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OLYMPIAN WAVE 3 CATALYTIC HEATER


mountainborn

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Before our trip to Hohenwald, we had talked to Robert about the wave 3 heater. They had never installed one, but, they had made one new unit ready so one could be installed by the owner at a later date. We opted for that, plus we asked that the courtesy light under the closet door be moved to the right.

After we got back home we began to shop ebay for a wave 3, eventually finding one.

Here is the clever shut off valve and disconnect assembly mounted in the protective shield below the closet door:

Click the photo to enlarge for better detail.

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I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth 08' Oliver Legacy Elite HULL NUMBER 0003(sold)

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Our online research on the wave 3, told us that the platinum impregnated catalytic element, ( it looks to me somewhat like a sterile cotton gauze pad from a first aid kit ), was pourous and could become clogged with dust when not in use. We made sure that the one we ebayed had a cover for when it wasn't being used.

Because the wave 3 needs some modest care and inspection, we wanted it installed so that we could quickly disconnect the propane line and dismount it from the wall.

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I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth 08' Oliver Legacy Elite HULL NUMBER 0003(sold)

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Our wave 3 arrived well packed and in good condition. Fully assembled and ready to mount either horizontal or verticle ( we chose verticle ), the installation kit was really simple. Three plastic anchors and three screws, with a paper template to insure accurate placement of the holes for the anchors.

The directions were accurate, simple and right to the point. Our home install went well. Remember, click to enlarge.

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I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth 08' Oliver Legacy Elite HULL NUMBER 0003(sold)

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For those times when you need to remove the wave 3 for a light dusting, ect., just click the disconnect out of the shield, then lift up on the heater. The heater is secure and doesn't rattle, but it readily lifts off of the wall for maintennance.

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I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth 08' Oliver Legacy Elite HULL NUMBER 0003(sold)

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The safety warning is clear and is consistent with our current practice. Leave the roof vent cracked about 1/4 of an inch and a window near the rear cracked about 1/4 of an inch. I expect that most of us are aware of things that can use up the oxygen in our Ollies since they are so tight.

I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth 08' Oliver Legacy Elite HULL NUMBER 0003(sold)

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This is really cool... err.. warm.

 

For those of us not in the know.. can you share what some of the advantages are of going this route? Is it more efficient? Quieter? Etc.

 

How's your experience been in using it? Does it get warm enough at the back of the bed with the heater in the very front?

 

Thanks,

- Cherie

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Hi Cherie ! I guess that the short answer is I dunno' ! We just got it put in, we should have answers soon though. But with a rating of nearly 100% effiency, we look for it to be economical, quiet, and consumes no electricity. With cool combustion air coming in from a window at the rear that is "cracked open" about 1/4 of an inch, it probably will be cooler back by the bed. The roof vent should be cracked 1/4" also for a quality oxygenated air supply.

By the way, Betty and I really enjoyed following the Carribean trip events via your TWITTER posts ! 8-)

I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth 08' Oliver Legacy Elite HULL NUMBER 0003(sold)

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The advantages of a Cat Heater are:

 

(1) Virtually silent operation. Totally variable heat output, but no thermostat. Easy to light. No match required.

 

(2) 100% efficient. Uses far less propane for the btus' generated, as compared to a furnace. Most of the heat from the furnace is directed outside the trailer and is wasted.

 

(3) Uses no electricity so it saves your battery. The furnace uses 12 V electricity to power the fan and it can run down a single battery overnight when it's cold.

 

That is a great install Mountainborn. I predict you will LOVE your heater. I tried to get Oliver to install one on our trailer, but they wouldn't do it. I may retrofit just like you have.

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DougI said:

That is a great install Mountainborn. I predict you will LOVE your heater. I tried to get Oliver to install one on our trailer, but they wouldn't do it. I may retrofit just like you have.

>

I have noticed that until they get something totaly researched and figgured out, they are a bit reluctant to do it. I think it is because their drive to get things right is so strong.

In this case the plumbing is the big thing and they did that for us. All I had to do is find a wave 3 at a price I liked and install it with three screws !

I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth 08' Oliver Legacy Elite HULL NUMBER 0003(sold)

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They told me they did not want the liability that a Cat heater install might bring, but they would run a gas line for me.

 

I can't say I blame them. I probably wouldn't do it either if I were a trailer manufacturer.

 

Your install looks great because the heater is mounted on the wall as opposed to just sitting on the floor. That makes it much safer. Did you consider a Wave 6? I think it might fit where you put your Wave 3, if it were mounted horizontally. The Wave 3 might not produce enough heat to keep the trailer warm when it's below freezing outside, but I think the Wave 6 would. I used a Wave 8 for a 29 ft 5th wheel and it was very adequate to heat the entire trailer when it was freezing outside.

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Project complete. Here is a look at the heater starting up and running. At this point we think it will heat the trailer in very bad weather. Here is a video so you can see and hear for your self:

Click to view

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I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth 08' Oliver Legacy Elite HULL NUMBER 0003(sold)

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I don't know that you can really call this 100% efficient, given that fact that you need to open a window and a roof vent. I have to believe the heat loss through those openings could be rather significant on a cold day. However, I don't doubt that they can be more efficient than conventional heaters. And efficiency aside, I think the near-silent operation would be fantastic. What would worry me the most is making sure that CO levels are in check. And I probably wouldn't get a good nights sleep without first installing a secondary CO monitor with ppm readout near the bed.

 

Herm

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