Olympian Heater Install

[SunMan]

After much research I finally pulled the trigger on an Olympian Wave 3 heater as my camper did not come equipped with a furnace.
Attached are some pics of the install:

1. I had a custom hose made at a local propane shop and connected it to the propane line in my ice box cabinet (now a pantry).
2 & 3. I cut holes thru the cabinet into the outside storage box.
4. Then cut a hole into the camper.
5. I had extra hose made so that i could put the heater up on the counter top should the lower bed ever be used.
6. Final install.

The hose is now neatly routed and held in place with oversized conduit straps so the extra hose will slide when pulled. All in all I'm very stoked to finally have "plumbed" heating in the camper. I was tired of messing with those propane canisters and my portable heater. It is completely silent and seems to heat things up pretty fast but i still need to field test it. Also need to get a CO detector installed.

 

[K6ON]

After much research I finally pulled the trigger on an Olympian Wave 3 heater as my camper did not come equipped with a furnace.
Attached are some pics of the install:

1. I had a custom hose made at a local propane shop and connected it to the propane line in my ice box cabinet (now a pantry).
2 & 3. I cut holes thru the cabinet into the outside storage box.
4. Then cut a hole into the camper.
5. I had extra hose made so that i could put the heater up on the counter top should the lower bed ever be used.
6. Final install.

The hose is now neatly routed and held in place with oversized conduit straps so the extra hose will slide when pulled. All in all I'm very stoked to finally have "plumbed" heating in the camper. I was tired of messing with those propane canisters and my portable heater. It is completely silent and seems to heat things up pretty fast but i still need to field test it. Also need to get a CO detector installed.



Sun Man..Looks great...let's go to Death Valley again this winter and test it. After last years trip, I had a furnace installed. Those 20 degree nights convinced me !!

 

[davinski]

Guys,
I like these options for heat. i have a shell, and no permanent heat source. When that thermostat gets into the 20s, man, that down sleeping bag is sooooo nice. That is probably the one thing I wish I really had. The little Buddy is getting old and one small propane bottle lasts barely a short night.

DeltaRat: How did you get a heater installed? From Factory? details, please. And, would you mind if i ask about your HF antenna install?

Thanks!

Dave

 

[SunMan]

Sun Man..Looks great...let's go to Death Valley again this winter and test it. After last years trip, I had a furnace installed. Those 20 degree nights convinced me !!
Just say the word Bob...I'm ready!

 

[Marc]

Mi Amigo

Looks great. I'm still on the fence as to wheather to get one of the Wave Heaters or to have the full on furnace installed. Let me know how it works out.

 

[K6ON]

Guys,
I like these options for heat. i have a shell, and no permanent heat source. When that thermostat gets into the 20s, man, that down sleeping bag is sooooo nice. That is probably the one thing I wish I really had. The little Buddy is getting old and one small propane bottle lasts barely a short night.

DeltaRat: How did you get a heater installed? From Factory? details, please. And, would you mind if i ask about your HF antenna install?

Thanks!

Dave


Dave,
I took my Grandby over to ATC and had Marty & Jeff install a standard furnace. Took them all of 4 hours to install. I supplied a cheap digital thermostat and they installed that rather than the one that came with the furnace. It works great, heats the camper up almost instantly. It does make noise (fan), but it was easy to get used to. Install was a bit over $600.00 including furnace, but it was done right. I'd do it again in a minute.

HF antenna is made by Hy-Q, it's their model 4-80 RT. They are wonderful antennas, especially if you run high power in the mobile as I do (An FT-857D into a Henry SS-750 amp. About 1KW out 160 to 17 meters, and about 750 watts out 15 meters and up). I have quick disconnect mounts on both ends of the truck with motor control lines in parallel. With camper off truck, ant is mounted on the rear, and with camper on, it's mounted on the front winch mount. All I have to do is change coax at the radio end and it's ready to go in about 30 seconds.

73 de K6ON

 

[robojeeper]

I have a forced air heater on my 88 Granby and works just like Deltarat said great! there have been a few times camping in the snow or low 40s for 6 days or more my batteries start to get low from running the heater with the fan during the cold nights.I need to hookup my generator and charge them after 3 days or so.the olympian heater may extend the energy stored in the batteries, looks like a radiant heat no fan? nice install.

 

[craig333]

Sun Man..Looks great...let's go to Death Valley again this winter and test it. After last years trip, I had a furnace installed. Those 20 degree nights convinced me !!


It was cold in DV? Hmmm, I was comfy with my heater running.

Too bad those Olympians are so pricey. I'd love to run both.

 

[SunMan]

like a radiant heat no fan?


Correct, radiant, no fan.
A furnace would be optimal, but for less than half to a third of the price for a furnace it will get the job done...
(I hope

).
Also it is easily removable during the warmer months and i won't lose my outside tool storage

Space as always is a premium. Time will tell how well the sucker works.

 

[chnlisle]

I don't think you'll lack for heat. Gene Rubin put one in his shell and found it produced too much heat. I suspect with the FWC roof up and venting you can regulate it to suit you.

 

[DirtyDog]

A furnace would be optimal, but for less than half to a third of the price for a furnace it will get the job done...


I'm not so sure anymore. Is forced air really necessary in such a small space? My furnace fan squeaks and has occasionally even kept me up at night. I took the cover off and couldn't see an easy way to access the fan.

Your setup looks good Sunman. I'll be interested to hear how effective it is on those very cold nights. I suspect it will be more than adequate. The only thing about this setup that would cause me some worry is the lack of external venting.

 

[pods8]

Nice job.

I was eying up a wave 3 on sale for $100 at the end of last winter season but I decided to wait and see how this winter works out for the stock heater. I now have a large amount of battery capacity and I plan to insulate the bottom of the camper this winter and potentially make up an artic pac as well. Time will tell this spring I guess on how well it heats and how often its running.

 

[homemade]

Correct, radiant, no fan.
A furnace would be optimal, but for less than half to a third of the price for a furnace it will get the job done...
(I hope

).
Also it is easily removable during the warmer months and i won't lose my outside tool storage

Space as always is a premium. Time will tell how well the sucker works.



Any updates or info on the Wave 3 (or 6) would be appreciated. After camping at the south rim of the Grand Canyon last spring in cold/snow(my son and I were backpacking in the Canyon, wife was in camper)I'm getting the picture that there will be no more cold weather camping without a heater that can be left on at when sleeping. My wife used Coleman Cat heater which worked OK I'm told but she turned it off when sleeping. Is the Wave 3 enough for near freezing or freezing temp to keep reasonably warm like in ~60deg? Is the heat setting continuously adjustable or only two settings? Is there a manufacturer's disclaimer to not use when sleeping? I found forced air heaters (Atwood/Suburban) on Ebay for <$400 but Amazon has the Wave 3 for ~$200 and the 6 for ~$260. It looks like the Wave would be an easier install, I was planning to mount the propane outside on the back wall of the camper and the Wave on an inside back wall with quick connect line so it could be detached and moved if needed.

Thanks for any info.

 

[SunMan]

Any updates or info on the Wave 3 (or 6) would be appreciated. After camping at the south rim of the Grand Canyon last spring in cold/snow(my son and I were backpacking in the Canyon, wife was in camper)I'm getting the picture that there will be no more cold weather camping without a heater that can be left on at when sleeping. My wife used Coleman Cat heater which worked OK I'm told but she turned it off when sleeping. Is the Wave 3 enough for near freezing or freezing temp to keep reasonably warm like in ~60deg? Is the heat setting continuously adjustable or only two settings? Is there a manufacturer's disclaimer to not use when sleeping? I found forced air heaters (Atwood/Suburban) on Ebay for <$400 but Amazon has the Wave 3 for ~$200 and the 6 for ~$260. It looks like the Wave would be an easier install, I was planning to mount the propane outside on the back wall of the camper and the Wave on an inside back wall with quick connect line so it could be detached and moved if needed.

Thanks for any info.


Homemade,
I have only tried my Wave 3 out once since my install, temps were only into the mid 30's and I had several of the upper windows cracked quite a bit and the roof vent open pretty wide too and it was almost too warm with just my bag laying over me. Still haven't put it through a true cold test but from what I gather it will work just fine. See LQHikers post above as they have been in sub-zero temps with theirs. Maybe he can chime in on his other experiences.

IMHO a Wave 6 would be WAY too much for one of these campers. There are only two heat settings...low (1600 BTU's) & high (2800 BTU's). Low seems to put out plenty of heat for sleeping. There is no disclaimer about sleeping with these, it only says that a 1" fresh air opening per every 1000 BTU's should be provided (one low and one high perferably). The Wave install was very simple, I was planning on using a quick disconnect but it is so simple to unscrew with a wrench i decided against it. Good luck which ever way you decide to go.

 

[homemade]

Homemade,
I have only tried my Wave 3 out once since my install, temps were only into the mid 30's and I had several of the upper windows cracked quite a bit and the roof vent open pretty wide too and it was almost too warm with just my bag laying over me. Still haven't put it through a true cold test but from what I gather it will work just fine. See LQHikers post above as they have been in sub-zero temps with theirs. Maybe he can chime in on his other experiences.

IMHO a Wave 6 would be WAY too much for one of these campers. There are only two heat settings...low (1600 BTU's) & high (2800 BTU's). Low seems to put out plenty of heat for sleeping. There is no disclaimer about sleeping with these, it only says that a 1" fresh air opening per every 1000 BTU's should be provided (one low and one high perferably). The Wave install was very simple, I was planning on using a quick disconnect but it is so simple to unscrew with a wrench i decided against it. Good luck which ever way you decide to go.



Thank you SunMan,

Just the info I was looking for. Much appreciated.

 

[pvstoy]

I had both and I liked both.



In the Fleet we had there was a Olympian catalytic heater, a much older unit then what they sell now. It was trial and error as to when and at what temperature to use it. Mine I had it in the storage under the sink. I had a hanger system so I just had to take it out and hang it on the cabinet face.



There were nights that I had to get up and turn it off because the heat was too much. First clue was laying with no covers sweating. With windows and vent cracked open there is plenty of combustible air to feed the heater. We had camped many cold nights as far low as -20 degrees f. and the heater was great.



When we got the Ranger model had the forced heater installed. It also worked fine. No set up. Instant heat when you need it. Runs on thermostat and can maintain a even temperature.



There are pros and cons for both system, why not get them both….just kidding.



Olympian catalytic heater:

No battery to drain.

Quiet

Can delivery lots of heat for a long time.



You have to wait a while for it to kick out that heat (but when it does)

When it is on, it is on, no thermostat to run it at a given temperature.



Forced air heater:

Turn it on you got heat.

Runs off of a thermostat to maintain temperature.



More things to go wrong and break down.

Drains battery.

Noisy

Drains battery.

Noisy

Drains battery.

Noisy

 

[chnlisle]

Pat,
I had one too and unlike your's it was noisy and drained the battery.

 

[homemade]

I had both and I liked both.



In the Fleet we had there was a Olympian catalytic heater, a much older unit then what they sell now. It was trial and error as to when and at what temperature to use it. Mine I had it in the storage under the sink. I had a hanger system so I just had to take it out and hang it on the cabinet face.



There were nights that I had to get up and turn it off because the heat was too much. First clue was laying with no covers sweating. With windows and vent cracked open there is plenty of combustible air to feed the heater. We had camped many cold nights as far low as -20 degrees f. and the heater was great.



When we got the Ranger model had the forced heater installed. It also worked fine. No set up. Instant heat when you need it. Runs on thermostat and can maintain a even temperature.



There are pros and cons for both system, why not get them both….just kidding.



Olympian catalytic heater:

No battery to drain.

Quiet

Can delivery lots of heat for a long time.



You have to wait a while for it to kick out that heat (but when it does)

When it is on, it is on, no thermostat to run it at a given temperature.



Forced air heater:

Turn it on you got heat.

Runs off of a thermostat to maintain temperature.



More things to go wrong and break down.

Drains battery.

Noisy

Drains battery.

Noisy

Drains battery.

Noisy




Thanks for the insight. Remember, I have the homemade camper so obviously my expectations are pretty modest. Apparently some owners of larger RVs do have both forced air and the Wave, they keep a base temp up with the Wave which reduces the cycling of the forced are furnace so less noise and less propane use, or so they say (I did some internet research). So I bought one, just a few left on Amazon at this time. I plan to install it as soon as I get it and hope to have a warm changing room for the snow parks on Mt Hood this winter. One other thing if anyone has any info - I hope to mount a propane tank to the upper back wall of the camper to the right of the door but I have not been able to find any outside propane tank mounting bracket on the internet including Camping World and a general search.

Thanks again

 

[ScottBailey]

I hope to mount a propane tank to the upper back wall of the camper to the right of the door but I have not been able to find any outside propane tank mounting bracket on the internet including Camping World and a general search.


Homemade, check these links:

• wall mount
• home built

SB

 

[Kilroy]

I'm thinking of installing a catalytic Wave heater also, even though I have a furnace. Not running down battery is a big plus. I also like the smaller amount of space it uses.

I wouldn't use one with out a CO detector though and hope no one else does either. A few years ago a family in WI died in their camper when their catalytic heater malfunctioned. Can't beat a warm camper getting up on a cold morning.