Gasoline furnace August 23, 2024, 06:22:01 pm I realize there is no interest in a gasoline furnace here but I’m gonna give you an update.The installation is very difficult as you have to find a place to drill a 4” hole in the floor. The good news is I can put the controller next to the bed. Good thing as you have to run it manually at 10,000 ft.First the pluses. It is a 14,000 BTU furnace and is able to bring the interior to 85F with an outside temperature in the 40’s. No blanket needed to close off the cab. The Suburban is 16,000 BTU. I suppose it can do the same if you use enough propane.Using propane I need to very inconveniently fill every two weeks with nighttime temperatures around 40F. The gasoline furnace uses around three gallons a week. With a 55 gallon tank, 40 useable, fuel usage is not an issue. No catalytic heater required to reduce propane use. I won’t need 6 or more propane fills this summer.I’m at 10,000ft which is no problem to a propane furnace but is a real problem to a gasoline furnace. Unless it runs at power level 4 or 5 out of five the heat exchanger will carbon up. The newly designed burner stays clear, somehow, but the furnace will fail to start with a heat exchanger reducing air flow. Our propane furnaces have a hysteresis +/- 1 degree. This furnace has a hysteresis of +/- 3 degrees. Doesn’t really matter as it has to be manually operated above 8000ft anyway. Get cold, turn it on, get hot, turn it off. Vent temperature is 200F at level 5. I’ve already ruined two pair of Crocs. They don’t do well at 200F.The brand name is Velit. It is a $150 Chinese furnace with an American designed burner assembly, controller and ECU selling for $650. It is the only gasoline heater available that works at altitude. All Chinese heaters are diesel. They may work at altitude as they have manual mixture control.Anyhow, that is it. I wish I could just set a temperature and let it work but not now, maybe in the future. It is still in development with an improved controller coming this fall.I still have to fill propane every two months or so for the water heater stove and fridge.
Re: Gasoline furnace Reply #1 – August 23, 2024, 08:30:00 pm Gasoline is a very volatile substance and the fumes are what might become an issue when using as a heat source.
Re: Gasoline furnace Reply #2 – August 23, 2024, 09:33:33 pm I had a gasoline heater in my old 1968 VW Karman Ghia. It was in the front trunk, basically above my legs. I felt nervous having it there, but it did crank out a lot of heat in those cold upstate NY winters.George K
Re: Gasoline furnace Reply #3 – August 24, 2024, 12:15:57 am Quote from: Jota - August 23, 2024, 08:30:00 pmGasoline is a very volatile substance and the fumes are what might become an issue when using as a heat source.In short I think your concern is not well founded.No more likely than for propane, probably less. A propane furnace uses sheet metal for a heat exchanger which is prone to cracks, the gasoline and diesel furnaces use a reasonably thick casting not prone to defects. Webasto, Espar, and all the other “parking furnace” companies show no problems in this regard. You do need to make sure the combustion exhaust pipe extends beyond the side of the vehicle.It would be interesting to look into the designs of the Corvair, Volkswagen, and even the DC-3 airplane gasoline heaters and how they differ to the current ones. I suspect it is in the lack of sheet metal in the present ones. I have never smelled gasoline or even exhaust and three CO monitors have never alarmed. As mentioned a massive amount of heat is available with no concern about running out of fuel. If it blows and I survive it I’ll let you know!Attached is a picture of a propane problem though not related to a furnace. The owner was found standing in front of the stove holding an igniter. Probably a little deaf.
Re: Gasoline furnace Reply #4 – August 24, 2024, 03:49:52 am Hi George, I had a gasoline heater in my 1960 Corvair. It worked well, the years I had it. My thoughts are that newer ones with today's electronics are much safer and more reliable. Gasoline is dangerous to handle. Volatile and pretty easy to ignite. Harry; Diesel pushers have things like an Aquahot. Hot water in addition to providing hot water, also is pumped around to various radiators located inside for space heating, floor heating and external tank heating. You already have a diesel space heater IIRC, you could possibly go more into diesel heating, and install a larger tank for diesel fuel. RonB
Re: Gasoline furnace Reply #5 – August 24, 2024, 08:35:00 am Quote from: hbn7hj - August 23, 2024, 06:22:01 pmI...Anyhow, that is it. I wish I could just set a temperature and let it work but not now, maybe in the future. It is still in development with an improved controller coming this fall.I still have to fill propane every two months or so for the water heater stove and fridge.Did you consider an external, larger (like 100 gallon) propane tank? That seems simpler, more comfortable.
Re: Gasoline furnace Reply #6 – August 24, 2024, 12:26:12 pm Just trying to get away from buying propane as much as possible. It is usually a pain in the butt. First you have to find it, then you have to beg for it, then you need to judge the competence of the propane tech. In my present situation I have to make an appointment. I choose to be parked behind their truck when they start their deliveries at 8AM rather than make an appointment and the less I have to do that the better.For gasoline you pull up anytime, day or night, and pump it. No mother may I, no hassle.Both gasoline and diesel have their problems at altitude. It did not work well last year but things are going well this year with a firmware upgrade and a change in procedure on my part. Just gotta keep my Crocs away from the vent! Two pair down, so far.It is nice to have all the heat I want without looking at the propane level. Heating a class C is like heating a sieve.The hot floor diesel systems are interesting but you are not going to retrofit them. I think they can have solvable problems with altitude carbon build up. Anyhow, gasoline is working very well this summer. I suspect it would work very, very well in winter but I’m from Phoenix and don’t do winter! I do like to spend a few January days at the Grand Canyon.
Re: Gasoline furnace Reply #7 – August 24, 2024, 01:12:09 pm "Did you consider an external, larger (like 100 gallon) propane tank?"100 gallons of propane weigh 420 pounds. Add the weight of the tank and you're probably looking at 500 pounds. That's not something you're going to carry around easily. Now if you're parked semi-permanently, maybe that would work.
Re: Gasoline furnace Reply #8 – August 24, 2024, 07:34:30 pm Quote from: Andy Baird - August 24, 2024, 01:12:09 pm"Did you consider an external, larger (like 100 gallon) propane tank?"100 gallons of propane weigh 420 pounds. Add the weight of the tank and you're probably looking at 500 pounds. That's not something you're going to carry around easily. Now if you're parked semi-permanently, maybe that would work.Parking sounded like his plan, since he's at 10,000' where there aren't a lot of "wander" opportunities. So, maybe have it delivered, or put it on a utility trailer he can unhitch when he's at his site. Even a 50 gallon unit might cut his six trips to 1 or 2.
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