Date:         Tue, 21 Oct 1997 18:38:19 -0700
Reply-To:     Mark McCulley <raven@HALCYON.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon mailing list <Vanagon@Gerry.SDSC.EDU>
From:         Mark McCulley <raven@HALCYON.COM>
Subject:      Trip Report: first use of Propex heater
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We made a trip to Sol Duc Hot Springs on the Olympic Penisula this weekend.
It was clear and cold with frost at night and a perfect occasion to test the
Propex heater I just installed (bought last year in the group purchase). We
were all snug in bed and asleep when a beeping alarm brought us to our
senses. I installed a CO alarm and a gas alarm to detect propane leaks when
I installed the heater. Panic attack! What's beeping? Should we evacuate?
Confusion reigned until I came down from the top bunk and determined that
the beeping was coming from the inverter, which was detecting a low-voltage
condition. Shut it off, beeping stopped and we went back to sleep. Sometime
later, I have no idea how long, more beeping woke us up. This time, both the
CO and the gas alarm were beeping to indicate a low-voltage condition. Since
the 12V supply for the alarms was wired into the feed for the heater, I had
to pull the fuse on the heater and we were without heat for the rest of the
night and morning. I do have an aux battery, but it's either tired and weak
and/or wasn't fully charged. I'm going to install a small trickle charger
and maybe an additional aux battery so this situation doesn't happen again.

Mark McCulley
87 syncro Westfalia