In this Blog I am going to tell about our experience of having a Diesel heater installed in Turkey. We will also include the costs then and now (17-05-2023). Written by Jorg on 17-05-2023. Reading time: 3 minutes. Enjoy!
Why a diesel heater?
When we arrived in Turkey it was March 2022 so we had travelled in winter for 6 months. We thought/hoped to chase the sun and we won’t complain about the weather but we got to experience for example 2.5 weeks of constant rain and at night it can get quite cold also in south Europe (below freezing).
Almost all the travellers we met had a diesel heater, so we were stared at with big eyes when we told them we did not have one. Besides the fact that a diesel heater makes the bus nice and warm, there is another great advantage: drying. For example, you come back from a walk and your clothes are wet and it’s cold, the heater will warm up and at the same time dry your clothes (and the bus).
What did a diesel heater + fitting cost in Turkey?
We were in Turkey/area of Istanbul in March 2021. The company we chose had three options available (price includes fitting):
-5000 TL: Turkish diesel heater
-8000 TL: good brand (Eberspracher D4)
-13000 TL: best brand (Webasto)
These prices were, when we chose in euros respectively;
€310
€500
€800
We chose the Eberspracher D4 (4kw) for €500 but because there was only 1 in stock with an automatic height kit it became €650. I then had a quick look up what something like this cost in the Netherlands and it quickly became €1100 (just the heater, ex installation).
I contacted Karavan Servisim on 17-05-2023 what their price is now for an Eberspacher diesel heater + fitting;
– Eberspacher D2 15000TL (€700)
– Eberspacher D4 17000TL (€795)
Where did we have the Diesel heater installed?
When we arrived in Turkey just in the middle of March, it started snowing heavily. We could still reach a campsite (Dharma Karavan Camp) but we would be stuck for 4 days because of the heavy snowfall. So plenty of time to figure out the best place to install a diesel heater, somewhere around Istanbul. After some Google work and a phone call by our new friends at the campsite, we ended up at Karavan Servisim.
The day of installing the diesel heater
It was a very long day, as it turned out to be quite a job to cleverly fit the Diesel heater and diesel tank into bus that was already full. In any case, it was never due to the lack of friendliness or helpfulness of Karavan Servisim, they were super nice and think in solutions instead of problems (and we were allowed to join them for dinner). We arrived at 10:00 in the morning and didn’t drive away again until around 22:00; completely demolished from a long day but a diesel heater at a good price and it was perfectly working….? Or was it?
Did everything go perfectly?
We were helped tremendously and we definitely recommend Karavan Servisim but not everything went perfectly. As described above, the installation took a very long time, AND we had a leak 3 weeks later with the installed diesel tank. A screw had been drilled through the waist of the tank to fix it to the floor of the van, along this a very small amount of diesel leaked when the tank was full. BUT what is very important in such a situation; how does a company solve a problem? And for that, nothing but praise for Karavan Servisim!
They wanted to drive straight to us to help. We asked for a new tank and parts to be sent to the Airbnb where we would be staying with Lisa’s mother for a week. Since then, our heater has been working perfectly!
You can find Karavan Servisim at *this link*.
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