The cost of staying warm
- Thread starter BXDIVER
- Start date
It’s called the cost of doing business.
Not staying warm can affect your income adversely too.
Not staying warm can affect your income adversely too.
Overnight last night it was -3 F and my Espar heater kept it 75 degrees in the van. It used about a gallon of fuel.
danthewolf00
Veteran Expediter
Gas version of the espar in my van and love it.
Not enough room to sleep in back so hotels and friends (maybe try a airbnb if staying more then one night). Gotta up my rates this time of year to offset the cost or get off the road and wait for the warm air to arrive and for vans to depreciate. 
All you egg sucking espar heater dogs be assured at least 1 is extremely jealous & frozen (kinda like a green frozen yogurt).
? What would that flavor be ? Lime? Green apple? Oh yeah "moldy oldy"
Ha ha ha!
Alas. I'm just so damn cheap to fork out the money for one + with no clear vision of where to put it & extra batteries ....... I freeze ( I don't idle)
{got a feeling I'm gonna pay hard for this choice this year}
Lucky you's!
(need a little icon in here for envy)
? What would that flavor be ? Lime? Green apple? Oh yeah "moldy oldy"
Ha ha ha!
Alas. I'm just so damn cheap to fork out the money for one + with no clear vision of where to put it & extra batteries ....... I freeze ( I don't idle)
{got a feeling I'm gonna pay hard for this choice this year}
Lucky you's!
(need a little icon in here for envy)
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Espar was definitely my best #1 add on.
Big buddy heater did a nice job with much lower entry cost when I started until I could get a Espar.
Sent from my P00I using EO Forums mobile app
Big buddy heater did a nice job with much lower entry cost when I started until I could get a Espar.
Sent from my P00I using EO Forums mobile app
It amazes me the number of folks who don't have an Espar or Webasto. In a van the payback can be in as little as 4 months... Even faster in a bigger truck... And that's just in the fuel savings let alone the engine wear and emissions junk. They last a LONG time and need very little maintenance.
Even if you buy the fancy bells and whistles EO version of an Espar and install...the payback is likely less than a year.
No risk of CO poisoning, and it's always nice to have a backup heat source if your chariot quits on the side of the road.
Even if you buy the fancy bells and whistles EO version of an Espar and install...the payback is likely less than a year.
No risk of CO poisoning, and it's always nice to have a backup heat source if your chariot quits on the side of the road.
Depending on how well insulated the van is, and of course how cold (and windy) it is outside, and how hot you like it in the van, the Espar will use about a gallon of fuel every 12-15 hours.
As for extra batteries, you'll only need one. And it doesn't have to be a fancy schmancy AGM, either. A 100 Ah marine battery (or a standard truck battery, they're the same thing) is fine. The Espar only draws an average of 1 to 1.5 amps an hour over a 24 hour period. Even if it's really cold and you like it hot in there and the heater spends all it's time on HIGH, that's still just 2 amp hours per hour.
Espar of Michigan, for sure, are experts in van installations. They know the best place to put it, as well as all of the alternatives.
As for extra batteries, you'll only need one. And it doesn't have to be a fancy schmancy AGM, either. A 100 Ah marine battery (or a standard truck battery, they're the same thing) is fine. The Espar only draws an average of 1 to 1.5 amps an hour over a 24 hour period. Even if it's really cold and you like it hot in there and the heater spends all it's time on HIGH, that's still just 2 amp hours per hour.
While doing my spreadsheet number crunching for a straight truck and semi, The fuel cost alone for idling is insane compared to having a espar. It would pay for itself in 1-2 months. Even if I wasn't paying for fuel, as a owner, I would be damed if I had a truck without one or something comparable.
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Keep preaching gen-mens, my knees are weak & buckling (be on floor praying "save me" soon).
Seriously though i was always told 2 batteries? I got a ginormous deep cycle battery, Lead acid type.
Hhhhhhmmm more good info though. My frozen butt says reconsider.
I wouldn't use much heat, 50°-60° I'm happy (kill the chill).
Seriously though i was always told 2 batteries? I got a ginormous deep cycle battery, Lead acid type.
Hhhhhhmmm more good info though. My frozen butt says reconsider.
I wouldn't use much heat, 50°-60° I'm happy (kill the chill).
If your just running the espar or small occasional inverter, one should be fine. Some people only run it off the starter battery, which I would not recommend. I run a lot of power suckers, so I have 4 batteries
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No I wouldn't do that (starter battery) RT.
Realized today that things only 610 CCA.
(it didn't wanna go)
Thank God I had the big DC. Hit switch .... voila!
Got to stick another S.B. in here.
The diesel model has 2, I will soon.
Realized today that things only 610 CCA.
(it didn't wanna go)
Thank God I had the big DC. Hit switch .... voila!
Got to stick another S.B. in here.
The diesel model has 2, I will soon.
I did the propane Buddy thing for years. It was a cheap source of heat but also a PIA. I never slept with it running for fear of waking up dead. Spent many a night in sub-zero temperatures curled up inside a down sleeping bag which was inside a large Cabelas sleeping bag. In the morning I could reach from my bed to turn on the engine with full heat eventually blowing. When it was warm enough to crawl out of my sleeping bags, I would fire up the Buddy heater.
This is my third winter with an Espar. Why did I wait so long? It is currently 0° at the TA in Hampshire and I am warm and toasty.
This is my third winter with an Espar. Why did I wait so long? It is currently 0° at the TA in Hampshire and I am warm and toasty.
We didn't have ours serviced last year or this year. It started making a little white smoke when starting. Was going to get it serviced, now at Themo King as it failed to fire up. Sure did kick myself for not making it a priority.
Thermo King is very proud of their service and repairs. They will show you just how proud they are in the cost of the repairs. White smoke is almost always a clogged atomizer screen. It's a $2 part that takes just a few minutes to replace, but Thermo King will figure out how to stretch that into a couple of hours.
I think the blower motor is good for between 5,000 and 8,000 hours. The burner is good for probably twice that. I end up having to replace the blower motor every other year, and the burner every other blower motor replacement. My heater has well over 35,000 hours, the most they've ever seen or heard of at Espar of Michigan. Of course, the only thing original is the wiring harness and the case.
Everybody says that.
I did my first winter without one, and found out about them during that first winter. I'll never do another winter without one.
It's really not much different than central heating in your house. You turn it on, set the thermostat, and forget about it.
5th winter on my gas espar. No service or problems yet. How/where do you find hours?Thermo King is very proud of their service and repairs. They will show you just how proud they are in the cost of the repairs. White smoke is almost always a clogged atomizer screen. It's a $2 part that takes just a few minutes to replace, but Thermo King will figure out how to stretch that into a couple of hours.
I think the blower motor is good for between 5,000 and 8,000 hours. The burner is good for probably twice that. I end up having to replace the blower motor every other year, and the burner every other blower motor replacement. My heater has well over 35,000 hours, the most they've ever seen or heard of at Espar of Michigan. Of course, the only thing original is the wiring harness and the case.