Propane Block Heater
 

Must occasionally park 240D in Vermont with no access to AC power.

Devices exist for trucks to heat the block using propane cannister as in torches.

Anybody familiar with these? Where can I get one?

Got one for sale? email me: tomaidh@yahoo.com

Webasto was/is the OEM supplier to Benz for auxillary heating. My 500SE has a gasoline fired heater hooked to what looks like a small hot water tank. -Not that it's usefull here.

try a webasto dealer, or ebay. they go for about $1k, new.

should be a link to dealers in their website.

The Espar unit works great and is well built. I have 2 friends that have one and they really like using it with their veg-oil kits. If you do go with the Espar, spend the money on the 7 day timer. It is convenient and the only way to get usable error or warning codes when the item needs maintenance. With the timer, expect to spend $1,300 for a new one from a local distributor.

That's almost as much as I paid for the car!

I bought one last year off of EBAY that is propane fired.
It was one of a lot of NOS units from about the 60's judging from the box it was in. It looks just like a mini gas water heater.
I haven't hooked it up or tried it yet because it hasn't been cold enough here.
Mainly I got it as insurance for when the temp does change.
I paid way too much ( around $100) but it was the first one he sold without telling that he had many more.
The next one only brought around $35. :( Who knew that there could be more than one.
That said, there may be some still circulating:D since he sold quite a number of them.
Bottom connection is for gas, low pressure from a gas grill bottle with a regulator.
The other 2 just plumb in to the coolant circuit on the engine.
There are many ways to accomplish that, but the gist is that hot water rises, so you need a hot water out and a cold water return through some combination of radiator/heater hose/block/head fittings.
One other possibility would be a traditional "tin can" external electric block heater powered by a small generator.
They pull anywhere from 750 to 1500 watts for this small of an engine which doesn't take a big gen-set.

Anything worth buying is gonna cost more than a small generator that would power your existing block heater, and give power for other uses to boot.

Bump
 

This is an interesting system.

http://www.harborfreight.com/800-rated-watts-900-max-watts-portable-generator-66619.html

As long as it starts, plug in your lower hose or block heater, and you're golden. Put it on the ground under the hood and let the wast heat work for you as well.

... I'm thinking theft magnet here.
I'd like something that mounts under the hood. because anything running on gasoline cannot be running in the trunk, or you will not be able to breathe when you get in the car.
plugged into the block heater, and it's easily stolen. unless of course you chain it to the car. yeah, that sounds elegant.

I also think a Honda 2k generator is a better deal than a Webasto or Espar. The generator can be used for other things. You could either hook up a flexible exhaust pipe to the generator in the trunk or just use a cable to secure the generator to your bumper. Might not be such a good idea in Alaska but for 10 or 20 nights a year, I'd choose the generator over the alternatives.

I suppose you could plumb the 3/4" fitting from the muffler on most generators to a pipe, and have it exit via the fuel fill neck, or maybe route it out one of the body plugs in the wheel well... I'm guessing a hot exhaust exiting near a fuel filler neck is a bad idea...
make sure nobody uses the fuel filler neck... really really bad idea...


I'm also thinking you could route the battery could be routed back there, and could be warmed by the heat of the generator...

My friend just added a fancy controller to the Webasto he fitted to his TDI. In addition to being able to set a timer, or use the remore control which works from a good distance away, he can now send his car a text message and it will start the heater, then send him another text back when it's warm. :D

I'd love to have a webasto, but they are quite expensive :(

-J

That is... just... awesome!
I've read about the bluetooth printer mod to unlock the doors with a text message... the reply is amazing.