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sleepy

Oak Ridge,Tennessee

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Posted: 12/13/13 06:48pm

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2003 Lance 1161,/slideout/AGM batteries/255W Solar/propane generator/Sat dish/2 Fantastic Fans/AC/winter pkg
AirFoil, Trimetric, LED lights, Platcat vent heat

2003GMC K3500 LT/Crewcab/duramax diesel/allison/dually/4x4/OnStar/front reciever mounted spare

sleepy

Oak Ridge,Tennessee

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Posted: 12/13/13 06:49pm

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We don't know for sure... but maybe they raise apples around here.

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sleepy

Oak Ridge,Tennessee

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Posted: 12/13/13 07:04pm

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At this point I'm kind of excited... been thinking all day about the sub freezing tempertures expected tonight and how everything will work to keep us warm and save energy... I set the system up about 3 years ago...

... then, a 77 day trip to the Florida Panhandle beachs, a new knee, and other medical crisis have kept me from testing the system.

sleepy

Oak Ridge,Tennessee

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Posted: 12/13/13 07:32pm

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My PlatCat power vented propane catalytic heater had my homemade cover on it. I hadn't removed the cover for a long time.

I learned the necessity of using the catalyst covers 44 years ago with the Coleman Catalytic heaters (coleman liquid fuel) that we used in our original truck camper. Dust settling on the catalytic pad kills it. Also the paraffin in white gasoline ruined the Coleman Cat Heaters for people that still use them.

[image]

sleepy

Oak Ridge,Tennessee

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Posted: 12/13/13 07:34pm

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sleepy

Oak Ridge,Tennessee

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Posted: 12/13/13 07:35pm

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There is the very small fan and oxygen sensors

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sleepy

Oak Ridge,Tennessee

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Posted: 12/13/13 07:42pm

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Being a guy... I should read the manual after 3 years but... I turned on my inline propane valve and then I set the thermostat at 70ºF... it finally got cold enough to kick on... The "new" could be smelled as it heated up for the first time. Furnaces and ovens and things like that smell too...

... Janet fussed.

We (I) stuck with it. She grumbled.

[image]

sleepy

Oak Ridge,Tennessee

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Posted: 12/14/13 02:09am

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I woke up at about 5AM... heading for the bathroom. The first thing I see is always the TriMetric... as a confirmed boondocker resources like available electricity, propane, water, and waste tank capacity are always important.

The inside of our camper is lite up like a christmas tree... tiny LED indicators everywhere... helping me to monitor systems.

I knew that we had watched some of a football game on the TV before going to bed... then the news. Our batteries were at 95% when we went to sleep.

We are power conservitive.... 75 Amps is all that I'm willing to take out of our two Optima group 31 AGM batteries. With 95% remaining we had used 3.75 amps.

Now, 7 hours later, the Trimetric said that we were at 89%.... we had consumed another 6% running the Platcat and all of the other load... fridge controls, LED indicators... maybe a water pump cycle.

We were warm and our total power load was 4.5 Amps over the last 6 hours.

I tried to take a picture of the indicator on my Trimetric with my cell phone... showing the 89% remaining.

[image]

sleepy

Oak Ridge,Tennessee

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Posted: 12/14/13 02:16am

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I noticed the "hot/new" smell hadn't completely burned off.... it worried me a bit.... as you know when the wife isn't happy.... well my wife objected to the smell.

I got hot nuckels to try for a glowing catalyst pad picture in the dark.

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