A fix to heating your box truck.

[Mike Draper]

I thought about this quite a bit. How much money would it cost me if my stuff froze while I am on my way to the first job? Thousands? I keep my oil heater in my truck at 50deg in the winter. There are so many circumstances that could come about I wanted to make sure that I alqways have heat in my truck even if the slide in is cold or not running for an extended period of time. Bob foster pointed out a cool heater that runs off diesel or propane and truckers use them to heat their trucks while they sleep at night. $1,500 :shock: was a little high for me though. Thats when I thought about an inverter. This inverter http://www.theinverterstore.com/the-inverter-store-product.php?model=pwrinv500012w# is 5000 watts and can run my oil heater even under the most cold conditions and it wont overload the system. While the truck is running it will make electricity indefinitely. While the truck is off I can run the heater for 6 hours... lunch breaks, blown out tire or a breakdown, etc..
Hooked straight to my batteries. I can charge a battery sprayer or batteries for a black light.

It has 4 outlets in it. I can easily run a vacuum or my rotovac 360i for those rentals I sometimes get without power. In the summer I can run a small fridge off of this 8)

A remote switch to turn on and off by the side sliding door

My oil filed heater is mounted to the floor and has a digital adjustable thermostat on it.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Very nice work Mike!

 

[Bob Foster]

Just a few days ago I strapped an oil fired heater under my LG similar to yours Mike. But I'm just running mine off the shop. I set mine on low which is 700W but I don't have the temperature extremes you do.

 

[John Watson]

Thats the same heater I have used in our van. Works great

A little more frosting for your desert!!!!

So you don't forget to unplug this, turn this on or off, screw up and system doesnt come on..

Hook up a battery charger full time and during the cold snaps plug in the charger to the house and runn off the converter. Ideal --- Hook up a dual battery system with isolater for truck system.

and your still in the kiss mode

 

[Mike Draper]

the heater is always plugged into the house when I get home, in the morning I switch it over.

 

[Bob Foster]

Looking at my picture I just realized that I should stuff the heater between the TM right next to the cat pump and the heater stand and it would be out of the way. And finally get around to hanging my wet floor signs like they should be. When is the question. Big job tomorrow (that's why I have extra hose laid out on the floor) and another place to do on Sunday.

 

[dealtimeman]

We use the same heaters in our trucks when it get below freezing

 

[Bob Foster]

Probably the most economical heater for power consumption and the radiant heat works well on bring up the heat on the thermal mass of all the metal. Once I put that heater next to the stainless tank - then I will have it happening.

 

[Royal Man]

I have the same heater also. My van has a big factory inverter that I have never used. Maybe I'll give it a try. If my truck is going to be unused for a few days in a row during the extreme cold. I usually run the winter windshield fluid through the heater and pump.

 

[rwcarpet]

I thought about this quite a bit. How much money would it cost me if my stuff froze while I am on my way to the first job? Thousands? I keep my oil heater in my truck at 50deg in the winter. There are so many circumstances that could come about I wanted to make sure that I alqways have heat in my truck even if the slide in is cold or not running for an extended period of time. Bob foster pointed out a cool heater that runs off diesel or propane and truckers use them to heat their trucks while they sleep at night. $1,500 :shock: was a little high for me though. Thats when I thought about an inverter. This inverter http://www.theinverterstore.com/the-inverter-store-product.php?model=pwrinv500012w# is 5000 watts and can run my oil heater even under the most cold conditions and it wont overload the system. While the truck is running it will make electricity indefinitely. While the truck is off I can run the heater for 6 hours... lunch breaks, blown out tire or a breakdown, etc..
Hooked straight to my batteries. I can charge a battery sprayer or batteries for a black light.

It has 4 outlets in it. I can easily run a vacuum or my rotovac 360i for those rentals I sometimes get without power. In the summer I can run a small fridge off of this 8)

A remote switch to turn on and off by the side sliding door

My oil filed heater is mounted to the floor and has a digital adjustable thermostat on it.

Nobody keeps a truck that neat and clean!

Is it brand new?

I feel for you guys that don't or can't keep their trucks in a heated garage.

 

[Mike Draper]

I keep my trucks looking like new. Even my old butler was sparkling at every job. Clean is my business an that is what I like to represent.

 

[ACE]

Every time I see that truck I am jealous of how clean it is. You obviously put allot of thought into the set up. I doubt you will keep it looking so nice once you get a little busier.

I set up my box truck in the winter, so keeping it from freezing was definitely on my mind. I pulled all the plywood and put 1 inch foam behind it then stapled on some shag carpet.

Air circulation is key in keeping a truckmount from freezing. Without air movement it will be 90 degrees near the ceiling, but near freezing close to the floor. A small Air King fan angled up keeps the temperature steady.

 

[Mike Draper]

Really, I spend less than 10 minutes a week keeping the inside that clean. At the end of each day I grab the vac hose and stair tool b4 I shut the machine down and vacuum the inside. Takes no more than 30 seconds. I wash the outside a couple times a week.

 

[steve g]

I just use a standard space heater that has a fan in it. any idea if those burn more or less juice than the oil units?? overnight I keep my trailer at about 50 degrees. this is incase the power goes out or something happens to the heater I have enough heat in there to probably last a while. the walls and ceiling are insulated and the floor has the spray foam under it. adding the spray foam has kept my hoses on the floor from freezing, when overnight temps dip into the teens.

when I am out driving around, and if I haven't ran the unit, sometimes I just start the unit and close the doors. I find this really heats up the inside enough to where I don't have to even think about adding heat another way. the unit keeps putting off heat long after its shut off. the best thing I have for saving my unit is a radio shack remote temp guage. it reads out in my bedroom and everynight before I got to sleep I check the temp in there. it also has a temp alarm if it gets below a point I set it. (36 degrees) I can think of at least twice in 10 years it has saved my unit.

 

[ruff]

Mike that's is very nice solution and neat looking truck.

For those of us (aka me) that are not that good with gadgets. Does the inverter have it's own battery, which is being charged when the engine is on, and will power the heater?
Or once the van's engine is off it feeds off the engine's battery?

Mike is kind of like Jim Martin, thoughtful, always tries things and has a knack for improving things.
Is that a Utah thing?

 

[Mike Draper]

the inverter is tied to two deep cell batteries. They also are tied together to produce more power. the batteries can run the inverter for about six hours. I probably would have done the warm my engine thing first thing in the morning, except I go to nevada with the truck each winter to clean for four days and I am on the road for six hours to get their.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

I keep my trucks looking like new. Even my old butler was sparkling at every job. Clean is my business an that is what I like to represent.

Best quote on this board in a while. Food for thought.

Thanks,
Lee

 

[mirf]

Mike,
Where did you get the metal track system?

 

[Mike Draper]

Its called uni strut. You can buy it at ay electrical wholesale supply store.

 

[Connor]

[quote="Mike Draper":16vdqput]I keep my trucks looking like new. Even my old butler was sparkling at every job. Clean is my business an that is what I like to represent.

Best quote on this board in a while. Food for thought.

Thanks,
Lee[/quote:16vdqput]


Indeed, true for any business.

 

[rhyde]

Kind of expensive but has anyone tried an espar cab heater runs off the fuel tank ?


http://espar.com/html/products/airtronic5.html

 

[tmdry]

I was considering moving to a location where I would not be able to run an extension cord to my heater (same one Bob/Mike has). Would the inverter wired to a 2nd battery than wired to the main van battery, be able to run the oil heater overnight w/out the van being on?

 

[SRI Cleaning]

No you would need a very very large battery bank to be able to run an inverter at 1500 watts all night, plus your alternator would never be able to charge that battery bank.

 

[Mike Draper]

If that's the case a heater like the espar and 2 deep cell batteries would work well. It should last 18-20 hrs before the vehicle needs to be run.

 

[John Watson]

If i'm not mistaken, these type of heaters have been around for a long time. The military used them on alot of differant applications and vehicles. My folks 57 VW bug had one. If they wernt tuned just rite the gas fumes and odors filled the car. But im sure things have changed in 50 plus years.... Same tecno as those spark plug fired nat gas radiant heaters...

 

[Connor]

No you would need a very very large battery bank to be able to run an inverter at 1500 watts all night, plus your alternator would never be able to charge that battery bank.

Would an isolator and a couple of Optima Gel batteries work?

 

[Billy]

Mike does the Oil heater keep your whole truck above freezing even on colder nights?

For daytime running we have a 45,000 btu Coolant heater.

For nighttime we use two wall heaters & two Air Kings that keeps the truck above freezing. We also have alternate ways to heat if their is an electrical failure.

No you would need a very very large battery bank to be able to run an inverter at 1500 watts all night, plus your alternator would never be able to charge that battery bank.

Would an isolator and a couple of Optima Gel batteries work?

1st Not that is matters but technically Optima Batteries are not Gel Batteries, They are AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) Batteries.

2nd unless you decide to use a large bank of batteries with an appropriate charging system you should take into account your alternators output when choosing a inverter as well as if you need a Pure Sine Wave (more expensive per watt) or Modified Sine Wave (Less expensive per watt)

I have been using a Modified Sine Wave Inverter with a Auxiliary charger for years in our truck due to addons I installed using power 24-7.

 

[Mike Draper]

Yes it does. My truck is insulated vey well. The digital thermometer sits on the floor. Was 11 deg othr night and the floor temp never dropped below 40.

 

[Billy]

Really, I spend less than 10 minutes a week keeping the inside that clean. At the end of each day I grab the vac hose and stair tool b4 I shut the machine down and vacuum the inside. Takes no more than 30 seconds. I wash the outside a couple times a week.

We also try to keep our truck clean & looking professional as you do.

Our system involves:
1. putting everything in its place everytime after use.
2. General clean up everyday of use.
3. Two intensive cleanups twice a year, Spring & Fall in which we pull everything off truck that isn't bolted down. Then we clean everything. We have to do this no matter how clean things are to control the diesel soot that gets in the truck.

 

[Billy]

Yes it does. My truck is insulated vey well. The digital thermometer sits on the floor. Was 11 deg othr night and the floor temp never dropped below 40.

We don't have any insulating on ceiling or floor but it also doesn't get as cold here as where you are.

We use 3 Wireless Temp Sensors placed in different areas of truck to keep an eye on things.