If I am right,
No some people will use a gas heater inside their caravan
Or run the stove to heat the caravan on a cold night
That's why they are fitted so you don't kill your self
And only foolish people will close them off,
It's one way to go to sleep for a long long time
EXACTLY !! This was in my old bus converted to RV.. The other thing its recently passed a LPG inspection too..
There ARE other vents thank goodness but its the foolishness of doing it this way in the first place..
Some insect screen this size is so cheap.. The Darwin theory comes to mind.. sheesh..
Seen similar with cooktop vents closed in ceiling !!!
the only time (and haven't done it yet) that I would block off one of the many vents in my van is if the strong side wind is howling through the vent when going to bed at night and I would use something temporary and turn the gas bottles off.
Otherwise I agree about the stupidity of blocking vents........
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Cheers Bruce
The amazing things you see when nomading Australia
Hi guys. Our motorhome step vent if left open whilst travelling sucks road grime or dust on a dirt road through the vent into the house if we have the driving windows open. It seems to be a reverse flow. Doesn't happen if the windows are shut and fan or air con on. Prefer to keep them open for fresh air...... So I have had to put a sliding seal on the vent to stop this from happening. We remove it when we stop. And yes, I have occasionally forgotten to remove the damn thing. But its not pleasant to have to wipe down the dust or grime off everything every time we pull up. So have a note stuck to the door to remind me now. So maybe thats the reason...at least in motorhomes.
We have a 16 ft Jayco Poptop with a front kitchen. The door is at the front. They put a small vent at the top, between the door and the front of the van. On a dusty road, enormous quantities of dust came in thru the door vent and a bit of it went out the little top vent. The rest stayed inside the van. We now put a piece of foam carpet underlay between the inner secuurity door and the outer door to block up the lower door vent. This saves about 95% of the dust entering the van. The remaining 5% comes in under the L rear side of the van (under the bed). We take the underlay out when we stop because this is the vent to release any leaked LPG (heavier than air) from inside the van. We took the van from Thargomindah to Tiboorburra and at times you could not see the van in the mirrors because of the dust, but only minimal dust got in on that trip. Since then I have also fitted a scoop type intake to the roof but we haven't had dusty conditions like that to try it out properly.
-- Edited by erad on Saturday 13th of February 2016 06:21:06 PM
As we all know, the vents are required by law when a gas appliance is installed in a room, houses must have them too, the vent is sized according to the MJ's of the appliances, but as stated here, in a van or motor home there are sometimes extenuating circumstances, and common sense prevails, but if you do temporarily block them off for travelling, do remember to remove the barrier, people have died in bathrooms and other places from asfixiation (however you spell that) from lack of ventilation.
It's not that the LPG is poisonous, it's that it burns up all the oxy and you suffocate.
Anyone who has had a "fun" ride in a decompression chamber will know that without oxy it's just "yawn...ho hum, nighty night, time for a zuzz," and you might not wake up, so be careful, you guys. It sneaks up on you without you being aware of the danger.
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Bevan
Friendship is not a relationship with someone whom you've known for a long time, but with someone you trust, under any circumstances.
Our previous MH had various vents around it. One of them was near the bed and the wind coming through under some conditions was surprisingly strong and annoyed the person sleeping there. Freezing too in cold weather. I blocked it up. Solved.
Common sense is used by me to assess anything done ! Misnamed I know
Jaahn
-- Edited by Jaahn on Sunday 14th of February 2016 09:23:26 AM
Why do Caravan makers put these vents in , Maybe for some reason or is it just to use up vents that cost money or is it for our safety .
I presume that the vents are required by law. It is for our safety. LPG is heavier than air and if you have a burner blow out on the stove, or if you have a gas leak somewhere, that gas can go BANG if a source of ignition comes up. Look at that head-on crash in Western Victoria last week. It was a LPG 4WD and that went Bang and destroyed the truck cabin as well. LPG is fairly dangerous stuff. Therefore they have to allow for the gas to escape via the lowest vent possible - normally in the entry door.
Why do Caravan makers put these vents in , Maybe for some reason or is it just to use up vents that cost money or is it for our safety .
I thought there was sufficient reason given above why they are necessary. There have been deaths caused by insufficient ventilation in vans. This has led to the authorities to legislate the requirement for ventilation in vans. In a nut shell it is there to attempt to prevent those who think they have common-sense and don't research the subject from killing themselves.
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PeterD Nissan Navara D23 diesel auto, Spaceland pop-top Retired radio and electronics technician. NSW Central Coast.
If they are creating a drought ? A simple 90* cover over vent etc .. But they should NEVER be sealed or blocked .. I have seen what happened to a plumbers van in Donald st Ryde a few years ago . A 1kg cylinder leaked over night and when he opened the door ., blew all the soft tissue off his body instantly !! Now with a 9kg bottle and an RV / caravan Atleast 5 times the volume . Would you put your self and family in this danger ?
