Capri Retreat Initial Review Part 1

[Umnak]

More inside pics of the layout, pls?

As requested. The first shows the curtain fully deployed from the inside of the camper. There are no shoes holding the hem to the floor, and without a strong breeze are not necessary.
The second image shows how the curtain is stowed on a hanger in the narrow closet on the driver's side of the camper.

 

[zeeede]

Heat/Vent

Our Sprinter didn’t have any propane service and if I had a diesel truck this one wouldn’t either. An Espar heater would be more expensive but would avoid the potential hazards of propane.

The windows are single pane and easily form condensation. A couple of them are difficult to close but they do close and keep the rain out. I would not order the one that faces the truck’s rear window. It provides no view and just makes the cabin colder. We’ve put the window cover over it and it will probably never come off.

The LPG compartment was a tight fit for the 20lb tank that came with the Retreat. I bought a 10lb tank and am able to store a hose, cord, fire pot and tarp in the space now.

We will be doing some winter camping over the coming months and I’ll do a 6 month review in the spring.

How is the propane heater working for you? If propane is still a pain, it would be easy to run an Espar or Webasto diesel heater off a small day tank of diesel or kerosene. Rig up the tank in the propane locker and just plumb it to the heater. Running on kerosene would burn cleaner, too, causing less carbon build-up. The smaller profile would allow you to install a drawer or two where the current propane heater is.

 

[Umnak]

How is the propane heater working for you? If propane is still a pain, it would be easy to run an Espar or Webasto diesel heater off a small day tank of diesel or kerosene. Rig up the tank in the propane locker and just plumb it to the heater. Running on kerosene would burn cleaner, too, causing less carbon build-up. The smaller profile would allow you to install a drawer or two where the current propane heater is.

It turns out that the small Olympian Wave 6 is very efficient and almost worry free. It heats the camper really well on low. We don't seem to need it more than 30 minutes in the evening before going to sleep. And it sips fuel, with the 10lb tank giving us over 70 hours on low. I've gotten used to heading out before bed to turn off the tank at the source. So, while we enjoyed the espar and would have got one if we had a diesel truck, the price of the Wave and the certainty of propane makes it better for our current needs.