Espar Heater Problems

[roadtrip]

Excellent information in this thread. I thought I would contribute as I just installed the Air Filter that Greg is selling for the combustion intake.

I recently took my 4WD Sportsmobile in to SMB West to have the furnace repaired. I too had the dreaded white smoke and F-52 failure. I had been all over Death Valley and Southern Utah earlier this year and figured that my combustion chamber was dirty. Peter at SMB agreed to remove the furnace and open it up to see what was wrong. In my case it turned out to be a cracked combustion chamber gasket that caused the problem. It cost me just under $300 for the repair. I had hoped that it would be covered under warranty as I have had the van less than a year but reading the fine print in the SMB Warranty Document reveals that furnace failures are not covered. Greg at Lubrication Specialists says that gaskets are not covered under Espar warranty.

While at SMB West I asked if their techs could install the Air Filter that I had purchased from Greg to help prevent possible further problems due to dirt. They declined stating that they had never seen the filter before and were too busy that day anyway. So I returned home and installed the filter myself.

The attached diagrams show the filter dimensions and the method I chose to mount it to the underside of the van floor. I mounted it sideways as this allowed for easy hose connection and has the added benefit of not allowing dust and sand to settle into areas that could cause blockage of air. Being able to unscrew the top of the filter housing to replace the filter element without disconnecting the hose was another consideration.

I fabricated the mount (in red) out of bendable galvanized metal. It was a simple process to bend the metal to conform to the side of the filter housing and further to the shape shown in the diagram, and then drill the necessary mounting holes. Small screws with star washers secure the filter housing to the mount and self tapping screws secure the whole works to the van floor behind the fuel tank.

The hose connection takes a bit of work because the filter outlet is the same size as the furnace hose. An adapter sleeve of ~1 inch (id) will fit over both but I chose to just slit the side of the hose a bit so it would expand enough to slip over the filter outlet. I then used foil tape and a clamp to secure it in place. If this proves inadequate over time I will devise a better solution. The side view of the finished installation appears in the last diagram.

[Jeffrey]

Roadtrip,

Good report. I'm impressed that SMB agreed to work on your espar, even for a fee. The filter unit looks nifty, and should serve you well. BTW, I got the flex alum hose from McMaster-Carr catalog, online too.

I've had my van 3 years this week, and since I rebuilt my D4 1.5 yrs ago and re-routed the intake along with the cap, my problems are almost gone. Yes, every once in a while it smokes out, but a shutdown and restart gets it going again fine. I do go for many months of spring and summer of no use, but I try to remember to blast it on high once in a while. I am always thrilled when I fire it up and heat starts to pour out of the vent. I am quite sad when it smokes.

[Greggd]

Why is this Espar Heater so highly thought of ? I keep reading all of the posts and it would seem that this is truly Love Hate piece of equipment with so many of you and . Is the reason for this choice due to the type of fuel that runs it . I have never owned anything other that various Propane fired heaters and have to say that the only difficulty that we ever encountered was a clogged jet. The reason for my question is one of our Kid's is thinking about having a SportsMobile ordered and built and is try to sort thru all of our shortcomings for a trouble free Van .
Greggde

[roadtrip]

I wanted something that could use the same fuel as the vehicle engine as I have no propane system on the van (nor do I want one). I had not read this forum prior to placing my order so I did not know about the problems. Had I known I would have specified the Espar D2 furnace or possibly a furnace from the other German Diesel Furnace manufacturer, Webasto. If I continue to experience problems I will rip the thing out and replace it with something that works reliably.

[CJ]

I too like the common fuel convince and thought it would be nice just to have heat...So I do!

On the other hand I really can’t say I have had any problems with it....knock on wood.

Sure I have seen white smoke once or twice and once even had an error code but all times a shut down and restart seemed to let it fix itself....I'm pleased with it. Like everything else it requires routine maintenances and can be quirky.

Happy camper

[kmessinger]

I switched from propane to the Espar for common fuel, less noise and less power consumption. I installed a D2 and some of the problems come from the fact the D4 is over sized for many Sportsmobiles. Other problems such as intake are for the most part easy to solve.

I haven't used mine in a real freezing cold environment but so far, so good.

Regards,

Keith

[stikine]

Good to hear Greg finally came out with the filter - wonder how much he is charging for the filter?

I use my heater a lot, and since my modification I haven't had any problems. I just have to remember to remove my cap when I run it & replace when I'm done. It would seem that a filter wouldn't be necessary as long as you have a protective cap and a vertical run of flexible hose at the end, but I guess you could be parked some where and with a dust storm or such dust could get sucked up into the heater.

[WVvan]

Posting this as a FYI. Found it while reading through a Webasto service manual. Information probably holds for Espar's as well.

In order to avoid the seizure of mechanical components, the air heater should be operated every 4 weeks for at least 10 minutes.

[scatter]

Originally Posted by stikine

Good to hear Greg finally came out with the filter - wonder how much he is charging for the filter?

Talked with Greg last week. The intake filter is $65 and the exhaust muffler is $50. Probably some shipping in there too.

[daveb]

Originally Posted by WVvan

Posting this as a FYI. Found it while reading through a Webasto service manual. Information probably holds for Espar's as well.

I was told once a month