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Running interior ventilation with an auxiliary battery


emassa15
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Was wondering if anyone could give me some insight how to run my wagons ventilation system overnight with an auxiliary battery?

No heat or AC, I just want it to blow air, I figured it would look much cleaner than the battery powered fans I currently hang on the windows while camping.  I don't really have any vehicle wiring experience but I'd like to learn. I was thinking about a Fan-tastic Vent, but the roof cutout is a large commitment and it might be overkill for my occasional use... 

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Are you wanting to run the OEM heater fan overnight?  That fan draws a good bit of current for the amount of air it moves  *and* it will be very expensive to replace when you wear it out.  If you're using the van  for camping, I think the Fantastic Fan would be a much better choice  -  They move a BUNCH of air and draw very little current.  You could run that fan off the van battery without worrying that it would run your battery down

Don

Edited by Beta Don
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The other reason for not using the heater fan is that to replace the fan motor if it dies is a major job.  If in fact you have a wagon with rear windows you could make a  panel that just fits in the window opening for the fantastic fan.

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Thanks for the great feedback guys, not what I wanted to hear but it makes a lot of sense. I'm planing on removing the rear interior side panels and wanted to incorporate the rear vents in my new build. What initially sparked my interest was the Webasto heater, found on the Wellhouse "Evie". I realize going from a fan to adding heat, is a compleatly different game (and our vans arn't diesel) but that's the level of finish I'm looking for. *perhaps a little less tea time with grandma and a little more Mountain bike frendly, but you get the idea. 

Edited by emassa15
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I see where you were going with this!  Not so much the 'ventilation' but you wanted to run the Webasto for night-time heat too.  They *are* great little heaters!  We have two Mitsubishi electric cars and while the OEM electric heater is fine for us down here on the Gulf Coast, I know of at least half dozen owners of the same cars we have who live 'up north' and they have installed the Webasto's (or the Chinese made clones) with great success.  Many hours of heat from just a quart of diesel or kerosene.  They tie into the OEM heater in the car, heating the water (since we have no waste heat from an engine) and then the car goes lots farther on a charge because you're not 'wasting' any electricity heating the car

FWIW, they do make diesel 'air heaters' which you can use inside a car or boat and one of those might be just what you need.  They require very little 12 volt power, they have their own fan to circulate the air and the only outside connection is a 1" hole for the exhaust pipe.  One EV owner in Slovakia installed that heater in his car because it was cheaper than the 'parking heaters' which is what the Webasto's are called  -  They were specifically designed to heat the cab of diesel 18 wheelers when parked for the night.  Google 'diesel air heater' and see what you find

Don

Edited by Beta Don
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Most all of them will burn nearly anything flammable  -  Diesel, kerosene, alcohol, gasoline and probably even jet fuel which is just super refined kerosene.  Burning gasoline in any of them would give me pause because the fumes are explosive, whereas diesel or kerosene are flammable, but not explosive under normal conditions.  If I was mounting an air heater inside the van, I wouldn't consider using gasoline at all . . . . but, that's just me.  Others may sleep just fine a foot or two from a gasoline fire

Don

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