We were camping on a farm campsite with cattle. So, lots of flies on the campsite. Despite all the insect screens and mosquito blocking, the caravan was infested with flies every evening, and sometimes also with mosquitoes. Not just one or two flies, but dozens... Especially in the evenings...

What did we see when removing the Truma heater? A huge hole has been cut into the floor for the heater. When you're inside at night, the light shines out through it, attracting the insects. You can also check with a flashlight: as long as the Truma heater's vent is a welcome entrance for mosquitoes and flies, all the insect screens on the windows and door are completely useless.

In short: if you want to keep insects out of the interior, it's absolutely essential to seal the underside of the Truma heater. The photo on the left shows the round air intake: it's for the gas heater and exits via a closed system through a small chimney on the roof. (So no carbon monoxide can ever enter the caravan through the heater.) This underside doesn't actually get very warm.

We wrapped heat-resistant foam all around (the black strips in the photo) and stuffed everything else with aluminum foil. Result: finally, no more insects inside.

In practice, it's working so far. The photo above was taken from underneath the caravan, of course. The effectiveness of the solution is easy to check. In the dark, shine a bright flashlight upward from below. You shouldn't see any light through the vents of the Truma heater inside, not even a faint glimmer.

 
Comments and questions

 

Pilot81IR: I really enjoyed browsing your website, it's super inspiring. I'm going to try sealing the hole under the stove myself with metal mosquito netting. Answer: Your metal mesh option might be much better! You can tack it down from below with a tacker. The question is whether it won't rust; in that case, would it be better to choose a different material for that "mosquito screen"? (Like plastic mosquito screen mesh?)

 

Jan Wauters: Great website, and everything is very relatable :-) I've also been searching like crazy to figure out where those mosquitoes always come from! We've had our 530 for a year now and I'm still surprised by the somewhat poor quality. On the other hand, it is and remains a beauty. Answer: Yes, Jan, it's still surprising that Eriba offers a screen door as an option and then leaves the opening for mosquitoes under the stove completely open. (And indeed: the Eriba Touring is and remains a beauty!)

 

Chassanna Bur: Thanx for sharing! This is the only solution keeping bugs out of the Eriba. Shame Eriba does not provide it by themselves! 

 

Ronaldo_1234: Thx! We will finally beat the mosquito's in the interior! (Struggled with them for four years in a row...)

 

Silberhauschen1: Ernst? Eriba hinterlässt also ein großes Loch für Mücken? Antwort: Leider ja. Aber wir können das selbst verbessern...