I bought a 1982 Ford E150 Sportsmobile, and there is a PVC pip coming up through the floor under the heater. It doesn't go to anything. It's open on the bottom, and the previous owner has a metal can resting on top of it.
It doesn't look like something Sportsmobile would have put there. It's right under the propane heater. Maybe someone added it as a vent??
Some heaters do recommend that you have a certain sized air supply available to them(outside air). Given that it is right under the heater, I would guess that's why it is there.
If that's just a stub of PVC going through the floor and open on both ends, I would guess that it's a vent to supply fresh air to the heater. If you keep it there, I would cover the ends with metal screen to keep rodents out. A rat could push right up through that can.
The whole thing looks a little dicey. Is the heater original from SMB? How is it vented? I don't see any exhaust vent.
I agree. It could be a catalytic, which doesn't require venting but does require air in, but I doubt it, given the age. I don't think that could pass RVIA safety muster.
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2001 Ford E250 Sportsmobile with Salem-Kroger 4x4 conversion
It says 'Warm Morning Catalytic' on the front of it. By the looks of it, I would guess it's original. It and the stove is hooked up to a propane tank under the drivers side.
The previous owner told me he's used the stove and heater, but propane makes me a little nervous. The tank seems to be 75% full, and I'd really like to have it tested before I used it. For now I just need to figure out if I can get rid of the pipe.
Thanks. I was hunting an older one and drove up to Michigan to get this one. The van was gray, but for some reason someone painted it green. I plan to repaint it the factory color. It still has the Sportsmobile sticker in the drivers door frame.