Hypoxia

[Amarillo]

Tuesday and Wednesday night Clare and I slept downstairs with the dog, the boys slept upstairs. We had metal front window vents installed and all other lower windows closed. The bellow vents were zipped up. The air was calm. Both mornings I woke with a mild headache.

Last night we slept with both sliding windows open and fly screens in place. The bellow vents partially unzipped. I woke up this morning fully refreshed.

Could it be that with five in the van (including dog) I suffered the first stage of Hypoxia on Wednesday and Thursday mornings? Or is it more likely that I enjoyed one too many of the local wines the night before?

 

[2into1]

I reckon it was a poorly engineered gas attack. I’d report it to the daily mail.

 

[GrannyJen]

Tom, check the safe, where you just happened to have all of Clare's Jewellery plus that roll of dosh, around £25k, you had just got out of the bank to pay the gardeners with ....

If it's missing .....

 

[WelshGas]

Tuesday and Wednesday night Clare and I slept downstairs with the dog, the boys slept upstairs. We had metal front window vents installed and all other lower windows closed. The bellow vents were zipped up. The air was calm. Both mornings I woke with a mild headache.

Last night we slept with both sliding windows open and fly screens in place. The bellow vents partially unzipped. I woke up this morning fully refreshed.

Could it be that with five in the van (including dog) I suffered the first stage of Hypoxia on Wednesday and Thursday mornings? Or is it more likely that I enjoyed one too many of the local wines the night before?

More likely CO2 poisioning with 5 sleeping in a confined space and no wind to provide air circulation. Using a Tailgate Airvent would have probably resolved the problem .

 

[Amarillo]

More likely CO2 poisioning with 5 sleeping in a confined space and no wind to provide air circulation. Using a Tailgate Airvent would have probably resolved the problem .

Given your medical credentials that is a serious thought. I suppose the boys in the bellows would have been fine with the small bellows vents and the front window vents below the opening? And the dog on the front passenger seat immediately below a vent likewise should not have suffered? It was just Clare and me rear facing on the lower bunk who may have suffered from a build up of CO2?

 

[Meoncoast]

Only 2 in our van,have slept several times with roof down never issue always have,a side window ajar.

 

[Borris]

More likely CO2 poisioning with 5 sleeping in a confined space and no wind to provide air circulation. Using a Tailgate Airvent would have probably resolved the problem .

I'm suprised that with four people and a dog, there was no wind!

 

[MartG]

It was just Clare and me rear facing on the lower bunk who may have suffered from a build up of CO2?

And I think CO2 is heavier than air, so a build up could happen lower down, all the vents would be above your heads...

 

[WelshGas]

Given your medical credentials that is a serious thought. I suppose the boys in the bellows would have been fine with the small bellows vents and the front window vents below the opening? And the dog on the front passenger seat immediately below a vent likewise should not have suffered? It was just Clare and me rear facing on the lower bunk who may have suffered from a build up of CO2?

As @MartG said. CO2 is a heavy gas so will accumulate at the lowest point. Your bed was below the window vents and as far from the vents as possible so CO2 would accumulate from the floor upwards . The dog at the front was probably in a zone that had some air circulation from the window vents to the small bellow vents due to warm air rising through the bellow vents and being replaced with fresh air from window vents, but on a still night this would be a vertical convection current and some distance from you.
Also, no disrespect intended, but you are of a larger statue compared to your wife with a greater metabolic rate and possibly slightly more sensitive to an increase in CO2 levels.

 

[Amarillo]

As @MartG said. CO2 is a heavy gas so will accumulate at the lowest point. Your bed was below the window vents and as far from the vents as possible so CO2 would accumulate from the floor upwards . The dog at the front was probably in a zone that had some air circulation from the window vents to the small bellow vents due to warm air rising through the bellow vents and being replaced with fresh air from window vents, but on a still night this would be a vertical convection current and some distance from you.
Also, no disrespect intended, but you are of a larger statue compared to your wife with a greater metabolic rate and possibly slightly more sensitive to an increase in CO2 levels.

Jack fell of play equipment today and hurt his knee, feeling tender he is downstairs with Clare tonight and I’m up with Ben. A warm still night - min 18C - so all vents open. Fly screen in sliding windows. For colder weather we might invest in a 12 volt fan to improve air circulation, but odd that we never before had this situation.

 

[Skylark2.0]

Jack fell of play equipment today and hurt his knee, feeling tender he is downstairs with Clare tonight and I’m up with Ben. A warm still night - min 18C - so all vents open. Fly screen in sliding windows. For colder weather we might invest in a 12 volt fan to improve air circulation, but odd that we never before had this situation.

Try a cheap usb/battery fan from John Lewis

 

[WelshGas]

Jack fell of play equipment today and hurt his knee, feeling tender he is downstairs with Clare tonight and I’m up with Ben. A warm still night - min 18C - so all vents open. Fly screen in sliding windows. For colder weather we might invest in a 12 volt fan to improve air circulation, but odd that we never before had this situation.

If there is a breeze outside with the roof and front windows vents you would probably enough of a draft to stir up the air within the vehicle.

 

[Nick.C]

My money is on too many sherbets the night got before!

 

[clarinetbcn]

Could it be that with five in the van (including dog) I suffered the first stage of Hypoxia on Wednesday and Thursday mornings? Or is it more likely that I enjoyed one too many of the local wines the night before?

We need more information re: wine/headaches. If you don't remember, could be a hint... ;-)

 

[larrylamb]

On a decent night we just shut the sliding door to the first "click" so that it doesn't close fully. Helps with some air downstairs. Obviously depends where you are camping security wise.

 

[TripleBee]

On a decent night we just shut the sliding door to the first "click" so that it doesn't close fully. Helps with some air downstairs. Obviously depends where you are camping security wise.

If you put the sliding door in the first click, you can lock the van on the inside. The sliding door will lock too so you can't open it from the outside. Have closed my van several times with the sliding door just on the first click. The only thing you can do is push the door and then its shuts completely.
Unless there is a faulty lock in the sliding door of course.

 

[aileron346]

Would have thought Cali’s have more than enough ventilation to ensure reasonable air quality even at max capacity on the stillest of nights. Especially with fly screens in the sliding vents. All habitable vans would be extensively tested for this.

My money would be on hydration status after a hot day? Not much and very dark urine in the morning would support that. Alternatively - pillow quality or how level the van is (I always sleep much better with the front slightly high)?

 

[Amarillo]

Would have thought Cali’s have more than enough ventilation to ensure reasonable air quality even at max capacity on the stillest of nights. Especially with fly screens in the sliding vents. All habitable vans would be extensively tested for this.

My money would be on hydration status after a hot day? Not much and very dark urine in the morning would support that. Alternatively - pillow quality or how level the van is (I always sleep much better with the front slightly high)?

Dehydration is certainly a strong possibility, but, as always I did drink plenty of water and peed in the middle of the night (went to bed earlyish with the boys) and needed to pee again when we got up in the morning.

Ventilation during the first two nights was front window vents only and bellow small vents; the big bellow vents were zipped up.

On the third and all subsequent nights we have had both sliding window vents fully open with fly screens in place with no subsequent problems.

 

[alan middleton]

Dehydration is certainly a strong possibility, but, as always I did drink plenty of water and peed in the middle of the night (went to bed earlyish with the boys) and needed to pee again when we got up in the morning.

Ventilation during the first two nights was front window vents only and bellow small vents; the big bellow vents were zipped up.

On the third and all subsequent nights we have had both sliding window vents fully open with fly screens in place with no subsequent problems.

Drinking water and needing to pee don’t necessarily mean you’re well hydrated. If you consumed alcohol, coffee or tea before the water, then you would pee due to the diuretic. The water pretty much passes through you.

As far as CO2 is concerned, it drives our respiratory rate, and is unlikely to accumulate in your bloodstream unless you have a condition where the gas exchange is impaired e.g asthma or COPD. Conversely, if you were getting too little oxygen, your brain would be given preference over other organs, so the last part of your body to be affected.

Carbon monoxide on the other hand, doesn’t trigger any physiological response and is therefore much more dangerous. Unless you’re using something in the van, that shouldn’t be a problem, though.

My money is on wine and dehydration....

 

[Ruby Mouse]

I've bought myself some shutters for that continental vibe. Though my money's on the wine here...