Hey y'all.
As this seems to be one of the main threads about the varioheat heaters, I thought I'd chime in on my experience thus far, as this thread was influential in my decision to go with the Truma.
I have a 2010 Kestrel shell with a rollover couch. The first owner added a moduline aluminum cabinet with aluminum top, and that's about it.
After upgrading the electrical (I'll have to make a separate post on that and try and link it here) I moved on to trying to choose a heater.
My truck is gas, and my electrical system is 4000W. Trying to anticipate cooking needs on induction and against what I will generate, I've decided I'll probably need propane for cooking in the winter, thus, it makes the most sense for propane to be heat as well instead of a gasoline/diesel heater.
Talking with my local propex supplier, they actually made the propex sound a bit finicky, obviously there are the exhaust/intake considerations, leaving them 4' long... but also considerations with the longevity of the fan motor (not brushless) and their finicky nature at altitude... This, plus the mounting location constraints due to exhaust, convinced me to explore Truma.
Skipping to the Truma itself... I bought a used one on Facebook marketplace. Unfortunately, the control panel was damaged during the "uninstallation" from it's previous application. That being said, I was able to test fire it and confirm that it worked. From there, I had a friend re-solder some wires onto the board from the comms connection that was broken. A new board is close to $600 after tax.
Word of advise. If you procure one of these used, you need to be VERY detail oriented to ensure that many of the hard to find components are included. The exhaust assembly and the special clamps, the 12v connection for power, control panel, thermostat, the list of small parts within these assemblies can also be extensive. I suggest you study the instructions and account for some replacement parts by googling the installation manual for the US variant. Or rather.. whatever variant you get, as there seem to be some region specific differences.
Ok back to the install...
I installed mine on the driver side rear, horizontally, which is acceptable in the Truma instructions. My exhaust/intake is as short as is allowed, 12" It's basically crammed as much as it can be in the cupboard in X and Z axis, hence it's final form being diagonal to allow for ducting to exist the side of the cabinet instead of the front.
Obviously cutting the hole for the combustion stuff was stressful, and my cabinet size as well as framing within the wall dictated where I could put the outlet. I took the wall panel off to do this, easy in a complete shell, I had done this previously to route electrical so I followed similar principles to route the comms ribbon and 12v power for the control panel within the wall cavity.
I put the thermostat near the be platform rails for easy access. I also bought a surface mount frame for it, which gave me a ton of flexibility in final location as the back of the control panel no longer recessed through the mounting location. This let me mount it on a portion of the wall that it wouldn't have otherwise fit, only needing a 1/2" hole for wires behind it. It also allowed me to tuck the 1A quick-blow fuse holder behind the panel in this location.
Anyways, after all was said and done, the horizontal install worked great, the exhaust routing was perfect, I tried to tuck all the wires and cables for the unit into a neat ish area, and I added the thermostat on the side of the cabinet, possibly too close to the conditioned air vent but it seems to be working so far!
Oh, and my intake is for the cabinet is at the bottom near the battery and doesn't restrict or hamper air flow by my estimations despite being a little bit far away and also a weird airflow path... The vent is oversized vs what the minimum area is, so I think that helps too.
As far as function, I have only been using it in the driveway to dry the camper out (after a small water leak, another story) and to test it.
The variable fan speed is great, it comes up to temperature fast but then dials back and just chills. maintenance increases in heat once up to temp also come on with a softer fan.
Night mode is also great.
The heater comes up to temp quick
Sure the fan is low on full power but it heats my Kestrel SO quickly that it doesn't stay there long. honestly, I would say it's almost overpowered for the size of the camper but the variable fan speed is it's saving grace that keeps it from being an on/off hot/cold type of heater.
I got the camper up to 102 degrees according to my separate temperature sensor on my CO alarm, this was after an hour, but it got up to 85 quickly. I was forcing the unit to stay on max power but wow.
Anyways, a quick summary...
There are many parts, but the instruction manual is good and everything works together well. If you do your own electrical/casework/propane stuff this will be no problem, its an intuitive system.
Buying used is tricky, I suggest you try to find one complete and new if possible.
Did I mention the instructions are your friend?
The heater feels modern and smart and I like the control panel and the timer modes, night mode, temp offset, etc etc.
Oh, battery usage is almost negligible, it's absolutely more efficient than my florescent ceiling lights!
I am convinced if these were available retail with easier product support and maintenance parts, they would be the absolute smartest choice.
I will report back on winter performance in inclement weather and real world fuel usage
