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How should I heat the Deuce???

themunitionscache

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Fairbanks, AK
I could not get the heater that heats the cab to work. It was leaking fuel all over the place so I unhooked the fuel line to it and capped it. Is there a good way to heat the cab. I really need defrost really really bad! Its 20below a lot of the time when we need to use it and we dont have a heater. I can bear not having heat because we are dressed really warm anyway, but I have to have defrost. We cant scrape the frost off fast enough and I need to see while driving.

Bottom line, I am trying not to spend a lot of money. It needs to be something I can do myself. I have heard of people using old pickup heaters, but I dont know the first thing of how to do that or where to find one. Are the heaters in the deuce easy to fix? I know nothing about them or nothing about installing coolant type heater. Is there some aftermarket 24v electric heater I could just buy for a reasonable price? Any help with this is greatly appreciated! We are to the point where we arent gonna work with the rig until we get HEAT!!! Thanks!
 

broman78

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if traveling for long distance get your plug in portable heater out of the house and put in cab for about 15 minutes. That will heat up the cab to be comfortable then the engine will keep you warm for the rest of the trip.
 

Recovry4x4

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Work on getting that fuel fired heater working, once it is working you won't be sorry.
 

Wildchild467

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Work on getting that fuel fired heater working, once it is working you won't be sorry.

Agreed. Did you look into why it wasnt working or just cap the line because it was leaking? the time and money you spend on a different way to heat the cab, you could have the same outcome (working heat) by fixing your fuel fired heater. if you have a warm place to work on the truck, i say why not take a look to see why it isnt working.
 

x-ray

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Walmart sells a propane tent heater I have seen used in trucks for $34.99 it has a musroom head that screws on a propane tank.
I use the same small propane "catalytic" heater in my "No Heater" Trucks. It doesn't have an open flame that you can touch but does get hot on the surface - so keep it where you won't touch it. I used self tapping sheet metal screws on the base to hold it in place and it doesn't move and I even have used in off road and it doesn't budge.

Yes - it can cause some fogging, but once you get moving the volume of air moving through the cab cleans it out and I don't have a problem. After a while it gets warm enough to roll the window down a little and no fogging then. Probably a good idea to bring a towel just in case, but it works for me just fine and is relatively cheap fix for "some" heat until you get your fuel heater fixed IMHO.
 

clinto

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I'm with Kenny-fix the leaking fuel fired heater and be happy.
 

rosco

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You need to learn how to work on your truck! Its not safe to drive without working defrosters. Folks here are more inclined to help you, if you are helping yourself. A fuel leak is elementary, not to mention air leaks, but left un-repaired, the vehicle is not roadworthy.
 
get a 20000 btu auxilary heater that hookes into your coolant lines i had one in my deuce but i took it out to darn hot even without the fan motor running , i have an insulated hardtop.and a small fan keeps the windows clear as a bell. with a gasser im not sure if a fuel fired heater is even an option
 
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baxter

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salt lake, UT
I second take a little time on that heater it will be well worth it. We have four of them between my friends and I and there is nothing like the heat they put out. We have had some problems but nothing to bad. My buddy had one leaking bad and Im tryig to get ahold of him to find out what the problemn was
 

jatonka

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Location
Ephratah, New York
Maradyne makes great heaters, water heated, 24 volt DC, 3 different sizes. Check at any Ag or Construction equipment dealer, they should have a catalog called Heavy Duty Parts, toward the back of the book are the Maradyne heaters. I use the 5000 model in Deuces, has defrost ports too. JT
 

2027Deuce

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Laurel, Nebraska
I would switch to a more reliable water type heater, try the ones JT mentioned or find a parts dealer for the standard issue one. Also a weather front would help you alot where you are at.2cents
 

usmc320

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RVA
Look into fixing the fuel fired heater. It is much better than the coolant heater. I picked one up last year and reconditioned it. Pretty easy to fix up and works great. This is my 2nd winter with it and no problems so far. There are people on here that are knowledgable about these heaters and willing to help. I know because they helped me!
:beer:
 
980
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Location
Dover, New Hampshire
Most days I only run my stock coolant heater for a few mins because my engine gives me all the btu's I need to stay comfortable. But then again it's not 20 below where I am and I'm usually wearing more than a couple layers! Good luck either way, Merry Christmas!
 

glcaines

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My coolant heater works fine, including the defroster. However, there are so many air leaks in the truck that I could use a fuel-fired heater. I would highly recommend you fixing your heater. They are relatively simple.
 

tonyR

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Oregon
Don't use a catalytic or propane-fired heater; they release water vapor, which will condense on the cold windows, but more importantly it gives off carbon monoxide! Bad news.
 
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