Page 23 - Transporter Talk Issue 144

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Transporter Talk No 144
If you have a pop top roof, there are now pop top wraps available that insulate the material on the outside to stop heat escaping from this obvious weak spot.
If you are able to, an easy way to keep the heat in is to keep your roof closed overnight!
Heating
Now you have insulated the van to keep the heat inside it, what ways are there to heat your van?
VW campers are small spaces to heat so do not require systems such as those in larger motorhomes.
When camping, most people will have at least one fuel supply available to them, whether mains 230v from campsite hookups, or a gas supply for cooking.
The gas can be used to supply a heater called a Propex HeatSource. These can be tted to all variants of T2, as long as you have a 12v supply. It is recommended that they are tted by a professional.
The Propex is very popular, o ering high e ciency and exibility with tment location.
The Propex HeatSource tends to retail between £450-£800 depending on the vehicle and the model.
Cheaper alternatives are available, but these will require a 230v mains supply.
Heating appliances such as fan heaters, halogen heaters, convector heaters and oil lled radiators are very good for heating the small space inside your camper and are readily available at very competitive prices.
Personally we have observed that fan heaters are good for a quick blast of heat, but the heat inside the camper tends to drop very quickly once turned o and we wouldn’t recommend using them overnight whilst asleep as they are noisy (and we wouldn’t trust it!).
Halogen heaters are good for heating awnings as they don’t physically get hot, but you need to be directly in front of these heaters to bene t from them, they don’t actually heat the space around you, therefore again not recommended for overnight use.
Convector heaters are very e cient and cheap to buy. They will heat a small space e ectively and can be set up with a thermostat, making these good for overnight use. However, if anything is placed on them, there is a risk that the item will get incredibly hot, causing a re risk.
Oil lled radiators are essentially a convector heater, but they store heat in the oil making them very e cient and can also be used with a thermostat. They can be used safely overnight and the other advantage of these heaters is that items of clothing such as socks can be left on them to warm up!
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