This is how I do coffee when camping...greca (percolator) and cafe Bustelo (image found online, but pretty much the same one I use)
Camping Equipment for Our Trucks
- Thread starter weejub
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Cowboy Coffee!!
There are a couple of schools of thought on cleaning these. The old school thought (at least in PR or DR) is that you never use soap to wash them, just rinse well with water and dry before storing. Newer suggestions are to use a mild soap and soft sponge or to boil water, add vinegar and soak the pot, then wash with soap and water.
I don't wash it (only rinse) during a camping trip. I just deal with cleaning it thoroughly once home. My only complaint is that it doesn't make enough for more than one person at a time (if you drink a large cup).
I’ve been using this one for over 2 years haven’t had an issue. It’s been fantastic. Even tho I haven’t taken care of it. Just keeps on going.
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I tested the diesel heater today. On high, this will make any enclosure uncomfortably warm. I dialed it down a bit but it was still very hot air from the exhaust.
Several items about the model I bought:
- The controls and manual are awful. I tried figuring it out myself and tried reading the manual and eventually gave up.
- One button startup is nice but the current draw and voltage is more than my battery was supplying.
- The display is really dim. I actually got a headache squinting at the display.
- Both intake and exhaust hoses don't have a lot of space to make the turns.
- The bluetooth "feature" is just a data mining app. I shouldn't need to register, give location, and connect to the cloud to use a diesel heater.
I've ordered another "newer" model diesel heater hoping the instructions will be more clear. It's another all-in-one unit however I still considering spending more and building my own. The display and controls are key to taking any of the chinese heaters from good to great.
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Another option:
www.snowpeak.com
They can be had for $9 on Amazon for a knock off.
Use a compostable filter, pour over, toss the filter and grounds in a compost bin or . . prolly in a trash can
I just pour it into the same Yeti I use for water, later. It all goes to the same place!
My cousin uses this puck system for espresso for camping and every day - no/little mess as well - he roasts coffee as a job tho
www.wacaco.com
Collapsible Coffee Drip
Made of enduring stainless steel, the Collapsible Coffee Drip was inspired by traditional pour-over coffee set-ups. The cone-shaped drip accommodates finer grounds and is compatible with both Chemex and Hario V60 filters. The Collapsible Coffee Drip ensures a delicious cup whether brewing at...
www.snowpeak.com
They can be had for $9 on Amazon for a knock off.
Use a compostable filter, pour over, toss the filter and grounds in a compost bin or . . prolly in a trash can
I just pour it into the same Yeti I use for water, later. It all goes to the same place!
My cousin uses this puck system for espresso for camping and every day - no/little mess as well - he roasts coffee as a job tho
WACACO | Portable Espresso Machines | Travel Coffee Makers
Prepare delicious espressos and amazing coffees, anytime, anywhere with Wacaco's portable espresso machines and travel coffee makers.
www.wacaco.com
Chinese diesel heaters
I considered starting another thread detailing what I've found with building my diesel heater but this has been a fairly active area.
TLDR: I built a Chinese Diesel heater from a kit I purchased off Amazon and it is amazing. I can use it connected to the truck, a battery bank, or at home.
There are a ton of diesel heater options on Amazon/Ebay however they are not all the same. I wanted to document my experience with the 3 that I purchased and give helpful advice for anyone considering buying, building, or modifying one.
The german design that the Chinese diesel heaters are copied from is the gold standard. It has it's own set of problems with soot and proper airflow for intake/exhaust, but the build quality is much better and for the $800 price tag, they should be. A typical Chinese diesel heater is $119 to $229 and in the end I purchased 4 Chinese diesel heaters.
maXpeedingrods 5KW 12V Diesel Heater www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08T5YTVDQ
HCALORY 12V 24V 5KW-8KW Diesel Air Heater www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B4WHQ33Q
HCALORY 5KW-8KW 12V Diesel Air Heater (x2) www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B42SZXTS
I wanted a compact diesel heater to easily fit inside the Cruiser since space is limited with a family of four and two dogs. The maXpeedingrods seemed like a newer design than most and was an all-in-one unit. With any diesel heater, test it immediately. These heaters have a high out of the box failure rate as you will see. The maxpeedingrods was easy to setup and required an air intake and exhaust to hook up to the bottom. The manual was for a different heater manufactured by them but I found a cryptic website with instructions for operating the unit. I was able to get it up and running fairly quickly. Always prime the fuel line before starting the diesel heater or else you could damage the unit. First startup produces a LOT of black smoke but once running it goes away. Heat from the heater is dry and very hot, similar to a hair dryer but larger. Heat at the lowest setting was hot and heat at the highest setting was scorching. At the time, the only power source I had was my 12V hookups in the back of the Cruiser. The maxpeedingrods heater controls were difficult to understand and follow and it would report not enough voltage on startup unless I linked my dual batteries. In addition, the display was very difficult to read in daylight, however the heat output was amazing and convinced me that this was they way to go, just not with this heater.
Amazon makes a mint off me and my family so I believe in try and buy. If I don't like it, I will return it. I ordered the Hcalory all-in-one diesel heater next. The unit arrived but did not match the picture. The controller was much easier to use and had a user friendly knob. I set it up the same as the maxpeedingrods to the 12V supply on the back of the Cruiser, no voltage errors. I was more impressed with the ease of use but the heat didn't seem to be as hot as the other one. 20 minutes of running and I noticed the air intake was getting wet and the diesel smell that normally happens on startup wasn't going away. It was late and I powered off the unit only to find the air intake tube had diesel inside of it. There must have been some type of seal failure inside the heater itself and this was not safe to operate.
The limitations of the all-in-one units were apparent. They have to placed high to get the intake and exhaust connected. The exhaust pipe is difficult to bend but also needs to have a fairly straight air path for efficient operation. I decided to purchase the Hcalory kit instead. The kit was cheaper initially but would require a case, exhaust fitting, new intake, etc... It was going to be more expensive and larger, but I could build it exactly the way I wanted. I can put together a list of parts I used if folks are interested. I mostly followed the youtube link posted earlier but made some necessary changes. Diesel heater was mounted in the case and holes cut for air intake, air exhaust, heater intake, and heater exhaust. I replaced the fuel tank with one from ebay that was smaller and much better quality. The 10L that came in the kit was awful. I used a SAE connector on the side of the case for power, I wish I would have used an Anderson connector but SAE are 1/4 the price. Building the kit in a larger case meant I could route heater exhaust and intake to the outside of the case and use the extra space for storing the controller, remote, the muffler, and additional exhaust piping. I purchased a Ecoflow River battery bank and 100W 12V power supply. I created some cig-lighter to Anderson connectors for the Ecoflow and put Anderson connectors on the power supply.
Returning the broken units.
I bought a 2nd Hcalory kit (4th heater) because it went on sale for $119 the day I received the original kit that I paid $159 for. I returned the 2nd kit completely unopened for $159. I cleaned up the maxpeedingrods heater and contacted Amazon to return it. I stated the display was hard to see and the unit kept reporting voltage errors. Amazon contacted the manufacturer and they said keep it and refunded all of my money. Seriously. BTW, this unit works perfectly fine with the Ecoflow and the 12V power supply. The 2nd Hcalory all-in-one heater that leaked diesel was a bit more of a problem. Contacted Amazon again and explained the situation. The reseller was engaged and with a little back and forth they finally requested I hook it up again, start the heater, and document the leak with pictures. My response was you want me to fire up a heater that is leaking fuel on the ground and take pictures?! They refunded my money and told me to dispose of the unit. Eventually I will fix it.
I considered starting another thread detailing what I've found with building my diesel heater but this has been a fairly active area.
TLDR: I built a Chinese Diesel heater from a kit I purchased off Amazon and it is amazing. I can use it connected to the truck, a battery bank, or at home.
There are a ton of diesel heater options on Amazon/Ebay however they are not all the same. I wanted to document my experience with the 3 that I purchased and give helpful advice for anyone considering buying, building, or modifying one.
The german design that the Chinese diesel heaters are copied from is the gold standard. It has it's own set of problems with soot and proper airflow for intake/exhaust, but the build quality is much better and for the $800 price tag, they should be. A typical Chinese diesel heater is $119 to $229 and in the end I purchased 4 Chinese diesel heaters.
maXpeedingrods 5KW 12V Diesel Heater www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08T5YTVDQ
HCALORY 12V 24V 5KW-8KW Diesel Air Heater www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B4WHQ33Q
HCALORY 5KW-8KW 12V Diesel Air Heater (x2) www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B42SZXTS
I wanted a compact diesel heater to easily fit inside the Cruiser since space is limited with a family of four and two dogs. The maXpeedingrods seemed like a newer design than most and was an all-in-one unit. With any diesel heater, test it immediately. These heaters have a high out of the box failure rate as you will see. The maxpeedingrods was easy to setup and required an air intake and exhaust to hook up to the bottom. The manual was for a different heater manufactured by them but I found a cryptic website with instructions for operating the unit. I was able to get it up and running fairly quickly. Always prime the fuel line before starting the diesel heater or else you could damage the unit. First startup produces a LOT of black smoke but once running it goes away. Heat from the heater is dry and very hot, similar to a hair dryer but larger. Heat at the lowest setting was hot and heat at the highest setting was scorching. At the time, the only power source I had was my 12V hookups in the back of the Cruiser. The maxpeedingrods heater controls were difficult to understand and follow and it would report not enough voltage on startup unless I linked my dual batteries. In addition, the display was very difficult to read in daylight, however the heat output was amazing and convinced me that this was they way to go, just not with this heater.
Amazon makes a mint off me and my family so I believe in try and buy. If I don't like it, I will return it. I ordered the Hcalory all-in-one diesel heater next. The unit arrived but did not match the picture. The controller was much easier to use and had a user friendly knob. I set it up the same as the maxpeedingrods to the 12V supply on the back of the Cruiser, no voltage errors. I was more impressed with the ease of use but the heat didn't seem to be as hot as the other one. 20 minutes of running and I noticed the air intake was getting wet and the diesel smell that normally happens on startup wasn't going away. It was late and I powered off the unit only to find the air intake tube had diesel inside of it. There must have been some type of seal failure inside the heater itself and this was not safe to operate.
The limitations of the all-in-one units were apparent. They have to placed high to get the intake and exhaust connected. The exhaust pipe is difficult to bend but also needs to have a fairly straight air path for efficient operation. I decided to purchase the Hcalory kit instead. The kit was cheaper initially but would require a case, exhaust fitting, new intake, etc... It was going to be more expensive and larger, but I could build it exactly the way I wanted. I can put together a list of parts I used if folks are interested. I mostly followed the youtube link posted earlier but made some necessary changes. Diesel heater was mounted in the case and holes cut for air intake, air exhaust, heater intake, and heater exhaust. I replaced the fuel tank with one from ebay that was smaller and much better quality. The 10L that came in the kit was awful. I used a SAE connector on the side of the case for power, I wish I would have used an Anderson connector but SAE are 1/4 the price. Building the kit in a larger case meant I could route heater exhaust and intake to the outside of the case and use the extra space for storing the controller, remote, the muffler, and additional exhaust piping. I purchased a Ecoflow River battery bank and 100W 12V power supply. I created some cig-lighter to Anderson connectors for the Ecoflow and put Anderson connectors on the power supply.
Returning the broken units.
I bought a 2nd Hcalory kit (4th heater) because it went on sale for $119 the day I received the original kit that I paid $159 for. I returned the 2nd kit completely unopened for $159. I cleaned up the maxpeedingrods heater and contacted Amazon to return it. I stated the display was hard to see and the unit kept reporting voltage errors. Amazon contacted the manufacturer and they said keep it and refunded all of my money. Seriously. BTW, this unit works perfectly fine with the Ecoflow and the 12V power supply. The 2nd Hcalory all-in-one heater that leaked diesel was a bit more of a problem. Contacted Amazon again and explained the situation. The reseller was engaged and with a little back and forth they finally requested I hook it up again, start the heater, and document the leak with pictures. My response was you want me to fire up a heater that is leaking fuel on the ground and take pictures?! They refunded my money and told me to dispose of the unit. Eventually I will fix it.
Great info. I purchased this one on black Friday, but still need to test it out:
SILVEL 5KW-8KW Diesel Air Heater
SILVEL 5KW-8KW Diesel Air Heater
Experimenting with the new custom heater at home went great however using it overnight at Windrock (Nov 10th through the 13th) was going to be first true test. It was warm the the night of the 10th and 11th but was 37* the night of the 12th. The Cruiser was parked too far away to use the 12V so I used the Ecoflow instead. The cig-lighter adapter worked great, fired up the heater, and it produced amazing heat all night. The next morning was when I had problems. Running the heater on the lowest setting uses a lot more fuel than expected. It's a bit backwards. Low heat uses lots of fuel but high heat uses less fuel. We still had plenty but it was a bit of a surprise.
The big problem was when Shannon said "Ugh, Jon. The heater turned off". Diesel heaters cannot be shutoff instantly. They have to be cooled down otherwise pulling the plug will cause residual heat to crack the case. I ran to the tent yanked the cords off and connected it to the 12V on the Cruiser and powered it back on immediately. In the 2 minutes that it took to get everything running again, smoke was coming out of the air intake. No permanent damage was done. My problem was that current draw was more than I anticipated. The Ecoflow river told me I had 24 hours of runtime but simple math with current draw of the heater works out to 8 to 11 hours. The Ecoflow was done after about 10 hours of use and just shut off. Crisis averted.
Since Windrock, I've sent the Ecoflow River back to Walmart.com and purchased the Ecoflow River Pro. 2.5 times the capacity of the Ecoflow River and a true 22 to 26 hours of runtime. The Ecoflow River Pro was a refurb unit for $399 but a better fit for the heater and my family.
We brought the diesel heater to the Christmas party and I used it to warm the tent before going to bed but shut it off after an hour. I started it up the next morning from the remote and it heated a massive 6 person tent quickly. Woot. As we were packing up, I had it running on medium high heat just for the hell of it. I was sweating after 15 minutes and the tent was becoming unbearably hot. Fuel usage with the heat cranking was lower than expected. The River Pro had tons of battery capacity left and this was a very successful trip.
Quick summary.
Pros:
Hot dry heat easily warms large areas even on the lowest setting.
Fuel efficient for the heat output with a 5L container lasting 12 hours or more. A diesel jerry extends that to a week.
Flexible power options from the Cruiser, Ecoflow, or power supply.
Magnitudes better than a buddy heater.
Cons:
Diesel stinks and is messy. Startup produces lots of smells, even a faint hint inside of the tent.
This doesn't pack small. The heater is large, the battery bank is large. Need to carry a diesel jerry for multiple days.
Vent on the diesel fuel tank leaks when turned on its side but easily mitigated.
Unit has to be away from the tent and duct work has to be used through a door or window for the heat.
Expensive to build.
Notes:
The big problem was when Shannon said "Ugh, Jon. The heater turned off". Diesel heaters cannot be shutoff instantly. They have to be cooled down otherwise pulling the plug will cause residual heat to crack the case. I ran to the tent yanked the cords off and connected it to the 12V on the Cruiser and powered it back on immediately. In the 2 minutes that it took to get everything running again, smoke was coming out of the air intake. No permanent damage was done. My problem was that current draw was more than I anticipated. The Ecoflow river told me I had 24 hours of runtime but simple math with current draw of the heater works out to 8 to 11 hours. The Ecoflow was done after about 10 hours of use and just shut off. Crisis averted.
Since Windrock, I've sent the Ecoflow River back to Walmart.com and purchased the Ecoflow River Pro. 2.5 times the capacity of the Ecoflow River and a true 22 to 26 hours of runtime. The Ecoflow River Pro was a refurb unit for $399 but a better fit for the heater and my family.
We brought the diesel heater to the Christmas party and I used it to warm the tent before going to bed but shut it off after an hour. I started it up the next morning from the remote and it heated a massive 6 person tent quickly. Woot. As we were packing up, I had it running on medium high heat just for the hell of it. I was sweating after 15 minutes and the tent was becoming unbearably hot. Fuel usage with the heat cranking was lower than expected. The River Pro had tons of battery capacity left and this was a very successful trip.
Quick summary.
Pros:
Hot dry heat easily warms large areas even on the lowest setting.
Fuel efficient for the heat output with a 5L container lasting 12 hours or more. A diesel jerry extends that to a week.
Flexible power options from the Cruiser, Ecoflow, or power supply.
Magnitudes better than a buddy heater.
Cons:
Diesel stinks and is messy. Startup produces lots of smells, even a faint hint inside of the tent.
This doesn't pack small. The heater is large, the battery bank is large. Need to carry a diesel jerry for multiple days.
Vent on the diesel fuel tank leaks when turned on its side but easily mitigated.
Unit has to be away from the tent and duct work has to be used through a door or window for the heat.
Expensive to build.
Notes:
- Heater performance varies a bit. The maxpeedingrods produces the most heat but the controller and voltage errors suck. I would build another Hcalory kit again and I've since made some modifications to make it even better.
- The notorious fuel pump tick is quite noticeable on the maxpeedingrods but almost silent on the Hcalory kit.
- The Hcalory kit uses the much more universal "blue" controller. Loads of user information and videos on how to use this and program it. The other common "black" controller is also available.
- The Hcalory kit comes with a bad ass remote control with LED display that lists outside temp in C* or F* and has automatic control. It can also be switched to manual Hertz mode for full control. Power on and power off through the remote control is quite nice. I didn't try the more basic remotes from the other heaters.
- Never buy a heater based just on a bluetooth feature. The app is almost useless and its primary focus is to get on your phone and collect data. I shouldn't have to connect to the internet to use a diesel heater.
- You cannot mix and match controllers and heaters, I tried. The harness is the same but the controller is married to the heater. I depinned the controller on one and tried to use it on another heater. It wouldn't even power on.
- Purchase a heater based on controller and remote alone.
- The 2kW is a smaller heater that produces less heat. The 5kW and 8kW are identical.
I've modified the heater again since Christmas party and will post up the final revision with pictures.
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Ah yes, that's the more common "black" controller. The black controller remote is basic. The heater on the other hand is low and wide and much more stable than either of mine.
Yeah, had no idea there was a difference in remotes. Looking forward to the rest of your writeup.
For the handful of nights I plan on using it every year, I'll just deal with it for now (although I just saw this youtube video that shows step by step how to switch over to a blue controller).
Ecoflow River pro solar generator. Got this after years with Jackery500. Jackery has a charge constraint, max in is about 65w with panel or shore power, recent trip to Miami parked in the sun, the Jackery could not keep up with the fridge draw, not enough input.
the Ecoflow has different charging system, on shore power takes 380w, on solar with two 100w panels can get 175w. So much more efficient charging and faster. Used it in the desert and worked flawlessly. One feature I like is the higher power (720) and the max output, can fire up a Keurig in the field!
They are on sale now, less than the Jackery 500. I paid full price but still worth it.
the Ecoflow has different charging system, on shore power takes 380w, on solar with two 100w panels can get 175w. So much more efficient charging and faster. Used it in the desert and worked flawlessly. One feature I like is the higher power (720) and the max output, can fire up a Keurig in the field!
They are on sale now, less than the Jackery 500. I paid full price but still worth it.
FYI, Just checked and the Ecoflow River pro solar generator is $549 on the Ecoflow site:
us.ecoflow.com
Buy EcoFlow RIVER Pro Portable Power Station - EcoFlow US
Official EcoFlow RIVER Pro: ✓ Capacity：720Wh ✓ Output: 600W (Surge 1200W). Click to learn more!
us.ecoflow.com
Correction: If you click on their Christmas sales it is $479.
us.ecoflow.com
Best Power Stations, Solar Generators & Home Backup | EcoFlow
EcoFlow offers portable power stations, solar generators, and home backup solutions. Perfect for adventures, off-grid living, and eco-friendly energy needs.
us.ecoflow.com
Correction: If you click on their Christmas sales it is $479.
Best Power Stations, Solar Generators & Home Backup | EcoFlow
EcoFlow offers portable power stations, solar generators, and home backup solutions. Perfect for adventures, off-grid living, and eco-friendly energy needs.
Ecoflow RIVER Pro Portable Solar Generator Power Station for Outdoor Camping,Home Use,Emergency,Used,Certified Reconditioned
Reconditioned for $399.
I’ve been looking at the ecoflow’s to use instead of a second battery setup since I can move it between trucks as I move my fridge between trucks.
Anyone have other anecdotal experience with it?
Anyone have other anecdotal experience with it?