Weed burner ......... as in heat up the oil pan? I lived in Stanley Idaho for a while and it would get well below 0. I had to start my truck at -30, with no plug in. I built a fire and let the coals burn down and shoveled them under the engine. Took over 2 hours but got her started.
Have thought about a generator but really don't want to listen to it all night. But, a guy's got to do, what a guy's got to do. It would be pretty important task to get it started.
Tell me about your Espar is it the Hydronic 5? Did you install it yourself?
Thanks ....
Yes, you can use a propane torch pointing into a length of pipe with an elbow point up to the oil pan. This way the flame is far from the engine, but all the hot air is directed to the oil pan. Works quicker than coals for sure! In really cold weather, the batteries become the weak link. Synthetic oils are a must.
Yes, I purchased the Hydronic 5 a few years ago and installed it myself over Christmas vacation that winter. I purchased a generic truck kit (not vehicle specific) and plumbed the fuel line to the fuel tank, plumbed the coolant feeds to the heater hoses, built my own mounting bracket to mount the heater to the inner passenger side fender well, and plumbed the heater exhaust to the underside of the truck. The electrical consists of mounting the control box in the cab, tying into the heater fan circuit, and getting power through relay to the unit from the battery. Instructions were quite clear and thorough - you can download them from the web and read up on the install before you purchase. FYI - you can get the kit with the coolant/fuel pump built into the heater, or mount them separately (which is what I did).
I'm considering adding the remote start option to the heater for convenience - hit the fob button from the warm sleeping bag in the FWC. (I currently start it by pushing a button on the controller, or using the timer function)
I typically preheat the truck for 45min to 90min. When you start the truck you can take off immediately because everything is warm - the temp gage shows 160F or so. Plus the cab is warm if you left the heater fan switch on low. If you left it on high speed, your batteries are dead and you need a jump start.
I dream of a FWC heated with an airtronic, and fitted with a diesel stove / water heater....like the EARTHROAMER stuff.
Good luck!
