First world problem...

bxl_lad · Feb 29, 2016

In a world where we're privileged (or stupid!) enough to leave our warm homes in the middle of winter and instead decide to sleep in a van when its sub-zero outside... I'm sure I'm not the first to think of this...

Does there exist (in my case for a 2000my T4 Cali), a way to extend the control panel operation (namely night heater controls) to the back of the van so you don't have to get out of bed in the middle of said cold winters night, to switch the heating back on :talktothehand

...
(i'm sure you've all thought of the idea! Initial thought was two long pointy sticks, but then I thought there must be a more technical approach!)...

Seriously though, is there a possibility to do this? A secondary set of switches and display of some sort?

Cheers

sidepod · Feb 29, 2016

Not off the shelf that I'm aware but it should be easy enough by either relocation of the control panel to the rear and simply extending the existing loom, or duplicate the panel by buying another, mount it in the rear and install a two way switch arrangement in the extended loom. That way you could set it to be controlled by either/or.
Simple enough.

Another way would to simply cut into the main "heat on" wire (red I think) from the control panel and route it via a simple rear mounted switch. That way you could leave the heating on at the front control panel but switch it from the rear.
You could even add in a "back from pub" timer option into this config.

Pod.

snowy55 · Feb 29, 2016

Get the wife/partner to do the switching on :bananadance

bxl_lad · Feb 29, 2016

snowy55 said:
Get the wife/partner to do the switching on

Haha... guess who's pushing me out of bed to turn the bloomin thing back on cos she ain't getting out to do it either! :talktothehand

2into1 · Feb 29, 2016

I've wondered about this. The best I could think of was to take the control of the heater away from the control panel, and wire it up again as if it were an after market set-up. You could then mount the standard eberspacher little black box wherever you want.
I wondered if I'd be able to get a remote control function going this way (like the t5).

bxl_lad · Feb 29, 2016

sidepod said:
Not off the shelf that I'm aware but it should be easy enough by either relocation of the control panel to the rear and simply extending the existing loom, or duplicate the panel by buying another, mount it in the rear and install a two way switch arrangement in the extended loom. That way you could set it to be controlled by either/or.
Simple enough.

Another way would to simply cut into the main "heat on" wire (red I think) from the control panel and route it via a simple rear mounted switch. That way you could leave the heating on at the front control panel but switch it from the rear.
You could even add in a "back from pub" timer option into this config.

Pod.

Ooof... I was hoping a more 'off-the-shelf' solution... Don't really want to go messing with the setup to that extent... Thanks though for the ideas...
Shame the heating can't be set to come on for a temperature range and then you would be able to set it and not wake up in the middle of the night wondering where all the heat went... :headbang

mrcheesbrough · Feb 29, 2016

There is the facility to set the heater to come on at one of three (I think) preset times. Not as flexible as a setup that's say operated by a remote, or as you suggest bxl_lad, simply temperature sensitive. If your central control panel has the full compliment of buttons (some of the earlier ones had the heater controls seperate) you should see a little clock symbol. If you time the heater to come on it will operate for two hours then switch off. Based on that you could time it to come on mid way through the night to top things up. Or set it to come on 30 mins before you kick the missus out to make the first cuppa.