heater

Webasto are made in Germany

Is it worth paying 4 time the price just to say it is made in Germany?

Here is a link to them on Kogans site.

I purchased my unit as I decided to buy one of the units the others copy, 6 years old now, never done anything to, just turn it on and it works. If I should ever need spares parts for it they are readily available, as is technical support from the manufacturer. It also came with a two year warranty that I knew I wouldn't have any hassles with if something did go wrong.

From an install it and forget point of view yes the extra expense was worth it.

Is it worth buying Webssto?..,...who knows these days, all I know is the Webasto heater our Kimberley Kamper came with is 9 years old now and been trouble free the entire time we’ve owned it. We are looking at putting a heater in our caravan currently, even though the Webasto has been faultless, I’m struggling to justify the cost difference between that and a Chinese made unit for the amount of times it’ll get used in our case. If I lived full time on the road and used it all Winter I myself would spend the extra and go Webasto, but being it’s occasional weekend getaways and the odd holiday only in the van for our family, the cheaper Chinese units may be getting the nod.

When I first started looking at these heaters Webasto was about the only brand you could get, and even on eBay they were very rare.

Now days, they are very common and just about every caravan has one installed.

As mentioned earlier, even Kogan sell them starting as low as $210.00.

For those saying they won't by anything from China are probably be the same ones who 50 years ago were saying "I'm not buying that Jap crap" and are now driving Toyota Landcruisers.

Some people just need to justify paying top dollar for an equivalent product that can be purchase much cheaper.

And it would seem with your continual sales pitch for the elcheapo that you feel to you need to justify the purchase off your cheap knockoff unit:)

Keep in mind it is a lot easier to copy someone else design than put in the cash for research and development. This is the reason a lot of big brands have stopped doing research and development, what's the point, you spend years and hundreds of millions coming up with a good product and then Chinese companies copy it a start flogging cheap copies. By buying these cheap Chinese clones your telling these companies we don't care if you steal others companies designs, as long as its cheap will buy it from you.
This is one of the things that make it so hard for Australian business, they put all their money into developing a product and 6 months later some Chinese company is selling the same item for a 1/3 the price.

Another aspect to consider, Webasto have to make their units compliant with EU regulations, What standard does your cheap knock off comply to? If it sets fire to your caravan what will your insurance company have to say about it?

Same applies to installation. In Europe the units are supposed to be installed by qualified installers, here everyone just says you don't need a license to install. Would be intersting to see what the insurers here will say about self installs, it will no doubt be you that has to prove the installation and equipment was safe.

I don't have to justify buying a cheap diesel heater ( $200 off e bay), but I couldn't afford the cost of the Webasco, even if it is a far better made unit.
To be honest, I don't really need one, but the missus loves warming up the van just before bed ( to get changed for bed ) and again in the morning to have a quick hand wash inside and then get dressed.

I watched all 13 episodes of the u tube series done by an aussie bloke on the chinese heaters , and a few more on installs, and with the cupboard it's in, and the floor it's bolted to made of aluminium, I'm confident I will have no problems regarding safety.

Two winters trouble free so far, and if it failed in the next 1,2 or 4 yrs, and I couldn't fix it with the parts available on e bay, another $200 won't break the bank.

I'm happy to support aussie companies..to a point...but comparing cheap chinese to dear german is neither relevant or important.

I just bought one for $159. As you said if it fails (reports are all good) then just buy another.

Same as ebay fridges - cheaper to buy another if it fails than getting an Engel serviced.

Yep, my Engel failed so brought a Brass Monkey from Jaycar, can buy 2 of these compared to the Engel and still have change for a slab or two of beer to put in it.

Just make sure where the unit is actually made to warrant the additional cost over an Ebay one or direct from China. They may all be made in the same places. Does "Diesel Heat Australia" actually make them or simply resell after importing??? If so you can buy three for the price of one and have two spare everything. Worth considering! and then you can provide your own warranty if ever required.

I bought one of those, 3 KW works well but it is identical to some sold from that Asian country. Even the controller panel looks identical. As mentioned, I now could buy three or 4 for the price I initially paid earlier.

RMD .. personally I don't go along with the buy 3 for the price of one good/ other brand ... i will no longer buy like that ... nor will i buy something from china that i don't absolutely need :((

which brings me to why anyone would need a heater ... a fire or nice warm coat will do me , that is what camping is all about ??? but everyone to their own ...

I tend to agree with Nickb, camping/caraning is about getting out in the great outdoors. Although, the older I get the more I feel the cold. Some places don’t allow you to have a fire, but we tend to choose ones that do. We currently don’t have a heater in our van, would we choose a van that had a heater in the future? not sure. We don’t spend a lot of time actually in the van, prefer to sit outside by the fire. When it is both cold & wet, we just get under the blankets [:-)

As for buying Chinese made items in the future, if I can avoid them I will. Nothing against Chinese people in general, I have a number of Chinese friends, just the attitude of their government, and the conditions they expect their workers to work in. I try to buy Australian made whenever I can in order to keep our manufacturing industry alive. Not always possible I know, but if more of us bought Australian made/manufactured, our country would be more self sufficient, and more people would have jobs. Yes, I drive an imported car, but IMHO, Australia only ever made one good off road vehicle, and that was The Oka, but it was too large to use as a daily driver as well as a touring vehicle, & at the time, I could not afford/justify having a touring vehicle just sitting around most of the time. Now I am off topic, sorry guys.

Macca.

Off Topic ! I bought a can of Butter Beans last week. Produced in Italy, product sourced from Poland.
Dave.

Nick ( Boab)
My partner has a need to stay warm and is affected by Raynaud syndrome where arteries restrict blood flow, they then feel VERY COLD. I have found taking the campfire, which in many cases aren't allowed to have, is very smokey inside the van and ineffective. Damages the curtains. Travelling around the country is not necessarily camping. but requiring warmth is a common need. When bush walking I didn't take the caravan on 4 or 5 day treks either. Rarely had a fire too. Catering for someone else requires some understanding sometimes!

RMD .. there are always going to be exceptions.. looking after our fellow campers . Yes my wife is inclined to take herself off to bed when it gets a bit cold at night too ..
I was looking at a youtube video a while back that was reviewing a imported diesel heater where he was pumping hot air into his camper all night.. I don't think I could sleep comfortably knowing something could go horribly wrong :(( ironically the YouTubers name was some Manly name like tuff touring the outback.. hahaha : )))
Funny story.. we were camping just out of Clare SA at a campground wintertime very cold night ,been to the pub was returning to our roof top tent when the neighbour came up to us and ask us for our next of kin contact as he said there is no way you're going to be still be living in the morning sleeping in there Haha : ))

I have always thought it would be good to have a gas heater seeing I already have 2 x 9kg bottles onboard but after being quoted $2,000 to have it installed I gave up on that idea.

Diesel heaters can be installed by any handyman but gas has to be done by a qualified gas plumber.

"Diesel heaters can be installed by any handyman but gas has to be done by a qualified gas plumber."

Yes they can, in Australia people just started importing and installing their own, would be intersting to see what the insurers will have to say if they come into the picture. It will then be a case of you having to prove the equipment and installation was safe. Like motor mechanical work, anyone can do their brakes for instance but if you do your own work and it results in an accident then your on your own.

HKB Electronics, Yes anyone can do their brakes! there is nothing wrong with that if they are capable of doing so, as anyone can install a diesel heater if They are capable of doing so. I found the installation process to be almost "plug & play".
Even if Jonny is not capable of installing one, There are plenty of capable people that will install regardless of it being a $200 or a $2,000 unit.
Mike P.

Yes anyone can do their brakes but if something goes wrong then your responsible for the consequences.
Interesting you say plug and play, Webasto heaters come with quite a detailed installation requirements detailing what is required to make them EU compliant, in the EU I believe a qualified installer should be used. Many say how poor the Chinese installations instructions are so I wonder how many self installs would comply with EU regulations for instance?

These heaters weren't originally designed for heating caravans, just one of the installation requirements:

"5.3.2.2 The heater shall not constitute a risk of fire, even in the case of overheating. This requirement shall be deemed to be met if the installation ensures an adequate distance to all parts and suitable ventilation, by the use of fire resistant materials or by the use of heat shields.

Mounting under a bed or in a cupboard made of flammable material probably not a good idea if no heat shields installed and no ventillation.

5.3.2.3 In the case of M2 and M3 vehicles, the combustion heater must not be positioned in the passenger compartment. However, an installation in an effectively sealed envelope which also complies with the conditions in paragraph 5.3.2.2 may be used.

Again I have seen many installed under cupboards with the heater effectively in the passenger compartment.

As I pointed out above, Webasto heaters have to comply with EU standards, what standards does your Chinese clone comply with?

Anyone can install a diesel heater true but have you asked your insurance company what their view point is going to be if your self installed unit sets fire to your van?

Same for the cheap Chinese clone heaters, if it fails and causes a fire, I would prefer a unit that has EU certification and installed correctly over one that has no certification or questionable certifications and has been installed in a non compliant manner.

I installed my own heater, as per Webasto specifications and to EU standards.

Guess We can go back and forth all day, I can only speak of personal experience. The Chinese installation instructions were nonexistent agreed , but Eberspacher have theirs available on the web. Cannot be sure theirs are EU compliant though. Maybe Webasto have theirs on the web as well, think there is a tie up with the two anyway.
I think most would notify their insurance Co. I know that I have had the Mod. noted on the policy. To be honest I am not too concerned about EU certification considering My diesel car dosen't comply with EU cert. either.
Mike P.

So you purchased the cheap heater to save money because you feel the brand names are just ripping you off. The cheap unit came with no instructions to speak of, one of the ways they can keep the price down no doubt. You then went and ripped off the installation instructions from one of the companies they probably cloned their unit off, that sound fairly typical in this day and age. If safety doesn't concern you then neither would the EU certification.

If I was to only drive a vehicle a handful of times a year then yeah I might consider getting a Great Wall, much like why I’m considering getting a cheap heater also.

The reason for the lottery is that at the bottom end of the market they're competing on price and cut corners wherever they can. QC filters out only gross, visible, faults. The cheapest components are sourced (the 'manufacturer' is an assembler). Importer feedback on faults is ignored.

Bearings will be the first to fail. Their quality can't be seen by the buyer so something that just lasts out the warranty is enough.

If I was looking for one I'd go with one of the big RV supplies companies. They have the experience of dealing with defects under warranty and have learned what's cheap and what's crap.

I'd also ask about labour conditions in the supply chain. I don't want my bargain paid for by semi-slave labour or child labour.