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Old 12-06-2021, 02:01 PM   #1
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Toledo OH
Posts: 781
Year: 2006
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: MVP-EF
Engine: Cat C7 + Allison 3000PTS
Where did you mount your diesel heater tank?

I've searched this site, read about 7 pages of the "diesel heater thread", even checked the facebook groups. I found lots of discussion about the diesel heaters, but very little discussion of where people put the fuel tanks! I think I'd like to keep mine separate at least for now, since it might be hard for the little pump to suck fuel all the way from my main fuel tank.


I'm trying to think of where I could put the fuel tank that would be accessible from the outside fairly easily. All I can think of would be to drill a big hole or two in the skirt to get to the fill nozzles, but that seems cumbersome. I definitely don't want to have to cart diesel fuel into the bus if I can help it.


Pictures, discussion, conjecture all welcome! FWIW I'm looking at getting one heater and mounting it more or less in the center of the bus, but might get two. I am not going crazy with insulation: I'm taking off the walls below the windows and re-insulating those, and I've put foam board on the floor, but the ceiling is staying original. We will put some heavier curtains up but I don't plan to blank out more windows than necessary.

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Old 12-06-2021, 03:41 PM   #2
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Year: 1999
Coachwork: El Dorado Fiberglass
Chassis: Ford E450
Engine: V10 Gas
Watch youtube videos to get oriented on these suckers. They're great, but they have terrible instruction manuals.

I have a shuttle bus, and I put the diesel heater all the way in the back on the driver's side.

The tank is in the toolbox in the bumper extension, along with the impulse pump (thank goodness-that thing is noisy). Agreed, don't want to bring diesel into the bus.

I you have a way of mounting a jerrycan high on the back (so it isn't crushed in a rear end collision) you might be in good shape.

I've seen youtube videos of school buses where they mount the heater mid-ship and put the tank in a compartment underfloor. Heaters need to be mounted close to the exterior wall to be able to vent the diesel exhaust to the side/exterior of the bus, so take care in placement.

Also, search youtube for 'diesel heater controller' before starting the install. As mentioned The instructions that come with these are terrible and you MUST prime the line all the way to the burner to avoid extended troubleshooting after the thing is in place. The only place you'll find instructions on turning on the pump to prime the lines is on line.
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Old 12-06-2021, 03:45 PM   #3
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Location: Long Beach, CA
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Year: 1998
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I have 2, 5kW heaters and just installed a 2kW in the back for the bedroom. I'm working on plumbing all of them into my existing fuel tanks. For the time being they just draw from plastic diesel jugs. Insulation is key to these things working. My bus was 36° Sunday morning and was up to 62° (colder up front) in about an hour with 1, 5kW & the 2kW maxed.
If your bus is diesel, use that. Keep in mind your usage with a 5kW unit will be around 10 hours/gallon maxed out
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Old 12-06-2021, 03:49 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rucker View Post
Watch youtube videos to get oriented on these suckers. They're great, but they have terrible instruction manuals.

I have a shuttle bus, and I put the diesel heater all the way in the back on the driver's side.

The tank is in the toolbox in the bumper extension, along with the impulse pump (thank goodness-that thing is noisy). Agreed, don't want to bring diesel into the bus.

I you have a way of mounting a jerrycan high on the back (so it isn't crushed in a rear end collision) you might be in good shape.

I've seen youtube videos of school buses where they mount the heater mid-ship and put the tank in a compartment underfloor. Heaters need to be mounted close to the exterior wall to be able to vent the diesel exhaust to the side/exterior of the bus, so take care in placement.

Also, search youtube for 'diesel heater controller' before starting the install. As mentioned The instructions that come with these are terrible and you MUST prime the line all the way to the burner to avoid extended troubleshooting after the thing is in place. The only place you'll find instructions on turning on the pump to prime the lines is on line.
The instructions with mine were comical. I don't have good internet where my bus is stored so I watched lots of YouTube at home and made notes.
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Old 12-07-2021, 12:26 AM   #5
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Coachwork: Crown, integral. (With 2kW of tiltable solar)
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Rated Cap: 37,400 lbs GVWR
I have two Warmtoo aluminum-shell 5kW heaters (sold as "8kW"!), one of which is already installed for the bedroom at the rear of my bus. I put that one inside the bathroom that's just ahead of the bedroom and closets, mounted on its side (with the glow pin uppermost) and blowing hot air through a hole in the bathroom wall straight back towards the bed. The heaters' 10-liter day tanks are filled from the bus's main 100-gallon tank by two gear pumps that were sold as oil scavenge pumps for race cars with dry-sump engines. These pumps completely fill the day tanks in less than a minute, and they are controlled by momentary-on toggle switches next to the day tanks that trigger relays to power the pumps. I use 3/8" fuel line from the bus's tank to the transfer pumps (there's one pump for each heater) and from the transfer pumps to the day tanks, and 1/4" OD polyethylene tubing from Home Despot from the day tanks to the heaters' metering pumps, then the recommended 2mm tube from the metering pumps to the heaters. When I see the day tank's level is getting low, I just switch on the transfer pump for a few seconds to top it up. Easy!

The heaters' metering pumps will not suck fuel very far; they're intended to push fuel, not pull it. If they try to pull fuel too far, there's a risk of cavitation bubbles forming that could disrupt the pump's ability to move precise quantities of fuel to the heater. This is why the day tanks should be reasonably close to the heaters.

John
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Old 12-07-2021, 06:25 AM   #6
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I run mine off of my existing fuel tank.. I piped it in with the fuel pickup for the heater about 3 inches above the engine pickup so if I accidentilly leave my heater on it wont run my bus out of fuel.



on one Bus I ran a new dip tube, the tank had an unused tap in the top that I unscrewed and installed my tube, on the other bus I used a stepper bit and drilled a new hole.. I pulled out the sender and was able to reach a greased big cooking spoon inside the tank and drill from up above.. the greased spoon caught the few shavings that fell down as I drilled.. I then used the kit that came wit hthe heater to drop the tube down and mount it... I did RTV their rubber seal and the threads a bit so they wouldnt leak or come loose.. no issues thus far a couple years in.



be sure when dropping the new tube down that you dont interfere with the sender float
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Old 12-07-2021, 08:34 AM   #7
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I have a 90 gallon main tank between the frame rails in the rear, and as far as I can tell, there's no access hole in the bus for the sending unit/pickup tube. If I can pinpoint the location I'll cut in a hinged door. That's for the 2kW unit.
I also have a 70 gallon saddle tank about midway up the passenger side for the generators. It has a 3/4" npt port on either end down low and no sending unit. Unfortunately, it's full. I'd like to drop it and add a couple pickup tunes and a fuel level float.
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Old 12-07-2021, 08:01 PM   #8
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In the right rear of my International there was a space that was about 20" x20" x 72" that housed nothing but a 6' section of tailpipe. I rerouted the pipe out the side behind the tire. That left a huge space for the 29g propane tank. Would be suitable location for a diesel tank also. The white water outlet to the left is actually a 25' airhose connected to a hose reel back there also.


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Old 12-11-2021, 04:06 PM   #9
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Year: 1990
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Diesel Heater fuel tank

I mounted mine against the back wall near my back door exit
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Old 12-11-2021, 06:09 PM   #10
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Outside in welded frame, starboard side, aft of axle.

We mounted everything under bus and cut an access hole in skirt for refill of tank. If i could figure out how to attach a pic here…i would. Contact me through joyousbuslife on IG . Have fun.
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Old 12-12-2021, 03:41 PM   #11
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mounted my 10L diesel tank on my ladder beside the back door. it's only held with zip ties, so i could relocate it, but this spot is working great. i can look out the window and see the fuel level. and it's all downhill until the last foot of fuel line just before the heater.



i don't use the ladder anyway. i scramble up using the factory foot pegs on the front fender. ;)
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Old 12-12-2021, 05:37 PM   #12
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Risk of fuel gelling in the winter.

Quote:
Originally Posted by katix View Post
mounted my 10L diesel tank on my ladder beside the back door. it's only held with zip ties, so i could relocate it, but this spot is working great. i can look out the window and see the fuel level. and it's all downhill until the last foot of fuel line just before the heater.



i don't use the ladder anyway. i scramble up using the factory foot pegs on the front fender. ;)
If you leave it outside like that, you risk theft and your fuel gelling when it gets really cold.
Not something that I would wish on ANYONE. IJS
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Old 12-12-2021, 05:59 PM   #13
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the regular bus fuel tanks are outside.. many people connect the heaters to their bus tanks.. I have yet to experience fuel gelling, I typically use what i think is good quality fuel and when im goin g into 0f type conditions or below I put in additives so my fuel doesnt gel.



id rather have the tank outside than inside.. diesel fuel smells nasty
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