Mounting Wave 3 in Hawk

[goodtimes]

But each to their own.



Yup. I'm a wuss when it gets cold - that's why I live in the desert.

 

[tnscoots]

This is how I mounted a Wave 3 in our old ranger II, not a Hawk but perhaps this can add some ideas.

I originally mounted the heater on three screws hooking to the factory mount holes on the back of the unit.

After using the Wave 3 on a few trips and discovering firsthand how directional the heat is, I at least wanted the option of pointing it toward my seat and more into the living area. I figured a hinge would work.

I took the unit completely apart so I could drill and mount the length of piano hinge and docking latch to the back case. Because of the grills over the furnace outlets and outward position of the mounting holes, I used two pieces of 1/8” aluminum as a spacer under the hinge. I used a piece of aluminum for the latch arrangement and a brace to hold the heater in the outward position. I installed a ¼ X 20 threaded insert in the cabinet and use a bolt to hold the heater in place for travel.

When in the outward position I use the same bolt to hold the anchor brace in place via a hole drilled in the top of the heater case.

I used pieces of adhesive fuzzy (loop) Velcro as cushions on the back of the heater case and also along the bottom of the anchor brace so it fits snug in the space between the heater and the bottom of the cabinet edge. Although the grill of the Wave 3 gets very hot, I have found that the back case gets only warm to the touch.

Borrowing on Lighthawk's installation, I also used a length of rubber propane line and a quick disconnect. I tapped into my propane supply lines with a tee at the factory furnace connection. I had to pull out the furnace to access the supply line. This was the hardest part of the install.

 

[tnscoots]

Hey there Ski3pin - would you be so kind as to send some interior photos of your Ranger to tnscoots@cox.net? I'm currently refurbishing my '98 Shell, and it looks like some of your ideas would work for me.
Many thanks,
tnscoots

 

[Lighthawk]

I've got a 08 Hawk and we mounted the Wave 3 directly below the factory furnace. (sorry no pics )
It hangs on two screws. Yes, it is directional, and occasionally when I'm cooking, my fleece pants (what I wear if it's cold enough to run the heater), will get hot. But when we're reclining to watch a laptop movie or in bed, we don't really care which direction it points. So far the dog(s) have managed to deal with it being down near the floor. In fact, they seem to enjoy the radiant heat.


Otherwise, it's silent and works fine for us. I tee'd a rubber hose off the line and have a quick disconnect so I can plug in or remove the Wave in a minute or so.

 

[Trailbob]

Lighthawk mentioned that he mounted his Wave heater below the furnace in his Hawk camper, by hanging it on a couple of screws. I would like to do the same, where it can be removed when not in use. I have a couple of questions for Lighthawk, or anyone else who did this:

-Did you remove the plastic vent cover for the converter, or do you put the Wave heater over the top of it? It would look better with the plastic cover on (when the Wave is removed), but I wasn't sure if it could take the heat from the back side of the Wave.

-How far below the furnace did you put the Wave?

Thanks- Bob

 

[idahoron]

I have a Buddy heater so I guess I don't have a dog in the fight so to speak but. Mine has a max output of 9000 btu if I remember right. Above freezing it is okay, but once it dips below that down to zero the 9000 just isn't big enough to be comfortable for me. I still need to be dressed for cold weather to be comfortable.
I like that I can move mine around in the camper and even up on the counter to point into the bed area. I ran my hose from the outside cabinet through the turnbuckle hole and into the camper. For long stays I have a larger 10 pound bottle that I hook to in the same fashion but I have to sit the tank on something since it doesn't fit in the cabinet.

I have thought about getting a wave because the Buddy won't work at high elevation over 7000 foot. That is a problem!!!!

 

[Trailbob]

I also have a Buddy heater that I've used in the past up to 8700' with marginal success. I like the fact that the Wave is more compact and is rated for higher altitude. I put a quick disconnect in the main propane line that comes in the camper, so I use it when needed. It's been too warm to use it yet, but I think that will be changing soon...

 

[rickC]

I have an '05 Hawk with factory heater and a Mr. Heater, and use either, depending on my needs. The factory heater works great, but is quite loud and I need shore power or generator to run it. The Mr. Heater works well also, but placement became an issue.

My dog sleeps on the floor so that's a problem, and placing it on the counter uses up valuable counter space. So I decided to hang it in front of the front window of the camper. As noted in the pictures, the 1/2" board is 12" X 31" and rests below the window and the top lips into the bed pull out. You can slide it left or right and yet it stays secure when on the road. The heater hooks onto two screws that I placed on the board - can be either low or high.

Don't try running the Mr. Heater with the top down as the ceiling can get quite hot. Also I tested the oxygen sensor by closing all the vents, and the heater went out. But I wouldn't recommend running the Mr. Heater without adequate ventilation.

It works well for me. When the single bed is being used, you can reach over and turn it on in the morning to warm up the camper, which is very convenient.

 

[idahoron]

The Wave 8000 has less output than the Buddy heater but the thing is HUGE!! in fact they are all big. even the wave 3 is taller and about as wide as the buddy with 9000 BTU.

 

[Lighthawk]

Lighthawk mentioned that he mounted his Wave heater below the furnace in his Hawk camper, by hanging it on a couple of screws. I would like to do the same, where it can be removed when not in use. I have a couple of questions for Lighthawk, or anyone else who did this:

-Did you remove the plastic vent cover for the converter, or do you put the Wave heater over the top of it? It would look better with the plastic cover on (when the Wave is removed), but I wasn't sure if it could take the heat from the back side of the Wave.

-How far below the furnace did you put the Wave?

Thanks- Bob

Hi Bob
I just measured the screw mounts for the Wave heater and they are 2" below bottom of factory furnace, and just above the plastic vent cover. Basically, I mounted the Wave as high as I could. The back of the unit doesn't get hot enough to affect the vent cover. I used machine screws with button heads with nuts on both sides of the plywood cabinet face, using a nylock on the backside. So far, the screw heads, from which the Wave hangs, have not budged. I will dismount the Wave if we are doing rough trail, but on pavement and graded gravel, the Wave stays put.

 

[Trailbob]

Hey Lighthawk, thanks for the info. I like your idea of mounting it with machine screws and nuts on both sides of the plywood. I mounted mine a little lower in the same location, but removed the plastic vent and used sheet metal screws into the wood under the vent. Yesterday, my wife and I tried it for the first time on a short hunting trip-- love it! We cracked the turnbuckle access behind the heater, and opened the top vent slightly. Nice, even heat without the noise and battery draw of the furnace.

After using it, I agree that the backside is cool enough that it will not damage the plastic vent, so I may install it like you did. My propane quick connect is behind the vent opening so it is easier to access it without the cover, but it doesn't look as good when it is off.

Did you install a quick connect at the tee you put in the camper, or on the Wave heater, or both?

 

[Lighthawk]

Glad you like the set up, Trail Bob.
We also appreciate quiet heat without any draw on the battery.

I installed the quick disconnect on the end of the rubber house where it attaches to the heater.

 

[Trailbob]

Got it, thanks again.

 

[EDR]

I've read this post and many others, I've checked the website, but I couldn't find much about the different sized Wave heaters. I have a chance to buy a like new used Wave 6, but I'm concerned it may be too big for my Hawk. Should I stick with a 3 or can the 6 be dialed down low enough to keep the camper comfortable?

Any comments are appreciated.

 

[MarkBC]

Wave 6...I'm concerned it may be too big for my Hawk. ...can the 6 be dialed down low enough to keep the camper comfortable?

Is your concern that the Wave 6 is "too big" in physical dimensions or in heat output?

I have a Wave 6 in my FWC Hawk, and it is big. In my opinion, the potential downside of the 6 is it's physical size, not that it puts out too much heat...at least, not the way I use it.
But how much heat is too much depends on how you use the heater.
If it's 50°F outside and you want to raise the temperature to 70° inside a small camper then yes, the Wave 6 may put out too much heat even on low. If it's 20° and you want to raise the temperature to 70° then the Wave 3 may not put out enough even on high. (I'm just making up these scenarios, but you get the idea...)
I usually don't turn on my Wave 6 until/unless the outside temperature gets down towards 40°.
Of course, one solution to "too hot" is to just vent the camper a bit more, let in more outside air.

Remember that since you have to vent the camper (to bring oxygen in and let combustion products out) with a catalytic heater, when it's really cold outside you're venting in "really cold" air, so the heater will have to work against more than just heat loss through the camper walls/roof.

The physical size of the Wave 6 might be more of a problem if more than one person is moving around in the camper. I usually camp alone so I can tolerate the space taken up by the big heater.

The Amazon.com page(s) for the Wave heaters lists physical specs and BTU output of all 3 sizes. Scroll down to the section called "Product Description", then the sub-section labeled "Olympian Wave-'n' Specifications".

 

[EDR]

MarkBC - Thanks for the reply.

My main concern was the 6 being too big heat wise, as I would use it mainly to knock off the chill when the temperature drops below 40.
The 6 sounds like it would work, but the physical size does concern me. I usually have my Son with me, so space is tight.

I guess I'll start looking for a Wave 3.

 

[Trailbob]

I too went back and forth between the Wave 3 and 6. I really wanted the 6, since I could also use it in my travel trailer. The final issue came down to size, so I went with the Wave 3. I tried different mounting ideas, but for now, have settled on using the Camco legs, and placing it on the floor under the furnace, with the legs against the door to the turn buckle. I have used the Wave 3 in temps down to the 20s. It will not heat the camper as fast as the furnace, but does a good job of maintaining even (quiet) heat. I have not slept with it on, but probably will this week when we go elk hunting. I provide ventilation by using a screwdriver to wedge the turn buckle door open an inch, and cracking the roof vent. If I didn't have the furnace, I would probably have bought the 6. If you buy a Wave heater, the cover is a good investment to keep the dust out.

I bought mine from Amazon, which turned out to be a good investment. The first Wave 3 heater I bought quit working after a month or so. I called Camco, and when they heard I bought it from Amazon, they told me they have a contract through Amazon to replace their heaters during the warranty period (1yr?). Camco gave me a direct number to call at Amazon, which was great since I was on a hunting trip and didn't have a computer. I called Amazon, and a new heater was on my doorstep when I got home a few days later. The new heater has worked perfect so far.

 

[EDR]

I appreciate the comments.
There's a used Wave 3 on eBay, but it was bought from an estate sale, so no history and no cover. Having read the comments about dust buildup on the heating surface I decided it's not worth the risk.


Sent from my iPad using Wander The West

 

[Trailbob]

Just returned from a quick hunting trip, and thought I'd post how the Wave 3 performed in our Hawk, which has the thermal liner.

We arrived at camp at 5:30 pm, snowing, 32 deg outside, 42 degrees inside the camper. Used the furnace and the Wave 3 on high to bring it up to 60-62 degrees inside. The Wave would keep it at 60 +, without the furnace.

32 degrees overnight, Wave on low, about 55 deg inside the camper in the am. Left Wave on low all day (35 degrees outside), so camper never got too cold inside. Water heater was on (just the pilot light).

When temp got to 30 degrees or lower the second evening, the Wave could not keep the inside at 60 without occasional assist from the furnace.

The temp went down to 23 deg the second night, and the Wave on low kept the inside at 50 without the furnace. Needed the furnace to assist the Wave in getting back to 60, and maintaining it there.

The water system never froze up. There was substantial moisture buildup inside the camper. We were camped in the trees, and never got much sun. If we stayed longer, we would have needed to open the camper up during the day to ventilate it and cut down on the moisture.

Summary: 32+ degrees, the Wave 3 on high will keep the inside at around 60 (no wind).
23-32 degrees, the furnace occasionally needed to help the Wave maintain 60 deg.

 

[MarkBC]

Just returned from a quick hunting trip, and thought I'd post how the Wave 3 performed in our Hawk, which has the thermal liner...
...Summary: 32+ degrees, the Wave 3 on high will keep the inside at around 60 (no wind).
23-32 degrees, the furnace occasionally needed to help the Wave maintain 60 deg.

Nice, helpful, writeup, Trailbob!