Uses for diesel

peatop · Senior Member

Uses for diesel

oldbloke · Guru

Lubrication
Fire starters

Mike Harding · Guru

oldbloke wrote:
Fire starters

Yep, makes a good camp fire starter :)

I can't imagine using diesel for general cooking - Coleman stoves use petrol/Shellite but I really don't think diesel would burn hot or clean enough.

I believe there are diesel water heaters but they are not common in Oz. Most of my water is heated in a bucket over the camp fire.

aussiebottlo · Veteran Member

Yes a friend has a caravan that has diesel heater, stove and hot water he had it put in at manufacture as he didnt want any gas in the van. Very expensive for the stoves which includes an oven.

-- Edited by aussiebottlo on Friday 13th of August 2021 03:52:25 PM

Mike Harding · Guru

To my surprise:

Diesel cooktop

But at A$2000 for a two burner cooktop it would make for expensive baked beans....

Mamil · Senior Member

peatop wrote:
So far I have only seen a heater and wondered if anyone has modified one to produce hot water as well?

Truma do a combination heater and hot water system called the Combi D6.

https://www.truma.com/au/en/products/truma-caravan-rv-heater/truma-combi-d6

-- Edited by Mamil on Friday 13th of August 2021 09:26:19 PM

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

Our HWS and central heating is via a Webasto diesel heater.
Cheers,
Peter

dabbler · Guru

We've been looking into Mercedes Sprinter conversions and quite a few have diesel stovetops, hws and heaters all plumbed to the vehicle fuel tank. Right now, the TD has gas stovetop and HWS. The Hilux runs diesel and the jerry can we carry is only for emergencies. While in the past I used diesel to help start fires, a few years back I opened a 30yr old pack of paraffin firestarters hiding in my camping tuckerbox and now I'm a convert. Much easier and cleaner than splashing liquids around.

yobarr · Guru

Mamil wrote:
peatop wrote:
So far I have only seen a heater and wondered if anyone has modified one to produce hot water as well?
Truma do a combination heater and hot water system called the Combi D6.
https://www.truma.com/au/en/products/truma-caravan-rv-heater/truma-combi-d6

My van is equipped with the Truma Combi D6,and it is an excellent bit of gear! Can set any temp with the press of a button,and uses very little fuel.Cheers

oldbloke · Guru

dabbler wrote:
We've been looking into Mercedes Sprinter conversions and quite a few have diesel stovetops, hws and heaters all plumbed to the vehicle fuel tank. Right now, the TD has gas stovetop and HWS. The Hilux runs diesel and the jerry can we carry is only for emergencies. While in the past I used diesel to help start fires, a few years back I opened a 30yr old pack of paraffin firestarters hiding in my camping tuckerbox and now I'm a convert. Much easier and cleaner than splashing liquids around.

Yes can get messy. Try just soaking some small pieces of wood or dried tea bags with a little diesel in a jar. Works great.

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

Most people that have used the diesel cook tops don't like them much.
They are slow to initially heat and to respond to changes.
Cheers,
Peter

Tony LEE · Guru

My OKA had diesel hot water and hydronic heating which included engine interconnection as well. Also had Webasto diesel cooktop. Can now get Chinese diesel water heaters at hugely lower prices than webasto

Mike Harding · Guru

If this Truma spare PCB (at A$590) is anything to go by I'd hate to see what their water heaters cost:

Truma PCB on Ebay

I estimate that PCB, components and manufacture would cost no more than A$30 at the outside

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

How did you/Betty like the diesel cook top Tony?
Cheers,
Peter

peatop · Senior Member

oldbloke wrote:
Lubrication
Fire starters

You forgot weed killer, I had mixed thoughts when I read you post, we used to use fire starters with a mix of petrol/diesel when I was in the CFA, I often brought one home to do burn offs around the farm and my spouse thought I was using just petrol and did some very crazy things using petrol (I'm glad I had my own fire truck) eventually she learnt that petrol doesn't make a good fire starter, I used to make a mix that she would soak the chip heater wood in to use as fire starters.

Thanks for the replies, I was trying to figure out if it was worth me investing in some sort of diesel unit for cooking and maybe heating water, I have a design for a solar water heater I found on a site some time ago, made from pvc sewer pipe that you can pressurize for showers and so on. at the moment its just a simple canvas shower bag or sponge bath or a dip in the river/creek if its hot.

yobarr · Guru

Mike Harding wrote:
If this Truma spare PCB (at A$590) is anything to go by I'd hate to see what their water heaters cost:
Truma PCB on Ebay
I estimate that PCB, components and manufacture would cost no more than A$30 at the outside

Truma Combi D6 is a space heater that also heats water.Costs around $3000,but like everything in life,you get what you pay for.Heats hot water to 60 degrees in 20 minutes, and can heat my van up to 30 degrees if required.At night,I leave it running on about 18 degrees to keep comfortable.Cheers

yobarr · Guru

dabbler wrote:
We've been looking into Mercedes Sprinter conversions and quite a few have diesel stovetops, hws and heaters all plumbed to the vehicle fuel tank. Right now, the TD has gas stovetop and HWS. The Hilux runs diesel and the jerry can we carry is only for emergencies. While in the past I used diesel to help start fires, a few years back I opened a 30yr old pack of paraffin firestarters hiding in my camping tuckerbox and now I'm a convert. Much easier and cleaner than splashing liquids around.

Splash of diesel on wood,sprinkle of Zippo lighter fluid on top,ignite with match. Instant campfire! Cheers

kgarnett · Senior Member

ANFO - Even more instant

oldbloke · Guru

kgarnett wrote:
ANFO - Even more instant

Lol. Love it.

Mike Harding · Guru

yobarr wrote:
Mike Harding wrote:
If this Truma spare PCB (at A$590) is anything to go by I'd hate to see what their water heaters cost:
Truma PCB on Ebay
I estimate that PCB, components and manufacture would cost no more than A$30 at the outside
Truma Combi D6 is a space heater that also heats water.Costs around $3000,but like everything in life,you get what you pay for.Heats hot water to 60 degrees in 20 minutes, and can heat my van up to 30 degrees if required.At night,I leave it running on about 18 degrees to keep comfortable.Cheers

Not with that PCB you don't!

It's a total rip off priced at around 2000% above cost simply because buyers have no other option if their's fails, close to extortion. Still if someone is foolish to buy such a product....

yobarr · Guru

Mike Harding wrote:
yobarr wrote:
Mike Harding wrote:
If this Truma spare PCB (at A$590) is anything to go by I'd hate to see what their water heaters cost:
Truma PCB on Ebay
I estimate that PCB, components and manufacture would cost no more than A$30 at the outside
Truma Combi D6 is a space heater that also heats water.Costs around $3000,but like everything in life,you get what you pay for.Heats hot water to 60 degrees in 20 minutes, and can heat my van up to 30 degrees if required.At night,I leave it running on about 18 degrees to keep comfortable.Cheers
Not with that PCB you don't!
It's a total rip off priced at around 2000% above cost simply because buyers have no other option if their's fails, close to extortion. Still if someone is foolish to buy such a product....

Thanks for your considered opinion,Mike,but I wonder would you feel the same way when it is minus 5 degrees outside,and your Chinese piece of spit won't warm the van,or it simply cries "enough" when it is needed most.You seem to have an admirable ability to tolerate cold,as I can recall you saying once that you showered outside when the temperature was only 8 degrees,but some of us are not that hardy. Again I will say,in this world,you get what you pay for.Your choice of a Trailblazer seems to have been a wise one,but I wonder why you did not settle for a Triton? After all,it is cheaper,I believe? Cheers

Craig1 · Guru

Do not use diesel to restart the chip heater if it has gone out but still embers, bloody hell , sh.t everywhere, blew the top off, chimney off, ashes in the bathwater and over me, sh.t scared at 8 years old.

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Diesel wouldnt explode ! My guess other fuel was in there ?

oldbloke · Guru

Aus-Kiwi wrote:
Diesel wouldnt explode ! My guess other fuel was in there ?

Correct. Diesel is just light oil

Whenarewethere · Guru

With ammonia nitrate makes it useful. In primary school one of the students was really into chemistry. I have to say they were the most informative chemistry lessons I ever had. Chlorine for pools made for some very informative lessons.

yobarr · Guru

Aus-Kiwi wrote:
Diesel wouldnt explode ! My guess other fuel was in there ?

As you and Neil have said,there is no way known that diesel will explode.The dangers of petrol are recognised,but a friend regularly extinguishes his lit cigarette in a bowl of petrol,just to illustrate that it can be done. Cheers

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Its the fumes that explode yes thats why old engines flood and hard to start ! Same condition of putting cigarette out with petrol! No oxygen. Your playing with fire doing that though !

Craig1 · Guru

It was only diesel, into a confined space and probably too much onto too hot embers.

Mike Harding · Guru

yobarr wrote:
Thanks for your considered opinion,Mike,but I wonder would you feel the same way when it is minus 5 degrees outside,and your Chinese piece of spit won't warm the van,or it simply cries "enough" when it is needed most.

I'd quickly fit the entire second Chinese diesel heater I bought as a spare and *still* be $thousands ahead of you :)

Mike Harding · Guru

Oddly enough I tried this the other day in order to confirm what I suspected:

An old baked bean can with 25mm of diesel in and I dropped a well alight match in to it, it went out. I repeated the experiment four times with the same result each time.

When I use diesel as a fire starter I put a tissue or two down first, lay the kindling on top of that, pour a little diesel on and light the tissue, that works well.