Today: Real World Testing
And then began the real world testing.
With Lil' Queeny out of the climate controlled conditions of the shop, she became acquainted with the Wyoming wind. Under a high wind warning, which typically precedes our wintertime cold frontal passages, she was slammed on the hookups wall with strong steady winds and gusts near 50 mph or more. Just as expected.
Inside she felt quite cozy, albeit much closer to nature and its effects than she felt inside the garage.
One of the first things I noticed was an annoying rattle coming from the range wall vent. I placed a screw, mostly tight, which could grab the door edge and place enough pressure to prevent vibration shifting. It also prevented rattling. Now the door can slide into this point and become tight. Check!
Next, let's see how that fridge pilot acts in wind. The controls and lighting method are from inside the camper. I pulled the long narrow door beneath the fridge, held the lighted match (butane lighter) near the ignition location and pushed the red button to start gas flow.
Even in the strong wind, the pilot lit right up. The flame bowl and pilot are very well protected by surrounding, removable metal shields. They worked. Everything working well, I replaced the controls door.
Next, I lit the Wave 3 Catalytic heater - Check.
Then I went outside and plugged into shore power.
Immediately, the propane alarm sounded and flashed in red. I turned off the propane tank valve and inspected. There was no propane smell, and my first thought was a failed alarm. Dust? Further checks, and leaving the entry door open for a short time, returned the alarm to normal safe status.
I figured the alarm had sensed un-burned propane caused by my lighting of the fridge, but I also wondered if the wind was blowing exhaust or gas past the control panel door. I realized I hadn't sealed that door with foam weather strip, like I had done to the box that the door attaches to.
So back in the shop, I installed weather stripping on the door panel.
Readjusted the clasps's depths, and replaced the door.
Prior to this fix, I had also been able to detect a bit-o-draft with the back of my hand. Now with the new seal, I could no longer detect drafting.
So wanting to isolate the cause of the alarm, this time I left the heater off, and only lit the fridge.
Then I replaced the control panel door, shut the entry door, and waited. The propane alarm remained in the green.
After a suitable test term, I added the heater to the mix.
Still green. Also during this time I had been watching the CO (carbon Monoxide) detector levels. It showed 0, and 0 Peak.
I left things alone and went in the house for awhile. I didn't open any vents (ceiling or windows) as nobody was inside the camper, and I wanted to test CO levels in that "incorrect configuration".
Upon return after about an hour, I had a current and peak CO reading of 41 ppm. Checking sources, I found levels of 1-70, generally considered safe.
Now I opened the ceiling vent about a half inch, and a bunk window about a 1/4", and the bath window 1/4".
Upon return after another hour, Current readings 0, and Peak still showing 41 (previous reading - no reset had been done).
I turned everything off and returned to tests the next morning.
Then the wind reduced and shifted from Southwest to East, as the cold front passed, and the cold and snow moved in. With an East wind (toward the camper back wall, if the garage hadn't been there to block it), we get a normal drifting pattern from over the building, and onto whatever vehicle is parked in this spot. Normally my truck, which takes on the appearance of a Unicorn with a Snow Drift Horn, when we really get dumped on. This time, the camper took the drift pattern, with no more than an inch on the ground by now.
Inside it was cold. Outside air temperature (OAT) was about 18F. I lit the heater, returning in about an hour to find temps inside (IAT) about 30F.
I pretended to cook a gourmet meal, using stove top burners and opening appropriate windows for ventilation. In these conditions, I brought IAT up to about 72F, before I decided to shut off the meal prep burners, and let things settle out from there.
Safety Issue: Do NOT use open flame appliances as space heating, and only use these appliances with proper ventilation.
After meal preparation, I left the heater on "High" and the vents as before.
Then I checked every hour for new readings and got this.
Wave 3 On Highw/Vent 1/2", Bunk 1/4", Bath 1/4"
OAT 12, IAT 47, CO Lvl 0
w/Vent closed, Bunk 1/4", Bath 1/4"
OAT 11, IAT 45, CO Lvl 53
w/Vent 1/4", Bunk 1/4", Bath 1/4"
OAT 10, IAT 46, CO Lvl 0
Conclusion under these circumstances. With the thin, approximate 1" thick walls of Lil' Queeny's build - 1/8" wood panel, 1x2 framing laid flat (3/4" along with 3/4" foam board filling the cavities), wrapped in Reflectix, wrapped with aluminum sheeting - and with drafts controlled through properly sealed surface joints throughout the camper, and enough ventilation to accommodate adherance to the Operation Manual and 0 CO Lvls, in calm wind conditions, I determined I could raise the inside air temperature about 35 degrees F.
Therefore, I expect we can be very comfortable inside, to temperatures down to about 20F. And by the way, the heated basement manual and thermostatically controlled circuits operating the air-transfer fans seemed to work as well! Too Cool!
DW is making progress on the special quilt and other bedding. I will be tackling the awning before long. With bad weather in the region, and other things in life requiring our attentions too, we are coming to a "non-reporting" point for awhile.
Future posts will address such things as getting the camper on the truck and weighed, and any suspension upgrades we may feel are needed. These things will generate posting, but for now, I think we'll be taking a bit-o-hiatus.
It's been fun keeping you all up to speed on this. Hope you have enjoyed it. We'll see you sometime!
