My latest camping trip saga....

[Lee]

Finally, the stars all aligned and I was able to hook up the TT to my trusted Stead, my 1970 F250 Highboy and head to the mountains for a week of "Boondocking".

Got to my favorite spot and setup camp. Life is good!!!!

Then, that first night, the troubles began. I had just drifted off to sleep when I am awakened by one of my smoke/CO detectors going off. Let me tell you nothing wakes you up quicker than "BEEP, BEEP, BEEP" in the middle of the night.

I jumped up, turned on some lights,... just as the beeping stopped. I see nor smell any smoke. Now I have 3 different CO/Smoke detectors installed in the TT and I don't know which one alarmed. As I'm inspecting each one, the alarm sounds off again and I discover that it is the alarm over the dinette area and it's "Smoke" LED is flashings, not CO. This unit alarms a few BEEPs every few minutes and then stops.

Since the other 2 units aren't alarming I'm thinking maybe this unit is failing. I pull the batteries and reinstall them. Sure enough a few minutes later it's alarming again. I even placed the unit under a pillow to ensure no smoke could set it off but "no" it still goes off.

I next decided to replace the batteries. Ah,... all is good now so I reinstall and lay down to try and go back to sleep.... which felt like it took an hour to do. Just as I drift off to sleep... "BEEP, BEEP, BEEP!!!!!! Dang it!!!! I jump up and pull the batteries as I'm convinced it's a failed detector (it's only 2yrs old) and again try and drift off to sleep.

Just as I'm finally falling asleep,... I am awakened to a "flop, flop, flop" sound coming near the bathroom area. I spring up, turning on the lights to find a mouse in one of my sticky traps. "oh Brother"!!!!!!

All of this was on night 1 of a week long planned trip...... still better than a week at work though.

[HouseMouse]

Originally Posted by Lee

Finally, the stars all aligned and I was able to hook up the TT to my trusted Stead, my 1970 F250 Highboy and head to the mountains for a week of "Boondocking".

Got to my favorite spot and setup camp. Life is good!!!!

Then, that first night, the troubles began. I had just drifted off to sleep when I am awakened by one of my smoke/CO detectors going off. Let me tell you nothing wakes you up quicker than "BEEP, BEEP, BEEP" in the middle of the night.

I jumped up, turned on some lights,... just as the beeping stopped. I see nor smell any smoke. Now I have 3 different CO/Smoke detectors installed in the TT and I don't know which one alarmed. As I'm inspecting each one, the alarm sounds off again and I discover that it is the alarm over the dinette area and it's "Smoke" LED is flashings, not CO. This unit alarms a few BEEPs every few minutes and then stops.

Since the other 2 units aren't alarming I'm thinking maybe this unit is failing. I pull the batteries and reinstall them. Sure enough a few minutes later it's alarming again. I even placed the unit under a pillow to ensure no smoke could set it off but "no" it still goes off.

I next decided to replace the batteries. Ah,... all is good now so I reinstall and lay down to try and go back to sleep.... which felt like it took an hour to do. Just as I drift off to sleep... "BEEP, BEEP, BEEP!!!!!! Dang it!!!! I jump up and pull the batteries as I'm convinced it's a failed detector (it's only 2yrs old) and again try and drift off to sleep.

Just as I'm finally falling asleep,... I am awakened to a "flop, flop, flop" sound coming near the bathroom area. I spring up, turning on the lights to find a mouse in one of my sticky traps. "oh Brother"!!!!!!

All of this was on night 1 of a week long planned trip...... still better than a week at work though.

Gently try and blow some clean air through the Detector. Could only be some dust or other matter settling on the Ionization chamber causing your Beep-Beep. If not, Chunk it. Being that you changed out the battery, and assuming it's a fresh battery, "If" blowing out the detector itself doesn't do anything, trash the detector and replace with a new unit.

[travelin texans]

FYI! You'll have possibly a couple smoke detectors mounted to the ceiling which require batteries.
You'll also have 1 CO/LP detector somewhere mounted low usually near the kitchen, it's wired directly to the coach battery. If it's nearing it's 5 year lifespan it will beep, which if its the original on a '13 model coach it's time to replace.. If the coach batteries are low it will beep & will continue to beep til.batteries are charged.
I would not recommend blowing air into it, if it's still within its lifespan you could damage the filament & definitely will.need replaced.
They are also prone to be sensitive to some aerosol sprays, such as hair spray & air fresheners. And believe it or not they will chirp if Fido is laying near it & breaks wind.

[rjrelander]

Originally Posted by Lee

Just as I'm finally falling asleep,... I am awakened to a "flop, flop, flop" sound coming near the bathroom area. I spring up, turning on the lights to find a mouse in one of my sticky traps. "oh Brother"!!!!!!

Maybe the mouse and his buddies were running a poker game and their cigar smoke was setting off the alarm. Mouse cigars are pretty tiny so you wouldn't be able to smell them.

[HouseMouse]

Originally Posted by travelin texans

FYI! You'll have possibly a couple smoke detectors mounted to the ceiling which require batteries.
You'll also have 1 CO/LP detector somewhere mounted low usually near the kitchen, it's wired directly to the coach battery. If it's nearing it's 5 year lifespan it will beep, which if its the original on a '13 model coach it's time to replace.. If the coach batteries are low it will beep & will continue to beep til.batteries are charged.
I would not recommend blowing air into it, if it's still within its lifespan you could damage the filament & definitely will.need replaced.
They are also prone to be sensitive to some aerosol sprays, such as hair spray & air fresheners. And believe it or not they will chirp if Fido is laying near it & breaks wind.

"I would not recommend blowing air into it, if it's still within its lifespan you could damage the filament & definitely will.need replaced." What "Fillament" are you talking about? Please explain. As far as I know there are only Three types of Smoke Detectors...as follows... "There are three types of smoke alarms, ionization, photoelectric and a combination of the two which is commonly called a “dual” detector.". All are "Chambers" and not "Fillaments".

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by HouseMouse

"I would not recommend blowing air into it, if it's still within its lifespan you could damage the filament & definitely will.need replaced." What "Fillament" are you talking about? Please explain. As far as I know there are only Three types of Smoke Detectors...as follows... "There are three types of smoke alarms, ionization, photoelectric and a combination of the two which is commonly called a “dual” detector.". All are "Chambers" and not "Fillaments".

That comment was referring to the CO/LP detector not the smoke alarms!!!!