Heater exhaust

WelshGas · Oct 8, 2014

Is it possible to extend the diesel heater exhaust to the passenger side or rear of the vehicle, basically away from the side door?
Has anyone done it?
If so, any advice or tips?

Andresz · Oct 8, 2014

Rear of the car is out of the question; the pipe must be no longer than 2 meters.
Always avoid to make U-shaped syphon, this will lead to water condensation and subsequent closing of the fume exit. In this circumstances the device gets overheated before shut down.

briwy · Oct 8, 2014

I've installed a couple of these in Mazda Bongos and lengthened the supplied exhaust without a problem. I'm assuming that the unit is a D2.

Attached is a page from the installation manual giving the max length as 6.5 ft.
Obviously bear in mind what andresz has said as well.
Could be more of a problem on a 4Motion where the prop shaft will have to negotiated.

If anyone wants the manual pm me and I'll email it.

WelshGas · Oct 8, 2014

Hi briwy, PM sent.
Could you just have an extension that could be clipped on when parked up rather than a permenant extension, and what would you use?

briwy · Oct 8, 2014

WelshGas said:
Hi briwy, PM sent.
Could you just have an extension that could be clipped on when parked up rather than a permenant extension, and what would you use?

email sent

Hannick · Nov 18, 2014

We suffered the same problem last weekend with the heater on low all night - we slept upstairs but the smell of fumes meant a trip at 3:30am to turn the heater off.

The idea of a clip on extension appeals so more info would be helpful. Many thanks.

Bramco · Nov 18, 2014

+1 Hannick.

Anyone created a clip on extension hose?

briwy · Nov 18, 2014

I'm not sure that this would be viable.
As already mentioned the maximum length for the exhaust is about 6.5ft.
The exhaust on the Cali appears to come out somewhere over the top of the silencer box in the middle of the vehicle so I'm guessing that there is around 1.5 - 2ft of exhaust already in place from the heater to the outlet.
This obviously leaves around 4ft available for an extension which means that it would come out (if taken to the passenger side which is really where it needs to be) pretty much level with the side of the Cali. Probably not much help.
It would of course also mean crawling under the Cali to fix it, not a pleasant prospect at the times the heater is required.
The other thing to bear in mind is that from past experience with the Bongos, the exhaust gets VERY hot which could lead to possible fire problems either with it touching the vehicle or the ground. When I installed them on the Bongos the pipe had to wrapped in non combustible insulation. The pipe itself is a metallic hose with nasty sharp edges which would need storing somewhere.

Hannick · Nov 18, 2014

What's wrong with one of these?

:laugh2

briwy · Nov 18, 2014

:lol: :lol:

bernie · Dec 26, 2014

I have a problem with the heater that kicks in below 5C to heat the engine ( not inside the vehicle ) It has been bellowing white smoke for a few minutes when it starts up but lately you can smell fumes inside the van. When I got out last night there was a strong and unpleasant smell of diesel/smoke fumes right next to the sliding door. Anyone know anything about this please?

Bernie

Andy · Dec 26, 2014

White smoke is unburnt diesel. A smell when it starts up is normal but should clear when up & running.

deccauk · Oct 20, 2016

Has anyone progressed with this? I personally think that having the heater exhaust on the same side as the awning was a very poor design decision. We have the Comfortz leisure Awning Kit, and with that set up, having the heater on is a no no - it turns the awning tent into a no go area.

I would pay good money for a modification to the exhaust to move it to the nearside.

WelshGas · Oct 20, 2016

deccauk said:
Has anyone progressed with this? I personally think that having the heater exhaust on the same side as the awning was a very poor design decision. We have the Comfortz leisure Awning Kit, and with that set up, having the heater on is a no no - it turns the awning tent into a no go area.

I would pay good money for a modification to the exhaust to move it to the nearside.

I'm afraid you only have 3 possible options:-
1. Use an awning skirt.
2. Don't use the Heater
3. Don't use the Awning room.

Extending the Parking Heater exhaust will make it ineffective and possibly dangerous.

I don't think the Design Concept of the California envisaged users fitting enclosed living space to the side of the vehicle. If you look at the VW literature going back over the years I have never seen a picture of a California with anything but the awning +/- a wind break wall.

Sorry.

briwy · Oct 20, 2016

We have an old awning skirt that someone gave us ages ago.
Pit it on last weekend down at Lower Lode and tried the heater. Seemed to work fine so that could be the answer. A few fumes got into the awning but not much.

deccauk · Oct 20, 2016

briwy said:
We have an old awning skirt that someone gave us ages ago.
Pit it on last weekend down at Lower Lode and tried the heater. Seemed to work fine so that could be the answer. A few fumes got into the awning but not much.

How does it attach?

Keith Smith · Oct 21, 2016

We originally intended to buy a conversion and went to view some vans at the workshop of a local converter. We had already hired a Cali and knew the heater smelled and as I am particularly sensitive to the smell asked about having a gas or electric heater instead. They switched on the oil heater which was fitted to a van they were working on and there was absolutely no smell whatsoever, and they kept it running for a good twenty minutes inside the workshop. So there must be a way of stopping these heaters smelling.

MattBW · Oct 21, 2016

The exhausts have to be a specific length to ensure the correct running of the heater so as Welshgas says you are restricted really. You could of course make sure the exhaust end is pointing away from the awning side.

I also think the heater shouldn't really smell, it may briefly when first used but an ongoing smell would suggest something not quite right there? Mine did smell the first few uses but that has now gone.

We do have a propex (gas) in one of our other vans and it is very good but costs more to run than a diesel based solution because of how much gas they use. Just as effective heat wise though.

Sp0_0k · Oct 21, 2016

WelshGas said:
Hi briwy, PM sent.
Could you just have an extension that could be clipped on when parked up rather than a permenant extension, and what would you use?

A decent fan comes in mind

put it blowing over the exhaust to the other side of the vehicle.
Even guided away fumes with a tube can get back underneath a vehicle with a slight wind breeze in undesired direction.

sidepod · Oct 21, 2016

You don't necessarily have to make a air tight connection to the end of the existing exhaust.

You could make up a length of hose with an inline 12v fan on one end and a small funnel on the other.

The funnel end could be placed adjacent to the exhaust, the fan end away from the vehicle.

As long as there is sufficient suction the exhaust fumes will enter the hose and be pumped away.

A bit Heath Robbo perhaps but it should work.

Garages use a similar system.

Failing that, buy a T4 Cali, the heater exhaust is on the opposite site

Thank me later :cheers

rod_vw · Oct 21, 2016

With the experience of building two T5 campers with Eberspachers fitted in the original VW location plus my current camper with it fitted on the left side under chassis where the water heater is fitted on some. In all cases I have brought the exhaust out in the same area that VW do and always experienced some fumes inside the vehicle. It is my belief that these fumes enter the interior via the gas 'drop out' vents which are mandatory on all vehicles fitted with gas appliances. Of course they can enter by any other open window etc.

I have thought of extending the gas 'drop outs' downwards so that rising fumes do not easily enter the interior but not yet tried it.

As for extending the exhaust to the left side of the vehicle it would be necessary to clear the diesel tank, this may be possible forward of the tank but it would need sufficient insulation to alleviate the possibility of fire damage. Extending rearwards and left to clear the side of the vehicle would make the exhaust too long.

My vehicle obviously has a left sliding door so a resolution using an extended exhaust is different. I believe that Autosleeper use a similar arrangement with the exhaust exiting on the right side clear of the edge of the body I have also seen this arrangement with double silencers fitted.

Rod

briwy · Oct 26, 2016

deccauk said:
How does it attach?

It has a piece of elastic cord at the top with little hooks on. Just clips rounf the spoke on a wheel back and front. Tucks in nicely between the sidebar and the sill.

deccauk · Oct 31, 2016

I bought the awning skirt in the end. I actually like it very much. It goes well the the Cali Cozy "tent"!

The elastic cord with hooks does not work at all with alloy wheels. I cut them off and added some strong zirconium magnets (4kg pull) to the front and back, and a couple of extras along the side. It works very well.

andyinluton · Oct 31, 2016

rod_vw said:
It is my belief that these fumes enter the interior via the gas 'drop out' vents which are mandatory on all vehicles fitted with gas appliances. Of course they can enter by any other open window etc.

I have thought of extending the gas 'drop outs' downwards so that rising fumes do not easily enter the interior but not yet tried it.

Rod

I'm not 100% sure but believe the only gas drop out in the T5/T6 californias is from the gas bottle storage area which has a sealed lid preventing gas escaping into the interior of the van.

So with all doors / windows shut the only route in for fumes is via the normal van heater & the ventilation mesh in the roof bellows.

sidepod · Nov 1, 2016

andyinluton said:
I'm not 100% sure but believe the only gas drop out in the T5/T6 californias is from the gas bottle storage area which has a sealed lid preventing gas escaping into the interior of the van.

So with all doors / windows shut the only route in for fumes is via the normal van heater & the ventilation mesh in the roof bellows.

Is there not and inlet for fridge cooling air below the fridge (through the floor) next to the fridge heat exhaust?

Heater exhaust

WelshGas

Retired after 42 yrs and enjoying Life.

Andresz

briwy

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Retired after 42 yrs and enjoying Life.

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Hannick

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Retired after 42 yrs and enjoying Life.

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