Here at Bobil Vans, its no secret we love the Autoterm Diesel heaters. But how do they compare to the cheaper Chinese heaters, and are they really worth the larger price tag?(answer: yes, in more ways than one)
Who are Autoterm?
Autoterm, sometimes known as Planar, are a Latvian brand of diesel heaters, who make their heaters in the EU.
Whilst their functionality is almost identical to the Chinese heaters (aka burn diesel to produce hot air), the inner workings and design are completely unique, which we'll get onto later in this blog.
We have installed these heaters in our dozens of campervan builds for over 5 years to date, and rarely if ever have any issues with these heaters. We've also fitted over 100 to customers vans of all shapes, sizes and layouts, so we're pretty well versed in their capability.
They come with a 3 years guarantee and are superior in almost every measurable way than the Chinese counterparts. So why is this even a debate?
The TRUTH about "Chinese" Diesel Heater
Whilst almost everything is made in China nowadays, the term "Chinese" diesel heater refers to unbranded, or vaguely branded diesel heaters which, you guessed it, are made in China.
The reason these heaters are so popular is one word: cheap.
Why buy a £500 heater, when you can buy 5, £100 heaters?
The Chinese heaters are cheap, usually around £100-£150 for a kit. For this bargain price, you have no idea what you are getting, there is no warranty and it is pot luck whether you get a dud or not.
Parts are often of dubious quality, and generally don't last very long, especially things like jubilee clips and fuel hose.
Don't get me wrong, some people swear by them, they buy a cheap heater and it lasts them years without any faults. But the opposite end of the scale are those who constantly have error messages, electrical issues, and other problems and spending far more money and time repairing and diagnosing their heaters than the heater is often worth.
Combine this with the fact that most of the instructions for these heaters (if you get any at all) are awful translations, non existent diagrams for installation and wiring, and dodgy software that can be temperamental.
When it's -5C outside, what you want is the press a button and have heat coming through, not having to spend hours in the cold figuring out where there is yet another error message on your heater, or why the fuel pump has stopped working for the tenth time.
There are brands of Chinese heaters, like Maxxspeedingrods, HCalory, and Lavaner to name a few, which usually offer better quality kits, and sometimes even warranties, for 2-3x the price.
In short, its random luck whether you'll get a good one or not. So how do Autoterm compare?
How much better are Autoterm Diesel Heaters?
When you purchase an Autoterm diesel heater from us, you get a 3 year warranty included off the bat.
These heaters are made in the EU, and have much better quality parts than the Chinese counterparts, which means they last longer and are more resistant to the elements.
Their internal design and way they produce heat is also different, best explained by our friend Alex in his teardown video below
The overall superior built quality and reliability, combined with the fact you know what you are getting and have a warranty behind you, and can stop by an authorised Autoterm dealership anywhere across Europe to have it fixed rather than relying on online Chinese instruction manuals, is the reason why we are proud to supply and sell Autoterm heaters here at Bobil Vans.
Knowing you can just switch on the heater and it will just work is worth the higher initial price tag, and over the course of the heaters lifespan, it will pay for itself.
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