When you wake up on a misty morning, your toes are cold on the camper floor, coffee is boiling, and smoke is curling from the bacon pan. Is that smoke, or is there something else in the air? When you live in an RV, you put your whole existence into a metal box. Sometimes you’re in the wild, and other times you’re next to a neighbor who thinks a generator should purr at night. That’s when a rv carbon monoxide detector does its job.
Let’s get right to the point: CO, or carbon monoxide, is a gas that you can’t see. It doesn’t taste or smell like anything, and it can make you feel like you need to take a sleep immediately before things go bad. If you’ve ever sat in a camp chair and watched the sun set, the last thing you want is CO sneaking in through a broken furnace or an old camping stove. You wouldn’t wear a blindfold when driving, so why take the chance of breathing in poison?
Some people who own RVs think that opening a window breaks the code. Sorry, Charlie. A little wind won’t blow away CO if the source keeps hissing. The gas likes to stay around, hugging low and riding the air. That’s why a detector is worth its weight in gold-plated marshmallow sticks. Put a new battery in there. Yes, test it every month! The camper with the quietest beeper doesn’t get a prize.
Picking a detector? You can plug things into a regular wall outlet, but be aware that some parts of your RV can lose power if you disconnect from shore power. It’s a good idea to get CO detectors that run on batteries or both batteries and electricity. Put the device near where people sleep. The idea is easy: if levels go up, you want it to scream and wake you up from the craziest dream.
Do you have pets? Little friends are just as weak as you are. Imagine your aging dog snoring. If the silent threat fills the space overnight, he won’t bark to warn you. Be the hero and put that detector where he sleeps, too.
Like flossing, maintenance isn’t fun, but it’s necessary. Every now and then, dust the detector. Spiderwebs don’t make good security. Every six months, replace the batteries. Put a note on your calendar, wrap a ribbon over the fridge, or do whatever helps.
Don’t ever think it won’t happen to you. People tell stories at campgrounds of waking up dizzy, sick, and lucky to go outside. The sounds your detector makes, like bells and screams, are music, not noise.
Don’t worry about the detector; it will do the worrying for you. You can only worry about burnt pancakes and where to park when you get to your next trip. Have a safe trip, and may your only alarms be the ones that keep your coffee from boiling over.