My Green Skoda Fabia (VW Polo) R3 CRTDI - finally smashed the 3L / 80MPG barrier

[GreenTDI]

Originally Posted by COcyclist

I sometimes use two heaters on the engine and one in the cabin and do not even notice a difference on my electric bill.

How long do they need to heat up?
An 'easy' solution could be putting an ordinay ceramic heater underneath the car or simply blowing hot air into the engine bay. If it warms up the engine to 40°C, that's a big difference to freezing temperatures outside or 15°C garage temperature.

Besides, that diesel in my car doesn't like very cold starts at all. Take a look at this video and shiver!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46XS6tZ5NoI

This one starts similar as mine at aprox. -10°C after 3 times preheating the glow plugs. And that is not necessary due to bad plugs, it is characteristic of these three-cylinder diesels.

[COcyclist]

Originally Posted by GreenTDI

How long do they need to heat up?
An 'easy' solution could be putting an ordinay ceramic heater underneath the car or simply blowing hot air into the engine bay.

The space heater in the cabin has a fan so it heats the interior in about 15 minutes. The tank style coolant heater takes at least an hour but 2 hours is better. The Katz heater on the oil pan puts heat into the whole engine bay in 45 minutes or so.

In my opinion it is worth the time to do a clean installation so it is convenient to use on a daily basis. Also, the engine heaters can be used if you have to park outdoors with the car locked. Google FrostHeater on TDIclub.com for install info on the tank heater. It wasn’t difficult. I ran the cord to a marine style plug. There is a photo in my albums.

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by COcyclist

The space heater in the cabin has a fan so it heats the interior in about 15 minutes. The tank style coolant heater takes at least an hour but 2 hours is better. The Katz heater on the oil pan puts heat into the whole engine bay in 45 minutes or so.

In my opinion it is worth the time to do a clean installation so it is convenient to use on a daily basis. Also, the engine heaters can be used if you have to park outdoors with the car locked. Google FrostHeater on TDIclub.com for install info on the tank heater. It wasn’t difficult. I ran the cord to a marine style plug. There is a photo in my albums.

About how much did this set up cost you?

[COcyclist]

Originally Posted by California98Civic

About how much did this set up cost you?

I did it over several years but I will try a best guess. The space heater for the cabin was about $30. The stick-on Katz heater on the oil pan was about $15. The marine 110V plug was $25 or $30. The tank style coolant heater I had purchased for another car but hadn’t installed. I think it was about $50. There used to be a guy selling a tank heater kit on tdiclub for about $120 IIRC but I fabbed up my own and saved some money.

The tank heater is supposed to circulate coolant through the engine through thermosiphon so it is important to mount the tank as low as possible.

[GreenTDI]

@ COCyclist: thanks for that info!

Winter is still a long way off, we are currently experiencing a 'super heat wave' (as it's told in the media), with temperatures of 90 to 100°F for a period of 9-10 days. That's quite unusual for my region.

So I removed the grill cover again. My driving style during this tank is more normal (read: faster) but because I have refined my driving techniques I'm getting a consumption of 63 MPG. I only put the airco on occasionally with my wife and children in the car. Their well-being is more important to me than my quest for good consumption figures ...

So no, this tank will not be a new record.

[GreenTDI]

I did a little camper conversion of my car, using some leftover material from my home renovation, and I'm happy to share this in my GreenTDI thread.

Now that I'm on the hunt for 'incredible' consumption figures, (70 mpg tank and 90 mpg trip) my 'camper conversion' could come in handy. And if I succeed, could it be "the world's first 90 MPG RV?"


First, I did this for the least cost, so I kept it simple. I love recycling and using leftovers, and managed te keep the total cost below $ 35.

Secondly, it had to be a usable sleeping place for 2 people: minimal 6,2 ft length (190 cm) and 4,1 ft wide (125 cm) at the shoulders. To work around the armrest, it was integrated into the bed. By working with hinges, the bed can be folded up again in 'driving mode'. In 'sleeping mode', the front seats has to move forward. And even with a compact car like mine, the big advantage of an estate car is shown: the boot space is huge, thanks to it's length ...





Thirdly, keeping it simple: I just wanted a place to sleep. Easy to install and easy to remove. No need to install a battery and solar panel. However, there must be enough storage space to take along a table, 2 chairs, and some other camping material. This can be placed under the bed between the frame, and is accessible from the trunk. I also wanted a few storage compartments accessible from the bed without getting out of the car.





Fourthly, I looked at the weight. The lightest and easiest material turned out to be chipboard. The entire construction with made bed weighs less than 100 lbs (45 kg). It consists of 4 parts: The frame, and three lay-on plates. They are completely stuck between the walls of the car, so that nothing can slide. The mattress I found in the attic is just 10 cm thick foam that is light, easy to cut and also keeps things underneath into place.





Fifthly and finally: privacy, darkening and heat protection. It should be easy to install and remove from windows. For the rear windows, I used a subfloor woodpulp plate and reflective insulation foil. Just cut to the right size and stapled together, it simply stays in place throughout the journey. For the other windows I bought cheap reflective sun shades with suction cups. Not so 'advanced' as the rear windows, but it does the job.





Ready for a basic R3 TDI camping trip!

[Leinaad]

Nice! You could take out the rear seats to save some weight and maybe even out the camper conversion.

[California98Civic]

Excellent. Simple. Fun. Where are you headed?

[GreenTDI]

Originally Posted by Leinaad

Nice! You could take out the rear seats to save some weight and maybe even out the camper conversion.

The seats are out, but what you see is the backrest, which is anchored in the chassis with bolts. Too big job to build in and out every time...

Originally Posted by California98Civic

Excellent. Simple. Fun. Where are you headed?

I haven't mapped out a fixed destination or route yet. Anyway, the journey is just as important to me as the destination. Maybe a drive past some big car museums such as VW, Mercedes and Skoda.

But my dream road trip is to the North Cape, the northernmost point of Europe. Way up through Norway along the Atlantic coast and back through Sweden along the Gulf of Bothnia. Just a mini trip of 4700 miles

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by GreenTDI

... my dream road trip is to the North Cape, the northernmost point of Europe. Way up through Norway along the Atlantic coast and back through Sweden along the Gulf of Bothnia. Just a mini trip of 4700 miles

That must be absolutely amazing country for thousands of kilometers.