This is an archive of how we installed a Webasto Air Top 2000 STC to our 2016 Ford Transit. Since then, we bought a new 2021 Ford Transit and, again, installed a gas heater. We recommend heading to our latest article for the most complete and up-to-date information:
Table Of Content
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click a product link and buy anything from the merchant (Amazon, eBay, etc.) we will receive a commission fee. The price you pay remains the same, affiliate link or not.
1- Good To Know
1.2. Webasto Air Top 2000 ST/STC High Altitude Adjustment Procedure
The high-altitude adjustment can be performed by a Webasto dealer; they have access to specialized tools that analyze the exhaust gas to validate that the air-fuel ratio is correct at the altitude where the adjustment is performed. Or you can actually perform the adjustment yourself, like we did. To do so, you will need the rheostat controller:
Preps
- At this point, your heater should be connected (electrical, fuel, etc.) and ready to use. The rheostat should be connected to the pigtail labeled as "User Potentiometer" (ours was located near the heater itself). If you're using the MultiControl HD, disconnect it. OK let's do this!
1- Connect the CO2 calibration wire with the ground
- Using any electrical wire, connect the CO2 calibration wire to your system ground. This can be, for example, your negative bus bar.
- Depending on your heater/controller model, the CO2 calibration wire is either brown (look for a 2-wire pigtail; there should be one brown wire and one green wire) or is either grey/red (look for a pigtail with only 1 wire; it’s close to the “Diagnose/Thermocall/Telestart” pigtail). It should be located near the extremity of the harness (far from the heater unit itself).
2- Turn the control knob to 12:00
- Or turn it up to 1:00 for very high altitude (around 10,000ft).
- This will fire up the heater. Wait a few minutes. The LED on the rheostat will eventually begin to flash. Go to the next step.
3- Turn the control knob to 9:00
- Or 8:00 for very high altitude adjustment (around 10,000ft).
- Keep the heater running for 3 minutes.
4- While the heater is still running, disconnect the CO2 calibration wire from the ground
- The procedure is over! Let the heater run for an extra 10 minutes (this is just so it reaches a high temperature and stays clean) then turn it off.
5- Did it actually work?
- At this point, a Webasto dealer would analyze the exhaust gas to make sure the air-fuel ratio adjustment is correct... In our case, there is no way to tell if the procedure was successful or not. Gotta have faith! Time will tell!
6- Driving back to sea level
- According to Tech Webasto, a lean combustion does not damage the heater, so there is no need to change the adjustment back to sea level. A lean combustion will not damage the heater but will, however, reduce the heat output by approximately 100-200 BTU/h which is almost negligible.
- We made the high altitude adjustment in 2017, and since then we have been running our heater adjusted for high altitude at all times (even at sea level). We didn't notice the reduced output, and we believe that a leaner combustion actually helps prevent carbon buildup (as discussed with Tech Webasto).
high altitude adjustment is permanent
- It means that if the Webasto is unplugged, or if the main power is turned off, the high altitude adjustment is not lost.
- The high altitude adjustment remains until it is manually adjusted back to sea level altitude.
Adjusting the Webasto Air Top 2000 ST/STC back to sea level altitude
- Connect the CO2 calibration wire to ground.
- Turn the heater control knob to 9:00. Wait a few minutes.
- When the LED on the rheostat begins to flash, turn the control to 12:00, and keep the heater running for 3 minutes.
- While the heater is running, remove the CO2 calibration wire from ground.
1.3. Remote Room Temperature Sensor
The temperature sensor of the Webasto/Espar is located in the heater cold air intake, not in the controller (except for the Espar S2/M2 with EasyStart Pro controller)! This is important to know, as many people believe their heater is wayyyy out of adjustment when they first use it.
Take the case where the heater is installed under the passenger seat: ambient air under the seat is much colder than ambient air in the living space. So setting the temperature of 20°C on the controller is equivalent to setting the temperature to 20°C under the seat; as a result, ambient air in the living space will be much higher than 20°C! It’s not a major issue, but it’s a bit irritating.
Fortunately, there is a way around it. It is possible to install a remote room temperature sensor. Once installed, the heater will use this sensor instead of the built-in sensor at the cold air intake. We personally installed our remote room temperature sensor near the MultiControl HD, approximately at shoulder height in the middle of the living space (further away from the hot air exhaust). This way, choosing 20°C on the controller means the living space will actually be 20°C!
Temperature sensors are best located at shoulder height in a central location:
Webasto, SensorPush (faroutride.com/sensorpush-review) and Simarine (faroutride.com/simarine-pico) temperature sensors:
EasyStart Pro Controller for (new) Espar S2/M2 models
The controller includes an integrated room temperature sensor. Nice!
1.4. How to activate all timers on the Webasto MultiControl HD
The MultiControl HD is advertised as having 21 timers, and it does. But there is a catch: only one timer can be active, meaning you can’t actually pre-program your heater for multiple ON/OFF cycles. This is due to legal requirements for passenger vehicles.
Fortunately, there is a way to re-program the MultiControl HD to unlock all 21 timers. After this procedure, you will be able to make all of them active simultaneously:
1- Remove the back cover of the MultiControl HD
- Use a small flat bit to pry the back of the MultiControl HD away (pry all around).
2- Connect the brown wire to the second tab of the diagnostic access connector
- The MultiControl HD will reboot. Don't let go! You have to keep the connection until the end of the procedure or you'll have to start over (that's the hardest part!).
3- Select "Service" menu and choose the number of active timers
- Don't be shy, select all 21 of them!
Note: The "Service" menu also has a bunch of other options
- So be careful not to mess with them unless you know what you are doing!
- Change heater
- Adjust min-max duration
- Permanent mode
- Cancel ventilation
- Temperature range
- Show room temperature (a cool feature)
- Unibox set
- Undervoltage shutdown
- Unlock heater (careful with that one)
- Base configuration
Thanks to Marc B. for providing these instructions!
2- Webasto Installation
This is an archive of how we installed a Webasto Air Top 2000 STC to our 2016 Ford Transit. Since then, we bought a new 2021 Ford Transit and, again, installed a gas heater. We recommend heading to our latest article for the most up-to-date information:
2.1- Overview
Time Spent
25 hours
We had a lot to figure out at the time, but we hope this guide helps you finish the job faster than us!
Material
| Item | Description | Quantity | Link |
| Webasto Air Top 2000 STC | Heater kit | 1 | Heatso |
| Mount Plate | *If your kit doesn’t already include one. | 1 | Amazon |
| Ford Transit Auxiliary Fuel Port Kit (per Bulletin Q-228) | Part Number: CK4Z-9B210-A (gasoline Transit) | 1 | eBay |
| Part Number: CK4Z-9B210-B (diesel Transit) | 1 | eBay | |
| Webasto Fuel Line Reducer (7.5mm to 4.5mm) | To connect to the Transit aux. fuel port | 1 | vmacs.net |
| Heat Shield Sleeve 3 feet length | Radiant Heat Barrier for fuel line | 1 | Amazon |
| 3M Undercoating Spray (Rust Proofing) | To seal and protect cut/drilled metal against corrosion | 1 | Amazon |
| 3M SM600L Thinsulate | To insulate the seat pedestal area (you most likely have leftovers from insulating your van!) | 1 | TheSwivelShop |
2.2- Install the Webasto/Espar Under The Passenger Seat
2.2.1- Remove the passenger seat
Remove the 2 screws in the front:
Remove the 2 screws in the back:
Disconnect the wiring harness. The seat is free to go!
2.2.2- Remove the jack and trim the bolt
Take the jack out of the way (it can be re-fitted here afterwards). We had to trim on of the jack's bolt to make room for the heater:
2.2.3- Locate where to install the heater
Good to know
Mount Plate
It is critical to install the heater on a flat surface. This way, the gasket (the large rubber thingy under the heater) can seal effectively and prevent fumes (and carbon monoxide) from entering the cabin. Most likely, your van’s floor is not perfectly flat. That’s why using a mount plate is so important.
The heater must be located so it doesn't clash with the seat base (black structure with the bar code sticker in the photo below), but also so the combustion exhaust/intake, the fuel line, and the installation bolts are accessible under the floor... it's more difficult than it looks because space under the floor is VERY tight!
Looking on top:
Under the floor (this is an "after" photo):
If we had to start over
As you can see, we drilled a hole for each component (intake, exhaust, fuel line, mount bolts). This makes the installation / removal of the heater a real struggle because it is SO HARD to work from under the van (because of the very tight space). If we had to do it again, we would probably do it like this:
- Cut a single “large” cutout in the van’s floor.
- Install the heater on the mount plate (exhaust, intake, fuel line and bolts).
- Secure the mount plate to the van’s floor and seal it.
This way, the installation / removal can be performed from ABOVE the floor (instead of under the floor), which makes things MUCH easier!
Good to know
Rust Prevention
Paint adds pretty finish and colors, but it also plays a critical role: paint prevents metal from rusting. When trimming a cutout (e.g. roof fan opening), drilling a hole, or even when screwing a self-tapping screw in the van (we recommend using cross nuts instead), metal is left bare around the edge and eventually initiate rust. The best way to prevent rust is to restore the finish on the bare metal by applying a layer of primer, paint, and clear coat (your local Auto Parts Store can provide this, and they can match your van’s color). Each layer must be allowed to dry, so this is really time consuming… Second best way to prevent rust is to apply a layer of rust proof undercoating (see “Material” section above) on the edges where bare metal is exposed. This is quicker, but not as effective as restoring the finish; it’s definitely better than doing nothing though.
2.3- Install the Combustion Exhaust
Good to know
Installation Requirements
To prevent carbon buildup / sooting issues, follow all the installation requirements from the manual (as reiterated in our “Installation Requirements” section above)
Following all the installation requirements (length, slope, bends, etc.) left us with little choice: our exhaust is routed near the passenger-side rear wheel. People often point out that installing the exhaust near the passenger door can let the gas get inside the van… But in reality, the doors and windows are always closed when we use our heater; remember it’s cold outside 😉 So we don’t get anything inside the van. Using the door to enter/exit is not problematic either.
2.4- Install the Combustion Intake
We made a mud-deflector-3000 from an old plastic bucket, and it’s zip-tied to the van. Then we attached the intake to it. As simple as that:
2.5- Install the Webasto / Espar Fuel Pump and Fuel Line
2.5.1- Fuel Line
We routed the fuel line (and the fuel pump’s electrical wire) under our Ford Transit as follows:
2.5.2- Fuel Pump
We initially installed the fuel pump using a cross nut and the clamp provided with the Webasto installation kit (not shown in the photo, a small piece of foam as an attempt to dampen the clicking noise):
However, we recently tried to mount the pump with a Quick Fist (amzn.to/39VWWQZ), and the clicking noise reduction is HUGE – to the point where we don’t really hear the pump inside the van anymore. The quick-fist is zip-tied to the tank attachment strap:
2.5.3- Tapping into the fuel tank
Heads Up!
The Transit’s auxiliary fuel port inner diameter is 6mm, which is much larger than what Espar & Webasto recommend (2mm). That’s more volume of fuel to pump and as a result the heater may have more difficulty to start (especially at high elevations) and the fuel line may not stay primed. It may also increases risk of carbon buildup.
We used the auxiliary fuel port for years and it worked (and still works), as described below, but we did have some carbon buildup issues at first and we noticed the heater would loose it’s prime after 24 hours or so.
From now on, we recommend using Espar & Webasto provided fuel standpipe instead of the Transit aux. fuel port. This is per Espar of Michigan‘s recommandation, following an investigation they performed on the Transit.
You will have to completely remove the fuel tank, which is a bit more involving. We don’t have the instructions yet because we still haven’t install the heater on our new van, so for now you can refer to the following threads:
The Transit fuel tank features an auxiliary fuel port and pick up straw; no need to drill! That being said, the auxiliary fuel port comes with a plug; you need to purchase and install the aux fuel pump kit (purchase link under “Material” section in this page).
To connect the Webasto fuel line to the Transit aux. fuel port, we initially made our own reducer out of 5/16" and 1/4" rubber fuel line:
HOWEVER, we later found this Webasto reducer and we would recommend it instead (it minimize the formation of bubbles, that's what we have on our van now):
To install the auxiliary fuel port, the tank must be lowered. So first things first, make sure that the fuel tank is almost empty before lowering it.
Remove the 6 bolts securing the tank and lower it. The tank is surprisingly light weight if emptied. No need to unplug anything, but it won't go all the way to the ground, so use about just anything to keep it higher:
This is how it looks after putting it back together. We protected the Webasto fuel line inside a rubber fuel hose, but looking back many years later, it seems that might be unnecessary as we didn't observe any damage from rocks or any flying object.
2.5.4- Fuel Pump Electrical Connection
The fuel pump has no polarity. In other words, it doesn’t matter which wires you connect together.
2.6- Cabin Exhaust (Hot Air Duct)
We used a holesaw (2-3/8") to create a cutout in the seat pedestal (and restored the finish on the bare edge):
We installed the Webasto outlet on the seat pedestal and we used the provided clamps to secure the duct:
2.7- Cabin Intake (Cold Air)
Simply snap the protective screen on the Webasto intake (sorry no photo, but you'll figure it out!).
2.8- Electrical Wiring
Connect the wiring harness to the Webasto. We routed our harness between the seat pedestal and the floor and then in the driver-side wall all the way to our electrical system cabinet.
Connect your controller to the harness (the rheostat is connected to the pigtail labeled as "Potentiometer", or the MultiControl HD to the pigtail labeled as "Telestart"):
Connect the wiring harness to your 12V distribution (fuse block). Red wire is positive, brown wire is negative. We've got a diagram & tutorial for you if you're still at the stage of figuring things out 😉
2.9- Remote Room Temperature Sensor (Optional)
We mentioned in the “Good To Know” section that the temperature sensor of the Webasto is located at the cold air intake of the heater. As a result, there is always a mismatch between the temperature obtained in the living space compared to the temperature selected on the MultiControl HD (the living space is warmer than selected). The solution is to install a remote room temperature sensor in the living space (near the controller): once installed, the Webasto heater will use this sensor instead of the one in the cold air intake. Then the living space temperature will match with the one selected on the MultiControl HD! Here is how to install the remote room temperature sensor on the Webasto Air Top 2000 STC:
There is a resistor hidden somewhere in the wiring harness. The goal is to replace the resistor with the remote room temperature sensor instead:
Here is what the resistor looks like (after we trimmed it). Expect it to be hidden in the wiring harness under black tape, so you'll have to search for it:
We found the resistor near the Webasto heater itself. The remote room temperature sensor is 5 meters long, that was more than enough to route it towards the back of the van:
We installed the remote room temperature sensor near the MultiControl HD, and, since then, the temperature of our living space matches with the temperature we select on the MultiControl HD!
2.10- Starting The Webasto for the First Time
You made it! Ready to fire up!
- Not so fast… we emptied the fuel tank in order to lower it, right? Remember to refill it 😛 On the Ford Transit, the tank must be above 1/3 full or otherwise the pump will only suck air.
- If you’re doing the installation during summer, you should know that the maximum outside temperature (for combustion air) allowed is 20°C. Above 20°C the heater might not want to start or might automatically shut down.
- The fuel pump on the Webasto/Espar is self-priming. There is no need to manually fill the fuel line. However, expect around 2 to 4 false starts before the fuel line is primed (before the fuel reaches the Webasto heater). The longer the fuel run between the fuel tank and the Webasto, the longer it takes for priming.
- A “false start” is when the heater does not detect fire and aborts the startup sequence. It takes about 2 minutes for the abort sequence to kick in. Once it kicks in, the heater stops pumping fuel, and the combustion fan goes full speed to evacuate the excess unburnt gas from the combustion chamber. Let it do its thing. After a false start, the controller flashes to indicate an error; it has to be reset before it can be fired up again.
- Once it successfully starts, let it run at max power for at least 15 minutes. As you know (you read the “Good To Know” section, right?), once started, the Webasto/Espar should always be allowed to reach its maximum temperature to keep it clean.
3- Review
3.1- Recap of Events and Issues we had
2016
- Installation (July).
- Carbon buildup issues. Heater won't start (December).
2017
- Heater is sent for inspection and cleanup. It's working again.
- Full time Vanlife (August)
- Issues come back (October).
- New burner install (see our detailed How-to). It's working like new. Exhaust silencer is removed, drain holes are added, better downward slope. We adjust the heater for high altitude. From now on we operate our heater as described in "Good To Know" section.
- A Propex HS2000 propane heater is added as a backup in prevision of winter (we're still nervous about our Webasto). Unless we have issues with the Webasto, we don't use the Propex.
2018
- No issues at all.
2019
- No issues at all.
- Remote room temperature is added.
- We activate all 21 timers on the MultiControl HD.
2020
- Still no issues! It's fair to say our corrective actions from 2017 solved the issues.
2021
- Still no issues! But as winter is coming, we decided to install a new combustion chamber as preventive maintenance.
3.2- What we like / don't like about our Webasto Air Top 2000 STC
- We absolutely LOVE that it's using the fuel from the van tank. This is a MAJOR benefit as we don't have to fill an auxiliary tank (e.g. propane tank).
- It's DRY heat, which is critical in a van. Using the heater lowers the humidity, and we can easily keep it below 40-50% RH in winter.
- The hot air fan is powerful; it dries our gear (ski boots & clothes) super fast.
- The fact that it can be programmed to start/stop automatically is neat.
- Low fuel and electrical consumption.
- It pushed way more heat than the Propex HS2000.
- Gas/Diesel heaters are more finicky than a propane equivalent. They're sensitive to a proper installation and usage.
- The pickup straw will "unprime" if the tank is lower than 1/2 and we go for a drive (the pickup straw is emptied when it's not in contact with fuel). This means it sometimes takes 2 startup attempts the next time to re-prime it.
- More noise than a propane heater.
3.3- If we had to start over
We’ve been living full time in our van since 2017, and we’ve been through a lot, so it’s fair to say we know what works and what doesn’t work for us. SO, if we had to build another van, what heater would we choose? We would go for a gasoline/diesel heater again over a propane heater. We did have issues at first, but we learned a lot an we’re confident we can get it right the next time.
3.4- Related Guides
That’s it, you reached the end… but there’s more! We also prepared the following guides, which are very related to the heater topic:
I have the same Webasto in my Promaster with the multicontrol. Can I simply unplug the 4 pin connector from the multicontrol and plug into a rheostat to perform the high altitude adjustment?
Additionally, how did you ground the brown wire as it is connected to a different connector? Did you cut it and splice on longer wire to reach ground?
Lastly, is the same brown wire used to adjust the multicontrol to program multiple timers at once? Thanks a ton!
Hi guys,
This website is amazing. I’m still in the planning phase but am skier/mtb/surf focused. You mentioned that the webasto does great at drying your wet skies, ect. Do you just place your wet items near the heater or do you leave them in the garage? Is the webasto outlet sufficient enough to reach items in the garage? Asking because I am toying with the idea of diverting a second air duct outlet from the webasto to a separate drying area for wetsuits, skies, ect.
Thanks for the help and I’ll definitely be buying your guide. Sorry to hear amazon got rid of the affiliate payment.
I don’t think stuff would dry in the garage, as it’s quite cold down there. Also I’d be worried about moisture. We dry our gear for 1-2 hour and then put it back in the garage. See “Drying Our Gear” section here: https://faroutride.com/winter-vanlife/
Cheers!
Hi guys,
Thank you so much for all those information.
I was wondering if your Ford Transit has a toolbox under the passager seat (door side) and if it was a problem when you installed the webasto.
Thanks again 🙂
There is no toolbox there in our 2016 Transit. The toolbox (for spare tire) is in a separate compartment. The jack is there, but there’s still enough room for both.
Hi:
I will be ordering a Transit LWB, high roof but shorter body next February, and am doing a lot of preparatory homework. Your site is excellent. Thank you guys a lot!
Do you foresee any problems doing a similar install the Webasto heater (STC version) on a transit with factory installed swivel seats?
From what we were told, there is plenty of room; no issue!
Thank you. I see those links now.
I have a 2015 Transit, long WB, medium roof.
I am having trouble with the Webasto site. I tried to find the elbow #1319718A to reduce from 7.5mm to 4.5mm connecting the line from the gas tank to the fuel pump. But, it did not show up in a search of their site. I tried to email them my question, but I cannot read the print (too faint) in the cells that need to be filled in to send my question to them.
Also, not having much automotive work experience, I am reluctant to detach the gas tank. I am unsure about connecting the new fuel port to the top of the tank. If I mess that up I will have a crippled vehicle under my carport, and it may be hard to find someone to resolve the problem. Is there more detail about this part of the installation? (i.e. how to take the existing part off the tank and how exactly to install the new one. Is the existing one pried off, twisted off…? How does the replacement fit into place, push, twist..?) From what I can see on the instructions, the rest of the process should not be very difficult.
Thanks a lot for your help.
To remove the existing port, you must press the tabs and pull up. To install the new one, you simply have to press down.
Sorry I don’t have any picture, it was pretty cramped down there… no room to take picture!
If I recall properly, you have to press the blue tabs (on each side) on the port:
Good luck!
Hi, I thought I saw somewhere that if I ordered some things through your site you’d get credit from amazon affiliates. I want to order a furnace. Can I do that through your site? Thanks Ralph
If you click this link and search any product on Amazon, we can get a commission: https://amzn.to/359rHiy
Thanks for asking! 🙂
Hey, didn’t see it mentioned but both Espar and Webasto recommend that the pumps be installed at an angle of 15 degree or more. My understanding is that this is both to combat air bubble creation as well as aid in lubrication of the dosing pump. This angle is pretty easy to achieve w/ the noise reducing mount offered.
By the by, sick to see you folks crushing it w/ Eric and Yuka. 🙂
With the borders closed this year, I’m really missing BC…
Hey, in fact the angle depends on petrol VS diesel installation as it’s not the same pump. Check your manual! 🙂
Borders will open eventually, hang in there! 🙂
Hi Antoine I’m installing Webasto 2ooo in my 2020 Ford transit and I would like to know where to get the hose from ford fuel port kit to webasto fuel line part # 1319718A having a hard time finding dealer. Any information would by great thanks. Clay
You could order it only here if you don’t find a local dealer: https://www.butlertechnik.com/webasto-7-5×4-5mm-heater-fuel-hose-elbow-connector-90-degree-1319718a-p2741
Hello, fellow Squamish resident here!
Why did you guys choose Webasto over Espar/Bison etc? About to order one myeslf.
Thanks!
Webasto/Espar are both excellent choice, but the gasoline model was way cheaper on the Webasto side. Not familiar with Bison.
Cheers!
Thanks so much! See you around town. 🙂
I ordered the fuel port kit in through my Ford dealer directly – was closer to $35.
Is the Webasto power supply coming from your battery bank?
From the house battery, yeah. Per our diagram: https://faroutride.com/interactive-wiring-diagram/
Hi there. I think the low voltage interrupt is 11v but do you know if/how can it be set lower? I would like to set to 10.5v as I have a lithium house battery and not worried about the extra discharge. I have the rotary rheostat. yours non technically, elizabeth
Not sure if it can be done, but 11V is approx. equivalent to 5% charge on a Lithium battery, so I wouldn’t go lower than that!
Just FYI, that Ford aux fuel port kit retails for $100 USD now. Total rip off
35$ at my local dealership. Shop around.
Great blog! Silly question. The power connection for the fuel pump comes out THROUGH the combustion air intake port. How in the world do you route this wire through air filter? Thanks.
There is a “crack” in the metal portion of the air intake; the wire must be routed through this. In other words, the wire is NOT routed through the air intake flexible hose.
Hope that makes sense!
Antoine, I promise this is my last question for the heater. Thank you so much for your write up. My install went flawless. The only issue I have now is my 7 day multi control timer doesn’t appear to be working. Based on your notes, it would appear I need a new wiring harness. The Rheostat works perfect. Can you point me to the wiring harness that is needed?
Yeah, sounds like you need a different harness. The “correct” harness depends on your heater model and Multicontrol model (there are many variations), so I’d suggest inquire with a local dealer or online with these guys: https://www.butlertechnik.com/contact-us-i3
Good luck!
Sounds good. I will reach out to them (and mention you referred me). Thank you so much for the quick response. Your website has been fantastic!
Antoine,
Where did you all get the extended muffler? I am struggling to find it locally?
Either a local Webasto dealer, or: https://www.butlertechnik.com/ or https://www.melloronline.co.uk/
Thank you for your amazing website and information. I am trying to stay away from propane in van conversion(for water heater) and am considering the rixen system. Certainly pricey but would allow all gasoline for furnace and hot water. Have you had any exposure to this system yet in your travels? Have you heard of any major issues with the system? TIA
I’m lurking on their website, but it’s not clear what the product is… Are they just a re-seller/installer for Espar Hydronic System? I’m familiar with the Espar products, but any more info on Rixen products would be appreciated. Thanks.
From what I have gathered they are the first commercial product to use a heat exchanger to allow one system to power both water heater and furnace. From the espar furnace, it heats a liquid(?propylene glycol?) which circulates into the van through hot water heater. If wanted can tap into hydronic system of engine to heat water while driving or add on shore power if desired to heat water. The other benefit of using rixen is the customer support. From what Jim Rixen says, he is willing to be available for installation questions and fix product issues(one forum poster sent in faulty espar and had one day turn around). It comes at a hefty price, at least $4000 for entire system. I think Winnebago Revel is using this system. I like the idea of using one fuel for everything and have not seen anything else on the market similar to this. Youtuber humble road seems to be using a similar system in his new build but I think he is DIYing it. This pdf I found on their website has more technical info if you want to check it out. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5b919721ee1759aa80ba33b1/t/5bb02d0508522984f2d4e366/1538272523779/MCS16v3-Installation-Manual.pdf
Thanks
Hey with only the rheostat controller do you or anybody know if there is a way to change between recirculation and fresh air mode? Or is it automatic? Thanks
Only heat-mode is available with the rheostat; no ventilation mode.
And note that “ventilation-mode” isn’t fresh air; it’s air from inside the van (so recirculation). It’s the same with Webasto/Espar/Propex/etc.
Cheers!
Hey Guys,
I have me heater installed and everything is working just fine. Your carbon build-up issues have me concerned for good reason! Do you turn the heater on and just leave it set to ~55F, which would have the heater running in the ‘Low’ mode at somepoint? OR do manually turn it on and run it full blast for periods of time to minimize carbon buildup?
I was hoping that the ‘Smart Controller’ would allow me to set a bunch of Timers throughout the day and then forget about it running the unit on HIGH for short bursts throughout the day. BUT to my anger, you can only have one timer active at a time (even though you can ‘program’ a bunch of timers), which requires you to activate the next one, defeating the purpose of the timers altogether?
Yeah unfortunately you can’t set multiple programs 🙁
We turn the heater off at night for a few hours (depending on how cold it is outside) and during the day when we’re out; therefore when we start it again, it has to run on “high” to catch up.
I think it’s OK to let it run on “low” for a few hours, then “boost” it for 10 minutes or so before turning it off.
It has work for us.
Have a good one!
Hi guys!
Can’t say how helpful the infos you gathered have been to me, so I want to give back a little…
The webasto Multicontrol HD coming with your kit and every kit CAN be programmed for multiple days since it’s technically all the same model, simply differently programmed and the best part about it is that it can be reprogrammed easily using a simple tips skinned wire instead of the whole technician artillery.
Just connect the brown wire to the second diagnostic access’ connector from the button side (while everything powered up). This will reboot the controller with a new fonction after the settings called “service”. From it you can do pretty much everything you want:
-Change heater
-Adjust min-max duration
-Permanent mode
-Cancel ventilation
-Temperature range
-Show room temperature (a cool feature)
-Unibox set
-Undervoltage shutdown
-MAX ACTIVE TIMERS (yes, that’s right!)
-Unlock heater (careful with that one)
-Base configuration
So at least you guys have a secondary controller, but this info might help save some money and headache for others in the future!
That is good info! We’ll update the article with it. Do you know if this is documented somewhere (like official Webasto doc)?
Thanks!
The only official information that I found and which put me on track was from a version of the Webasto’s Multicontrol and Smartcontrol manual that had a technician’s section #6 (https://www.butlertechnik.com/downloads/Webasto_Smart_Control_and_Multi_Control_HD_Installation_Instructions.pdf) concerning the fact that you can use the diagnostic adapter to get access to the “service” menu when connected to the diagnostic monitor (which gives you even more possibilities from a computer), but it’s not the most accessible material in Canada and cost an arm and a leg when compared to some leftover wire and a bit of thinkering.
Other than that it’s just some investigation from an electronic enthusiast on Multicontrol’s circuits. I doubt that they will ever openly divulgate something that makes their pricy tools partially useless… But you never know!
Glad I could help!
I see! And I assume you actually tried to procedure you described and it worked?
Just finished the install of a Webasto Air Top 2000 STC in my van today (under passenger seat). All went very smooth (thanks for the great instructions!!!). I have the Multicontrol HD and sure enough it has the “one active timer” limitation 🙂
Can you elaborate a bit on the procedure to activate the “Service” menu? This is the part which is unclear to me: “Just connect the brown wire to the second diagnostic access’ connector from the button side (while everything powered up)”. Not sure which connector you are referring to – the little tiny “Diagnostic” connector covered with a small lid on the bottom of the Multicontrol HD? Where is this brown wire coming from?
Thanks in advance!!!
Indeed, I used it on my own system and it’s pretty easy as long as you have two hands. Using a 16awg wire was the perfect size for me since it allows the connection to stay in place without having to old it while you do the manipulations, but that’s just my opinion.
The brown wire is the power supply of the Multicontrol’s connector. You can spot it without opening the back panel by looking at the end of it where you normally connect it to the heater’s harness, but don’t unplug it when you do the operation or your monitor won’t be powered. Just maintain a connection between it and the wire you’ll connect to the diagnostic port.
The diagnostic connector is, like you said Stone, the port covered by a lid under the monitor.
Also, to comfort you guys…
Know that you can’t screw this up since, even though the diagnostic connector has 5 pins, only two are connected to the circuit board inside and the one we don’t care about is on the opposite side.
So even if you didn’t place perfectly your wire on the second pin from the closest side and it touches the ones next to it, the worse that can happen is… nothing. So you simply have to reposition it.
Hope I answered your questions, good luck!
Hi Antoine,
Trying to think ahead for the heater (we won’t do it until fall), but how did you route the power and the thermostat? Did I seen the thermostat back in the middle of the van?? Seems you could come under the floor between the two sets or come down the passenger seat belt column.
It’s routed underneath the cabin carpet (there’s a small gap under the passenger seat base, wires can actually run through this). Power and thermostat are then routed in the driver-side wall up to our electrical cabinet (power) and up the wall near the bed (thermostat) (I recall we had to buy an extension https://amzn.to/2Y11KPN).
Hope that helps!
Thanks Antoine.
Hey, your new electrical write up is great!
We leave for our first van trip in 2 weeks, 3 weeks from MI to CO,CA, OR, WA, and MT and back, and still, so undone. Quite now, we will be using the stock battery as we only need to power the lights, some power plugs and the lights.
I will try to get you some pictures via email but it might not be until we are moving and I have time.
Was wondering if you kept running the unit once per month during the non winter months?
I was talking to a rep and he told me to run my unit 10 minutes per month in order to prevent buildup of materials in the tubes. Did you guys have to do that or was it run and done all the way until next winter?
We actually run it once each month during summer (max power for 30-45 minutes). Not taking any risk 🙂