ok, a story scared me, so now I better do it

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zonanavystar

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Jan 28, 2007
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I got a 95 Palomino Pop-up with roof mounted AC, 3 way fridge, LP stove with three burners, and a LP water heater for the shower, and electric water pump.  It should be noted that the roof mounted AC took the place of the vent, so there is no vent besides the AC when it is running, either in cool or just fan.  So.....

I heard the scary story from a friend that in their small town a man, who was actually drunk, killed himself with CO poisoning inside his RV.  So now I'm convinced that my pop-up needs some kind of safety alarm to ensure this doesnt happen.  For the appliances I have, what kind of alarms should I be getting?  Do I really need alarms?  I do cook inside at times, and I run the water heater and the fridge on LP gas frequently.  Any insight on safety is always appreciated.  Thanks....
 
You are probably OK with a popup but if you want to be sure, get a RV propane detector and a  RV CO detector.  Make sure they are for RVs and install according to the directions.
 
why should I be good with a pop-up?  Is there just enough non-air-tightness inherent in these kinds of units, that natural ventilation just occurs.  Does it matter that there is no vent unless the ac or fan is running?  Thanks for the input.  Please help me along in this dialogue.
 
If you are concerned then the best thing to do is get the alarms Jim mentioned.  I would highly recommend them in any case.
 
Zonanavystar,

Your popup should be equipped with a propane detector but older ones might not have one. If you feel you would be more comfortable with a CO detector and smoke detector then by all means get them. The smoke detector isn't that expensive but the CO is not cheap. Your peace of mind should be worth the price. In any case I would recommend the smoke detector for sure.
 
your frig must vent outside when running, but when you are cooking with propane you need to provide a
source of oxygen otherwise it will use your breathing air, it won't get it from the A/C unit, so just open a door window part way as it is likely across from or near the stove
anyway. My 2008 Clipper came with a CO dectector and a propane leak detector if that gives you some ideas.
Anne
 
Unless you have a really weird setup, the fridge and water heater have the flame on the outside and shouldn't be a major concern as far as carbon monoxide (CO). The range will use oxygen from the inside, but they usually are quite clean burning and don't produce much CO - if any. Safety is, however, most important, and you'll want a smoke detector, a CO detector, and an LP detector. BTW, a normal rooftop air conditioner has both outside and inside sections which are separated from one another and don't provide fresh air exchange. Maybe yours has a "Vent" setting, but I doubt it. Plan on opening windows or the door to get fresh air in. 
 
My PUP has a CCI Model 7770 Propane Gas Leak Detector installed (which by the way is a continuous draw on the battery) and it is installed within 12 inches from the floor.  I believe there is a 'code' on present rv's that requires a propane detector although the furnace and water heater and refrigerator are vented out of the unit.  But, someone could easily bump the knobs on the range and propane could escape into the living quarters. 

While the pop up camper is pretty 'airy', propane is heavier than air, thus sinks....to floor level which is not as airy ... so yes, you may well want to protect yourself/family in the event of a leak as popups do get alot of vibration on the road and fittings can loosen.....

My CO2 alarm (don't have the box handy to give you model info) is ceiling mounted and takes a 9 v. battery (and I have to remember as part of my winterization process to remove the battery and tape it to the casing for a reminder to re-install before camping again).
 
PattieAM said:
My CO2 alarm (don't have the box handy to give you model info) is ceiling mounted ....
Click to expand...

No reason for a CO2 monitor, although a CO monitor could be a life saver. If it's on the ceiling, it's likely to be a smoke detector. A propane detector is likely to be mounted at floor level, for the 'heavier than air' reason mentioned.
 
Carbon monoxide and air are essentially the same density, so it doesn't matter too much where the detector is placed in a room (or rv) with normal air flow. Gases like LP or radon are much heavier than normal air, so placement of the detector has an effect on how quickly they will be detected. More importantly, perhaps, is the fact that a mixture of LP and air is explosive, and carbon monoxide and air is not. Having the LP detector at floor level, where the gas can be detected early on,  is far better than mounting it higher and risking the chance of a large build-up of an explosive mixture.
 
Excellent points Karl.  The carbon monoxcide detector in our motorhome is mounted about 4 ft above the floor probably for convienence the LP detector is at floor level and of course the smoke alarm is on the ceiling.
 
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