Puzzled about Webastos

[rupertbear]

I must be missing something obvious here but this has been puzzling me for some time:

 

I have read umpteen threads which explain that it is necessary to give a Webasto Thermo Top sufficient load to stop it cycling and then sooting up.

 

I have also read many threads where people are purchasing reconditioned units and successfuly using them for their boats.

 

I understand that the supply of second hand units for reconditioning comes from road vehicles.

 

How on earth does a road vehicle provide a load comparable to a calorifier and several domestic radiators?

 

[WotEver]

I think it’s a combination of not running for very long - the one on my saloon only runs for about 15 minutes as far as I can tell - and nice clean road diesel. The latter is less relevant these days as red is aiui the same stuff now. 

[Grebe]

In my logistics manager life, which ended in 2002, all the trucks on my allocation had Webasto warm AIR heaters fitted, primarily for the 'tramper' drivers who were out all week.  The majority of the rest were double shifted day and night and the drivers still used the webasto for cab heat and then the vehicle system purely as a demister.  No water or radiators just ducting.

[Detling]

The heater matrix of a van or large car is usually a couple of kWatts, add in heating the engine block via the coolant water, and you can get quite a load first thing in the morning, which is what they are often fitted for.  My next door neighbours sons gas board van fires up at 6.45 he gets into it at 7:00 and sets off for work.

 

[mrsmelly]

My 1986 BMW 5.28i had a pre heater fitted so I could set the timer and it was toasty before I got in. Just sayin like.

[BWM]

My experience of webasto in trucks is that they tend to start playing up within a couple of years, i suspect because they don't get any maintenance until they do.

  I thought the header puzzled about Webastos was about tales of a notorious Mexican bandit!