Beach Heater Options

[Custardtart]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Beach Campers have webasto diesel heaters fitted to the engine coolant system to get the coolant up to temperature quicker in cold weather.

Looking on the webasto website it seems to suggest that these can be used to (i) either heat up the entire coolant circuit (including the engine block) or be switched to just heat up the heat-exchanger for the cabin heating. This can then be used to pipe hot air into the cabin using the normal heating controls.

http://motorhome.webasto.co.uk/heating/ ... ample.html

Further, it can be done on a timer or remote control so you can have the cabin warm and waiting for you after being out in the cold (say surfing/walking whatever).

I think this is standard operation on the full fat calis?

So my questions are:

1. why isn't the beach webasto rigged up to provide the cabin heat/defrost/remote control/timer benefits?

2. what's involved if I wanted to do this with my existing webasto coolant heater?

3. anybody done the modifications already, or know of a business that does? Would VW do it (to keep it all under VW warranty?)

4. If the full fat calis have this already - why the need for the eberspacher hot air blower as well? (ie if I did this, would I still have a cold cabin camping in the winter?)

Sorry for such a long post but trying to work out options.

 

[NickE]

Sorry for such a long post but trying to work out options.

No need to apologise, that's a very interesting post. I had no idea the coolant heater could also be made to heat the cabin!

 

[Andy]

Custardtart

1. Probably due to cost.
2. Look on webasto site here at the control options & fitter locator. http://www.webasto.com/gb/markets-products/car/retrofit-parking-heater/controls/thermo-call/
3. I started fitting a kit which will switch heater on with remote fob. Telestart T90. Not finished it. See this thread about it. http://www.vwcaliforniaclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=2920
4. The webasto engine coolant heater is standard on UK calis, but the ability to manually control it is not not. Maybe in colder climates.

 

[James]

Custardtart

1. Probably due to cost.
2. Look on webasto site here at the control options & fitter locator. http://www.webasto.com/gb/markets-products/car/retrofit-parking-heater/controls/thermo-call/
3. I started fitting a kit which will switch heater on with remote fob. Telestart T90. Not finished it. See this thread about it. http://www.vwcaliforniaclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=2920
4. The webasto engine coolant heater is standard on UK calis, but the ability to manually control it is not not. Maybe in colder climates.

Andy - when are you going to finish it?

Beach Heater options in the UK limited to climtronic/no climtronic - parking heater/no parking heater

In Europe - slightly different, typically.


Air conditioning "Climatic", FH and housing
with semi-automatic control
Close EUR 892.44

Air Conditioning 3-zone Climatronic
Three-zone (driver and passenger-housing)
Outflow in the cab (dashboard)
Outflow in living room (headlining cold only)
Second Evaporator and second Heating in the living room
without a booster fan in the front doors
Use of the residual heat of the engine interior heating up to 30 minutes
Close

EUR 1610.39

Comfort Package Climatronic
Air Conditioning 3-zone Climatronic
Three-zone (driver and passenger-cabin)
Outflow in the cab (dashboard)
Outflow in the passenger compartment (roof lining, cold only)
Second Evaporator and second Heating of the passenger compartment
without a booster fan in the front door
Use of the residual heat of the engine interior heating up to 30 minutes
Light and Sight package
Interior mirror automatically dimmable
Light and rain sensor - "Leaving Home" function and manual "Coming Home" feature
automatic headlamp switching (automatic switch on at dusk, night, tunnels, ...
Close

And you have

Heater in the cab / living room
Warmluftausströmung in the living room
Convection heater with timer (max running time 120 min, in kW. 3.5 kW)
Cooling circuit is not heated
Outlets on the B-pillar right below - note outflow back into the living room as well as laterally into the cab please, despite the separately controllable heating in each case, both the cab and the living room heated!
Close EUR 1864.80

Hot water heater with timer (maximum running time 120 min, in kW. 5 kW)
Cooling circuit is heated
Close EUR 712.62

sströmung dashboard top center
Hot water heater with timer (maximum running time 120 min, in kW. 5 kW)
Cooling circuit is heated
Close EUR 1040.29

Andy might want to explain what all these variants are lol

I think a rear heater is optional in Europe if you have Climatic. I know my rear heater comes out of outlets by the front doors. Full California's in the UK with standard Climatic have a heater in the rear of the van operated in the rear (unlike mine which is on the dash). I presume that you can specify this on lhd Beaches as I've seen LHD Beaches with standard climatic but vents in the rear along the edge of the roof.

James

 

[Custardtart]

Fantastic information - I see I've come late to the party.

It appears relatively simple to modify the coolant heater to come on and switch the fans on in the cabin from those posts.

I must admit I'm worried about messing with my Beach which is still under warranty but am VERY interested in how you get on.

It might give me the courage to have a go.

I don't suppose VW dealers will do this simple looking upgrade?

Only slight down-sides I guess are:

1. runs on main battery
2. heats engine block as well so I expect it would take a while to get warm in the cabin. I think webasto also do kits to isolate the engine block coolant system for when you want to use it as a cabin heater - uses a toggle switch in the cabin.

Keep up the good work.

 

[James]

Not late to the party You've just thought along the same lines as the rest of us.

I don't want to mess with my van either, not in that respect.

James

 

[Custardtart]

I guess this is what is already fitted to full-fat calis judging by other posts.

It would be good if VW would do the upgrade using the same webasto parts so it could all be under warranty.

Alternatively, if Andy is successful I might have a go when the van is out of warranty.

Maybe I'll try and get a price from a local webasto agent....

 

[James]

I guess this is what is already fitted to full-fat calis judging by other posts.

It would be good if VW would do the upgrade using the same webasto parts so it could all be under warranty.

Alternatively, if Andy is successful I might have a go when the van is out of warranty.

Maybe I'll try and get a price from a local webasto agent....

Price from my local Webasto agent was £700 - considered it

James

 

[Custardtart]

Wow!

That seems like daylight robbery.

The kits are on EBay now for £160 and judging by the instructions a trained tech would install it in 2-3hrs absolute max.

Thinking more about the operation, I guess it's just for defrosting/warming the van before use in the winter. If it was for cabin heating it would have to run off the leisure battery. So I guess that's why the full-fat calis have the eberspacher d2 cabin heater fitted as well.

 

[James]

Wow!

That seems like daylight robbery.

The kits are on EBay now for £160 and judging by the instructions a trained tech would install it in 2-3hrs absolute max.

Thinking more about the operation, I guess it's just for defrosting/warming the van before use in the winter. If it was for cabin heating it would have to run off the leisure battery. So I guess that's why the full-fat calis have the eberspacher d2 cabin heater fitted as well.

Hence why I didn't even entertain the idea. lol

James

 

[Custardtart]

I'm looking into this again - fitting a webasto T91 telestart to my new Beach.

I can see a variety of what appear to be genuine units on EBay but don't know enough about it to know which will suit my van - facelift version with 140PS engine and climatronic a/c. (I think they're the key bits of info)

Some are listed as analogue, some digital. Some have VAG part numbers.

Does anyone know what the part number would be for the telestart (receiver unit) for a van as per the details above?

Thanks.

 

[James]

I'm looking into this again - fitting a webasto T91 telestart to my new Beach.

I can see a variety of what appear to be genuine units on EBay but don't know enough about it to know which will suit my van - facelift version with 140PS engine and climatronic a/c. (I think they're the key bits of info)

Some are listed as analogue, some digital. Some have VAG part numbers.

Does anyone know what the part number would be for the telestart (receiver unit) for a van as per the details above?

Thanks.

I've been looking into having the whole parking heater retrofitted - just as an idea to learn about what needs to be fitted.

You're best bet would be to ring up a Webasto dealer.

List on their website - it's all very confusing to me lol

James

 

[greenfintry]

I'm not sure if this old thread is exactly relevant but I'm trying to figure out if the Webasto heater comes on for the engine block automatically if it is very cold? I have had a look at this on eBay http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm?itemId=271975774993&fromWatch=true. It looks like a way of bringing the heater on using a mobile phone, which could be useful, but when will the standard unit come on?

 

[WelshGas]

At 5c or less to aid engine warming as Diesels are " colder " engines than Petrol and this improves efficiency.
It is NOT the Parking Heater as it is only designed to warm the engine, not the vehicle interior.

 

[greenfintry]

Does the heater use an electric coil to heat the engine? We are thinking about a winter Arctic trip and will need either a plug in block heater unless this system is up to the job? Think -30c as rough guess ( last trip dropped to -37c but we had a petrol Volvo at that time...).

 

[WelshGas]

I think the T5 engine heater, built in, just heats the coolant and only fires up when the engine starts with the external temp 5c or less.
There were lots of T5 s in Northern Norway, locals not tourists, so probably one of the Forum Norwegian members might have more information about preparing a California for such extremes.

 

[Bigted]

Umm my beach has a parking heater (vents in B pillar) but only one sticker on the door frame for a eberspacher D3 plus. Does this mean I don't have the engine coolant heater? I was under the impression that if you had the parking heater you also got the coolent heater on UK spec vehicles,

 

[WelshGas]

Umm my beach has a parking heater (vents in B pillar) but only one sticker on the door frame for a eberspacher D3 plus. Does this mean I don't have the engine coolant heater? I was under the impression that if you had the parking heater you also got the coolent heater on UK spec vehicles,

I have both + BlueMotion.

Is your Beach BlueMotion?

 

[Bigted]

It is bluemotion - when it feels like it!!

 

[Bigted]

Hi Welsh gas do you have 2 stickers on the door frame?

 

[WelshGas]

2 Stickers on the Door. Webasto 5kw, Eberspacher D3.

Webasto sticker is half the size of the other.

 

[Bigted]

I've only one the D3+ and a TPMS sticker.

 

[WelshGas]

Engine size?

 

[Bigted]

140

 

[WelshGas]

As far as I am aware you should have the Webasto heater. The heater is on the N/S of the engine and the exhaust is that side, somewhere around the front wheel arch.