Didn't bother getting any pics but had a Webasto BlueHeat installed on Saturday.


http://www.webasto.us/am/en/am_auto_heaters.html


It has a 3 event timer with manual on/off that was installed in my dash and I also picked up the optional remote for it as I tend not to run on a schedule very well. Works from about 300 ft. away.


The great thing is that it actually works with the dual zone climate control on my '03 as they have developed a wiring harness specific to this task. To the best of my knowledge, the competition cannot give you cabin heat (ie turn on your blower) for these types of vehicles. I believe Espar was supposed to have something ready for this fall but then didn't develop it due to cutbacks.


I got a special deal as this was the first '03 one my installer had done so can't comment on pricing. Even though they are located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, they have had a number of customers come up from the US as it is apparently harder to find good installers for this product. They also install units for big rigs from Webasto and Rigmaster (http://www.rigmasterpower.com). The company that did the install is called Manwin Enterprises. They don't have a website. Just a one-bay shop. They are easily found in Google. Ask for Steve.


I can't plug in at work so it will be nice to walk out to a vehicle who's engine is preheated and the cabin is nice and toasty with no windows to scrape ever again. Should also have immediate use of the Quad's power/efficiency apart from the Tranny needing to warm up.


The instructions were pretty straight forward but a little much for me to tackle. If you were comfortable tying in to the fuel pump, wiring and hoses, you could probably tackle it yourself. One trick they employed that's not documented was instead of dropping the fuel tank, they removed the bolts from one side of the box and propped it up enough to get at the fuel tank from the top. He was very happy about being able to do that.


Comes with a 2 year warranty. Takes very little fuel. Shuts off after one hour or from the key fob or timer or upon starting the vehicle.


The remote also has a blower button so you could turn this on to circulate the air in the summer to cool things down a bit.


Sounds like a Cessna warming up! I'll have to turn it on at Halloween as some kids come up to the door. http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Evil Smile.gif

Is it electric or diesel powered or both?? Their web site doesn't really say how it works. Sounds better than a remote starter.

HDLD


you will love it, I have had my Wabasto for 18 months and it is a wonderful thing at -30


Cheers


Bear

For those of us in the somewhat milder climates, I would be interested in a remote for the driver seat heater. That seams like it would be a lot cheper than a heater for the entire cabin. Does anyone know just how much current a seat heater uses? Even if I needed an extra battery to run it for a minute or two before entering the vehicle, that seems like it would be cheaper.

Finishman - It is diesel. You pick up fuel from the fuel pump. The unit has it's own filter. Installer didn't have specs on the filter, BTW! You do have to be careful about using the proper ratio with fuel additives as it's a much smaller filter as you can imagine thus could get clogged up if you went overboard.


I believe they also make a unit that works on regular gasoline. As tundracamper alludes to, if you have a gas engine and/or just need a little cabin heat, it's a much harder sell as a remote starter is a lot cheaper. With the diesel engine you can rationalize it easier due to the cost of the engine and the speed in which you will otherwise get heat but that said, obviously even with our trucks, a remote starter and a solution like JK's fast idle is a lot cheaper.


A LOT of big rigs are or have gone this route but it's a much easier sell for them given the cost of their engines not to mention having sleeper cabs and virtually living out of them for extended periods. It's a bitch though when it doesn't work properly or you set it wrong and wake up in the middle of the night with sweat dripping off you! http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Big Smile.gif


So far I haven't seen any REALLY cold weather but can't wait! Seems to work as advertised. Bearman will get a lot more use out of his as I live further south than some parts of the U.S. while he is about 60 or so miles north of the Montanna border (about 7 degrees longitude further north than my wussy N43º).

Thanks for responding. It has a very high "cool "factor but has to cost big bucks.

I wasn't even referring to a remote start on the engine as I was to a remote to activate the electric seat heaters - without the engine running. I find that in about two minutes, the seat is warm. I don't think the seat would drain the battery in a few minutes. So, couldn't you just push a remote a few minutes before you walked out the door to activate the seat heater. Also, there could be a 5 minute shut-off timer or something. There should be enough juice left to start the engine (or use another battery). I guess it all depends on how much juice those electric seat heaters need. I'm just rambling....as I expect this would be too costly and complicated for even my budget.

Unfortunately, I have no idea on the pricing. I believe they do not sell these units directly and that they must be installed by an authorized dealer/installer to preserve the warranty. I would guess at least 1k USD out the door perhaps a lot more.


Yes, you are correct. High cool factor but cost prohibitive. Very hard to justify on a gas powered vehicle over a remote starter and as I say, even with a diesel engine, a remote and JK's high idle is a much cheaper option but this is the decadent route, no question. No block heater, no oil pan heater, just start and go, fully warmed up (Allison notwithstanding).