seem to end up at Lynmouth!!

Diesel heaters - you've opened a can of worms on this one!
I have just been down the same route - as you say, loads on eBay, but caution is necessary. It seems that a lot of them have been removed from ex BT vans, and, reading between the lines, I think the vans wiring system incorporated the heater.
Fine, until it's removed and fitted to another vehicle. Very often they will come without any wiring loom ( cause it's part of the original van's wiring loom ), and this could be a costly thing to buy.
Also, reading on the Bongo Forum, if a fault develops on the heater, this can normally be decoded by a plug-in unit, available from the heater manufacturer, or by a Dealer.
The ex BT ones, so I read, because they were incorporated originally into the van, any fault would need to be read on a special diagnostic unit from van's maker!

I decided to go for a new 24v Webasto one from eBay - using both the van and leisure battery for the 24v - more complicated, but they tend to be cheaper to buy, as most want a 12v one.

Then, it has to be fitted in your Romahome - not the easiest vehicle to work on - low to the ground, and difficult to route wires, etc.

I'm going to fit mine to the Bongo - but wouldn't have attempted it if I still had my Hylo.

There is a gas-powered alternative which may be worth considering - Propex - www.propexheatsource.co.uk

As for solar panels - great for keeping your battery topped up, but expensive for the larger ones - and not an option for heating - a 12v heater would take way more power than a solar panel could replace, unless the van was covered in panels!!

Mike

[ant]

Hi Jacquie.
Sound advice from Mike. The heater unit needs a loom, a diesel pump, the correct length of both air inlet and exhaust to function properly, a thermostat and must not have been tried with low voltage more than 3 times as this shuts the control unit down which doesn't always recover when you plug a diagnostic machine in. Budget for £289+ vat for a replacement control unit.
My advice would be unless you know an experienced Eberspacher fitter, buy new, they have a 2 year warranty.
Ant

[jacquie]

Hey Yamaha!
That's exactly the type of info I was looking for really. I think based on what you said I'll avoid anything used. I'd be quite happy to pay for installation by a professional, so not too worried about that. I know retrofitting can be a pain with the Romahome.
I know about Propex, but because I spend a lot of time on the continent I don't want to rely on the limited amount of Calor we can bring over. Diesel seems best and most efficient to run from what I can make out. Webasto has a great name too. I was wondering about the 24v option, so perfect answer!
I emailed Romahome on Wight twice asking them what model heater they install as an option. Never got a reply which really puts me off their admin!

As for solar panels, I know they won't run a heater! Just want to run a wee TV and my laptop on occasion.

Thanks for your coherent reply - really helpful in making a decision as money, apparently, does not grow on trees.


PS
I've been in the Dulverton area since last year. Totally in love with this part of the country. Sometimes I just go up to the Woolacombe area (only an hour from me) and camp at a great site on the cliff's edge. It always feels like a real holiday, and with the Romahome - hassle-free indeed! Maybe we'll see your fancy new Bongo around sometime. If you ever spot a Duo Outlook with a CDN sticker on the back, honk!

[jacquie]

ant said:

Hi Jacquie.
Sound advice from Mike. The heater unit needs a loom, a diesel pump, the correct length of both air inlet and exhaust to function properly, a thermostat and must not have been tried with low voltage more than 3 times as this shuts the control unit down which doesn't always recover when you plug a diagnostic machine in. Budget for £289+ vat for a replacement control unit.
My advice would be unless you know an experienced Eberspacher fitter, buy new, they have a 2 year warranty.
Ant

Yikes! I think I'm convinced. Save the pennies and have reliable heat next year with a new unit.
Thanks Ant -

[lunnie]

Hi Jacquie, I have a small 7" screen LCD tv and it works both on 12v and 240 I used it in my old Romahome which did not have a leisure battery, and it was fine, did not use the lappy unless I was on hook-up but I believe you can buy an inverter which would do it for you. and if plugged in as you were travelling I think it would re-charge your lappy battery.

[jacquie]

Hi Lunnie,
My little tv does work on 12v and 240, but since I often use sites with no hook-up, my battery does run down after a couple of days of staying in one place. I guess a little panel could shore it up in those cases but hesitate to buy without advice.

[yamaha]

Hi Jaquie - I think a professional install would be the way to go, as you say.
It's only 'cause I'm such a cheapskate that I decided to go the DIY route!

As for solar panels - Maplins have quite a range -

www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?criteria=solar%20panels&menu=0&WorldSearch=Y&doy=5m12&ShowPics=true&Stock=28&MinPrice=0&MaxPrice=9999&SD=true

Sorry for the long link! I would say you would realisitically need a 43W minimum panel, especially this time of year - as you see, they're not cheap!! I've got one of their small 5W ones - very well made, and useful out in the conservatory to keep the bike battery topped up.
Any panel over about 10watts also needs a charge controller - these Maplin ones include this. It stops overcharging the battery, basically.

Maybe an option to find something else to do - then you wouldn't need the tv !!!

Will honk if I see you!!

Mike

[Pauline]

jacquie said:

I emailed Romahome on Wight twice asking them what model heater they install as an option. Never got a reply which really puts me off their admin!

and

If you ever spot a Duo Outlook with a CDN sticker on the back, honk!

Don't take Romahome's non reply personally Jacquie - they have never replied to any of mine nor to those sent by quite a few other people I've spoken to. Sadly their customer relations lets them down somewhat!

I first read your sticker as CND and imagined you as a Greenham Common Gal - ooops!

[viv]

Hi all, so did i take it as CND but only for a second, what is CDN by the way,??

[jacquie]

viv said:

Hi all, so did i take it as CND but only for a second, what is CDN by the way,??

CDN is the GB for Canadian. The real question is, what is a Greenham Common girl - sounds slightly sleazy!

[Pauline]

jacquie said:

The real question is, what is a Greenham Common girl - sounds slightly sleazy!

Nothing sleazy Jacquie! They were a band of women who were part of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. (CND)

Greenham Common was a base where they did lots of campaigning and protests.

[jacquie]

admin said:

jacquie said:

The real question is, what is a Greenham Common girl - sounds slightly sleazy!

Nothing sleazy Jacquie! They were a band of women who were part of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. (CND)

Greenham Common was a base where they did lots of campaigning and protests.

I'll use my relative foreign-ness as an excuse for my ignorance on this subject. We had the Surrey 7 in Vancouver, attempting to accomplish the same goals. Thanks for the education!