Anyone mount an Espar D2 External??

I have a fabed up box to mount my Espar D2 underneath the chasis, but I am concerned about it being below the doser fuel pump.

Anyone have any advise here?

I will connect via the K1 auxillary connection, and I know I need to mount the doser pump at ~14-30deg, but unless im running inside the cabin, there is no possible way to not have the line dip negative.

If i purge the line successfully at initial install would i have any reason to worry about air lock in the future?

What does the installation manual say about this?

OrioN said:

What does the installation manual say about this?

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Manual allows for external mounting, but its contradictory to the requirement to install fuel pump with constant rise.

At minimum an external mounted system will always be "level" with a traditional fuel tank location

The fuel after the pump is being pushed by force and will create pressure in the line. This pressure should be enough to over come gravity rise and a few low frequency peaks and valleys.

OrioN said:

The fuel after the pump is being pushed by force and will create pressure in the line. This pressure should be enough to over come gravity rise and a few low frequency peaks and valleys.

Click to expand...

Great thanks! So from tank to pump side (non-pressure), have a continuous rise to avoid air lock in any dips, etc...And on the pump to heater (pressure side) it should be ok (but avoid if possible?) because the pump will force any air out of the system.

I assume it may flame out during initial install but once cleared, I should have no issues

My plan right now is to put the pump above the tank direct from the K1N fitting at the prescribed angle, route over the driveshaft toward the sliding door area, and mount the heater externally there. This will require the fuel supply to dip from the "floor" of the van to the bottom of the heater. This is the negative dip below the tank that I am concerned with

GatorSprinter said:

Great thanks! So from tank to pump side (non-pressure), have a continuous rise to avoid air lock in any dips, etc...And on the pump to heater (pressure side) it should be ok (but avoid if possible?) because the pump will force any air out of the system.

I assume it may flame out during initial install but once cleared, I should have no issues

My plan right now is to put the pump above the tank direct from the K1N fitting at the prescribed angle, route over the driveshaft toward the sliding door area, and mount the heater externally there. This will require the fuel supply to dip from the "floor" of the van to the bottom of the heater. This is the negative dip below the tank that I am concerned with

Click to expand...

The worse case scenario may require you raise or lower the pump to resolve the lessor of the 'two evils'....

My Espar D2 is installed externally. I've had it there since I bought my van and it was 2014 . No air locks.
This winter I did have to replace screen ( I don't have high altitude kit )
Heater works

Sent from my LM-V350 using Tapatalk

4wheels said:

My Espar D2 is installed externally. I've had it there since I bought my van and it was 2014 . No air locks.
This winter I did have to replace screen ( I don't have high altitude kit )
Heater works

Sent from my LM-V350 using Tapatalk

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Any Pics of you install 4wheels?

@GatorSprinter - were you able to get this installed, any issues with fuel delivery? I am interested in mounting a D2 externally. Looking for info, thanks!

jjmcclure said:

@GatorSprinter - were you able to get this installed, any issues with fuel delivery? I am interested in mounting a D2 externally. Looking for info, thanks!

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Yea its installed and working great. Initially purging the line of air took some effort but once it was clear it was good to go...Im happy with it below.

Originally i didnt plan on recirculating so I ended up having to plumb the inlet line back into the cabin, but this is much more efficient now

Any pictures?
I have new heater ready to install and since with my travels I don't plan to use it a lot, I would rather have it mounted under the floor and use under- the- seat for other storage.

Still interested in pics. Thanks.

I am looking for more info also. Trying to mount externally, don't want to recreate the wheel. Thanks!

Stainless enclosures are commercially available, there’s plenty of room in the chassis recesses and you’d hardly hear it at all inside the van.

On the flip side the heater life span would likely be shorter than if mounted inside, and driving through even modest water depth could be terminal for it.

I was talked out of it by the Webasto service agent, having considered an external installation for heater noise reasons. Instead I fitted it inside and did my best to sound proof the enclosure.

Since my last post I bought another Sprinter and that one has factory diesel heater.
Took a look at it and it is installed right next to fuel tank with exhaust going straight down and no shielding.
It is coolant heater with complicated plumbing and air inlet tube goes into main frame channel, so looks like it suck exterior air and I don't see any air filter on it.

I've mounted a D4 externally, under and behind the drivers seat. (More or less where the stock rear heat exchanger is if you have that option) I installed it in an aluminum box, with an automotive square shaped engine air filter on the intake side. It is almost inaudible when running on boost if the doors are closed. On initial start up and shut down you can smell the diesel exhaust, but not when it is running. I made the box as large as would fit as a "test" thinking I would remake it smaller if it worked well. It works well, but I am lazy and will probably just leave it (it's been running fine for 4+ years) Heating the cold, dense, dry outside air allows me to dry wet ski gear while 4 people sleep without any condensation issues. It heats up my all window 144 passenger with modest insulation and no window covers very fast from well below freezing.

I am using an easy start select with an additional external (external to the heater) thermocouple. I think I got the thermocouple from lecton varnish, but I could be wrong

The stock heater booster draws its combustion air from the inside of a frame rail. I use the plastic muffler looking thing on my D4 combustion air intake.

I'm not sure why external mounting isn't more common, seems like the best solution to me. I fired mine up on a bench, and it only took me a few seconds to realize I didn't want to mount it inside. I also value the space under the passenger seat to store canned goods and tools I don't want flying around the van in an accident. I have two CO detectors (two for one deal!) and the heater has never shown to change the CO in the van (running a stove does of course).

Brian

there is a external mounting box they sell....

Yes, but I'm cheap, and always have scrap around!

sassmatt72 said:

there is a external mounting box they sell....

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Does anyone know where to find one of these espar boxes for an external mount?

To clarify I already have the Espar furnace but am looking for the box it needs to sit in.