Now that the extreme summer weather has passed and the nights are starting to get cooler, our minds are ticking over to how we will keep warm in the cooler months – especially as we head farther south. Thankfully, when we had our van built we installed the Truma E 2400. With 2400 watts of power and completely automatic operation, it is so quiet you wouldn’t even know it was on, unlike many reverse cycle air-conditioners. And does it work? Absolutely! You will be super snug in your van with this on. Thanks to its flexible setup and compact size, we had ours installed underneath our bed, with vents placed at the end of the bed where hot our flows out and up into our kitchen/dining section of the van. With the fan strength turned up, the air blows as far as the ensuite down the other end, so with all windows and vents closed, it heats up very quickly. It also has safety features installed to put your mind at rest at night, and it will not start unless the external protector cap is removed. The only thing to be mindful of is ensuring the vents inside don’t get covered by blankets, etc. during the middle of the night – but chances are you will be warm enough without the need for them.
Two of the biggest reasons why we went this gas option as opposed to diesel is due to the fact we already carry gas bottles on board anyway, and numerous other travellers have warned us against diesel due to the noise, smell and fumes. Word has it that it can get so bad campers will go knocking on doors to ask users to turn them off. We definitely didn’t want that issue in our travels!