Featherforgeflyco
New member
Has anyone installed one of these in their CDORY.
Vevor diesel heater
- Thread starter Featherforgeflyco
- Start date
colbysmith
Active member
You can look for my embedded albumn for C-Traveler and see my Webasto install. More photos than description. The thru hull, insulation and exhaust pipe came from Sure marine I believe.
westward":26x6xn04 said:
I have used fiberglass exhaust lagging material, fastened with SS Zip Ties. Example of this is: Techflex® Insultherm® Braided Fiberglass Sleeving. There are similar fiberglass tapes. It used to be Asbestos a long time ago. Ceramic lagging materials are also available. You want to protect people and material from being burned.
I use 4" from hot exhaust tubing. Similar material and spacing was used on an instillation of a 45,000 BTU diesel fired, circulating water heater on the Cal 46 we rebuilt for Alaska cruising.
You don't want to insulate too much. Some heat radiation from exhaust is desirable, except from where the exhaust is close to flammable material. The exhaust cooling radiant effect should keep the temperature down to some degree where the exhaust exits the fiberglass laminate of the hull. It would be interesting to do IR temperature of the tubing where it enters the thru hull exhaust fitting, as well as the length of all of the tubing (insulated or not).
Don't let the exhaust gas be near any occlusive or inflatable material as it exits the hull. For example fenders should be kept away from the exhaust. Don't raft up with the exhaust right next to another boat topsides, fenders, dinghy etc. There is not only heat, but also CO danger to a boat rafting on that side. There are probably C Dory owners who have done this?? If so what did they find?
ssobol":kxs2v3x4 said:
I thought the same thing, and had nothing but problems with my Lavaner and wound up pulling it out and putting it in the trash in about a week. Wasted a huge amount of time on it. Right out of the box it would pull more amps than the wiring and fuse could handle, once I figured that out, I had endless problems with getting it to run properly.
I know people really like these forced-air heaters, but in my opinion, if you need reliable heat, simple is better.
Also, for insulation, don't mess with the nightmare fiberglass wrap stuff. They sell pre-made silicone insulating sleeves that are way easier to work with, don't unravel, and require no hardware to rust. You will also need to carefully consider the exhaust fitting depending on your installation; you will likely want a "swan neck" type, which is not the standard that these heaters come with.
T.R. Bauer
New member
I have 2 Chinese diesel heaters and I guess I am lucky as I have had no problems with them. And mine get used! The one in my boat, after countless hours and cycles, has shut down twice - once because of air in the fuel line as the tank was nearly empty, and the other time was low voltage because the house battery was basically dead. The one in my truck has never shut down - even on roads that are so rough it will make your fillings fall out. My business partner has one in his travel trailer and he has had no issues as well. But, I read about some people having a terrible experience with them. Like everything, there are bad ones. And even with that, I'd really like one in my RV because of how quiet they are in comparison to the loud forced air propane furnace that wakes me up 20 times a night.
I have a Chinese diesel ,heater branded "maXeedingrods," from Amazon. Don't know the actual manufacturer. It has the integral tank. I upgraded the exhaust and through-hull--otherwise pretty much plug 'n' play. I have only used it this winter, but so far love it--plenty of heat for a C-dory 22, and over this short use, has been flawless. Sam
Marco Flamingo
Active member
I have a $100 Chinese diesel heater on my C Dory and a $1,000 Espar on my trawler. I prefer the $100 unit. There are plenty of posts on various websites that find fault with the Chinese heaters, but it is generally the install that is the problem, not the product.
Just for your information, the UK just banned the importation of the Vevor brand of diesel heater.
https://www.gov.uk/product-safety-alert ... e%20border.
It is a strange customs ruling where they apparently weren't aware that Vevor was one of about 100 rebrandings of the generic made-in-China diesel heater. The reason was that the Chinese installation manual wasn't clear. Really?
But these can be dangerous, like say, having gasoline on your boat or pulling a boat on a trailer. Seriously, you must use common sense (apparently in sort supply in the UK). Exhaust seal in important. Exhaust lagging is important. A muffler is important (not the one included with the heater). An insulated through hull is required, preferably one with a angle so that the exhaust can have a loop that stops water infiltration. Most "kits" come with a thin 10 liter diesel tank. That didn't fit for my installation, so I put in a generic 2 gallon tank, which lasts me an entire season.
Some units come with a soft (usually green) fuel line that needs to be thrown out and replaced with better quality. A single heat register is preferred because any restriction in the hot air duct tends to cause problems (avoid Ts and use a Y if necessary). If you get a register that is directional and can point it towards the windshield, that is sweet in sloppy cold weather.
The Chinese heaters that I've seen don't turn completely off when the thermostatic set point is reached. This may require opening a window or door. I like that better than the Espar on my 16, which turns completely off and then re-ignites 10-15 minutes later. The ignitor draws 9 amps for 4-5 minutes. That can run down a house battery when anchored. The Chinese heater will just keep running for about 8 hours on 9 amps (and 12 ounces of diesel).
The install of the Espar is in my photos under Modifications. A Chinese heater install is the same. There is a possibility of CO poisoning from either a bad pipe connection or exhaust reentering the boat. I always turn it off overnight and rely on my down comforter.
Just for your information, the UK just banned the importation of the Vevor brand of diesel heater.
https://www.gov.uk/product-safety-alert ... e%20border.
It is a strange customs ruling where they apparently weren't aware that Vevor was one of about 100 rebrandings of the generic made-in-China diesel heater. The reason was that the Chinese installation manual wasn't clear. Really?
But these can be dangerous, like say, having gasoline on your boat or pulling a boat on a trailer. Seriously, you must use common sense (apparently in sort supply in the UK). Exhaust seal in important. Exhaust lagging is important. A muffler is important (not the one included with the heater). An insulated through hull is required, preferably one with a angle so that the exhaust can have a loop that stops water infiltration. Most "kits" come with a thin 10 liter diesel tank. That didn't fit for my installation, so I put in a generic 2 gallon tank, which lasts me an entire season.
Some units come with a soft (usually green) fuel line that needs to be thrown out and replaced with better quality. A single heat register is preferred because any restriction in the hot air duct tends to cause problems (avoid Ts and use a Y if necessary). If you get a register that is directional and can point it towards the windshield, that is sweet in sloppy cold weather.
The Chinese heaters that I've seen don't turn completely off when the thermostatic set point is reached. This may require opening a window or door. I like that better than the Espar on my 16, which turns completely off and then re-ignites 10-15 minutes later. The ignitor draws 9 amps for 4-5 minutes. That can run down a house battery when anchored. The Chinese heater will just keep running for about 8 hours on 9 amps (and 12 ounces of diesel).
The install of the Espar is in my photos under Modifications. A Chinese heater install is the same. There is a possibility of CO poisoning from either a bad pipe connection or exhaust reentering the boat. I always turn it off overnight and rely on my down comforter.