RV CO and Propane Detector

[highwest]

I’m in the fledgling stages of building out furniture in the truck bed under a Flippac camper. There will be a 12V diesel heater and propane will be stored inside always when we’re traveling and occasionally when we’re not cooking.

Do I need an RV CO and/or propane detector? They certainly look slick, but at double the cost of what I put in my home from the hardware store, is there an advantage?

 

[NOPEC]

I’m in the fledgling stages of building out furniture in the truck bed under a Flippac camper. There will be a 12V diesel heater and propane will be stored inside always when we’re traveling and occasionally when we’re not cooking.

Do I need an RV CO and/or propane detector? They certainly look slick, but at double the cost of what I put in my home from the hardware store, is there an advantage?

Yes, get them for piece of mind. They function very well. No doubt, things that have "RV" written on the side are double in price as are often DC vs. AC appliances.

However, in my opinion, it is peanuts at the end of the day when compared to a CO or propane incident in your unit. You have a live flame burner which gives off CO and a highly flammable and explosive gas stored under pressure, both on board. I appreciate that your systems will no doubt be well installed, exhaust gas vented as per instructions, etc., but I still think you want as much notice as possible if anything is not functioning correctly or starting to go sideways.

 

[highwest]

RV-type systems are new to me, but it’s not a question of if I get one - It’s a question of do I get a home battery-powered CO detector or an RV hardwired CO/propane detector.

Additionally, what about a smoke detector? The most effective place for a smoke detector, up high, isn’t practical in a tent-on-top setup like a Flippac, pop up, wedge, etc.

 

[NOPEC]

RV-type systems are new to me, but it’s not a question of if I get one - It’s a question of do I get a home battery-powered CO detector or an RV hardwired CO/propane detector.

Additionally, what about a smoke detector? The most effective place for a smoke detector, up high, isn’t practical in a tent-on-top setup like a Flippac, pop up, wedge, etc.

The CO detector is the biggie in my opinion, propane gas detection is second in importance.

However, in a confined space if you have a propane leak, you are still faced with the build up of explosive gas in that space, becoming more dense as the leak continues. The odiferous propane additive definitely helps you detect it's presence which is fine if you are in the proximity of the tank but doesn't help if you are not there. I have a hard shell camper and a while ago, I was tinkering with one of my gas appliances and I forgot to re-attach the gas line. Clearly, an open line has way more flow than a simple leak, but my detector was blaring within 10 seconds after I turned the gas back on. As I continue to move further into "Dotterdumb", this just adds an additional layer of safety for me which I probably need!

I am sure the battery operated CO detectors would be just fine. I think as long as you put your smoke detector some where with good air flow, it will still work fine even though it is not on the ceiling, I know mine is very intolerant of any trace of smoke, regardless of where it is in my camper.

 

[ripperj]

I went with a household CO and fire detector and an RV 12v LP(propane) detector


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[Pntyrmvr]

Propane is heavier than air so the detector should be mounted low.

Low mounting a combination CO-propane detector is asking for dust to plug it up.

I like the idea of 2 separate units.

 

[highwest]

Thanks @ripperj and @Pntyrmvr!

 

[Alloy]

Propane is heavier than air so the detector should be mounted low.

Low mounting a combination CO-propane detector is asking for dust to plug it up.

I like the idea of 2 separate units.

This is 100%.

Think of propane gas as if it is water. The gas needs to fill the area for it to reach the sensor. I use 2 sensors one below the stove and another below the heaters. Both sensors are 1/2" above the floor.

I've seen a few of the 10-30lb tanks leak so I'll never keep one of those inside.

Household CO detectors that are UL/CSA approved (70ppm) are meant to keep you alive but not healthy.

If you want measure the level in relation to OSHA (50ppm) an NIOSH (35ppm) limits (25ppm if there are cardiovascular issues) level for 24hrs from a heater, generator, cooking or campfire smoke you'll need something that starts reading CO down to 0-10ppm.

 

[Pntyrmvr]

The advantage of propane is its narrow band of ignition. By the time the sensor is squawking your nose will tell you about a leak.