Wave 6 Heater

[Wheeldog]

Bought a new Olympian Wave 6 heater for my 9.5 ft S&S Camper. It isn’t doing very well at all.

It’s about 45 outside and was 48 in the camper. It took 4 hours to bring the camper temp to 68 on the high setting. This is the second time I have experimented with the heater. Took about the same amount of time when I did it before. Once it hit 68 inside I turned it to medium. It would stay at 68 but not get any warmer.

I am/was planning to use this to heat my camper this winter……..BUT……I’m thing if it’s doing such a poor job when the temps are in the 40’s whats going to happen when it gets down to zero?

I am trying to figure out if it’s a bad heater, maybe I am doing something wrong, or it’s just the way they work??? Any ideas would be appreciated.

2016 3500 HD Durmax

1994 S and S 9.5' Camper (SOLD)
1999 S and S 9.5 Camper

[Mello Mike]

I’ve owned one of these several years ago and they put out some serious heat. However, the heat is very directional. You should feel lots of heat in front but not so much on the sides. You basically have to point it where you need it. Does yours do that?

[Coly Hope]

I have a Olympian Wave 6 Heater in my Capri Camper and last week had it out in the mountains at around 10750 feet elevation. My heater started at night and did okay but when I tried in the morning it wouldn’t light. It was the same with my butane lighter. At night after a couple of tries it lit but in the morning I got nothing. I wonder if you were at a high elevation and that’s why you were having trouble.

[Wheeldog]

Mike, yes if you stand a foot or two from it gives off heat. It would be fine if I am camping in above freezing temperatures. However, I bought it to keep my camper warm on my annual winter trip down the Alcan to save on my furnace battery. Temps get below zero. I don’t see it working well enough to keep me warm at those temps. In the past I have successfully used the Big Buddy Heater, but I am not comfortable sleeping with it on.

Coly, my elevation is around 400 feet.

2016 3500 HD Durmax

1994 S and S 9.5' Camper (SOLD)
1999 S and S 9.5 Camper

[Mello Mike]

Sounds like yours isn’t working right. I’d take it back and try another.

[Wheeldog]

I sent it back, but don’t have time to order another before I leave. I’ll get by with the Big Buddy.

2016 3500 HD Durmax

1994 S and S 9.5' Camper (SOLD)
1999 S and S 9.5 Camper

[ardvark]

Big Buddy appears rated to have a much higher heat output than a Wave 6. Wave 6 is only putting out about 6,000 BTU, not a whole lot of heat. You can calculate the heat loss of your camper, if you can to take the time to do so, but I bet a 9.5 camper is going to exceed the output of the Wave 6 unless you are really heavily insulate and have very little infiltration when you go subzero. 🙁

Steve and Andra
2012 F350 6.2 gasser SRW LB
Fab Fours front and rear in case we run into a rhino
2019 Northstar Laredo SC

[Wheeldog]

ardvark wrote:

Big Buddy appears rated to have a much higher heat output than a Wave 6. Wave 6 is only putting out about 6,000 BTU, not a whole lot of heat. You can calculate the heat loss of your camper, if you can to take the time to do so, but I bet a 9.5 camper is going to exceed the output of the Wave 6 unless you are really heavily insulate and have very little infiltration when you go subzero. ?

You are correct. Between the poor insulation of my camper and the 6,000 BTU’s of the Wave 6 puts out it didn’t work. The Big Buddy on medium puts out 9,000 BTU’s and kept it comfy in there. When it gets real cold the Big Buddy puts out 18,000 BTU’s which I have used with success in extreme cold in past years.

The only reason I went to the Wave Heater is I thought it was safer than the Buddy Heater. I don’t like sleeping with the Buddy Heater on.

2016 3500 HD Durmax

1994 S and S 9.5' Camper (SOLD)
1999 S and S 9.5 Camper

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