Air Tight Teardrops can KILL YOU

[eamarquardt]

It was oxygen depravation in my opinion now, because as I hopped out into the fresh air I was back to normal ( at least as normal as I ever get ) in a few minutes.

It was absolutely not oxygen deprivation it was the build up of CO2 that caused the panic feeling. You'll never feel oxygen deprivation. That is what makes it so insidious/dangerous.

Cheers,

Gus

[Jacquie]

"parnold wrote:
I woke up in the middle of the night, gasping for air. I was breathing heavy like I'd just run a marathon, ok, well in my shape, run up the stairs. I opened the roof vent, and cracked the door for air, and slept the rest of the night fine.

I have had 2 very similar instances just like Paul's.

I have been teardrop camping 5+ years and know better but it was cold and I was trying to maintain the heat level in the trailer. It is strange as you wake up so totally disoriented and you are in an escape mode panic ( or at least I was) .

I misdiagnosed it as claustraphobia and smacked my hand and told myself to just grow up. It was oxygen depravation in my opinion now, because as I hopped out into the fresh air I was back to normal ( at least as normal as I ever get ) in a few minutes.

This is a serious thread and folks get nervous when things get too serious and some may want the topic to go away. Unfortunatly the problem will persist. I was advised early on and have always had a window at least partially open. Except these times ! Both were shivarees with temps in the low teens and single didgits. I am sure a little high octane"apple pie" may have contributed to my lapse of preparedness. So for the sake of the newbies let this thread stand to surface and resurface as a warning to those yet to arrive to our fold.

I absolutely agree that this is a very important topic. This forum has been so helpful to us newbies and future ones too! Camping trips should end like this , not this

[mikeschn]

Okay, things are resolving nicely. We won't lock this thread!

Mike...

[niget2002]

"parnold wrote:
I woke up in the middle of the night, gasping for air. I was breathing heavy like I'd just run a marathon, ok, well in my shape, run up the stairs. I opened the roof vent, and cracked the door for air, and slept the rest of the night fine.

I have had 2 very similar instances just like Paul's.

I have been teardrop camping 5+ years and know better but it was cold and I was trying to maintain the heat level in the trailer. It is strange as you wake up so totally disoriented and you are in an escape mode panic ( or at least I was) .

I misdiagnosed it as claustraphobia and smacked my hand and told myself to just grow up. It was oxygen depravation in my opinion now, because as I hopped out into the fresh air I was back to normal ( at least as normal as I ever get ) in a few minutes.

This is a serious thread and folks get nervous when things get too serious and some may want the topic to go away. Unfortunatly the problem will persist. I was advised early on and have always had a window at least partially open. Except these times ! Both were shivarees with temps in the low teens and single didgits. I am sure a little high octane"apple pie" may have contributed to my lapse of preparedness. So for the sake of the newbies let this thread stand to surface and resurface as a warning to those yet to arrive to our fold.

Like me We haven't camped in our little trailer yet, but I had no idea the CO2 buildup could be so fast in one of these little-ish things.

[niget2002]

"parnold wrote:
I woke up in the middle of the night, gasping for air. I was breathing heavy like I'd just run a marathon, ok, well in my shape, run up the stairs. I opened the roof vent, and cracked the door for air, and slept the rest of the night fine.

I have had 2 very similar instances just like Paul's.

I have been teardrop camping 5+ years and know better but it was cold and I was trying to maintain the heat level in the trailer. It is strange as you wake up so totally disoriented and you are in an escape mode panic ( or at least I was) .

I misdiagnosed it as claustraphobia and smacked my hand and told myself to just grow up. It was oxygen depravation in my opinion now, because as I hopped out into the fresh air I was back to normal ( at least as normal as I ever get ) in a few minutes.

This is a serious thread and folks get nervous when things get too serious and some may want the topic to go away. Unfortunatly the problem will persist. I was advised early on and have always had a window at least partially open. Except these times ! Both were shivarees with temps in the low teens and single didgits. I am sure a little high octane"apple pie" may have contributed to my lapse of preparedness. So for the sake of the newbies let this thread stand to surface and resurface as a warning to those yet to arrive to our fold.

Like me We haven't camped in our little trailer yet, but I had no idea the CO2 buildup could be so fast in one of these little-ish things.

[deceiver]

CO2 is heavier than air and sinks. We leave our door window open from the bottom a crack and crack the roof vent. CO2 will seep out and fresh air will always push it down and out. This happened to us the first time we took our little guy out. You wake up feeling like the air is heavy.

[viffer07]

this post got me to thinking, do i want to wake up dead one morning? i got to wondering about how to vent my ct and came up with the idea to place an electric fan where it could bring air into the trailer. i ran my shore power cable through a one foot section of pvc pipe thats in the floor. this enables me to drop the cable out for use and to coil it inside when not in use. i use a 4 inch plug when on the road. the fan is out of a refrigerator ( c frame electric induction motor) i made an adapter and just drop it into the pvc when i set up, plug it in and sleep. it pulls air from the underside of the ct and out through the vent in the roof. ain't dead yet so i guess it works. i also gave a thought to a bilge fan used in boats with inboard engines. ( these run on 12v but are noiser than my fan)

[Murrum]

Weather is generally warmer down here so most Aussies have plenty of ventilation, BUT, friends bought a really tiny TD with no opening windows that was built more for show than go as a car-trailer package off ebay. The first time they tried it was in Autumn (Fall to most of you) and woke woke up in the middle of the night gasping for air. Spent the rest of the night with the door open and batting away mosquitos but did wake up in the morning. Lesson learnt they've now got a fly screen and sleep with the door cracked open.

Another person told me they have a two inch pipe venting through the floor at the foot of the bed which kept them cool.

Chris

[Lancie49]

Another person told me they have a two inch pipe venting through the floor at the foot of the bed which kept them cool.
Chris

That's a good thought Chris.
You could use a sink/bath drain, and just fit a plug when the ventilation wasn't required.

[Hndbskt]

Thanks, glad I am reading through some of these posts before our first trip.

Went camping last night in 40 degree weather. Decided since it was so cold, I would leave everything closed up. I left my interior light on, hoping that the 15 watt bulb would warm me up.

I woke up in the middle of the night, gasping for air. I was breathing heavy like I'd just run a marathon, ok, well in my shape, run up the stairs. I opened the roof vent, and cracked the door for air, and slept the rest of the night fine.

Is it possible that the trailer is so air tight I was running out of air after 3 hours or so?

[Hndbskt]

My wife uses a C-PAP machine (one of the reasons we are buying a Little Guy, for the electric capability), after reading this thread we'll definitely be sleeping with the vent open and windows cracked. I don't think there would be any additional effect on anyone using a C-PAP, anyone know? ( http://www.cpap.com/ ). Don't want to wake up or worse not at all. Thanks

"parnold wrote:
I woke up in the middle of the night, gasping for air. I was breathing heavy like I'd just run a marathon, ok, well in my shape, run up the stairs. I opened the roof vent, and cracked the door for air, and slept the rest of the night fine.

I have had 2 very similar instances just like Paul's.

I have been teardrop camping 5+ years and know better but it was cold and I was trying to maintain the heat level in the trailer. It is strange as you wake up so totally disoriented and you are in an escape mode panic ( or at least I was) .

I misdiagnosed it as claustraphobia and smacked my hand and told myself to just grow up. It was oxygen depravation in my opinion now, because as I hopped out into the fresh air I was back to normal ( at least as normal as I ever get ) in a few minutes.

This is a serious thread and folks get nervous when things get too serious and some may want the topic to go away. Unfortunatly the problem will persist. I was advised early on and have always had a window at least partially open. Except these times ! Both were shivarees with temps in the low teens and single didgits. I am sure a little high octane"apple pie" may have contributed to my lapse of preparedness. So for the sake of the newbies let this thread stand to surface and resurface as a warning to those yet to arrive to our fold.

[Maureenm]

You shouldn't have any problems if you leave some sort of a window or vent open just a smidge. I use a C-pap and haven't any issues. I just leave the window open about a 1/2 inch.i don't know enough about Little Guys..if they they don't have windows that open, find an air hole somewhere. I don't think it really takes too much.

[Hndbskt]

Thanks Maureen, appreciate the feedback

[Hndbskt]

The video/photos on the little guy website looks like there are slide windows in the doors. Can anyone with a Little Guy Trailers confirm: http://www.golittleguy.com/teardrops/videos.php

[Verna]

The video/photos on the little guy website looks like there are slide windows in the doors. Can anyone with a Little Guy Trailers confirm: http://www.golittleguy.com/teardrops/videos.php

I have a Little Guy 4-wide and, yes, it does have windows that slide up. Mine also has a manual roof vent that can be opened just a little bit, or a lot.