"keyhole" shaped knockout on right side of cab--what for?

[06boblee]

Anyone know what the knockouts are for on the lower right side of the cab? the knockout is both on the outside and the inside- in the drivers compartment.

[Elwood]

I believe those knockouts are for the Power Plant Heater Kit, p/n 7387275 (also referred to as the arctic heater kit). I have one (or parts of one with some duplicates...), but have not yet tried to install it.

Probably not a big demand for these kits in Texas?

[06boblee]

That's great. Now I know.

[NAM VET]

Looking over the pages of instructions above, there is no way I could ever figure out how to make it work. I don't have anywhere near the skill to do something like that. It was enough for me to finally get my turn and brake lights to work, when the wiring was already there. When I got my truck, along with a bed full of spares and such, there was an arctic starting kit, with a canister of what I think is ether or the like. I am sure no one even makes or has replacement refills for the canister.

When I was a Lt in Germany in late '69 and for another year, when we went to one of the three Major Training Areas, Graf, Wildflecketn, or Hoenfelds, all our vehicles had to be "tactical" and remove all our canvas tops. It could be so cold driving around with ice and snow covering us. A heater would have been nice. I much preferred to ride in our M113's over a jeep or truck. We did have powerful heaters in our tracks.

Living in UpStae SC, I don't need any heater for my truck, but have reviewed how others have installed non-OEM jeep heaters, and if I lived way north, I might try to fit one in my truck. There are two square holes cut in the front of my metal, where at one time it had some sort of heater mounted over the transmission hump.

If someone wants to install a fender heater, more power to them. I would burn my truck up if I were to try it myself.

NV

[T. Highway]

Back to the Topic of the OP.

Bert

[Murf]

I also have (most) of that kit but after looking at it closely, I'm not sure I want to cut up my truck that much. Other pages of that install manual show the right fender mounted fuel tank that feeds the system. It to needs holes drilled into the right fender to be mounted. The unicorn of the whole setup is the 3 piece fitted insulation blanket that goes on the hood and side panels made specifically for the M37. (pictured on the cover of the manual). Early kits just used the ill-fitting WC blanket. Radiator blankets were part of it as well (also part of the left fender personnel heater kit), but they are still relatively easy to find.

[ashyers]

I pity anyone who had to use one of those things!

I suspect it had to be darn cold to need it and all that gasoline fired heater stuff makes me nervous. Seems you could go from really cold to REALLY hot fast !

[just me]

Gas heaters aren't scary to me. My airplane had one. My corvair had one. I had them as cabin heaters in a boat. They work great and right now. The loss of floor space and the shear amount of modification for something cool but unneeded in the desert I live in would keep me from installing one.
The water heater on the left fender is cool but laws does it get in the way for routine service inside and out!

[Murf]

It's a pretty neat set-up for sure. Nothing is wasted. Heated coolant circulates through the vehicle's system and is also routed under the batteries to keep them warm. Even the "exhaust" from the heater is routed to the shroud around the oil pan. After that, is rises around the motor. Gotta keep that 30W in some kind of liquid form.

[Elwood]

Gas heaters aren't scary to me. My airplane had one. My corvair had one. I had them as cabin heaters in a boat. They work great and right now. The loss of floor space and the shear amount of modification for something cool but unneeded in the desert I live in would keep me from installing one.
The water heater on the left fender is cool but laws does it get in the way for routine service inside and out!

Ditto. I had a Beetle once, and the exhaust heater was more worrisome than the gas heater. Nothing like the risk of piping exhaust fumes into the passenger compartment.

[ashyers]

What do they do on the current MV's?

I have recollections of bump starting a Chevette diesel in the winter because one of my college buddies didn't have $ for a new battery. We had it down to a science, until there was snow or ice on the ground, then traction became an issue!

The fact that M37's system is self contained is pretty cool.

[Murf]

What do they do on the current MV's?

For jumping? they use that slightly redesigned slave jumper cable. Thick, heavy, and pretty universal among all the equipment.
For heating a sitting vehicle? Most are diesel, just plug them in overnight. The block heater is used the same as in the civilian world. Even if it is gas a block heater still works.

[Elwood]

What do they do on the current MV's?

For jumping? they use that slightly redesigned slave jumper cable. Thick, heavy, and pretty universal among all the equipment.
For heating a sitting vehicle? Most are diesel, just plug them in overnight. The block heater is used the same as in the civilian world. Even if it is gas a block heater still works.

So the current in-service vehicles have no ability for self-heating? They must be plugged in to an electrical power source? Seems like a diesel-fueled heater equivalent of this M37 kit would be possible, and more self-sufficient in the field.

[Murf]

Sorry, let me clarify, for non-arctic conditions that is the norm. For arctic conditions they still have heater kits like this https://www.easternsurplus.net/PartDeta ... Heater-Kit