Can you breathe up all the oxygen in your rig?

[maki2]

If you have some basic sheet metal skills and/or polycarbonate fabricating skill you can purchase some small louvered vents from marine boating supply sources, HVAC sources or sheet metal enclosure sources and fabricate yourself a version of the van window vents that are being sold in Australia and in Europe. This video has good views of how the product is shaped to fit the curvature of the window and how it sides down over the window glass. A pair of them will give you enough square inches of fresh air exchange in a van or a car. RV Airvents The first job will be to use the upper glass to create a pattern that matches the shape of the glass. You can test your pattern for size and shape with some 1/8" thick plywood or some stiff cardboard.

Here is a link to the video from the channel SSCampervans


There are also some videos on youtube and written articles on the internet that show you how to create louvers in a piece of sheet metal if you wanted to do a total DIY version.

 

[jacqueg]

I use window rain shields and really like them. Even during the winter, my windows are cracked at least an inch at all times.

 

[maki2]

My Honda Element which is my tow vehicle came with window rain shields, but not over the passenger windows because they hinge open.

I have easy to use fresh air intakes on the car and the travel trailer and heater in my trailer exhaust to the outside. So I am all set.

 

[tripper]

Sleeping in cabover bed with curtains drawn isolating it from the rest of the rv so the enclosed space is just the bed I do find that the small area does get oxygen depleted. I will be out of breathe and have to Crack a window.

 

[LoveCareThinkDo]

The human body actually does not have any uncomfortable reaction to lack of oxygen. This is why breathing pure helium is a preferred method of suicide. It is the increase in carbon-dioxide that causes discomfort. In spacecraft they use chemicals in canisters to remove the carbon-dioxide from the air. No, you cannot re-breath the same air indefinitely, even if you scrub out the carbon-dioxide. But you could for a lot longer than you think. Besides, as HDR said, no vehicle is sealed well enough to suffocate you.

However, they may be sealed well enough to increase the carbon-dioxide concentrations enough to make you uncomfortable. Or even cause temporary cognitive impairment. Research shows that even a moderate increase in carbon-dioxide can cause significant impairment, long before you feel like you are suffocating. Not enough to make you pass out. But enough to make it more difficult to do your math homework. Or enough to cause you to write some embarrassing posts online. I actually use it to help me go to sleep. Others of you may as well, without even knowing it. Putting the covers over your head can help slow down all those intrusive thoughts enough to help you go to sleep. Then, when you start to feel like you can't get enough air, open a crack in the blankets. Keep yourself at that level where your thoughts are quieted, but you don't feel uncomfortable.

Knowing human physiology and physics actually comes in handy from time to time.