Auxiliary Heater experiment.

[Lewis]

Funny my heater doesn't tick at all, you can faintly hear the fan blower inside. Have Eberspacher resolved the tick ? Can't hear anything outside the van either.

This is really surprising. When ours turns on it's seriously loud outside in the early morning. I hadn't realised this as I'm usually in the shower whilst it's running before work but last week had it on at 5:15 before a day trip to France and it woke up at least two sets of neighbours when it came on at setting 7.

Lesson learned, turn it to 3 and then turn off with the remote so next time it comes back on at number 3 and everyone is happy.

 

[motacyclist]

California has an element of insulation capacity

I was surprised to see there appears to be no insulation in the sides, if you look in the sliding cupboard you can see the painted metal body panel. Explains why it's always freezing in there!

 

[Hotel California]

I was surprised to see there appears to be no insulation in the sides, if you look in the sliding cupboard you can see the painted metal body panel. Explains why it's always freezing in there!

Insulation takes up moist , no good in a small campervan .
Insulation needs to be put behind a moist/damp-screen.

 

[WelshGas]

I was surprised to see there appears to be no insulation in the sides, if you look in the sliding cupboard you can see the painted metal body panel. Explains why it's always freezing in there!

That's why ventilation and the Heater are important. Also use of those Disposable De-Humidifiers is helpful.

 

[bournemouthbeach]

Funny my heater doesn't tick at all, you can faintly hear the fan blower inside. Have Eberspacher resolved the tick ? Can't hear anything outside the van either.

The tick can be resolved as it's the fuel pump without the ticking the heater isn't getting fuel delivered.

Thanks

Shaun

 

[Chris Nicholls]

Do all Calis come with the remote control? I have a second hand 2015 model but there is no remote. Thanks.

 

[WelshGas]

This is really surprising. When ours turns on it's seriously loud outside in the early morning. I hadn't realised this as I'm usually in the shower whilst it's running before work but last week had it on at 5:15 before a day trip to France and it woke up at least two sets of neighbours when it came on at setting 7.

Lesson learned, turn it to 3 and then turn off with the remote so next time it comes back on at number 3 and everyone is happy.

I have to be stood next to the California to hear the heater fan or fuel pump ticking, even on Level 7.
Wouldn't wake anyone up on the next pitch let alone the next house.

 

[WelshGas]

Do all Calis come with the remote control? I have a second hand 2015 model but there is no remote. Thanks.

Not totally sure. I think so.

Just checked my 2014 Brochure. Heater Remote was included.

 

[Rich20]

Do all Calis come with the remote control? I have a second hand 2015 model but there is no remote. Thanks.

It was an option in 2015 so it may not have been specked with the remote. Check with VW as they can look at the vehicle spec.

 

[Yorkie]

Having worked in Anaesthetics and Intensive Care for some 40+ years I have some experience in this field and using the gas burners in the California is a much greater risk than using the Eberspacher Diesel Heater in the California.
A monitor is of use, but not infallible. Ventilation is more important.
Oh, and just to put the record straight, CO is produced naturally in the body, whether you smoke or not.


" In biology, carbon monoxide is naturally produced by the action of heme oxygenase 1 and 2 on the heme from hemoglobin breakdown. This process produces a certain amount of carboxyhemoglobin in normal persons, even if they do not breathe any carbon monoxide. Following the first report that carbon monoxide is a normal neurotransmitter in 1993,[14][15]as well as one of three gases that naturally modulate inflammatory responses in the body (the other two being nitric oxide and hydrogen sulfide), carbon monoxide has received a great deal of clinical attention as a biological regulator. In many tissues, all three gases are known to act as anti-inflammatories, vasodilators, and promoters of neovascular growth.[16]Clinical trials of small amounts of carbon monoxide as a drug are ongoing.[17] Too much carbon monoxide causes carbon monoxide poisoning."

That's what I thought

 

[Yorkie]

I have to be stood next to the California to hear the heater fan or fuel pump ticking, even on Level 7.
Wouldn't wake anyone up on the next pitch let alone the next house.

Our ticking is really loud. We thought someone was using a pick and when I had had enough went outside to ask kindly to give it a break realised it was us!

 

[motacyclist]

Insulation takes up moist , no good in a small campervan .
Insulation needs to be put behind a moist/damp-screen.

What about that spray on expanding stuff? I don't think that would absorb moisture ...

Not that it matters, the Cali is warm enough anyway, just that I expected to see insulation in the walls.

 

[Hotel California]

What about that spray on expanding stuff? I don't think that would absorb moisture ...

Not that it matters, the Cali is warm enough anyway, just that I expected to see insulation in the walls.

You can not put anything between the watertanks and bodywork , the floor also has to be removed and not much space to insulate anyway .
Foam should indeed be good.

 

[Kevvan]

Hello
I'm just bumping this thread for some reassurance about the diesel heater. with diesels in the news so much recently am I right in thinking that in this cold weather it is perfectly safe to have the heater on all night with the windows locked?
this is something I did on the first night, but the more I think about it now it just sounds risky (and I've now bought a CO monitor)

 

[Hotel California]

Hello
I'm just bumping this thread for some reassurance about the diesel heater. with diesels in the news so much recently am I right in thinking that in this cold weather it is perfectly safe to have the heater on all night with the windows locked?
this is something I did on the first night, but the more I think about it now it just sounds risky (and I've now bought a CO monitor)

Sleeping in such a small space like a Cali needs ventilation.
When the roof is not up you should open something...sliding window , front window , rear door .
If the roof is up there is ventilation thru the vents in the roof canvas (but i would still open a window)

 

[Kevvan]

Sleeping in such a small space like a Cali needs ventilation.
When the roof is not up you should open something...sliding window , front window , rear door .
If the roof is up there is ventilation thru the vents in the roof canvas (but i would still open a window)

thanks, yes I will follow this good advice.

 

[WelshGas]

thanks, yes I will follow this good advice.

You get more Carbon Monoxide from using an inefficient Gas burner in a poorly ventilated California than you will ever get from operating the Diesel Parking Heater with or without ventilation.
In fact you are at more risk from rising Carbon Dioxide levels and lowered Oxygen levels if you do not have adequate ventilation. The Heater allows you to have adequate ventilation whilst keeping warm on the coldest of nights.

 

[Kevvan]

You get more Carbon Monoxide from using an inefficient Gas burner in a poorly ventilated California than you will ever get from operating the Diesel Parking Heater with or without ventilation.
In fact you are at more risk from rising Carbon Dioxide levels and lowered Oxygen levels if you do not have adequate ventilation. The Heater allows you to have adequate ventilation whilst keeping warm on the coldest of nights.

Thanks, yes windows open from now on!

 

[Teejay]

Thanks, yes windows open from now on!

Get some wind deflectors and you can open both front windows a smidge. You cannot tell that they are open from the outside.

 

[Kevvan]

Get some wind deflectors and you can open both front windows a smidge. You cannot tell that they are open from the outside.

thanks yes that sounds a good idea

 

[Flood51]

A footnote. I am sure I read somewhere on this board that the heater stops when the diesel tank gets to a predetermine low level leaving enough range to fill up. Maybe I was mistaken about what I thought I had read but on the T6 you can run it out of fuel on the auxiliary heater. When I started her this morning for the first drive since Christmas it gave a low fuel warning with a range of 5 miles only.

 

[sidepod]

A footnote. I am sure I read somewhere on this board that the heater stops when the diesel tank gets to a predetermine low level leaving enough range to fill up. Maybe I was mistaken about what I thought I had read but on the T6 you can run it out of fuel on the auxiliary heater. When I started her this morning for the first drive since Christmas it gave a low fuel warning with a range of 5 miles only.

It should be the way you describe. It certainly is on the T4.
Heater fuel tap off the main tank is above that of the engine supply.

I seem to worry more about filling up so the heater has fuel than I do about the engine.

 

[andyinluton]

A footnote. I am sure I read somewhere on this board that the heater stops when the diesel tank gets to a predetermine low level leaving enough range to fill up. Maybe I was mistaken about what I thought I had read but on the T6 you can run it out of fuel on the auxiliary heater. When I started her this morning for the first drive since Christmas it gave a low fuel warning with a range of 5 miles only.

The cut off is the actual amount of fuel in the tank as its dictated by the level of the feed pipe, not the range showing on the computer. If you've reset the computer & only shuffled the van around on the driveway you can get a very low range showing with a large amount of fuel left.
I had 25 miles range showing with more than half a tank, wife gave me an earful for leaving her the van to use with no diesel in it.

For 5 miles you could still have a couple of gallons left.

 

[Holidaymaker]

Is good knowing California is good insulate for winter time sleeping.