Forum Discussion

Matho's avatar
Matho
Explorer
Mar 10, 2017

Wave Heater Install

I found a way to install my Wave Heater so it is off the floor.

The hose is T'd off of the stove and ran it through the stove floor using threaded PVC.


Then the hose runs to the front through the wall and mounted.




I found a TV mounting kit at Camping World that works.It slides out of the wall mount for travel and comes with two wall mounts if you needed another location.


Wall mount installed.




Now I use a aluminum baking sheet to mount the Wave Heater.




I used hex head bolts sized to fit in the mounting holes on the baking sheet. Used two nuts with lock washers to extend the hex head out just enough to mount the heater.


I made sure it had the correct clearance from the ceiling that are in the heater mounting instructions.


The baking sheet makes it easy to grab on to turn it in the direction you want.


At this location on my Northstar Laredo it's facing the bathroom.


This is it in use on a trip. The hose is coiled and works great in any position. The dogs (Golden Retrievers) can move inside the TC without getting burned. I like that it stays cleaner off the floor.


When not in use or just passing by I move it against the closet door.


On low with the Wave 6 I was getting 30 degrees warmer than outside temps with propper ventilation.

I'm very happy with this set up. So when I see the boondocking mountain snowman...I just Wave 6!
Truck Campers
  • noteven's avatar
    noteven
    Explorer III
    Nov 10, 2017
    Camp woof wrote:
    Hmm, wouldn't it be nice if more TC makers used efficient heaters like Truma or Alde in the first place? Is Cirrus the only one?

    Dave


    Radiant heating could be installed throughout the ceiling of an rv. Stand in the sunshine to understand how this heat does not “rise”. Hot air rises.

    Heat the floor underfoot and under the bed.

    It could be zoned and supplemented with a couple blower heat exchangers for cool rainy mornings when you don’t want to warm the materials in the camper and for those who need to feel a draft down the neck in cold weather. :D

    Control air quality with a wee heat recovery ventilator.
  • Mello_Mike's avatar
    Mello_Mike
    Explorer
    Nov 10, 2017
    Camp woof wrote:
    Hmm, wouldn't it be nice if more TC makers used efficient heaters like Truma or Alde in the first place? Is Cirrus the only one?

    Dave


    No, BundutecUSA uses the Truma Combi in their truck campers. I wish I had the Truma in my Laredo. It would free up a lot of space for more important things like batteries or an inverter.

    The CAT install in the OP is pretty clever. I like the articulating arm.
  • bigfootford's avatar
    bigfootford
    Nomad II
    Nov 09, 2017
    ICamel wrote:
    When set on the low setting our Wave6 heater burns about 1/3 gallon of propane in 10 hours of use(verified by weight). We open two opposing windows and a roof vent 1/2 inch when using the cat heater. There is minimal condensation which collects in the window drains camping in weather where the outside temperatures reach mid 20's. The minimum inside temperature is in the upper 50's without using the camper furnace.

    On another note, we have two CO monitors in the camper. One is an Atwood(Model# 32703) which is RV approved and has a digital readout. The Wave6 has NEVER caused the readout to register any CO level. Use of the oven without having the vent fan on is another story!


    Never seen any Co readings on our monitors either... OH yea, just making coffee in the AM.... gets readings.

    Jim
  • Camp_woof's avatar
    Camp_woof
    Explorer
    Nov 09, 2017
    Hmm, wouldn't it be nice if more TC makers used efficient heaters like Truma or Alde in the first place? Is Cirrus the only one?

    Dave
  • ICamel's avatar
    ICamel
    Explorer
    Nov 09, 2017
    When set on the low setting our Wave6 heater burns about 1/3 gallon of propane in 10 hours of use(verified by weight). We open two opposing windows and a roof vent 1/2 inch when using the cat heater. There is minimal condensation which collects in the window drains camping in weather where the outside temperatures reach mid 20's. The minimum inside temperature is in the upper 50's without using the camper furnace.

    On another note, we have two CO monitors in the camper. One is an Atwood(Model# 32703) which is RV approved and has a digital readout. The Wave6 has NEVER caused the readout to register any CO level. Use of the oven without having the vent fan on is another story!
  • bigfootford's avatar
    bigfootford
    Nomad II
    Nov 08, 2017
    brholt wrote:
    Question I would have is how much humidity issues do you have. Here in the Pacific Northwest humidity in winter is a big problem. We do pretty well with our double pane windows and a little venting but just running the stove or oven adds a lot of humidify. I would think that would be a problem with the Wave or Buddy heaters unlike the regular furnace.

    Those of you that have them, what is your experience?


    We have traveled and stayed in high humidity areas in the winter using our wave. Washington, Oregon etc..

    Because it is radiant heat we usually can have the door open in 30 deg weather running the Wave 3 on high or low... Thus no more humidity than using a furnace and having the camper windows closed and all tight. Two humans and a dog can create a LOT of humidity..

    We open a couple of windows and inch or more and the vent over our bed about 1", we like the fresh air and still being warm... If we were doing it just for safety we would not have them opened as far for sure....

    Got to remember that the Wave 3 is sipping propane..... 3000BTU's on high will burn a gallon of propane... 92,000BTU's in about 30 hrs of steady use... and on low 1600BTU's about 58 hrs...

    The oven/stove eats those BTU's... 6500 for the front burner and about 7200 for the oven.


    Oh, and if your interested in BTU's the furnace we have is the big one... 35,000 BTU's!

    Our fridges, running on Propane consume about 650BTU's/hr when cooling... Figure a 15 min duty cycle and you could say that our fridges, when fully cooled will use about 300-400 BTU's per hr.. You can do the math to tell how long your fridge should run on a gallon of propane...

    Jim
  • brholt's avatar
    brholt
    Explorer II
    Nov 08, 2017
    Question I would have is how much humidity issues do you have. Here in the Pacific Northwest humidity in winter is a big problem. We do pretty well with our double pane windows and a little venting but just running the stove or oven adds a lot of humidify. I would think that would be a problem with the Wave or Buddy heaters unlike the regular furnace.

    Those of you that have them, what is your experience?
  • jaycocreek's avatar
    jaycocreek
    Explorer II
    Nov 08, 2017
    I have gone back and forth between the Wave heaters and the Buddy heaters.I used the Wave 3 in my prior lance truck camper mounted on the step to the bunk that the water tank was in.

    I did not want to plumb into my 30ft trailer because all the plumbing was in the wrong spots so I went mobile with the Wave 8 on legs.It worked good.



    I also use the Wave 8 in my house when the temps just are not cold enough for the wood stove.I still have the Wave 8 but it is to big for my lance pickup camper.



    I used both the Wave 8 and Big buddy in my 21ft Class C because it had the room.



    I put the little buddy or now called the portable buddy in my currant lance camper but I do not have a picture of it yet..Fits perfect wnd I am able to move it around to different locations.
  • Reddog1's avatar
    Reddog1
    Explorer II
    Nov 08, 2017
    I have had a Wave3 in my 11.5 Bigfoot TC since about 2005. Last year, I purchased an Alpenlite 19 5th wheel. I figured I could only use the TC or 5th wheel when camping, so I could save some money by moving the Wave3 to which ever unit I was taking camping.

    The install in the Alpenlite 19 5th wheel went as expected. We went camping on the coast. I don't recall the temp, but it was not freezing. Early in the AM it was a bit cold with the Wave3 on high. It is obvious to me I need another Wave3 or replace the existing Wave3 with a Wave6.

    I will add a second Wave3. With a Wave6 the temp setting would be 3200 to 6000 BTU/hr. With two Wave3 heaters, I would have greater control of the heat range, Adjustable from 1600 to 3000 BTU/hr. With both Wave3 heaters on maximum, I would have 6000 BTU/hr. A bonus is the ability to direct the heaters in different directions.
  • Dvoigt17's avatar
    Dvoigt17
    Explorer
    Nov 07, 2017
    I installed Wave 3 in one of our lower storage doors. I removed the door, cut plywood the size of
    door, cut out size of Wave 3 to offset it back into door. Added wood lip above heater to make sure that the refrigerator above the heater would not get excess heat. Stained new door and added extra hinges and door lock.


    Added T into gas line with valve for heater.


    I have purchased the Wave 3 cover to keep dust off of it. I’ve added this for the ski season and will most likely take it out and put the original door back on for the summer.

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