Are You Ready for High Altitude?

When you travel to high altitude in your campervan, motorhome or truck you could find a standard vehicle heater does not operate as expected. This is due poor fuel combustion caused by lessening of available oxygen and the inability of your heater to adjust the fuel to air ratio accordingly. Some symptoms you will encounter when operating a heater not designed for high altitudes are:

• carbon build up
• heater fails to start
• smoke from exhaust
• more regular servicing

An altitude ready vehicle heater automatically adjusts the fuel to air ratio in relation to the altitude, ensuring your heater will work as expected.

There are some actions you can take to ensure you stay warm when traveling at high altitude. Perhaps you haven't yet obtained a vehicle heater and are trying to decide which one is best for you.

You may already have a heater installed and now find you are spending more time in the mountains than you are on coast. Either way there is a solution for your situation.

From the outset you can purchase a High Altitude Ready Heater Kit (HAK), or you could replace your current heater. As mentioned above, high altitude heaters automatically adjust the air to fuel ratio to compensate for the change in conditions. This will allow you to enjoy warmth up to 3000 metres (9800 feet) above sea level.

Your altitude ready heater will operate at optimal level and will start when you need it to. The build up of carbon (soot) within the heater will be minimised and fuel combustion will be good, minimising smoke from your heater exhaust. Whether travelling at high altitude or lower altitudes your heater will automatically adjust to the conditions.

Upgrading an Eberspacher for high altitudes.

If you own an Eberspacher heater there may be an adapter kit available depending the heater model you own. Any Airtronic or Hydronic heater model prior to the new Airtonic S2, Airtronic M2 and Hydronic S3, require a high altitude kit to operate above approximately 1500 metres (500 feet).

The Eberspacher high altitude adapter kit is suitable for the Eberspacher Airtronic D2, D4, D5, and Eberspacher Hydronic D5WSC and D4WSC. You must ensure the 'h-kit' symbol is on the data plate (see image). It can be retrofitted but is a necessary add-on if the you plan to use your heater at higher altitudes.

Please contact us for advice if you have a model not listed above.

Can a Webasto be upgraded for high altitudes?

If you own an RV version Webasto heater it can be adapted, but you will need to purchase additional individual parts, as no adapter kit is available due to variants of this brand of heater. If you would like more information about adapting a Webasto heater it is best to contact Butler Technik directly.