About to fit ALDE Heat Exchange to a new Peugeot camper

No it doesn't Trek. Not sure if that was an option, or a later model thing. Mine is a 2012.
 
If you get the ALDE heat exchange instructions it shows their recommendation for connections and one side is off the bottom of the radiator

It would be very difficult to make to make a T connection due to the diameter of the hose at that point

Far easier using the heater circuit


Do you have an ALDE boiler fitted ?
 
Do you have a Sprinter yourself Trek, or something else. Either way, I assume you just have a T off the cab heater circuit? If so, have you noticed any real difference to the cab heater performance in winter?
And no, I don't have an Alde boiler. Not yet worked out the rest of my heating yet, but will probably be a diesel water heater when I can afford it although I want to harness any waste energy from the engine and will initially route through a coil in a Surecal calorifier for a hot water supply.
 
The alde heat exchange is just a standard plate heat exchange , i have seen similar looking units much cheaper but not with the required connecting pipe diameters

22mm on caravan side and 16 or 19 mm on engine

If you are using an Alde boiler dont introduce any copper into the system as it can cause corrosion
 
Yes i have a 2008 sprinter based camper with ALDE heating system circulating hot water around the camper via radiators
Also have the factory fitted ebespacher auxiliary heater which is all nicely connected together via the ALDE heat exchanger

Look at the catalogs on the ALDE website to see what is available ( they are even used on canal barges)
 
Regarding heater performance during winter

Modern diesel engines do not have an excessively amount of waste heat but Teeing into the heater circuit wont make that much difference on a long run especially if the heat extracted via your modifications are used to heat the rear of the van

Instead of just a hot cab and cold back end the whole van should be at a nice temperature

Saying that luxury cars and some sprinters have these webasto or eberspacher auxiliary diesel heaters to boost the coolant temperature to the cab heater matrix ( and in my case the heat exchanger as well) so if its extremely cold then this can be switched on ( when i travel to the ski resorts its not often I use this booster apart from pre warming the engine prior to starting it )
 
Trek said:
Regarding heater performance during winter

Modern diesel engines do not have an excessively amount of waste heat but Teeing into the heater circuit wont make that much difference on a long run especially if the heat extracted via your modifications are used to heat the rear of the van

Instead of just a hot cab and cold back end the whole van should be at a nice temperature

Saying that luxury cars and some sprinters have these webasto or eberspacher auxiliary diesel heaters to boost the coolant temperature to the cab heater matrix ( and in my case the heat exchanger as well) so if its extremely cold then this can be switched on ( when i travel to the ski resorts its not often I use this booster apart from pre warming the engine prior to starting it )
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We plan to use for skiing too, and hence why I too am interested in using to pre heat also
 
Webasto and eberspacher also do a variety of kit like valves and splitters that can be plumbed in to the engine coolant system so take a look at their catalogues as well
 
You have to run the electric water pump anyway so I wouldn’t think it would matter if you tee in to rad or heater lines. Mine is based on a 2005 316 2.7td, I can check later if you still need to know but not sure where mine was taken from without looking
 
You don’t need an electric pump if you want to take advantage of waste engine heat whilst driving as the engine water pump will circulate the hot coolant with the engine running

Electric pump would be required to heat in reverse the engine via the heat exchanger and some heat source in camper whilst engine off ( i.e. pre warm engine before starting - very good thing to do in winter in ski resort which is what got me started with these diesel heaters as years ago my then IVECO camper stuggled to start in VERY cold conditions )

Or to use the residual heat in the engine block after turning off the engine ( i.e. Mercedes REST function )
 
Trek said:
You don’t need an electric pump if you want to take advantage of waste engine heat whilst driving as the engine water pump will circulate the hot coolant with the engine running

Electric pump would be required to heat in reverse the engine via the heat exchanger and some heat source in camper whilst engine off ( i.e. pre warm engine before starting - very good thing to do in winter in ski resort which is what got me started with these diesel heaters as years ago my then IVECO camper stuggled to start in VERY cold conditions )

Or to use the residual heat in the engine block after turning off the engine ( i.e. Mercedes REST function )
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but surely I need to have an electric pump on the habitation side of the heat exchanger?
 
Yes a pump will be required on the habitation side
(Though you will get some natural circulation)

Nabsim I believe was referring to the engine side as the rad or heater line Tees were mentioned

Nabsim already has an auxilary 12v dc pump in his engine coolant plumbing as he has the REST button on his dash
(He aslo had the factory fitted eberspacher heater)


The REST button if you have it allows you to get remaining heat from the engine after you turn it off (if its hot) via the dashboard heater matrix and blower until engine cools down - handy in the winter when you arrive on site and are waiting for your boiler or caravan heater to come up totemp
 
I have fitted one of these myself with our ALDE boiler, I researched it with ALKO and some of the manufacturers which fit them as standard at the motorhome show earlier in the year and they all take the approach of T connections before and after the cab heater, the pipes are then routed down the passenger side of the engine bay and along the chassis.

So this is what I have done as well, it works really well and I have the boiler side setup so I can just heat the hot water up whilst I am driving so as not to waste gas doing the same later or I have the option of having the heating on in the rear whilst travelling too, again without the gas on.

I have not noticed any detriment to the speed of the cab heater warming up, though as others have noted it is slow in winter but this was the case before also. With the heat exchanger fitted you could also put a pump on the engine side and pre-heat the engine which would null this issue, Alde have a pump which works with the boiler controls for this purpose, I haven't done this yet as still licking my wounds from the cost of installing the initial setup.

On the Alko and coachbuilt bodies the Heat Exchanger is on the chassis behind the front cab area, mine is a van conversion and have mine in the side wall behind the driver.

Happy to send pictures and look up parts for you eg t-pieces I used if you need.
 
Unless you go skiing, I would not bother with the pump to preheat the engine. I have it in my present van and it was fitted to my last van. In over 10 years of ownership I never ran the pump.
 
Thanks Familywagen. I'm having trouble sourcing unequal Ts to T into the cab heater pipes and provide 16mm to the heat exchanger. Can I ask where you got yours please?
 
andrew65b said:
Thanks Familywagen. I'm having trouble sourcing unequal Ts to T into the cab heater pipes and provide 16mm to the heat exchanger. Can I ask where you got yours please?
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Tefen unequal Tee, I got mine from ebay, see image attached.
 

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