3 replies to this topic

[camper101]

I wanted to share a report and see what everybody else does to vent for a Wave 3.

I finally got to test the camper for a few nights with the heater installed and Reflectix slapped up all over. Most of the nights were great, outside temps maybe around 25 degrees F. I was very comfortable with the heater on low and had my feet sticking out of the sleeping bag. For venting, I opened the 2 front canvas windows about 1 inch each (I figure that covers the 24 square inch suggestion pretty easily, and if there's anywhere I want to have oxygen, it's near my head while I'm sleeping). I also opened the rear passenger turnbuckle about 1/4 inch (like if you stuck a pencil or a screwdriver in there to keep it open).

For the most part, my CO detector read "0." It was very windy those nights. However, on the last night (which was not windy) I heated up the camper several hours before going in to dry out some gear and get things warmed up before bed (we had canvas tents to hang out in so I wasn't in the camper). It was a cold day... I didn't open the turnbuckle vent, and after a half hour or so I went out to check on things and saw CO readings around 70. So, I opened the turnbuckle door a bit, came back 30 mins later, and had readings back at 0. Then I think I wanted to get science-y and I closed the turnbuckle door and put the heater on low. Once again, CO in the 30's or so.

So, of course I got paranoid and overvented (and left the heater on low) overnight. It was a little cold, with temps in the mid-teens or less outside, but I'm still here to talk about it... There was a LOT of frost in the camper.

My takeaway: I have no clue how this stuff actually works, but I think that it's best to have venting high and low (just like the instructions say, but now I have another reason to do so). And/or some kind of oxygen source close to the heater -- opening the louvered window would probably accomplish the same.

[camper101]

Also, it's strange to me that the heater produces CO, because you always hear that those things don't produce CO. Unless maybe they're malfunctioning... But running short on oxygen in the camper isn't what I assumed they meant by malfunctioning (and I assume that's what caused the problem: not enough venting --> low oxygen --> malfunctioning --> CO).

[MarkBC]

What is this CO detector that you're using?

[camper101]

What is this CO detector that you're using?

Pretty sure this is the one: Kidde Nighthawk. http://www.walmart.c...indingMethod=rr