Webasto (Diesel or Gas) heater for Van Life: Theory & Installation

Webasto (Diesel or Gas) heater for Van Life: Theory & Installation

Van Conversion Webasto Air Heater, Final
Photo of author
By Antoine | Updated: September 17, 2025 | 140 comments

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:

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.

Portrait-FarOutRide-Isabelle-Antoine-Van

1- Good To Know

1.1 How to install a new burner following carbon buildup

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:

Webasto Rheostat

Webasto-Rotary-Rheostat
Preps
1- Connect the CO2 calibration wire with the ground
2- Turn the control knob to 12:00
Webasto-Rheostat-1200-High-Altitude-Adjustment
3- Turn the control knob to 9:00
Webasto-Rheostat-900-High-Altitude-Adjustment
4- While the heater is still running, disconnect the CO2 calibration wire from the ground
5- Did it actually work?
6- Driving back to sea level
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
  1. Connect the CO2 calibration wire to ground.
  2. Turn the heater control knob to 9:00. Wait a few minutes.
  3. When the LED on the rheostat begins to flash, turn the control to 12:00, and keep the heater running for 3 minutes.
  4. 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:

Remote Room Temperature Sensor for Webasto Air Top 2000 ST/STC
Webasto Room Temperature Sensor (9005004B)
Remote Room Temperature Sensor for Webasto Air Top Evo 40
Webasto Air Top Evo 40 Room Temperature Sensor (9030883A)
Remote Room Temperature Sensor for Espar AirTronics D2/D4/D5
Espar Room Temperature Sensor (251774890300)
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
2- Connect the brown wire to the second tab of the diagnostic access connector
3- Select "Service" menu and choose the number of active timers
Webasto MultiControl HD Activate All Timers-Service Menu
Note: The "Service" menu also has a bunch of other options
  • 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!

Pre-Requisite

Material

ItemDescriptionQuantityLink
Webasto Air Top 2000 STCHeater kit1Heatso
Mount Plate*If your kit doesn’t already include one.1Amazon
Ford Transit Auxiliary Fuel Port Kit (per Bulletin Q-228)Part Number: CK4Z-9B210-A (gasoline Transit)1eBay
Part Number: CK4Z-9B210-B (diesel Transit)1eBay
Webasto Fuel Line Reducer (7.5mm to 4.5mm)To connect to the Transit aux. fuel port1vmacs.net
Heat Shield Sleeve 3 feet lengthRadiant Heat Barrier for fuel line1Amazon
3M Undercoating Spray (Rust Proofing)To seal and protect cut/drilled metal against corrosion1Amazon
3M SM600L ThinsulateTo insulate the seat pedestal area (you most likely have leftovers from insulating your van!)1TheSwivelShop

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:

Van Conversion Webasto Air Heater, aluminum plate
(We made our own mount plate, but it can be purchased. See "Material" section)

Under the floor (this is an "after" photo):

Van Conversion Webasto Air Heater, under the van
(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:

  1. Cut a single “large” cutout in the van’s floor.
  2. Install the heater on the mount plate (exhaust, intake, fuel line and bolts).
  3. 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:

Van Conversion Webasto Air Heater, fuel line routing
Van Conversion Webasto Air Heater, fuel line shield

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:

Webasto Espar Fuel Pump Quick Fist Clamp Noise Reduction

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"):

Webasto MultiController vs Rheostat

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:

Webasto-Remote-Room-Temperature-Sensor-How-To-Install

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

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

3.2- What we like / don't like about our Webasto Air Top 2000 STC

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:

Want More?


WE’RE JUST GETTING STARTED.

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140 thoughts on “Webasto (Diesel or Gas) heater for Van Life: Theory & Installation”

  1. Antoine, I love the Wabesto Multicontrol hack. We’ve had issue with the under voltage disconnect since we bought the heater. I just changed it and hope it will fix my issue. That was the only thing I didn’t like about the wabesto airtop stc.

    Reply
  2. Hello, I feel like I should pay for the many, many hours your guide and tools are going to save me. $80 does not seem fair 🙂 just copying your takeoff for the electric into excel then modifying is saving me many hours. I too am an engineer and like all my ducks lined up. Awesome job!!

    My comment is similar to Matt’s submitted on August 10.
    Based on the AWSOME information you provided for high elevation I am thinking to use the Webasto EVO 40 13650 BTU because I live at 7200 ft and will spend many winter nights at 9200 ft. I will have a garage similar to yours. I will also use it to keep the van above freezing when not in use for the water systems and batteries. Down the road we will be doing lots of coastal travel. Do you think that unit is too much and I should follow your lead?

    Reply
  3. Allo! Votre site est incroyable. Nous sommes au stade de planification; j’aimerais connaitre votre opnion au sujet des systemes hydronic. Un boucle de circulation chaude avec possibilité d’intégration chauffe-eau

    Reply
  4. Great writeup! Thanks! You mentioned using your heater at 10,000ft in Mexico however the Espar and especially Webasto say they don’t operate that high. What are your thoughts on maximum elevation usage? I live at 6,500ft and regularly go to 10k ft or higher.

    Also, do you know anything about using them to pre-heat diesel engines and warm water tanks?

    Reply
  5. Did you webasto not have a fuel filter included? Or does the main tank have a fuel filter prior to the auxillary port?

    Reply
  6. Have you thought about adding a check valve to the fuel line feeding the heater pump? This might prevent the fuel from draining back into the tank or at least limit the amount of air if you mounted it as close to the top of the tank as possible.

    Reply
  7. Bonjour à vous deux;
    Encore une fois, félicitation pour votre site. J’aimerais mieux comprendre votre stratégie d’utilisation du webasto en hiver, mon anglais n’est pas à point . Lors de journée froide, Il est à 20c mais lors de vos sorties en ski, il est à 5c. De plus, votre réservoir d’eau est dans le garage à l’arrière donc, moins bien chauffer. Jamais de gel ??
    Je crois comprendre que vous utiliser également une minuterie.
    Pouvez vous m’éclairer ??

    Merci

    Reply
  8. I sent this message on IG as well, but thought I would also try here! We’ve been loving your build journal and it’s helped us through most of our build that is nearing completion.

    It’s summer and the heater hasn’t been a concern, but I finally wired it in today and fired it up for the first time. Using the Multicontrol, it started just fine, but I cannot seem to find a way to manually shut off the heater? It seems I would have to set a 10 minute timer to have it shut itself down? What am I doing wrong?

    Reply
    • If you have the rheostat, turning the knob counterclockwise all the way will shut it off. If you have the Multicontrol, hitting the power button (upper-right corner) will shut it off. It takes about a minute for the heater to complete its shut down cycle.
      Let me know!
      antoine

      Reply
  9. Do you have any tips for working under your van? Do you drive it up onto any sort of ramps? Seems very cramped under our Promaster.

    Reply
  10. Is the Webasto in your Van a North American exported version with or a Russian one labeled with the no warranty if exported out of the EUAU? I used your affiliate link and I received the Russian version. Was midway through the install when I really understood the difference. Since it sounds like you were able to get support on your unit was curious if it was the Russian unit and you were still able to get support.

    Reply
  11. Great article!
    What’s your take on recirculating the cabin air vs leaving the intake sucking from the cold front cab?
    Assuming it’s closed with blinds let’s say.

    Reply
  12. Can you expand on your “If we had to start over” section in which you talk about cutting a large hole for the fuel and intake and exhaust pipes. I don’t understand your comment on “secure the mount plate to the van’s floor and seal it”. Would removal consist of removing the mounting plate and the furnace.? How would the mounting plate be secured to the floor?

    Reply
  13. ref. cleaning the Webasto burning chamber
    as all know ,the weak point of all webasto heaters is the accumulation of soot in the burning chamber .
    has anyone tried to change the thin metallic mesh inside the burning chamber ,with a new mesh?
    I see that on amazon you can buy them for a few $ , even cheaper directly from China.
    this will avoid buying a new Burning Chamber that costs 150-180$ .

    Reply
  14. This is extremely unbelievably helpful, as is the rest of your site.

    I’m prepping to install a heater in my Transit Van.

    If you were starting fresh with a heater install, would you go with the Evo over the 2000 STC?
    I’m trying to sort out the differences, and cost aside, it seems the Evo is better overall.

    What are your thoughts?

    Reply
  15. Thanks for a great write up on almost all things heater install related. The main item I couldn’t find here is tapping into the fuel tank for vehicles without an aux port. As such I wrote up what I did for my 2014 Chevy Express 1500 AWD.

    https://www.petewilk.com/2021/01/02/2020-11-13-webasto-heater-install-for-chevy-express-van/

    The other clarification I’d make to the above is on the Service menu process to activate all the timers. This is a two person job! That wasn’t obvious to me. The short must be maintained WHILE another person scrolls through the menus. Other than that the instructions are spot on.

    Reply
  16. I’m curious why you’d go to all the trouble of the WEBASTO heater.
    Fuel consumption is higher than idling the 6.0 liter Chevrolet in my converted passenger van with factory dual heat and AC.

    Reply
  17. Hi !
    We will be part time vanlifers. Since we won’t be staying in the van when temperature is below 0 to 5 celcius and considering we will insulate our Transit the way you did, do you think we need a heater ? From your experience, below what temperature do you have to start your webasto ? Thank you so much for your time !

    Reply
    • We love to start the Webasto in the morning, even if it’s not super cold. From below 10C-13C i’d say maybe? We like to be comfy in our home.

      That being said, you’ll be alright without a heater in temps above 5C; just make sure to bring warm blankets, it’ll be cold in the morning 🙂

      Reply
  18. This by far the most informative site out there. You two did a great job putting this together. I will be using and purchasing the parts for my 2020 Transit build thru your site, thanks for putting all this in one place.

    Reply

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