Defender set up advice: Split charge, Webasto / eberspacher heater placement etc

Hi all,
Having learnt some lessons from previous cars (and a house) about the importance of planning and doing things right, I am after picking your experienced brains for some advice.

The Basics:

• I have a defender 110 TDCi
• Its not a daily driver (thats a Volvo - boo!)
• Its main use will be for camping trips building experience towards expeditions, as well as keeping me comfortable whilst shooting. Rifles/shotguns take up a lot of space in their case - so room needed for them
• I would want to be able to keep it as stock as possible - So removing middle row seats is fine, but i want to put them back again also.
• I already have a waeco fridge that fits nicely strapped to the single middle row seat with a ratchet strap and and happy with that arrangement - managed fine 2 weeks camping with that.
• Ideally i would like to build a removable base to sleep on (for 2) in the rear - having removed the rear seat and the double middle row seat - I think i can design something to do this. Probably

So - with all that in mind, I want to have a solar / split charge set up - which research indicates 'should' be fairly simple, with both batteries in the passenger seat box (correct me if i am wrong).

I also want a diesel heater installed, but am struggling for a location for this. Obviously with two batteries in the rear seat and with storage / sleeping in the rear I am unsure on where to place this, and have a safe outlet for the heater vent.

Any thoughts?

Earl said:

Hi all,
Having learnt some lessons from previous cars (and a house) about the importance of planning and doing things right, I am after picking your experienced brains for some advice.

The Basics:

• I have a defender 110 TDCi
• Its not a daily driver (thats a Volvo - boo!)
• Its main use will be for camping trips building experience towards expeditions, as well as keeping me comfortable whilst shooting. Rifles/shotguns take up a lot of space in their case - so room needed for them
• I would want to be able to keep it as stock as possible - So removing middle row seats is fine, but i want to put them back again also.
• I already have a waeco fridge that fits nicely strapped to the single middle row seat with a ratchet strap and and happy with that arrangement - managed fine 2 weeks camping with that.
• Ideally i would like to build a removable base to sleep on (for 2) in the rear - having removed the rear seat and the double middle row seat - I think i can design something to do this. Probably

So - with all that in mind, I want to have a solar / split charge set up - which research indicates 'should' be fairly simple, with both batteries in the passenger seat box (correct me if i am wrong).

I also want a diesel heater installed, but am struggling for a location for this. Obviously with two batteries in the rear seat and with storage / sleeping in the rear I am unsure on where to place this, and have a safe outlet for the heater vent.

Any thoughts?

Click to expand...

Why not run a split charge off the alternator or better still a second alternator like I do, it's nice to have a stand alone aux circuit and battery that is charging when ever the engine is running.

One question about the diesel heater, what type is it? Water heater type that could pre-heat the engine or an air heater?

Water heater has the + points for pre-heating the engine in the winter.

Air heater will throw heat into the cabin almost instantaneously.

The water heater would need a heat exchanger and fan but easily doable with a bit of plumbing to fit and you could use it in the winter to throw extra heat around the cabin too, easily mounted in the engine bay.

The air heater is possibly a little easier but depends on exactly where you are going to site it? You could fit it in a seatbox? Or even in the load bed in a purpose built box and have it ducted into the cabin from the back?

Not sure who has fitted what but I'm sure I've seen both types fitted by folks on ere in the past.

Air heater to keep me warm!

Looking at installing a chinese night heater(planar)These are cheap but work.
Would fit this between the front 2 seats but boxed over.
Mount this to the metal inspection cover with exhaust etc this can be easily removed for summer.just get a spare cover to replace it.
I fitted a 24v to my lorry conversion & they do get hot quick.

Hicap phill said:

Looking at installing a chinese night heater(planar)These are cheap but work.
Would fit this between the front 2 seats but boxed over.
Mount this to the metal inspection cover with exhaust etc this can be easily removed for summer.just get a spare cover to replace it.
I fitted a 24v to my lorry conversion & they do get hot quick.

Click to expand...

Yeah second hand these are a few hundred quid, which is fine - but I want to place it in the right position, as obviously the air needs to come out and not set anything on fire!
@dieseldog69 I dont think i can put in under a seat, if i have having twin battery in one and the fuses in the other?

Forgot to say these need to be flat mounted.
Any tilt they won't fire up. Once running they are ok.

Earl said:

Yeah second hand these are a few hundred quid, which is fine - but I want to place it in the right position, as obviously the air needs to come out and not set anything on fire!
@dieseldog69 I dont think i can put in under a seat, if i have having twin battery in one and the fuses in the other?

Click to expand...

I have a Discovery so don't have access to a seat box to measure but unless you are running massive batteries and gigantic fuse boards I think you should be able to fit it in the seatbox with ease, you might have to relegate tools etc, to somewhere else in the vehicle.

Have a measure up an let us know what space you have but @Hicap phill has come up with a good idea with the fitting on the cover plate and making it removable.

dieseldog69 said:

I have a Discovery so don't have access to a seat box to measure but unless you are running massive batteries and gigantic fuse boards I think you should be able to fit it in the seatbox with ease, you might have to relegate tools etc, to somewhere else in the vehicle.

Have a measure up an let us know what space you have but @Hicap phill has come up with a good idea with the fitting on the cover plate and making it removable.

Click to expand...

I want to put a second battery in there for running fridge / other bits, which is why its a no go. It could go in the driver one, but not too sure about heat and fuses mixing!

I was not sure what phil meant about the access plate - unless its the one for the seat box - to which the previous point is the issue! I have see someone cut a bit out of the rear wheel arch and fit one there - but that is beyond my skills - and desire really!

Earl said:

I want to put a second battery in there for running fridge / other bits, which is why its a no go. It could go in the driver one, but not too sure about heat and fuses mixing!

I was not sure what phil meant about the access plate - unless its the one for the seat box - to which the previous point is the issue! I have see someone cut a bit out of the rear wheel arch and fit one there - but that is beyond my skills - and desire really!

Click to expand...

Access panel under the centre seat.

I found this for you, it leaves the other seat box free to play in

dieseldog69 said:

Access panel under the centre seat.

I found this for you, it leaves the other seat box free to play in

View attachment 161641

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Fantastic thanks, so there wont be any issued with the fuse / relay box under the drivers seat getting too hot? If not then that is an easy solution