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Old 01-23-2019, 08:09 AM   #41
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Here's a post I did on a diesel heater from the Bayliner forum. Hope it helps.

Dave

Hi All:

I recently installed a VVKB Apollo-V2 heater on my 3218. It's a heater that is often used by truck drivers to heat their sleeper cabins when parked.

I was a bit worried about this because it's much less expensive that a Wallace or ESPAR or other brand of well-known diesel furnaces. This heater only cost about $500.

The bottom line: It works and works pretty well.

The downsides:

--It's a heater, not really a furnace. So, there is not thermostat that will automatically shut off the heater when the cabin reaches a certain temperature.

--Because it is designed for installation in an RV or big rig, you'll need to improvise a through hull for the exhaust. I used a stainless steel through hull that was slightly larger than the end of the exhaust pipe. I added some high temperature gasket caulking to make the fit air tight.

--It doesn't have a lot of accessories. I wanted to split the heat output to port one vent into the stateroom and one into the main cabin. The heater just comes with one length of 3" ducting and one vent. In the end I used a stainless steel "Y" from a motorcycle exhaust pipe to split the heated air output. I was able to use some heavy duty stainless dryer vent tubing as ducting and a search on Amazon turned up some vents that worked just fine.

--The controller shows codes, not clear messages. So, for example, when you turn it on it shows "A00" which means "Ventilation Mode," you hit the button again and it shows "A01" which means heater mode. There are other codes for the 5 levels of heating, etc. In other words, don't lose your damn manual so you can look up the codes.

-- Temp readouts are in C not F. Can't figure anyway to change this, although there may be.

-- The unit won't operate if tilted more than 30 degrees. I figured if I'm in seas where the boat is experiencing over 30 degree rolling or pitching, then I have more to worry about than staying warm.

--

With all these drawbacks, however, it was $2,500 cheaper than a Wallace, and seems to heat the cabin really well. It was in the low 40's in Cordova the first night I stayed onboard with the heater going. On the lowest setting it kept the cabin at a comfortable 69-71 degrees all night long.

I was worried about the temperature of the exhaust hose, so I took fairly elaborate precautions to cut large air gaps between it and any bulkheads, and wrapped high-temp insulation around points where it came close to anything. Turns out this was unnecessary. Even after hours of running the exhaust hose is just slightly too hot to touch with bare hands. Far below combustion temperatures for common materials.

For the record: I'm not associated with the manufacturer or reseller of this unit in any way.

You can buy these off amazon. Just search the model number.

Hope someone finds this useful.

Dave
Dave Stephens
2002 3988 "Chinook"
Cape Coral, FL

AND

1988 3218 "Raven"
Cordova, Alaska

(Yes . . 2 boat owner: A special kind of dumb!)
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Old 01-23-2019, 09:22 AM   #42
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Thanks Dave for the information.
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Old 01-25-2019, 04:02 PM   #43
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Here is a couple of detailed and very informative videos about the installation of a couple of diesel heaters from the YouTube channel “Onboard Lifestyle”. It’s on a catamaran, but absolutely relevant for anyone considering it.
https://youtu.be/uQsWXvgtqlg
https://youtu.be/4WPiPhhMtQQ
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Old 01-25-2019, 09:16 PM   #44
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tamrow View Post
Here is a couple of detailed and very informative videos about the installation of a couple of diesel heaters from the YouTube channel “Onboard Lifestyle”. It’s on a catamaran, but absolutely relevant for anyone considering it.
https://youtu.be/uQsWXvgtqlg
https://youtu.be/4WPiPhhMtQQ

Those were really well done videos, and the guy looked like a real wizard when it came to boat projects. Thanks for the links.
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Old 01-26-2019, 12:16 AM   #45
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dave907 View Post
I recently installed a VVKB Apollo-V2 heater on my 3218. It's a heater that is often used by truck drivers to heat their sleeper cabins when parked.

I was a bit worried about this because it's much less expensive that a Wallace or ESPAR or other brand of well-known diesel furnaces. This heater only cost about $500.

There have been several comments made on all these heater-related threads by guys who have installed "Chinese" heaters that cost a fraction the price of a name brand marine unit. The interesting thing is that every one of them has stated that they work great. No problems, and for the price if it breaks you just throw it away and buy a new one.


The cheap bastard inside me likes this
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Old 01-26-2019, 01:01 AM   #46
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I was just at the Seattle Boat Show. There were two new diesel suppliers this year. A guy importing Chinese Heaters and another importing Russian Heaters. The Russian guy has all the accessories to install his units properly. He was offering 3 year warranty. His starting price is $800. I did not get to talk to the Chinese supplier, maybe tomorrow.
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Old 01-26-2019, 06:51 AM   #47
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tamrow View Post
Here is a couple of detailed and very informative videos about the installation of a couple of diesel heaters from the YouTube channel “Onboard Lifestyle”. It’s on a catamaran, but absolutely relevant for anyone considering it.
https://youtu.be/uQsWXvgtqlg
https://youtu.be/4WPiPhhMtQQ
Nice video, But he installed the fuel pumps in an upright position, if the heater on the Eber / webasto correct installation would be 15-35 ° angle skewed, incorrect installation can cause problems with heater operation. The videos were a joy to look at, he is a skilled fitter ...

eber say"It is very important that the pump angle is not reversed. When checking angle ensure that the inlet (side the fuel is drawn into the pump) is the low side and the outlet (side fuel exits the pump) is the high side. It is very important that the pump angle is not reversed (see figure 12 for proper mounting)."

http://www.manins.net.au/motorhome/i...quirements.jpg


NBs
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Old 01-26-2019, 10:19 AM   #48
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Originally Posted by North Baltic sea View Post
Nice video, But he installed the fuel pumps in an upright position, if the heater on the Eber / webasto correct installation would be 15-35 ° angle skewed...

I just purchased a Webasto Air Top 40 diesel heater, and the installation manual makes no mention of the skewed installation that I can see. Maybe they changed the fuel pump design?





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Old 01-26-2019, 10:48 AM   #49
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Originally Posted by makobuilders View Post
There have been several comments made on all these heater-related threads by guys who have installed "Chinese" heaters that cost a fraction the price of a name brand marine unit. The interesting thing is that every one of them has stated that they work great. No problems, and for the price if it breaks you just throw it away and buy a new one.


The cheap bastard inside me likes this
As long as "breaking" doesn't include burning the boat to the waterline, you're good to go....
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Old 01-26-2019, 05:45 PM   #50
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Vvkb

I had an OLD Eberspacher in by trawler that would not run correctly. I hunted looked at Webasto's and others and decided to buy a diesel 12,000btu VVKB $600 from Amazon. It installed in the same place as the Eberspacher and was easy to install.
Staying warm is a good thing!
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Old 01-27-2019, 02:58 AM   #51
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[QUOTE=seattleboatguy;734915]I just purchased a Webasto Air Top 40 diesel heater, and the installation manual makes no mention of the skewed installation that I can see. Maybe they changed the fuel pump design?




Thanks for updating this pump thing nowadays ... it is good that the pump can be installed without a precisely defined angle.

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