Webasto vs Espar

[arky]

Does anyone know the differences in these two units, if any?

[BigDiesel]

I have the Espar with my Tri-Pac and it will cook you out of the truck.

[allan5oh]

Both are good units, both are made in Germany apparently within a few blocks of each other.

I think the espar is higher quality. Get both the bunk heater and engine heater.

They all require maintenance.

[Walking Eagle]

BigDiesle is right, the Espar is good. I have a TriPack with it and last winter I was up in Idaho. Jumped outa the truck and jumped right back in, way to cold for this Florida boy :sad: Turned up the heat and went into eat. When I came back out you couldn't stand it in the sleeper it was so hot, had to leave the door open and open the back door for awhile till you could get to breath.

[arky]

thx guys, I'm looking into these things now. Seems they are quite a bit higher this year than last. I guess the oil companies aren't the only one's seeing increased profits..lol.

The Webasto is a little cheaper and I talked to a guy the other day that says he's had good service out of his, so thought I would ask on here.

Thanks, Arky

[tracer]

In my experience with Webasto, it works best in a small sleeper. If you have a flattop or mid-roof cab, it's okay; but it might not have enough juice to heat up a tall condo sleeper when it's really cold. I have been looking into Espar myself and they have a model that they usually sell for installation in trailers. This one is supposed to keep you warm even at -40C (-32F?) This bigger unit costs around $2,400 I think. Espar is generally more expensive than Webasto, that why many fleets prefer the latter.

[allan5oh]

mine keeps me warm to about -30. My sleeper is pretty well insulated, and I close both the window curtains and the middle curtain. Those really help.

[BanditsCousin]

My Dad owned my truck new before I bought it and had an Espar put in. He LOVED it. He bought a new T600 with the Webasto and LIKES it.

He said the Wabasto is more noiseier but has similar performance. Both will cook your weenie (in Steve Booth terms).

[NotSteve]

lol

[arky]

thx Bandit, that's may be as close to a side by side comparison as I'll get. There is a Webasto on ebay for $869. It's a demo unit. I offered $600 for it, but they declined, so I'll just wait for an Espar.

Btw, the Webasto is still there if anyone wants it.

[Rev.Vassago]

I disagree about the Webasto only being able to heat a small bunk. My 70" sleeper stays toasty warm with the heater on the lowest setting. It is plenty quiet too. I'd suggest that you turn it on once a month to keep fuel in the system. Otherwise, it dries out, as it is using the fuel as a lubricant for the seals. Beyond that, they are very low maintenance.

[NotSteve]

I disagree about the Webasto only being able to heat a small bunk. My 70" sleeper stays toasty warm with the heater on the lowest setting.

That's cause your freaking truck is on fire 99% of the time!!! ha ha ha...I still got it.

[Maniac]

I have an Espar in my KW studio sleeper, I keep it on the lowest setting works great and was fairly easy to install.

Paid $875 for it from a place in Buffalo NY

I once left it on for 5 days and it didn't kill the batteries :shock:

Very quiet, can't hear it run

[allan5oh]

Yeah it's a very very low amp draw. 2 amps on average.

[arky]

yeah, I was seeing the Espar's on ebay in the spring in the $850 range, but it seems their all over the $1,000 mark now. I'm still looking. If anyone finds a place with a decent price on either, let me know.

Thx, Arky

[allan5oh]

If you guys ever have a problem with an espar, drop me a line. I know them pretty well.

[Maniac]

yeah, I was seeing the Espar's on ebay in the spring in the $850 range, but it seems their all over the $1,000 mark now. I'm still looking. If anyone finds a place with a decent price on either, let me know.

Try this guy:

Mobil air group
716-825-3118
ask for Tom

[arky]

thx Maniac...will do

[lowrange]

You can answer for Webasto or Espar, whichever you prefer. I'd appreciate knowing which you prefer, however. I'm only interested in heat, right now. I get through the warm weather easier than most and quite frankly, I'm not making enough to go whole hog on an $8,000 APU.

- where does the thing mount (lets say both the cab and block heaters)? My frame rail is pretty full.

- fires off diesel? A little electricity for a pump and fan?

- same day service on the installation? Drive in, tell them what you want, wait a few hours, drive away with unit installed?

- costs?

TIA

[Rev.Vassago]

You can answer for Webasto or Espar, whichever you prefer. I'd appreciate knowing which you prefer, however. I'm only interested in heat, right now. I get through the warm weather easier than most and quite frankly, I'm not making enough to go whole hog on an $8,000 APU.

- where does the thing mount (lets say both the cab and block heaters)? My frame rail is pretty full.

It mounts under your bed, inside the sleeper. It's smaller than a shoe box.

- fires off diesel? A little electricity for a pump and fan?

Exactly. It has a low amp draw, and uses about 0.001 gallons per hour. That's a tenth of what an APU uses.

- same day service on the installation? Drive in, tell them what you want, wait a few hours, drive away with unit installed?

That I don't know, but the systems aren't that complex.

- costs?

Anywhere between $700 - $1000, assuming you can find a unit. Many places are sold out on them right now, and they are tough to find.