Do you run your propane furnace when sleeping?

[rvingfamily]

Thanks for all of the feedback. When I arrived at the campground Friday, I hooked everything up, turned on the propane, and I smelled a strong propane odor that concerned me. It eventually dissipated so we used it into Saturday. Saturday evening the smell returned quite strong inside the MH. To be safe, I actually shut it off and slept without it Saturday evening. There's really no point in taking chances. I have an appt for service this week for a technical issue with the touchscreen on the radio as well as the backup camera so I'll have it tested for potential leaks at that time.

I'll update later this week as to whether or not there's an actual problem.

Trial and error with these things... I did notice a MH with an iRV2 sticker on the back as I was leaving.

[Eagles16]

Originally Posted by rvingfamily

Thanks for all of the feedback. When I arrived at the campground Friday, I hooked everything up, turned on the propane, and I smelled a strong propane odor that concerned me. It eventually dissipated so we used it into Saturday. Saturday evening the smell returned quite strong inside the MH. To be safe, I actually shut it off and slept without it Saturday evening. There's really no point in taking chances. I have an appt for service this week for a technical issue with the touchscreen on the radio as well as the backup camera so I'll have it tested for potential leaks at that time.

I'll update later this week as to whether or not there's an actual problem.

Trial and error with these things... I did notice a MH with an iRV2 sticker on the back as I was leaving.

You are doing the right thing, it is always a good idea to be proactive on safety issues. We have travelled in 5'rs and a motorhome for a number of years and we take our own safety very serious. We have a checklist that we review on a regular basis.There are no reasons to not be using any properly functioning propane appliance or furnace. I'm sure they weren't designed for day use only. Our list includes such things as checking for leaks and checking all detectors, we ensure our fire extinguishers are full and located in several locations throughout the MH and check that our egress window is clear of obstructions and opens easily. There are lots of good safety ideas that can be found by searching this site...If pulling a toad or have TV where do you leave the keys at night? what about your wallet/purse?...If you ever had to evacuate the RV through a window, you may not be able to get back in the front of the unit and without a plan for keys you may not be able to unhook or use your toad. You may never cover every contingency but I suspect you will sleep much better knowing you have done your due diligence just as you would in S&B...jmho

[rvingfamily]

Originally Posted by Eagles16

You are doing the right thing, it is always a good idea to be proactive on safety issues. We have travelled in 5'rs and a motorhome for a number of years and we take our own safety very serious. We have a checklist that we review on a regular basis.There are no reasons to not be using any properly functioning propane appliance or furnace. I'm sure they weren't designed for day use only. Our list includes such things as checking for leaks and checking all detectors, we ensure our fire extinguishers are full and located in several locations throughout the MH and check that our egress window is clear of obstructions and opens easily. There are lots of good safety ideas that can be found by searching this site...If pulling a toad or have TV where do you leave the keys at night? what about your wallet/purse?...If you ever had to evacuate the RV through a window, you may not be able to get back in the front of the unit and without a plan for keys you may not be able to unhook or use your toad. You may never cover every contingency but I suspect you will sleep much better knowing you have done your due diligence just as you would in S&B...jmho

Excellent points. I was actually there with my son and his friend on my own as my husband had to stay home with our daughter. I will be traveling alone often so I need to have a good safety checklist in place. When I arrived, the host showed me to my site and asked "Are you driving this thing on your own?" as if he were surprised to see a woman driving alone. I will be taking a cross country trip in June with my 2 children for a month. Hubby can't get that long off of work so he will be meeting us in South Dakota then flying back out to SC from Salt Lake City. It's important that I know the ins and outs of everything before heading on that venture. We purchased a Jeep Wrangler for towing but haven't set up the towing kit yet.

[rarebear.nm]

Another important propane safety step is to do both a leak and pressure of your propane system at least once per year. There are good threads on this forum covering these test and others on the Internet. They can be done by the owner if you study and follow the proper procedures, nothing really hard. If not then make sure you get it done by propane certified technician at a good service facility.

[oakcreekeric]

Originally Posted by rvingfamily

Yes, we ran the propane for the fridge in our 35 ft trailer, but now with the RV we run the generator. Propane is off when driving.

Not to completely throw a monkey wrench into this discussion... but... I would be far more concerned about you running a generator and the potential fumes, than running a furnace on propane..

If you're "boondocking" at the sports events and NOT using a gen-turi.. I believe you're putting your children and yourself at greater risk than sleeping with a propane furnace...

Please consider purchasing a gen-turi system like the this one: https://www.amazon.com/Camco-44461-G.../dp/B000BUU5XG

From the looks of your last post.. it appears you may have a faulty regulator, or at the very least, a leak... propane systems should be on the list for yearly inspections..

Wishing you the best of luck...

[JD11]

Agree with others on the need for getting the LP, CO2 and smoke detector things worked out.

We use our furnace at night, we set the temp at a comfortable level like 68-70 and blanket up.....we also use the furnace while driving. No way the dash vents keep the coach warm by itself.

For what it's worth: we have 4 fire extinguishers, I added 3 to the crappy small one that apparently is required. I have bigger, ABC rated extinguisher in the bedroom, kept the original small one near the door and added one on each side in a central storage bay.

All the best.

[rarebear.nm]

RV fires can move extremely fast and early warning is key plus having a known egress plan that everyone understands. Fire alarms come in two types, ionization and photoelectric. Ionization types respond faster to a fast moving fire (think flames) while photoelectric responds faster to smoldering fires (think smoke). There are combination units as well. The sensing process is quite different in the two types. Then there are individual alarms, hardwired alarms and wireless interconnected alarms. And yes a few that communicate via both hardwired and wireless methods. These options make for many different choices in providing protection. The box stores will not carry all of these variations, Kiddie on the web is a good source, others too I'm sure.

I have hardwired photoelectric alarms in each basement area and these are also connected to a wired/wireless ionization alarm in the bedroom. I also have a photoelectric/CO alarms in the bedroom. Then I have another wireless ionization alarm in the lower living area.

As for fire suppression in out 5th wheeler I have an automatic Halon system mounted high in the frig exhaust stack; the "useless" factory unit at the door; a foaming agent unit on the kitchen sink door; a 10lb ABC in the living space and another in the bedroom plus a 10lb ABC in the driver's side basement. I drive with that door unlocked. Then I have both a 5lb and another foaming unit in the truck near the tailgate. The newer foaming units do not leave a toxic mess like the standard dry chemical ABC types. So they would be great to deal with a small kitchen fire. If you got a fire you need to egress from the mess is the least of the issue. You need to shake up the dry chemical types as the powder will settle and pack down in the bottom rendering them useless.

Our bedroom emergency exit is above our dresser. I do operate and maintain those windows on a scheduled basis. The first time they were really stuck hard. I also have precut 3/4 dowel rods next to each exit window clipped to the wall with spring latches to hold the windows open, the windows are heavy and would impede an egress maneuver. Our keys, wallet, purse, etc spend the night on the dresser under that exit window and all would be tossed out as the DW goes out first. If there's time dumping the bed spread/blanks out the window would be nice.

[twogypsies]

When propane is low it emits a smell. Could that have been your problem?

[select55]

Originally Posted by twogypsies

When propane is low it emits a smell. Could that have been your problem?

that's a new one to me. where does the smell emit from? the lines are sealed; the tank is sealed ; where and how could it emit a smell??
the only way u may get a wiff of LPG is the thing fails to fire and a small amount of lpg flows before the valve shuts off

[rvingfamily]

oakcreekeric,

Now you've truly lost me. Why can't I run the generator? That's the point of it is it not?

I camp at campgrounds when traveling for sports so I use electricity while there (not generator). I run generator while driving for the fridge and electronics with the kids. We did use the generator 2 weeks ago when visiting the inlaws (not a lot of space at their home) and parked in their yard out in the country. I wasn't aware there was any reason not to run generator?

This is a 2017 MH so brand new. It does have LP CO detector. Also, propane tank is 2/3 full so not low to cause smell.

[LarryW21]

While I trust it, I run the propane heater only when no other "sleep time" heater is available (electric) and the predicted low temp is 40 F or more outside. However, if it predicted low temp is 39 F or less then I use propane to keep the tanks from freezing. I don't want to deal with plumbing issues.

[oakcreekeric]

Originally Posted by rvingfamily

oakcreekeric,

Now you've truly lost me. Why can't I run the generator? That's the point of it is it not?

I camp at campgrounds when traveling for sports so I use electricity while there (not generator). I run generator while driving for the fridge and electronics with the kids. We did use the generator 2 weeks ago when visiting the inlaws (not a lot of space at their home) and parked in their yard out in the country. I wasn't aware there was any reason not to run generator?

Ok... running the generator as you're rolling down the road is no issue.. but running the generator while "boondocking" (camping with no hook-ups) has the potential to be very dangerous...

The fumes from the generator (co2) can "seep" into the RV.. depending on the wind, the fumes from the generator exhaust can be blown under the RV and then the co2 can enter from the bottom of the RV.. Having a Gen-turi guarantee's the fumes are moved up and over the RV.

Gen-turiâ„¢ Generator Exhaust System - Camco

[rarebear.nm]

There is a world of what-ifs and could-happens. I doubt there are any significant number of deaths caused by CO from a properly tuned and exhausted gen set and exhaust system. Show us the stats that this is any real problem. Many RVs run their generators in camp and the news is not full of stories about people dying from it, at least not that I've ever seen.

[ArmandV]

When running propane or the generator at night, I always have some ventilation (a slightly open window or vent).