With the propane line to the heater installed, it was time to open the propane tank valve and check for leaks. I used the “spray on soapy water and look for bubbles” technique, as well as a handheld meter that measures propane in the air. I had to snug up a couple of the fittings to ensure that the propane was staying where it should.
Next I powered up the system to see if I could get the heater to deliver hot air to the interior of the Vanagon. It took a couple of attempts before the gas line was purged of air before the burner in the heat exchanger came to life. Within a few minutes the fan was pushing hot air into the Vanagon. With the heater working, I did one more quick check to confirm there were no propane leaks.
Although the Vanagon is far from air tight, I decided to install a propane/CO monitor to alert me if there were any problems with the system. Based on the installation instructions that came with the propane/CO monitor, I ended up putting the unit at the base of the storage cabinet and powered if from the auxiliary circuit off of the house battery.
The last task was to cover the heater to keep it isolated from all of the stuff we keep under the rear seat. This also helps to ensure there is adequate air flow from the interior of the van into the heat exchanger. I found an adjustable metal shelf designed for use in cabinets that was the right size and height to cover the heater. I added some hardware cloth to keep stuff from pushing up against or going under the heater.
Now we are ready for some cold (well cool) weather camping!
