Does anyone use one?, as an ex-trucker I'm familiar with webasto/Eberspacher heaters which are a bit pricey for the amount of use it would get but there are heaters on Ebay for less than £150!!, there's even a place in Falkirk offering supply and fit for £250, has anyone bought one of these Chinese copies and if so are they worth considering? ,also, has anyone had one mounted externally like on the VW T5 but on a Relay van?, I remember the warmth but I also remember the noise.
You could have a look here -
'Chinese' Diesel Heater - for my own experience.
Supply
and Fit for £250? I fitted my own, but if I could have someone supply it (and so provide a warranty I presume?) AND fit it all for £250 I would have done so and saved myself the bother. If it is a genuine deal, I'd take it! (I'd charge a fair bit more than £250 just to fit)
I think the key is to give them a good run as soon as you get it to check it out - and if it is not right, reject it straight out - no repairs! The first one I had was a problem out the box and I fiddled around to get the first fault fixed, but other faults appeared and it was too late to get it replaced. The next one worked out the box and has been ok(ish). I bought another from the same supplier for 'stock' and just this afternoon unboxed and tested it, running on Kerosene (the cleanest and best fuel for them) - that has been running for around 4 hours right out the box and is looking good.
If you are close to Falkirk I can supply you with that tested one for £130 (I'm in the Borders around 60 miles from Falkirk)
There is no reason why you cannot fit externally on any van, but you have to protect from the elements AND make the heater still accessible for servicing. I tried to fit an External Temp Sensor to an Eberspacher D2 on a VW T6 earlier this year but there was no way to access the heater (mounted under the van) without getting it on ramps or a lift. The Chinese Heaters I would say are noisier than the Eberspachers, so if the Eber annoyed you, the Cheapo ones will do so more.