From Hoodoo Valley Idaho.

[hoodoo valley]

Hey Weldman! How you been?


Okay, let me throw out some photos. The walls are sheeted and not shown here, but all the ceiling joists are installed now and beginning framing the end wall, then install the ceiling insulation......


I photo'd here, the joists just stuck in there sideways so that I could get the NASA vapor barrier pulled and secured. You can see in the one photo, the sheet metal strips attached to the tops of the joists, to act as stops for the insulation, and give me extra seal surface.

[Weldman]

Going good, I’ve decided to jump to 24 volts on my solar system a bit early. Found a deal on 6kw single/split phase inverter/charger on eBay that runs for $1600 before tax, I got it for $850. Will explain more on my build with pictures. Anywho, I had some radiant barrier like you are playing with, very strong tear resistant and self extinguishes itself, great stuff. Great progress you will be free for the winter to work on it since it’s so insulated and closed in. Just the heat from electronics will keep it warm.
Swear you should stack some solar panels on the roof.

[Ttnj]

Looking good

[samcrimm]

So how much have you forgot you need to add behind the walls and ceiling? I can only thing of all the things I would want in my walls, cat 5 wire, usb charging, etc etc etc!
But your looking great!
Sam

[hoodoo valley]

Hey, thank you guys for the comments. Work is still proceeding and I got the ceiling framed in. Insulation up there starts tonight which is just in time since we had some snow here and it froze hard last night. More photos and response coming........

[hoodoo valley]

Originally Posted by samcrimm

So how much have you forgot you need to add behind the walls and ceiling? I can only thing of all the things I would want in my walls, cat 5 wire, usb charging, etc etc etc!
But your looking great!
Sam

Sam, all my wiring and water supply plumbing will be to the living space side of my walls for access at any point. They'll be placed behind a soffit light running at the ceiling line and under my cabinets right at the toe kick. Wiring will be very simple with no USB Cat 5 or coax cable. Just speakers, electrical and water lines.

No photos uploaded yet, but the insulation in my ceiling is done enough to run heat..... and until I pay my account down at the building supply, work has stopped inside for now, and I've jumped outside to install the trim around my exterior door, and siding, as well as painting, since I have siding and paint on hand from jobs in the past. I do have some scrap insulation that I'll be using to cut costs.

I did fire up the truck and drove it a couple miles and then parked it in another spot in my yard in anticipation of the up coming snow.

[hoodoo valley]

Winter is on its way so I jumped outside to tighten things that will encounter the wind, rain and snow.

[hoodoo valley]

Here's the insulation on my lid. The 2X6 ceiling joists are cedar to reduce the weight and fight rotting should things get wet, plus it's all I had on hand! I ran out of money at the moment so I had to shut things down here for a bit and jump outside for a bit. I can at least run heat right now and stay warm if I need to. Might start roughing in electrical so I can eliminate the cord running through the door.

[hoodoo valley]

No worries..... my helpers are confused too.

[hoodoo valley]

Still recovering with finances. I believe that I'll be back underway here soon. Looking at diesel air (parking) heaters. Looked hard at the Chinese units on ebay but really leery of them since there's such a price difference from them to the German made units. Really would rather have something I can count on.

[Weldman]

Originally Posted by hoodoo valley

Still recovering with finances. I believe that I'll be back underway here soon. Looking at diesel air (parking) heaters. Looked hard at the Chinese units on ebay but really leery of them since there's such a price difference from them to the German made units. Really would rather have something I can count on.

I got a Chinese one, looks pretty solid, haven't hooked it up yet though if I do before you order one I will let you know how it runs.
I understand financial problems of things slowing down, last month was hard for me. I drove back to Great Falls MT from Washington and finished up my CDL now I have a Class A and that was expensive trip, plus I drove back to Washington state afterwards.

Thinking if you could buy two Chinese heaters for price of one German heater and they get same lifespan out of two as to the one, you pretty well just financed a diesel heater without interests unless you count the time it took to remove first one and install second one.

[Proteus]

I've read on other forums that those chinese "Chinebasto" heaters work very well.

You may think to buy a 5 Kw unit, more heat produced than the 2 Kw unit (seems obvious, hehe).

One point of attention is the incline angle you have to put on the fuel pump, for about 30%, the suction part of the pump needs to be lower than the pressure part.

I have a second hand bought german Webasto in my truck, I installed first the fuel pump above the suction level of the dedicated tank I've put for the heater, and I think the pump constantly sucked air somewhere.

It's problem I didn't cure for the moment as I went the LPG heater route instead, but what I will do very shortly is to re-route the fuel pump under the fuel level, with a cock just at the tank's fuel outcome.

Oh, by the way, they are noisy when working, and be sure you have a battery at the top level, and finally, be sure you order the right voltage, 12 or 24 V, depending the usual voltage of your truck

Here a picture of the Webasto fuel tank.

[hoodoo valley]

Thank you for the input! I had really wanted to hook up to my fuel tank, to use up the fuel in my tank which is over two years old now. My biggest fear with the Chinese heaters is not just the reliability, but the safety of them. I've been through two house fires at the same house and never want to go through that again.

For now, I'm going to just go with a wall can heater as most of the time, the truck will be hooked to shore power, but I'd really like to have the capability of heat out in the middle of nowhere, plus as I mentioned, I have 50 some gallons of two year old diesel that I need to burn up or dump here really soon.

[hoodoo valley]

Originally Posted by Weldman

I got a Chinese one, looks pretty solid, haven't hooked it up yet though if I do before you order one I will let you know how it runs.
I understand financial problems of things slowing down, last month was hard for me. I drove back to Great Falls MT from Washington and finished up my CDL now I have a Class A and that was expensive trip, plus I drove back to Washington state afterwards.

Thinking if you could buy two Chinese heaters for price of one German heater and they get same lifespan out of two as to the one, you pretty well just financed a diesel heater without interests unless you count the time it took to remove first one and install second one.

Hey Weldman! Looking forward to your assessment on that heater. What size did you opt for? I was contemplating an 8kw or at least a 5.

[Weldman]

Originally Posted by hoodoo valley

Hey Weldman! Looking forward to your assessment on that heater. What size did you opt for? I was contemplating an 8kw or at least a 5.

I opted for 5kw which knowing what I know now was mistake, too much heat. Just at 4000 btu's in here it better be in 30's or lower before turning on the propane heater I have now which is less than 2kw of heat and have yet to fully insulate this place. Take the btu's of heater you have now if it is propane and divide it by .29 to get roundabout estimate on kw's you need in heat. All on another note I might skip installing this Chinese specialty due to it is for 12v I'm running 24v when I flip the switch on here in next week and I don't want to have to drop voltage for anything if possible.

[hoodoo valley]

I had owed over $600 to my building account but got it down to just $20 now. Pay off a few other bills, then once I know I can pay things off at the building supply, I'll get the last 5 sheets of 1.5 inch insulation, and 6 sheets of 1/2 CDX ply. I have paint and floor coverings, most all electrical and plumbing. Once I get the ceiling done, things will shift over to electrical and plumbing.

[hoodoo valley]

Proteus, does your diesel heater draw right out of your pictured tank, or from the plastic tank they usually supply? Do these heaters run off a thermostat or do they just run constantly? I'd really like to tap into my fuel tank so that I'm not having to fill the small plastic tank all the time AND..... I'd really like to use up the fuel in my tank so that I can replenish it with fresh fuel. I'm heading towards 2 1/2 years on this tankful, filled right up into the top of the filler neck. I hate the thought of draining and discarding 40 or 50 gallons of fuel. (EEK! , because when I click the EKK! face, nothing happens)

[Weldman]

Originally Posted by hoodoo valley

Proteus, does your diesel heater draw right out of your pictured tank, or from the plastic tank they usually supply? Do these heaters run off a thermostat or do they just run constantly? I'd really like to tap into my fuel tank so that I'm not having to fill the small plastic tank all the time AND..... I'd really like to use up the fuel in my tank so that I can replenish it with fresh fuel. I'm heading towards 2 1/2 years on this tankful, filled right up into the top of the filler neck. I hate the thought of draining and discarding 40 or 50 gallons of fuel. (EEK! , because when I click the EKK! face, nothing happens)

If you look it has picture of the Webasto tank it came with he is hooked up to, though you can run the supply line to those 40 to 50 gallons until it's empty, just not drive down the road like that. My Chinese one came with digital thermostat, I'm sure the Webasto ones do too.

[Proteus]

Originally Posted by hoodoo valley

Proteus, does your diesel heater draw right out of your pictured tank, or from the plastic tank they usually supply? Do these heaters run off a thermostat or do they just run constantly? I'd really like to tap into my fuel tank so that I'm not having to fill the small plastic tank all the time AND..... I'd really like to use up the fuel in my tank so that I can replenish it with fresh fuel. I'm heading towards 2 1/2 years on this tankful, filled right up into the top of the filler neck. I hate the thought of draining and discarding 40 or 50 gallons of fuel. (EEK! , because when I click the EKK! face, nothing happens)

My heater sucks its fuel from this tank, dedicated for it.

Webasto recommends, when using the vehicle main fuel tank, to put a "T" piece on the returning line from the injection pump.

I did want to do that, as my separate tank allows me to use what we call "red" heating fuel here, it's the same fuel as used in vehicles but it costs almost 1/2 the price of road fuel, which is the only fuel we may use use on vehicles engines.

Anyway, when linking the heater on the truck main tank, you have to check that the suction line doesn't go to the bottom of the tank, to be sure you still we be able to start the truck to get away...

[hoodoo valley]

So, in hooking up to my main tank, it would obviously be lower than the heater up in the truck, so would a person then need to add a booster pump, or does the supplied in line pump have enough oomph to get it done? In reading on the Wastabo heaters, it sounded as though they ran continuously which would sure put a draw on the batteries. Almost made up my mind to save up my money and go for the German made unit over a Chinese on account of the fact that I'd really need something reliable. Even contemplating a small marine application diesel heater which is about twice the cost of the parking heaters.