Lorry heating options - KISS please!

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Barlow

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I’m thinking about whether it might be possible to have heating retrofitted in my lorry but having never owned a lorry before I don’t know where to start in terms of what options might be available.
Ideally I’m looking at something that is quiet to run, or possibly even freestanding, I just don’t know what options might be possible. Solar panel driven? Diesel? Hot air? A standalone option?
For those of you that have heating in their lorry please could you let me know what system you have and a very simple explanation as to how it works, what fuel it runs off and whether you would rate it as a heating system?
 
I am considering putting it in my 4.5 tonne horse box. previously I had a 7.5 tonne box which ad a gas propex heater which was very effective. I have spoken to Bretherton horse boxes about putting heating in my 4.5 tonne. It would be a gas proper heater too. It is quite small and doesn't add significantly to weight
 
OH put diesel heater into ours (he is a mechanic and has most "trades" in the family if help is needed) - it is a 7.5 tonne lorry. We have the unit in the lorry, with remote control and pre-set and the diesel comes from a small tank in the tack locker. It is fab and warm and barely uses any diesel. He has since fitted the same to a few camper vans for people, running to the existing diesel tank in those.

They used to be ridiciously expensive to buy but are now down to around £100 or so, plus the cost of fitting which shouldn't be huge at a garage who does them regularly.

And True Blue Travellers on You Tube who converted a Sainsbury van into a camper van had a nifty idea of attaching a large hose to the warm air outlet as a hair dryer!
 
neddy man said:
Also ask on motorhome owners site.
Click to expand...

That is the last place Id ask. motorhomes are badly built and poorly spec'ed and rely on hideously outdated technology.

Diesel heater, cost between £60 and a £100 and can be fitted by any reasonably competent DIYer in about an hour. You do need a reasonable leisure battery though as they take a fairly large draw when starting. go for the smaller ones, they do better being run at full whack.
 
Or if you arent keen on blown air, you can do what I'm doing, and fit a more expensive but better quality hydronic system and run underfloor heating and heat your water at the same time. Probably massive overkill for a horse box though, I'm building a camper van to live in so worth it for me.
 
WE have a calor gas heater like this.

Straame Mobile Gas Heater 4.2kW – Foldable Indoor Butane Heater with 3 Heat Settings, Push-Button Ignition, ODS & Anti-Tilt Safety – Fits 13/15kg Cylinder, Regulator & Hose Included, with Castors : Amazon.co.uk: Home & Kitchen

Straame Mobile Gas Heater 4.2kW – Foldable Indoor Butane Heater with 3 Heat Settings, Push-Button Ignition, ODS & Anti-Tilt Safety – Fits 13/15kg Cylinder, Regulator & Hose Included, with Castors : Amazon.co.uk: Home & Kitchen
www.amazon.co.uk

It does create condensation though.
 
My hubby fitted a night heater to out van. Its a bit of an overkill but it s amazing when we come back from an outdoor adventure. There are a lot of Chinese ones available, and they have very mixed reviews..we went for the same one used in trucks. It's diesel and he ran a hose into the diesel tank. Like humble pie my oh is very useful for things like that.
 
Thanks all, it sounds as though a diesel heater is the way to go. I’ll have a look to see if I can find installers in my local area
 
Barlow said:
Thanks all, it sounds as though a diesel heater is the way to go. I’ll have a look to see if I can find installers in my local area
Click to expand...

You dont need a proper installer. Competent DIY skills will do. Or anyone who builds campervans as they are a staple for those.
 
I asked OH - he just said amazon diesel heater. Probably a 2 kilowatt is enough for a small lorry. Ours is a 5 kilowatt for living which is about 10 feet long x lorry width.
 
Ok so now I have some REALLY stupid questions having looked at some on Amazon:

- do they have a standalone fuel tank built in or do I need to somehow plumb into my vehicle fuel tank
- I presumably need to drill a hole in the side of my horsebox for the exhaust?
- do I need a leisure battery to start the heater?
 
Ours has a standalone fuel tank but that is because it worked well putting a pipe from the tack locker which is into the living into the unit. The ones my OH has done for camper vans they have drilled a hole into the existing diesel tank.

I'm not sure the exhaust. It must go somewhere but not sure where....can ask OH tonight if no one else knows.

And yes it is connected to the leisure battery.
 
Need external air intake for the burner and separate exhaust so two holes not too near each other then the fuel pipe out to the diesel tank. The fresh air intake can be inside. He suggests YouTube to have a look. It could run off the lorry main battery but does depend what else you run.
 
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