We've endured a few cold nights in the camper in places like Death Valley where temperature changes from day to night can be severe. As a result of these experiences I've been looking for a safe way to extend our family camping season year round by making the camper more comfortable in the winter.Enter the Heatsource 2000 from Propex.
Sold in the US by
Adventure Trailers the Heatsource 2000 is a highly efficient Propane Forced Air Heater. Air for combustion is taken from outside and passed into the combustion chamber having been mixed with gas during three aeration stages, it is ignited automatically and heats up the large surface area of the heat-exchanger. The Heatsource units are totally room sealed and exhaust all products of combustion externally through the 22mm stainless steel flue pipe. To add to the efficiency, cabin air can be re-circulated in preference to using cold air from outside. The heater can be used to heat ground tents, roof tents, RV's, vans, or truck beds and can be hard mounted. AT also sells a portable version of this same heater, the "Hot Box". Propane is attached to the unit via a fast disconnect fitting with a built in one way valve, and the blower is powered by 12V. A thermostat is provided for temperature control.It's a compact light weight solution for cold weather camping, or just taking the chill off the air before you go to bed or get up in the morning. Cold in the middle of the night? Just turn the dial up on the thermostat.
Details:
- Runs on clean burning propane
- Quiet thermostatic operation
- Stainless steel burner and heat-exchanger gives maintenance free durability
- Low electrical current consumption
- Compact and easy to install
- Fast warm-up time
- Reduces condensation
- High quality motor with ball race bearings
- Advanced micro-processor electronics
- Self diagnostic fault finding system
- Digital timer thermostat available
Specifications:
- HS 2000 is rated at 6483 BTU’s
- Runs at 91% efficiency
- Current draw: 1.4 amps during fan use
- Puts out 60 cubic feet of air a minute
- Measures 12.6" long x 6.8" wide x 3.9" tall
- Operating at 6483 BTU's, it will run 3.2 hours on 1 lb. of propane with thermostat on highest setting.
Thermostat:
It is supplied with a solid state electronic thermostat which automatically switches the unit on and off to maintain the desired temperature. When the camper temperature drops below the selected level, the Heatsource will automatically ignite and run until the camper reaches the selected temperature. There is minimal electric current consumption during ignition so cycling the Heatsource on and off does not place an excessive drain on the battery, and thermostatic temperature control ensures efficient use of your finite propane supply.
AT also sells a portable, plug and play version of the Propex called the "Hot Box"
HEATSOURCE 2000 HEATER FLIPPAC INSTALL
After getting the heater the first order of business, as with any ultra-lightweight camper modifications, was to find a suitable place to mount the heater. With space at a premium and tight tolerances I had to find a way to make it work within my existing cabinetry.
Luckily, I had a perfect sized storage compartment just forward of my fridge that I was able to modify with a minimum of frustration. First I built a small shelf to allow plenty of ventilation and clearance all around for the heater and it's exhaust flue and then laid out the template for final placement. Note that the shelf does not go all the way forward (left) allowing a large breathing area to be made that ensures plenty of intake airflow from all directions.
Searching the internet for examples I saw some fairly scary looking installs so I was determined to ensure that my install was SAFE and as hidden as possible - no loose wires, no chance of abrading gas lines or wiring and proper ventilation. Using grommets when passing through metal and sheathing wires with split loom is critical to avoid electrical fires thus their widespread acceptance in the auto industry. Below are two examples of how I did NOT want my install to look:
Once the holes had been drilled for the intake and exhaust ducting below the heater it was time to drill more holes for breathability and the all important heater outlet venting into the camper's interior. I wanted to ensure that there was an excess of ventilation for safety and efficiency.
Now that I had ensured plenty of curculation and done a test fit of the heater inside the compartment it was time to mount it and address the intake and exhaust flues under the heater. These needed to go through the floor of the bed and outside so that all intake and exhaust functions are performed OUTSIDE the living compartment. This is what sets this heater apart from others and makes it so safe to use in small spaces. Careful attention was given to clearances of both the heater box itself and the intake/exhaust flues so that there could be no chance of contact with anything other than steel.
Once the heater was securely mounted and a minimum clearance between the heater and walls of 25mm on all sides had been met, all bare wood was primed and painted to ensure longevity. Next on the list was to connect the wiring and route the intake and exhaust flues. There are two sets of wire looms provided, a 5 wire loom for the thermostat and a 2 wire loom for power.Careful attention must be given to safety at this point, disconnect the battery and ensure that all connections are properly made before re-connecting power for a test run of the heater.Open the Propex case, connect the 5 wire harness plug to CN 27. Connect the 2 wire harness plug to CN24 and use the provided rubber grommets to route the wires through the slots as shown. Close the Propex case.
I utilized split loom along the entire length of these looms to prevent any chafing while underway and routed them carefully to their destination ensuring that they were secured with plastic clamps at regular intervals. Once connected to 12v power at the camper's Blue Sea fuse block, I set the 5 amp fuse aside until I was ready to test run the unit.
Next, I ran the 5 wire loom to the location I had selected for the thermostat. The manufacturer states that somewhere between waist and shoulder height is ideal for sensor placement. The highest point that I could mount the thermostat within the closed FlipPac shell was directly above the forward LED light fixture/12V hub. I fabricated a small mount and once the wires were installed I re-assembled the thermostat and hard mounted it in this protected location. This is a great spot because the light switch and thermostat can be reached from the sleeping area at night without getting up.
To install the thermostat, remove the rheostat knob and the two small phillips screws and remove the cover. Exposing the circuit board, run the 5 wire loom through the provided hole in the back and attach the power and thermostat wires: Red and black to positive and negative terminals; green, orange and white wires to the thermostat control terminals as pictured here.
Thermostat controls are simple, there are LED indicators (green and yellow) and a rocker switch with 3 positions:
Left = Heater On
Middle= Off
Right= Fan Only, no heat
*The rheostat controls the temperature.
Next up was routing the intake and exhaust flues, see below for intitial fitment and some trial and error. I had to adjust the size of the hole through the bottom of the cabinetry several times due to clearances under the truck and needing to avoid contact with the frame, vehicle exhaust and other structures. I wanted to ensure that I only cut holes through the floor of the truck bed once!
Take your time here as the intake and exhaust flue ports need to be placed where they avoid contact with the frame, wiring or any other components. They need to be located where they can be sealed and protected from road hazards like water, mud or stones. Carefully ensure that you will not drill into anything that you do not intend to by taking several looks and careful measurements from both inside and outside the vehicle before drilling!
Carefully route and connect each flue through the new port in the bulkhead and to the heater. Secure with hoseclamps and ensure that you use a high temperature grommet or high temperature RTV and washers as shown.
In typical overkill fashion, I used copious amounts of 700 degree RTV silicone and reducing washers - the exhaust will NEVER get that hot but I wanted to do it right the first time and ensure durability.
NOTE: Reducing washers and 700 degree RTV silicone were used top and bottom for a "sandwich" effect at each port to ensure that no water/dust/fumes can enter the living compartment. This also acts as an insulator for the exhaust flue (silver flue pictured above). It will never reach even 300 degrees BUT it will get quite hot with the heater on full blast so careful consideration should be given when installing, routing, and sealing this most important part of the system!Flue routing under the vehicle:
HEATSOURCE PROPANE SUPPLY
NOTE: Be sure that you use "pipe dope" and test ALL fittings for leaks before you use the heater. Ensure that copper lines, if used, are properly fitted using compression fittings with olives. Here's what I used:
Mounting, wiring and intake and exhaust concerns addressed it was time to attach the all important propane lines to the unit. The Manufacturer recommends 1/4 inch copper hard line at the heater so this is what I did. Downstream I converted this to a flexible high pressure hose to the two-stage regulator and on to the the propane tank mounted on the rear swingout.
I will be adding a battery powered carbon monoxide detector to the FlipPac as an added layer of safety. Heater fuel source is externally mounted via the Adventure Trailers aluminum propane bracket, sized to fit a 10 lb. propane tank. Compact and light weight, future plans include plumbing the propane tank for a second line for accesories like BBQ grills etc.