Wave 3 Heater

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FishBamboo

Advanced Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2014
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37
Location
Central Coast California
I am thinking of installing a Wave 3 heater in my ATC. I have an Atwood at this time however am having some issues with it.

Does the Wave 3 cause more condensation issues compared to the forced air heater?

About how long does it take to heat the camper in -20f, +10f, +30f, +40f temperatures? Note I have the cold weather pack.

Will low setting keep the camper warm enough in the above temperature ranges once the camper is warm?

How is it with propane consumption compared to the forced air Atwood?

Seems to me it is a win win. No DC use, cost of wave 3 less, looks to be more efficient, no noise.

Any other pros or cons?

Thank you in advance for your help.
 
Yes the Wave 3 and all unvented heaters will cause significantly more condensation than a vented heater. I am also not a huge fan of breathing all the combustion products from the heater. The other draw back with the radiant heaters is uneven heat - it will be really warm in front of the heater, but can still be freezing cold in the cab over.
 
We have both installed in our camper. Yes, with the Wave 3 there is more moisture in the air. We are aware of it but it is not a significant issue. After long use of the Wave 3, my eyes notice the combustion byproducts with a hint of burning. Again, not significant. We do not notice a significant difference in propane use between the two. We do not sleep overnight with heat on. We love the forced air furnace for a nice quick warm up in the morning. If we only went with one heat source, it would be the forced air Atwood, hands down, no second thoughts.
 
To echo what Mr. Ski said,
We have both, the wave is used mostly for when the weather forces us inside for a lengthy period. We aim it at where we happen to be inside. I have used it at night a few times, much like the buddy heater. I just increase the amount of ventilation, and use a usb powered fan. I also have three(yes, way overkill) co monitors.
The reason for using it is mostly to keep batteries at max, and also to keep a more constant temp without hearing the forced air heater going as much. I also tend to use it more in places with lower humidity.
Not sure about amount of propane, we have two 20lb tanks, but it doesn't seem high. I like back ups with everything.
w
 
Company is in Tumwater, Wa. so it may be possible for us PNW folks to take a closer look.
Also, made on demand with two month delivery, so not for this winter.
Thermostatically controlled, so I wonder if the 0.5 amp draw is off when not producing heat.

Does look interesting.
Paul
 
We have a Wave and furnace in our Alaskan.
Furnace is warm quick, Wave keeps things warm without the furnace having to run so much.
No moisture problems but Montana is pretty dry and we keep ventilation.
I have no regrets adding ours, would do it again. Not enough by itself when really cold but a worthwhile addition to supplement the furnace.
 
I ran a Little Buddy heater in my camper as my only source of heat. I had bad condensation issues in my camper. Granted I was in Cascade mountains Washington in the winter. Installed a forced air furnace and have not looked back. It does cycle a lot in colder weather however being able to dry my clothes makes it worth while.

If you go this route look into is an insulating pack for the canvas. And put the thermostat within easy reach of the bed.
 
Hello FishBamboo,

Being the moisture situation is a consideration, I'm not quite understanding why the Wave system hadn't thought to develop a similar method? It's not that I'm cheering on one over the other, I'm simply holding back, hoping to maybe get some more information from actual users.

Here are some oldies related to this heater. Maybe even includes a WTW member.

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f51/vented-cat-heater-35952.html

Two pages of posts. A few of the post that others here might be interested in reading.

https://www.doityourselfrv.com/easy-catalytic-rv-heater-mod/


FishBamboo said:
Hi Crumbs,
Any luck talking to the company. I have left 3 messages with no returned call.
Click to expand...

https://www.doityourselfrv.com/easy-catalytic-rv-heater-mod/
 
I've used a Little Buddy and Wave in my previous Hawks. I do a lot of winter camping and I only kept them on for maybe 10-15 minutes at a time for a quick warm up - generally first thing in the morning so there was minimal condensation. I liked the simplicity of the Wave and had it mounted on one of my cabinet doors so that I could point it in different directions. I would open one of the access doors to the turnbuckle hold downs for it's oxygen source and kept the roof vent open a crack for venting any CO2. I installed a Propex in my current ATC and it's been bombproof compared to the glitchy Atwoods that were in my Hawks. Our 20* down backpacking quilts keep us warm at nights so we never use our furnace while sleeping. Though a bit pricey I highly recommend a Propex.
You can't go wrong with the Wave 3. As some folks have said it helps to circulate the air with a small fan. I don't think you'll need to keep the Wave on continously as it will get too hot and you will experience more condensation.
BTW, I've never had the cold wether pack in any of my campers.
 
Does anyone have a PDF of the current PlatCat heater manual? Model 3P12B, 3000BTU (but any manual will help).
I can't get a reply from the company. I'd like to check if I have room to install one in my truck camper.

However currently I'm a satisfied user of the Wave 3. I use it occasionally in spring through fall, mostly in the evening and morning, rarely all night. Always allow recommended ventilation, have never had any air quality problems. Runs well up to 11K ft elevation, dry climates. The sparker does not always light the gas, not sure why; a match or lighter always works. Once had an issue with the heat sensor, sent it in to be repaired and is fine since then (pretty fast turnaround and friendly customer service).
 
We also have both the forced air and the Wave 3. Condensation has rarely been an issue, except for our Thanksgiving trip to Benton where it was below 15F for three straight days. Having heat without drawing down the battery is a major benefit, and it's silent.
 
I looked into PlatCat heaters (just online) about 9 years ago as a second heater when I was considering an ATC truck camper. I didn't like the rear of the camper ATC location for the furnace with no ability to add ducting.

I ended up buying a custom extra insulated for staying in ski area parking lots, Phoenix camper from Coyote RV. But I told Rob the owner about the PlatCat and as a result he may have installed a few PlatCats in some very small campers. So contact Coyote RV.
 
DanoT said:
I looked into PlatCat heaters (just online) about 9 years ago as a second heater when I was considering an ATC truck camper. I didn't like the rear of the camper ATC location for the furnace with no ability to add ducting.

I ended up buying a custom extra insulated for staying in ski area parking lots, Phoenix camper from Coyote RV. But I told Rob the owner about the PlatCat and as a result he may have installed a few PlatCats in some very small campers. So contact Coyote RV.
Click to expand...
DanoT,

I've attempted contacting PlatCat several times. Still no returned calls. Will keep trying.

Thank
 
FishBamboo said:
DanoT,

I've attempted contacting PlatCat several times. Still no returned calls. Will keep trying.

Thank
Click to expand...
I've had the same situation in the past. I sort of get the impression that this may be a one man business. It seems to go dormant sometimes, like the guy is sick or out of town for a spell or something.
 
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