Progress has been steady, however, sometimes it feels like it is taking forever. This weekend we overcame a major obstacle. Mike had to be very brave and cut into the van's fuel line in order to finish off the diesel heater hook up. It was definitely one of those - take a deep breath and just do it - kind of moments!
On Saturday we finished off the 'shore power hookup' and it works perfectly. Plugged in a small fan heater and was able to update the inverter and continue with the wiring in relative comfort.
The success on Saturday boosted the confidence and Sunday was 'The Day'! The main worry was that once the fuel line was cut, it would mean that the van would be dead in its tracks. The diesel heater was T'd in to the return fuel line and everything seemed to be fine. The crucial moment came when we had to start the van - was it going to start? - did we just destroy our home?.
After a bit of sputtering, the van fired into life and there were cheers in the workshop. What a relief, the van wasn't scrap, now to test the heater. We managed to get to 20C before we called it a night. Overall, so far, very pleased.
We chose to go with the Eberspacher D2L heater, a little more expensive than many alternative heaters but we hope that we won't have to replace it. With 3 heat sources, it shouldn't be over worked. In addition to the diesel heater we have underfloor heating and a wood stove.
Looking forward to many warm and toasty winters in Vanaheim.