Drive away with parking heater - safe?

[thehorse]

I might go for a drive away awning at some point, but was just wondering if you have the parking heater on, would the heater exhaust (wherever that may be) be belching out fumes into the awning? I guess it could be a safety issue if you were sleeping in the awning.

Anyone have any experience of this?

 

[WelshGas]

I might go for a drive away awning at some point, but was just wondering if you have the parking heater on, would the heater exhaust (wherever that may be) be belching out fumes into the awning? I guess it could be a safety issue if you were sleeping in the awning.

Anyone have any experience of this?

Smell wise, yes it will smell on startup.
Safety wise, the amount of Carbon Monoxide put out is minuscule, if measurable.
You can get a skirt to fit along the vehicle Sill from front to rear wheels.

http://www.justkampers.com/awning-skirt-draught-excluder-swb-t4-t5-t6.html

 

[Lewis]

Most driveaway awnings have a pair of zipped cowl access doors and a separate zipped entrance into the main body of the tent.

If you keep the main tent zipped up but leave the cowl doors unzipped then you'll get significant airflow to dissipate any smell

 

[Ocean Spirit]

I knew this question would have been raised before !
A few questions..
1) So what exactly is it that comes out of the auxiliary heater exhaust then?
2) Where is the exhaust outlet?
3) Will that be too hot to touch?
4) Has anybody routed the fumes away from the awning and what did you use?

Thanks

 

[Hotel California]

1) diesel exhaust like the engine of the Cali
2) to the right hand side near the front
3) never tested and probally never will , but do think this can be hot
4) maybe some do / tried but it's not good for the heater to extend the exhaust

 

[Alibee]

We've run the heater while sleeping in the drive-away and it's generally been fine. Issues arise when there's no wind at all (smell/fumes can hang around) and when you don't have earplugs! Sounds like a sodding F16 when it's doing it's heat-bursts.....

 

[AlanC]

The runs on diesel from the van's tank so the exhaust is burnt diesel fumes just the same as the van's, but without the DPF?

The exhaust pipe sticks vertically down underneath and just off the centre of the van, approximately under the front seats.

It probably gets hot but you can't reach to touch it.

It may be possible to use a flexible exhaust pipe that you see on retro fit heaters from the manufacturer. I am not certain if there is a union that will connect the two pipes but worth contacting Esberspächer to find out.
Webasco make the 'Thermo Top' coolant heater so they may also be able to help here.

If you can extend the exhaust, I would run it towards the back by the left rear wheel, somewhere near the grey water drain.

A quick search got me to this company:
https://pbautoelectrics.co.uk/shop/webasto-exhaust-pipe-adaptor-22-24mm-1320382a/

The Webasco version of the Esberspächer heater is the 'Air Top' that is retro fitted to conversions, so they may be able to help.

Alan

 

[J0Xd4E]

I've wondered what affect the heater has on particulate level in the van or on surrounding tents. Not been able to find anything though.

 

[MattBW]

Good advice above. If you are worried £15 for a CO alarm will be money well spent and give you the peace of mind that everything is ok. CO should only be a problem if the heater isn't burning efficiently and there is no air movement/ventillation. As the heater is self contained its impossible to tell if is burning inefficiently (on a gas burner orange or red flames are the sign) the only thing that could ever tell you is a CO alarm/detector.

As for particulates, it burns such tiny amounts that I personally would suspect it to be negligible. If you ever see the pump of one of these running, it literally drips tiny amounts of diesel. A charcoal bbq will be far worse on the particulate front I suspect.

 

[briwy]

Max exhaust length for the Eberspacher is 2m from the unit so it's probably not worth trying to extend it.

 

[AlanC]

Max exhaust length for the Eberspacher is 2m from the unit so it's probably not worth trying to extend it.

2 metres would get you to the left side of the van away from the drive away awning though.

Alan

 

[WelshGas]

2 metres would get you to the left side of the van away from the drive away awning though.

Alan

Not with a 4 Motion.

 

[AlanC]

Which side of the drive shaft is the heater exhaust? I thought it was on the left?

Alan

 

[Gazellio]

The Engine Heater is under van directly under Passenger Seat area and the Van Heater is under Van directly below Driver Seat area. Both covered by plastic cowling as is most of underside.

Here is my Engine Heater Exhaust under passenger seat:

 

[Ocean Spirit]

Thanks guys for all your helpful replies.
As usual, a great place for learning.

A few points and ideas have been raised that have eased any worries.
The main things being the distance the exhaust is away from the edge of the vehicle and the fact I overlooked that as the heater uses such a small amount of fuel per hour and the great outdoors will safely dissipate any carbon monoxide on even the stillest day at that rate.
Coupling these together I'm pretty sure all is good just so long as the heater is working properly.
If not and the heater consumed larger amounts of fuel and burnt it with it all being directed at the drive away awning you could get higher concentrations I suppose but I'm now of the belief that even then the risk remains negligible.

 

[MattBW]

Club shop now stocks a CO alarm, I know its a good model as it's the one we give to vulnerable customers at work.

https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/shop/p...reestanding-carbon-monoxide-co-alarm-detector

 

[AlanC]

I have a 2 wheel drive van and the parking heater exhaust is placed beside the the vehicle exhaust pipe in the centre of the van. VW must have changed the design since 2010.

Alan

 

[Jabberwocky]

The Engine Heater is under van directly under Passenger Seat area and the Van Heater is under Van directly below Driver Seat area. Both covered by plastic cowling as is most of underside.

Here is my Engine Heater Exhaust under passenger seat:

View attachment 31928

Off topic I know, but do you wash the underside of your Cali or just not drive it during our winter/in the rain etc?

 

[Velma's Dad]

Off topic I know, but do you wash the underside of your Cali or just not drive it during our winter/in the rain etc?

Are you serious JW? Who EVER washes the underside of a vehicle (apart from maybe jet-washing the crud out of the wheel arches after mud-plugging)??

Not me, anyway!

 

[Jabberwocky]

Are you serious JW? Who EVER washes the underside of a vehicle (apart from maybe jet-washing the crud out of the wheel arches after mud-plugging)??

Not me, anyway!

I was referring to @Gazellio photo. It’s just too clean!!!! Me? Like you I don’t except the wheel arches and then only after all the winter salt has gone.

 

[Velma's Dad]

I was referring to @Gazellio photo. It’s just too clean!!!! Me? Like you I don’t except the wheel arches and then only after all the winter salt has gone.

Ah yes I see what you mean. Velma's lucky if she gets a quick lick and a spit a couple of times a year.

 

[Gazellio]

Off topic I know, but do you wash the underside of your Cali or just not drive it during our winter/in the rain etc?

I am a Ranger Rover/Discovery 4 dealer so I keep my car as clean as my stock cars. The Cali is used every day and will be 365 days a year.

PS: Clean cars live longer

 

[Jabberwocky]

I am a Ranger Rover/Discovery 4 dealer so I keep my car as clean as my stock cars. The Cali is used every day and will be 365 days a year.

PS: Clean cars live longer

Seriously? You keep your Cali as clean as the photo you posted above? Wow! That's impressive. Please tell me how you achieve that as I also agree that clean cars live longer (which is a good thing).

 

[Gazellio]

Most of the underside is covered in plastic molding that's very easy to jet wash clean (Not too close) if your prepared to get down there and if regularly cleaned it hardly gets dirty its years of build up that hurts. I properly clean mine once a week.