Heater or Radiator

[Joe45]

I pulled out the stock cabin heater from inside of the bus for the floor removal etc. I still have the heater, which seems in perfect conditions, and the hoses as well.



What do you think is the best rout to go:


A. Toss the whole damn thing.
B. Reinstall it in the bus to serve as an extra source of heat on winter days/nights (if I travel in substantial cold, I'll leave the engine running while I sleep, so that would give heat).
C. Install it outside, maybe on the rear, up high, to serve as an auxiliary mini radiator for when traveling on very hot days.

 

[EastCoastCB]

I pulled out the stock cabin heater from inside of the bus for the floor removal etc. I still have the heater, which seems in perfect conditions, and the hoses as well.



What do you think is the best rout to go:


A. Toss the whole damn thing.
B. Reinstall it in the bus to serve as an extra source of heat on winter days/nights (if I travel in substantial cold, I'll leave the engine running while I sleep, so that would give heat).
C. Install it outside, maybe on the rear, up high, to serve as an auxiliary mini radiator for when traveling on very hot days.

I vote to keep it in the bus.

 

[magnakansas]

I have 3

Underdash heater/ defroster, heater behind the driver’s seat. And one in the back blowin air forward., I am not planning on running the engine, I have big Webasto coolant heater.

William

 

[Joe45]

I think I will indeed leave it in the bus.
Will have to look into those webasto contraptions!

 

[Rochey6957]

Definetly leave the heater located near the door and the other located near the driver. These provide the heat for your windshield defroster. You will be glad you did the first time you drive in cold rainy weather.

In my bus all the plastic flexible ductwork was chewed up by mice and such and will be getting replaced. Inspect your ductwork, and blowers. Clean and service/ replace as necessary. Also a good time to clean the dust out of the heater core fins. A garden hose and a nylon brush should do it. My bus had like four 12v fans on the dash. These also may need serviceing or replaced.

Good luck

 

[Joe45]

I'm gonna go ahead and keep the heater inside. Right now I'm trying to decide between putting it in the back, where it was before, or up in the cockpit.



I have a heater and fan on my side, but the new passenger side, where my wife will sit during travel, does not. Not sure f it'll be too much for the cockpit though.

 

[Native-SKO]

Do yourself and your wife a favor and install one for the passenger side too.

 

[Bon Voyage]

I drove a couple hours yesterday and again today with my front dash heater hooked up the first time. Was about 24 deg f outside and kept the fans on half way for most of the driving. My front thermostat showed 80 degrees and my rear (about 30 feet back) showed 66 degrees. Now I do still have a few draft spots to patch up but if you do any cold weather driving you’ll want them up front.

 

[musigenesis]

I drove a couple hours yesterday and again today with my front dash heater hooked up the first time. Was about 24 deg f outside and kept the fans on half way for most of the driving. My front thermostat showed 80 degrees and my rear (about 30 feet back) showed 66 degrees. Now I do still have a few draft spots to patch up but if you do any cold weather driving you’ll want them up front.

I took a three-hour drive in 30F weather a couple of weeks ago, and the driver heater and the stepwell heater (I removed the mid and rear heaters) were enough to make the bus quite warm. This despite having an open 4'x8' hole in the floor over the rear axle.

 

[Bon Voyage]

It’s always a good idea to keep the dash heater up front. Any extras are not necessary in my opinion if you have another heat source when you’re stopped.

Joe45 you mentioned keeping the engine idling while you sleep for heat. Diesels don’t put out much heat while idling, yes you’ll get some but not much.

 

[Native-SKO]

I took a three-hour drive in 30F weather a couple of weeks ago, and the driver heater and the stepwell heater (I removed the mid and rear heaters) were enough to make the bus quite warm. This despite having an open 4'x8' hole in the floor over the rear axle.

That's some real heat generation. I would have thought that the 4'x8' hole would mix in so much cold air that only the first 2 or 3 feet of the front near the heaters would be warm. Impressive.


We removed our heaters on our "moving van" temporary build-out. We have an electric (ceramic) heater run off of the inverter/house battery/second alternator which is more of a chill chaser. I am now mulling over using the old stairwell heater to provide some heat while driving. While stationary, the ceramic is decent enough but does require power.

 

[Joe45]

Great information.

Since the diesel idling in cold weather may not put out enough heat to make the heaters viable, it seems like the best bet is putting the old rear heater up front in the cockpit, or by the dinette, that way passengers will be warm on cold weather drives.


The dinette will be made up of two original benches, facing each other. Since they have seat-belts, they're good for passengers while driving.

 

[magnakansas]

dinette

I have one heater behind the drivers seat.... this is under the dinette seats.. blows air backwards for people on that side of the bus... can have radiant heat - no fans, low speed one fan, low speed two fans, high speed one fan or high speed two fans, or any combination of the above... the heater core is 30 inches long 11 inches high and four inches thick and uses two ten inch fans. I have a second heater on the fire wall with three squirell cage fans blowing air on window or me. I have a third heater on the right side of the buss in the rear blowing air forwards. The third heater is as large as the dinette heater and dual fans are controlled the same way. fan off low or high.. I have seven fan switches at the drivers control... another switch for coolant pump. AT times, the engine does not make enough heat for all the heaters an the engine. The big webasto heater adds heat to the system to keep the engine hot enough in cold weather. I do not like to run then engine at or below 180 degrees,,,,, better fuel mileage and power with engine temps at 190-205 degrees intake air temps at 50 to 100 degrees. power suffers at intake air temps over 135 degrees and under 20 - 30 degrees seems like there are power loss also. I run the grid heaters to heat intake when intake temperatures get below 20 degrees. I always thought that better power would come with colder air intake temps. But a diesel can be so cold you cant get the heat needed to ignite the fuel. Cummins guide lines for air intake temps are 30 to 135 degrees..... IF, IF my information is correct.

 

[Joe45]

That sounds like a pretty effective setup. I only have the heater for the driver, which I have not removed, and the one from the rear of the bus, which I did remove and have sitting on the side. That heater has just one fan and is about 10"x12"x4" thick.



So it'll either go by the dinette or on the passenger side of the bus (I closed up the main door and will be installing a passenger seat).


I also have a diesel heater, so maybe that one will be good by the dinette, and the other one can heat up the cockpit area.