Is my Camper Van making me Sick?

Hello. In short I am getting sick and I don’t know why but a constant I noticed is I am in my camper van when it starts. My previous and first RV was a 25 foot class B so I am not new to RVing or boondocking. I now have a 19 foot 1998 Ford Coachmen Ecoline Rear Dinet.

I have slept in it during the winter with no propane, no problem. I bundled up and was just sitting in the driveway while fixing it. So this sickness didn’t happen with my previous RV nor this current one during the cold time. So my guess is C02 poisoning or heat exposure or there is a leak in the propane lines or its because I am in a smaller space so i am missing something. But I would like to know if any other van people can confirm what has been happening to me.

This happened to me 3 times with the same symptoms but different level of intensity.

  • The first time I drove an hour to a rest stop. It was like 60 degrees F outside and 70 in the camper van with high humidity. It was a bit foggy out. The windows were open but no fan. Two hours into sleep I wake up feeling really off. My head and limbs felt light. My mouth is unusually dry. My guts hurt. I had diarrhea. I went a hotel nearby and was miserable all night. It got worse before it got better and I didn’t get any sleep that night.
  • The second time I drove a half hour to Khols. Nice day. Probably 75-85 degrees f outside. Probably low humidity since it was shining bright. Windows up but AC running. I got to Khols and I felt light headed and disoriented. And had a little bit of the runs. I honestly thought this was a panic attack and I was becoming an agoraphobe. 30 minutes from the house and I am feeling out of sorts? On the way home I started feeling better after 20 minutes of driving but I had the windows down.
  • The third time I was sitting in my van working on my computer. Same as the first. Windows were down and it was cool outside so I figured it would be fine. It had been raining. Humidity at 70%. I stepped out of the van to go to sleep and I was light headed, my limbs felt light and I had the runs. And having those same symptoms as the other times is what made me start thinking its not anxiety but something about being in the van.

All these times I did have chest pains, heart was racing and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Honestly that could just be anxiety of not knowing what is going on enhancing the problem so I don’t think those should be the most focused on factors.

The only other info I can give is its a packed van. The couch bed is always down cuz I have a memory foam on it. I built a closet around one of the back windows. And I have my black tank hose in a plastic container in the van with me but it doesn’t smell or anything. I don’t know what it could be. I drove it 3 hours in March and was fine but I think I had the windows down and it was probably cold out. I have been looking at chatgbt but can van lifers who have had the same symptoms tell me whats going on?

Really I am looking for a “yeah since you are in a smaller space than before you need to open the doors.” or “that sounds like C02 poisoning. Get some more ventilation going.” which is what a none van life buddy said. Cuz I only had car issues with my 25 foot class B not health issues. I didn’t need to run a fan unless it was like 80 degrees or more outside. And when I did it was more to cool off than to get ventilation going. It had 2 ceiling vents so maybe that was enough ventilation. The only time I got sick because of that RV was with heat exposure where I sat in a walmart parking lot in 90 degree f weather soaking up the sun for my solar panels while working on my computer not realizing how dehydrated I was becoming. I was in a truck stop bathroom for 6 hours pooping and constantly drinking water. I only don’t call that a heat stroke cuz I didn’t pass out but it was basically heat stroke.

It is just frustrating cuz I am not trusting my camper van more and more every day and I the whole reason I went smaller was so I can explore cities more and not have to find huge parking lots to drop the RV in. Help?

My guess would be either an exhaust leak, or hidden mold.

Sounds like mold Toxicity.
Here’s what Parsley Health Says

… symptoms that may be related to mold exposure

  • Cognitive difficulties (brain fog, poor memory, anxiety)
  • Pain (especially abdominal pain, but can include muscle pain similar to fibromyalgia)
  • Unexplained weight gain or weight loss
  • Numbness and tingling in extremities or other areas of the body
  • Metallic taste in the mouth (My 2cents this can also be the unusual dryness of your mouth)
  • Vertigo or dizziness
  • Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
  • Digestive issues (especially limited tolerance to food, persistent bloating)
  • Significant fatigue that interferes with daily activities
  • Changes in mood

Any chance your insulation (if you insulated your van) has a moisture absorbing type of insulation?

Edit to correct typos

This is a 1998 campervan. As far as I know it’s pretty much all original parts on the RV side. On the car side its pretty up to date. So my guess is no to the insulation. Whatever they used back then is whats in it now.

I am currently cleaning it up so I can inspect it for mold. I got a Aragnet C02 detector which is reading normal but I have all the doors open as I clean so its not really testing the enclosure of it. From what I have researched the only things it can be is heat exposure, exhaust leak, propane leak or mold. When I am working on it, it gives me a headache like when you get in a hot car before opening the windows so I don’t think it is just heat exposure but we will see. Maybe its I just need to vent it better.

Greetings!

Ventilation is very very important.

An ozone generator can kill any hidden mold, bugs, & bacteria too.

Cheers!


"The simplest solution is usually the best solution." ~ Truth Matters