Webasto diesel heaters

[gusbus]

I've got a buddy that has a couple of these heaters out of trucks he's had in the past. I think he would nearly give me one of them if I asked for it. Trouble is, with the cost of diesel these days I'm wondering if it wouldn't be an expensive proposition to run one of those things for full time heat in a bus.
I'm wondering if anyone has any idea how economical or vice-versa one of these things would be. Diesel is extremely high priced in the oil field because of the shear number of trucks running here. The price drop like .50 just driving 100 miles away. 200 miles it drop 0.75.

[crazycal]

Depending on which model, they use about 1 gallon of diesel overnight. Trucking companies are installing them for their drivers. The idiots will run the truck all night long burning over 1 gallon per hour. I don't understand the price drop comment.

[opus]

.35 gal an hour is mine. Absolutely GREAT units IF....you are maintenance minded. If you are not a maintenance geek, pass. They arent tough to maintain but you need to be aware of things. Run them often, clean electrodes, filter, nozzle, etc.

[crazycal]

Originally Posted by opus

.35 gal an hour is mine. Absolutely GREAT units IF....you are maintenance minded. If you are not a maintenance geek, pass. They arent tough to maintain but you need to be aware of things. Run them often, clean electrodes, filter, nozzle, etc.

Does yours heat the coolant?

[opus]

Originally Posted by crazycal

Does yours heat the coolant?

It does and I have 5 or 6 heaters in.

[gusbus]

I don't understand it either, but really what I was saying is that the further you get from the oilfield the cheaper diesel gets . . . .to a point of course.

[quote="crazycal" I don't understand the price drop comment.[/quote]

[wmkbailey]

I have a Wabsto heater in my bus. I did a check a while back to compare. My heater is 45,000 btu and uses .4 gal hr at full running. That is 2.5 hr per gal. A couple of the 45,000 btu propane use .6 gsl per hr at the same 2.5 hrs = 1.5 gal. Diesel is $3.70 gal and propane is $3.00, $3.00 x 1.5 = $4.50. So it would be cheaper to run with diesel here in Marland. I don't remember the cost of propane in Indiana, but the cost came close to the same. Diesel has more btu per gal than propane. Hope this helps. Of course the heater when the bus is up to temp, would not be running all the time. So actual use would be less.

[family wagon]

My bus has an Eberspacher diesel-fired coolant heater. Apparently that's a group in the Espar company, and it seems like I came across something suggesting the Webasto brand is somehow related to that enterprise as well. Maybe that's bad info though.

Anyway.. would you send me whatever you've got on maintenance on the Webasto unit? I guess the concepts would be similar, at least. I don't have any idea when my Eberspacher was last operated, nor really any idea how to even go about attempting to turn it on. I found a roughed-up controller for it that had fallen down into the wiring snake-den below the driver's side window..

[gusbus]

In the oilfield diesel is twice the price of propane; actually more than that. I know the btu's are higher for diesel but I' all have to check how much higher because of the huge discrepancy in price.

[opus]

You must have soft coal up there?

[opus]

Interesting, here, WY and most the west has all soft coal. I wasnt aware there was anthracite in AB. We heated with coal when I was in New England. I used to haul it out of the Pocano Mountains of PA. Coal is by far the #1 heat in my book. Most economical way as well. People dont like it for the smell and soot, as I am sure you know. Didnt bother me, you just have to clean more. ;) We have wood here but I sure wish I could get some good coal!

[crazycal]

Originally Posted by opus

Coal is by far the #1 heat in my book.!

Shhhh! Not so loud or Obama will hear you and send his stooge Holder after you.

[opus]

Originally Posted by crazycal

Shhhh! Not so loud or Obama will hear you and send his stooge Holder after you.

Who? Wait...I've heard that name before, let me think......