Wendy & John,
I don't believe the catalytic heater had been invented twenty years ago. One of the reasons it was invented is because people were dying in the tents and campers from the CO that non-catalytic heaters put out. If your old heater is not catalytic you are taking a chance with you life using it in an encloses space.. even a tent.
Catalytic heaters put out much less CO but it is still necessary to have a window open an inch or so to keep CO from building up. And they should not be use at night since there is a chance that they will malfunction and put out too much CO and you won't wake up.
Bill
    -----Original Message-----
    From: W. Silva <wsilva@CAPECOD.NET>
    To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
    Date: Friday, January 07, 2000 6:02 AM
    Subject: Re: Coleman Plat Cat Heater Report
    
    
    Twenty years ago we had a '72 bus and camped with five kids and huge canvas tent .  We  had a Bernz-O-Matic propane camping heater which is the same "plat cat" style heater as the new Coleman, it was an avecado green colored (that tells you how old it was) steel box with room for two of the tall style propane cylinders inside and the round element and controls mounted on the outside.  If you have one of these dinosaurs in your basement, dig it out! We found  it to work very well in the tent with proper venting on chilly fall nights and early mornings in the mountains of New Hampshire and recently gave it to our son to use on his family camping trips then promptly went out and bought the Coleman version of the same thing.  If it lasts half as long and works as well as the first one we owned it will be the bargain of the century. 
    
    With The Coleman Duracat heater and the Bloss Porta -O-Matic A/C,  every camper will have the ultimate in comfort and climate control!
    
    Happy Camping
    
    Wendy & John 
    Cape Cod, MA
    '85 Westy,   "S-CAPE"
    '98 Passat = The Do Dah Machine
    
    CAMPERS ON CAPE COD 2000

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