For a radiant heater like the Plat Cat, I think the best location is either
right behind the passenger seat.. mounted on the aft side of the starter
battery compartment or between the seats.. (Harald used to have some good
photos of his installation behind the passenger seat, but they don't seem to
be at the old web address any more.)

These locations point the heat to where you will likely be.. on the rear
bench seat.

Problem with behind the passenger seat is makes it so the passenger seat
cannot be used facing aft.

So I was thinking of the stock 6,000 BTU Plat Cat (or slightly modified
dimensions) with an attachment such that it could be mounted to the front
table mount tube....

Propane and electric are close by under the sink. This cold be a portable
set up like Steve X's. You could plug it into the front table tube, plug in
the electric (thermostat & fan), plug in the propane, and run the exhaust
tube out one of the front windows. The mount could possibly be designed such
that it rotated on or in the front table mount like a gate for access to the
two front seats. Or, more elaborately, the exhaust tube could plug into or
go down through the front seat mounting tube and out the floor of the van.

This location would allow the use of the passenger seat facing aft.

For those who insist on using the front table perhaps the mount for the Plat
Cat could just clamp to the front table leg or the outside of the front
table mount tube.

Okay, let's have some feed back and get this thing designed!

Bill
90 Westy Syncro
-----Original Message-----
From: Steven X. Schwenk <sxs@CONCENTRIC.NET>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Date: Friday, April 14, 2000 8:58 AM
Subject: Custom Cat Heaters

>Arnie (26 years with thermal systems,
>inc) has agreed to consider building a
>vented, safe and approved catalytic
>heater for the vanagon.  He needs to see
>what design criteria we would want and
>to consider other issues before he
>commits to the project.
>
>I am already overwhelmed with projects,
>so I would prefer to personally receive
>only thoughtful suggestions and not
>hastily thrown together stuff for this
>reason.  Some open discussion of the
>design seems warranted and deseriable on
>the list, however.
>Steve
>