Keeping it warm overnight

[1994IDI]

I know there are a lot of block heater threads going right now, but I need to add one more.
I work mid-shift through the night, and temperatures are in the teens here right now. I plug my block heater in prior to leaving for work, but once I get to work, I don't have access to power for the block heater. When I come out and start the truck at 0700 it is a very rough, smoky, painful sounding experience. Is there any way to keep the engine warmed up, or ease hard starts without an external power source? Thanks for any advice guys

 

[FordGuy100]

Throw a thrid battery in the back and run the lines into an inverter, then into a timer, then into the block heater? You would have to charge the battery everday though...or rig up a way to charge it with the altenator, along with the other two batteries.

 

[CDX825]

You may want to look into a fuel fired coolant heater.

 

[pedro_8149]

where would you find one small enough for our trucks, id be interested in on as well

 

[1994IDI]

What are these? I'm not familiar with it.

 

[CDX825]

http://www.espar.com/html/products/coolantheaters.html

 

[JwS]

those things are expensive, I had an idea maybe one of you guys would want to run with.
My RV has a 6 gallon water heater, it is propane powered, spark ignition, works great. I have thought about rigging up a heat exchanger to my coolant system so I can fire up the water heater and pump coolant through it.
You can pick up used rv water heaters for $100 bucks or so if you look around. I think you could probably run the coolant right through it, but that is going to add 6 gallons to your system...
I know there are a few of them that have an optional coil built in to run engine coolant through to heat water while you're driving, which could work in the reverse too. I have never seen one of these though.
JwS

 

[JwS]

Oh yeah, trying to run your heater off of battery power is no good, for 1000 watts you need about 90 amps from the battery, so even if you ran for an hour you need 90 amp hours. That is 2 nice size batterys. But you also can't run the batterys down fully every time, you should only use 50% if you want them to last more than a few cycles, so you need more like 4 batterys, just for the first hour... though an hour is usually enough. Of course in the cold the batteries won't deliver their rated capacity, so you should throw in a few more to cover that... probably 6 or 7 would be reasonable....
Now you see what really killed the electric car.....
I worked this all out before when I was figuring out if I could preheat my RV in cold weather when boondocked... I decided I can't even with my big Caterpiller battery...
Now a nice little honda generator would be sweet, an eu2000 would do it...
JwS

 

[SparkandFire]

Oh yeah, trying to run your heater off of battery power is no good, for 1000 watts you need about 90 amps from the battery, so even if you ran for an hour you need 90 amp hours. That is 2 nice size batterys. But you also can't run the batterys down fully every time, you should only use 50% if you want them to last more than a few cycles, so you need more like 4 batterys, just for the first hour... though an hour is usually enough. Of course in the cold the batteries won't deliver their rated capacity, so you should throw in a few more to cover that... probably 6 or 7 would be reasonable....
Now you see what really killed the electric car.....
I worked this all out before when I was figuring out if I could preheat my RV in cold weather when boondocked... I decided I can't even with my big Caterpiller battery...
Now a nice little honda generator would be sweet, an eu2000 would do it...
JwS

This is a very good observation... Newer battery technology might come along and replace our lead acids with something newer (NiMH or Lithium) Then we might have the option of an on the go block heater power source...

The AGM batteries are better, from what i've heard. They can handle a steeper discharge and recover better than standard flooded cells, BUT they are VERY expensive!

 

[JwS]

Yeah, as far as lead acid batterys go, the AGM is the best for long life in tough conditions. They also can discharge and charge quicker, I had a bank of about 99amp-hours in my RV for a while and they are nice, cost me about $300. I am trying out a big Caterpiller deep cycle battery I picked up, I think it is 180amp-hr or so. You can learn alot about batterys and stuff when you start messing with RVs without the benefit of a plug in....
JwS

 

[SparkandFire]

Agreed on the batteries and RVs...

Seems like the batteries ALWAYS go dead on my trailer in the middle of the night and the furnace slows WAY down and the wife starts complaining.

On more than one occasion I have had to run the genny late at night to keep the family happy...

 

[dave186]

I spotted a friend of mines old powerstroke in a park and ride lot the other day. I pulled in to check it out and noticed the block heater was plugged in with no outlets in sight! I followed the cord to a small honda generator in the bed, running. When my buddy sold the truck 2 years ago it had some bad glow plugs, i guess they never got fixed. That generator was quiet and if it could run for eight hours on a tank of fuel that might be an option.

 

[JwS]

Actually, after thinking about this for quite a bit, and looking at every option, my emergency heating plan has been to light a little camp fire under the engine (this is for the really cold, far from civilization situation). Not too good a plan in the parking lot, but I think it would work well out in the bush...
JwS

 

[SparkandFire]

Where I live, you can't leave a genny in a truck in the park and ride lots!



Someone out here would probably call in a bomb threat!

 

[ne buckeye]

synthetic oil will help with cold starts,It makes a big difference