Our VW T5.1 SE California had a diesel habitation heater which is standard fitment on the SE and Ocean campervans.

It uses diesel from the van's fuel tank and the pump ticks gently when working. Ours didn't smell inside the van but the exhaust did on occasion as it could collect under the van on windless days.

If you fitted one to an Eriba you would need a fuel tank onboard somewhere which could be smelly if the tank was overfilled when refueling.

The was noisy on start-up but slowed once the system got hot. The pump ticked faster on start-up too.

Alan

I’m a light sleeper and found the pump ticking very annoying!

I’m not sure if the heaters are the same but having used an Eberspacher diesel heater on a boat, I found it very quiet if you were on the boat. Others nearby were sometimes annoyed by the exhaust noise which could disturb a quiet evening. Something to consider.

Having had a diesel heater on a boat, which also featured a diesel fired hob for cooking, one big advantage is the convenience of a single source of fuel (all out of the one tank in a boat) also the safety aspect of not having gas onboard.

I think Aquavit is spot on. It’s about the convenience of a ready fuel source. In the van, if we are off grid we use the gas function of the Truma heater. With our Safefill setup (aka Marmite gas!) it is now cheaper than the £5 being asked by some for an EHU.