We’ve got an extended 2008 GMC Duramax Savana van and looking at the Espar’s 2019 Airtronic Models (S2/M2). Reasons include
automatic altitude control up to 3000m, brushless fan, and quieter fuel pump.
But, I have a couple (a bazillion?) questions:
coolant or air heater, Danhard/Thermostat integration, heater sizing, and remote start options.
Coolant heater? I was interested in the
Espar Hydronic to perform engine heating, water heating (for a shower), and run to a radiator for hot air. I spoke with Danhard (I have a Danhard AC unit) and they suggested that I could probably replace my
00941 evaporator with the
45-940 which has separate evaporator and radiator lines. Seems like this could be a
cool setup. Anyone ever tried this?
Air Heater? While I see a way to utilize the AC ducting, I’m not sure I could integrate the existing thermostat. Also, integrating a coolant heater with the Danhard seems more expensive than having a coolant heater and separate air heater (save on fuel, less electrical draw, simple installation, etc).
Heater sizing? Looking at the Airtronic S2 D2L 2200w, and the D4L (4000w). Van is extended with a pop-top (˜90 sq ft interior) and would like to be able to use that in the winter. Colorado winter temps from -10 to 30 deg F. I’ve read that you want to be able to let the heater run closer to max capacity to avoid carbon build-up—but I’m also concerned about not having enough heat to maintain above 50deg deg F if the poptop is up.
Remote start capability? Has anyone used the
EasyStart Remote+? I spoke with Heatso and they said it completely replaces the wall mount unit which makes me terrified of losing it. Also, Espar says their new S2/M2 Airtronic heaters have CAN bus integration, and can be started with a start signal/voltage. Has anyone integrated them into a remote start capability using a remote start kit (factory/iDatalink/etc)?
Thanks for any and all feedback/experiences/thoughts!
TL; DR: can you integrate an Espar Hydronic with the Danhard A/C? Should I get an air or coolant heater? How powerful should the heater be? How can I add remote start capability?