Stude4x4

Is there a way to run our block heater off of 12 volt power? Lets say you can't plug into an outlet. I'm only thinking for a couple hours. If your out and about and want to keep your truck semi warm. My truck cools down quick in these cold temperatures. It would be slick if there was a heater that used 12 volt from a second battery like an optima blue top. Or maybe just using a power inverter? I'm a machinist, not an electrician. Is this possible and would it be worth it?

Jake

ofcmarc

Try
http://www.webastoshowroom.com/image...at_trifold.pdf
or
http://www.espar.com/html/products/coolantheaters.html

carbon

iirc the heater uses 700 watts, you could get a power inverter and figure it would put a 800 watt drain on your batteries. from what I found stock batteries have a reserve of about 120-150 so for two figure thats 300min. according to this calc. that would give you about 2 hours before your batteries are stone dead.
http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/sport...drainCalc.html

Imho I would sooner leave my truck running for 2 hours, than go this route

the cheapest and easiest thing would be to let it run, heck when it gets really cold my buddy lets his tri axles run all day all night

carbon

now figure at the very most your going to use .5 a gallon of fuel an hour, that is (at the most) $2 an hour of idle time, if you buy some sort of fancy after market heater that uses propane your looking at atleast $1000 most likely alot more. so thats 500 hours of ideling time. and If you go the inverter route that will cost you about $300 for a big enough inverter and you will need bigger batteries so leyour looking at $500 on the cheap side. Now you can see why alot of people just let the trucks idle.

and thats not counting the price of propane or a propane tank.

dzl_damon

I have a heater made by Bahco (swedish). It runs off diesel, using something minimal... like 0.2gph. It also has a duct that blows hot air in your "saloon" (cab) while it's running. I plan on hooking it up in my crew cab. I have not looked to see if they are still available or not.

I would definitely use a separate battery regardless of the option you use. I know there are some 12v tank heaters (use hosed, does not screw into the block).

j_martin

There are keep warm systems that start and idle your vehicle periodically to keep the engine warm.

torquefan

For argument's sake, lets say the block heater uses about 7 or 8 amps while plugged into 110 VAC. Running it off an inverter hooked to your 12 volt batteries, it will draw more than 80 amps from those batteries; more than half as much as the starter draws on a gas engine. I don't think you would get more than 20 or 25 minutes use of it before your batteries are dead.

bobva

Honda eu2000i (or like)

Is about the most practical Idea that I can think of.

Stude4x4

Very good points. Thanks for all your input. I wasn't sure how much power it draws, or how much it would draw on 12 volt. It was just something that crossed my mind the other day.

Jake

Jim Lane

When you start installing inverters don't forget that at 0* F you battery will loose 60% of its rated capacity so you will need extra batteries, this is why a battery heater is important.

Or get a Tesla Battery.

MARF75

What is a Tesla battery? I know who he was.

He was a different cat,to put it lightly

patdaly

Don't forget, Cummins doesn't recommend long idle times, they don't use enough fuel to keep things warm, and will wash down your cylinder walls.

The small Webasto heaters or similar are the way to go.

ofcmarc

I think he is refering to the new "tesla" electric sports car. They have a pretty high tech battery......

DodgeFreak

I have a 3000 watt inverter in my van and just to leave it turned on drained my battery in 3 hours..

gyman98

Most guys just install a high idle, its very simple and solves the above problem. Also increases the oil pressure dramatically just bumping it up to 1100rpm