How to Fit a Chinese Diesel Heater to a VW T2 Campervan

Jenny's rock and roll bed  the heater lives underneath.

If you've ever tried to sleep in a VW T2 campervan in anything below about 10°C, you'll know it's not exactly tropical. Jenny is an absolute dream to travel in, but she was built in the 1970s  insulation wasn't really on Volkswagen's priority list. So after a few chilly weekends wrapped in every blanket I own, I decided it was time to sort out some proper heating.

I looked into all the options. Webasto and Eberspacher are the big names in diesel heaters, and they're brilliant  but they come with a price tag to match. We're talking £800-£1,500+ fitted. For a van I use for weekends and holidays, that felt like a lot. Then I discovered the world of Chinese diesel heaters  essentially budget clones that do the same job for a fraction of the price.

After weeks of reading forums, watching YouTube videos, and going back and forth, I took the plunge.

What I Bought (And What I'd Buy Now)

I went for a Triclicks 5KW diesel heater kit from Amazon →. At the time, I figured bigger was better  more heat, right? Well, yes. Too much heat, as it turns out.

A 5KW heater in a VW T2 is absolute overkill. These vans are tiny inside. Running the heater on its lowest setting still pumps out more warmth than you need, and it means the unit is constantly cycling on and off rather than running steadily at a comfortable temperature.

If I were doing this again today, I'd go for a maXpeedingrods 2KW diesel heater → instead. A 2KW is more than enough for a T2, it runs more efficiently at a comfortable output, and it's quieter too. Lesson learned.

What Comes in the Kit

One thing I will say about these Chinese diesel heater kits  they come with pretty much everything you need. Mine included:

• The heater unit itself
• Fuel pump
• Fuel tank (though I bought a separate one  more on that below)
• Exhaust pipe and silencer
• Air intake pipe
• Hot air ducting
• Digital controller/thermostat
• Wiring harness
• Mounting plate and hardware
• Hose clamps and various fittings

The instructions are... let's say "creative" in their translation. But honestly, between the included bits and a few YouTube videos, it's all fairly logical once you lay everything out.

Planning the Installation

Before I picked up a single tool, I spent a good amount of time planning where everything would go. In a T2, space is at a premium, so you need to think carefully.

Heater unit: Under the rock and roll bed was the obvious choice. There's decent space under there, it's out of the way, and the hot air can vent up into the living area nicely.

Diesel tank: I went with a thin upright tank mounted behind the driver's seat. The kit comes with a small tank, but I wanted something that tucked away neatly and held a decent amount of fuel. A slim upright tank fits perfectly in that dead space behind the seat.

The slim upright diesel tank tucked in behind the driver's seat  neat and out of the way.

Exhaust and air intake: This is important. You need holes in the floor for both the exhaust outlet and the air intake. I also bought a longer pipe for the air intake so I could keep the exhaust and intake as far apart from each other as possible. You do NOT want exhaust fumes being sucked back into the air intake. Spend the extra few quid on a longer intake pipe  it's worth it.

Air intake pipe routed well away from the exhaust.

Exhaust outlet on the underside  keep this well separated from the intake.

Step-by-Step: How I Fitted It

Step 1: Measure and Mark

I removed the rock and roll bed and measured everything up properly underneath. You need to know exactly where the heater mounting plate will sit and where the exhaust and intake holes need to go through the floor.

Take your time with this. Measure twice, cut once  because you're about to cut big holes in the floor of your beloved campervan, and there's no undoing that.

Step 2: Cut the Holes

This was the bit that made me most nervous. Cutting holes in Jenny's floor felt properly wrong. But it has to be done.

Buy the right sized hole saw. Don't try to bodge it with a jigsaw or something too small. Get the correct diameter hole saw for your exhaust and intake pipes. It makes a clean job and saves you a world of hassle trying to seal up gaps later.

Deep breath... hole cut in the floor for the exhaust.

Step 3: Mount the Heater

With the holes cut, I bolted the mounting plate to the floor and secured the heater unit to it. Make sure everything is sealed properly around the floor penetrations  you don't want road water, fumes, or anything else getting in.

The heater unit mounted in place under the rock and roll bed.

Step 4: Run the Exhaust and Intake

The exhaust pipe runs down through the floor and exits underneath the van. The silencer sits underneath too. The air intake runs through its own hole and I used the longer pipe to route it well away from the exhaust outlet.

Getting there  exhaust and intake routed underneath.

Step 5: Install the Fuel Tank and Pump

I mounted the slim fuel tank behind the driver's seat and ran the fuel line back to the heater. The fuel pump sits inline on this fuel line.

A word about the fuel pump: It ticks. Quite loudly, in fact. It's a rhythmic ticking sound as it pulses diesel to the heater, and when you're trying to sleep in a quiet van, it can be really irritating.

The fuel pump  functional but noisy.

I ended up having a custom insulated cover made to go over the pump, which dampened the noise significantly. It's one of those things you don't think about until the heater's running at 2am and all you can hear is tick... tick... tick...

Custom-made insulated cover for the fuel pump  game changer for noise.

Step 6: Route the Hot Air Ducting

The hot air outlet duct runs from the heater up into the van's living space. I positioned it so the warm air flows up and across the main area.

Warm air duct venting into the living space.

Step 7: Wire Up the Controller

The wiring is straightforward  power from the leisure battery, fuel pump connection, and the controller/thermostat. My kit came with both a simple switch panel and a digital LCD controller, which lets you set exact temperatures and timers.

The switch panel.

Digital LCD controller  set your temperature and timer.

Step 8: Test It

Once everything was connected, I filled the fuel tank, turned it on, and waited. The first start takes a little while as diesel works its way through the fuel line. Then... glorious heat. In February. In a T2. Magic.

Heater installed and running  glorious warmth!

Jenny with heating sorted  ready for cold weather camping.

What I'd Do Differently

1. Go 2KW, not 5KW. A maXpeedingrods 2KW is all you need for a T2. Less overkill, runs more efficiently, quieter.
2. Budget for pump insulation from the start. That ticking noise is real. Sort it before your first overnight trip.
3. Buy the longer air intake pipe straight away. Maximum separation between exhaust and intake. Non-negotiable.
4. Take more time measuring. I was careful, but I'd be even more careful next time. Those holes in the floor are permanent.

Tools and Materials Checklist

Happy camping  and stay warm! =←

 Mike & Jenny

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