Need I say more. But I will. We live in upstate NY. It gets really cold here, and that's a good thing, because I own a small travel trailer sold as winter ready with heated underbelly. Weeks before we took our trailer out west to ski I filled the water tank, turned on the propane, and started "living" in the trailer in windy weather that was down to 0F. I used the shower, the sinks and toilet. The morning after the first night below 0F there was no water. The tanks froze even with the propane furnace running. I opened up the furnace to find that the duct to the underside was never inserted into the floor. Easy peesy fix. It took a day with the heat set on 80, but the water flowed. So I had an RV dealer also install 12 volt tank heaters. That was two years ago. This year the hot water line froze between the sink and the water heater. So I had to run the hot water every night to keep it from freezing. It appears that two years of wear and tear have damaged the corroplast and opened gaps. So I am now in the middle of a project to add heat to the pipes and insulate and close up the bottom correctly, as they should have done it at the factory. I also found tons of poorly placed unprotected wiring rubbing on the metal frame. I am fixing that too.
A fellow soldier in winter pain. I bit the bullet and bought custom skirting. Seems to make a big difference but I have not put it to a significant test. Also made insulated window coverings. From now on March is big ski month for me. But will still occasionally venture out in Jan/feb. If the forecast is for 10 or less I will dump the water
Good skirting and a small heater that generates 5000 BTUs (a 1500 watt electric or small propane heater will do it) keeps the pipes toasty warm. I now (as of today) have 120 volt wires heating the fresh water pipes. But Running electric heat means hooking up or running a generator below freezing. I've hesitated to use skirting because often we set up and move on only after a few days. How easy is it to set up and remove the skirting?
Every RV owner needs to remove the belly cover and inspect the workmanship. It should be part of an initial inspection upon purchase. What I found was frightening. The plumbing and wiring on my small Grand Design was damaged in critical areas. I found 12 and 120 volt wires pinched between the frame and tanks, no grommets or cushioning to protect the wires and pipes running thru sharp edged passage holes in the frame. There were places where the wires were worn by the frame.
If you get the best quality skirting not only does it perform well but it is a snap to put on and take off. The kind where a track is permenantly screwed into the camper and a rigid cord is sewn into the top of the skirt that threads into the track. It must be custom make to fit your RV.
A lot of LOL’s (and learnings). Including not 1 but 2 signs saying ‘no trailers’...but onward and upward! Knowing you and Jackie so well, a noteworthy accomplishment to still be married upon arrival home!
Wow! What a story. It reminded me of a Chevy Chase road trip movie. You and Jackie are tenacious about how you tackled every obstacle. The next trip has got to be easier......
Dry Run.
Need I say more. But I will. We live in upstate NY. It gets really cold here, and that's a good thing, because I own a small travel trailer sold as winter ready with heated underbelly. Weeks before we took our trailer out west to ski I filled the water tank, turned on the propane, and started "living" in the trailer in windy weather that was down to 0F. I used the shower, the sinks and toilet. The morning after the first night below 0F there was no water. The tanks froze even with the propane furnace running. I opened up the furnace to find that the duct to the underside was never inserted into the floor. Easy peesy fix. It took a day with the heat set on 80, but the water flowed. So I had an RV dealer also install 12 volt tank heaters. That was two years ago. This year the hot water line froze between the sink and the water heater. So I had to run the hot water every night to keep it from freezing. It appears that two years of wear and tear have damaged the corroplast and opened gaps. So I am now in the middle of a project to add heat to the pipes and insulate and close up the bottom correctly, as they should have done it at the factory. I also found tons of poorly placed unprotected wiring rubbing on the metal frame. I am fixing that too.
A fellow soldier in winter pain. I bit the bullet and bought custom skirting. Seems to make a big difference but I have not put it to a significant test. Also made insulated window coverings. From now on March is big ski month for me. But will still occasionally venture out in Jan/feb. If the forecast is for 10 or less I will dump the water
Good skirting and a small heater that generates 5000 BTUs (a 1500 watt electric or small propane heater will do it) keeps the pipes toasty warm. I now (as of today) have 120 volt wires heating the fresh water pipes. But Running electric heat means hooking up or running a generator below freezing. I've hesitated to use skirting because often we set up and move on only after a few days. How easy is it to set up and remove the skirting?
Every RV owner needs to remove the belly cover and inspect the workmanship. It should be part of an initial inspection upon purchase. What I found was frightening. The plumbing and wiring on my small Grand Design was damaged in critical areas. I found 12 and 120 volt wires pinched between the frame and tanks, no grommets or cushioning to protect the wires and pipes running thru sharp edged passage holes in the frame. There were places where the wires were worn by the frame.
If you get the best quality skirting not only does it perform well but it is a snap to put on and take off. The kind where a track is permenantly screwed into the camper and a rigid cord is sewn into the top of the skirt that threads into the track. It must be custom make to fit your RV.
A lot of LOL’s (and learnings). Including not 1 but 2 signs saying ‘no trailers’...but onward and upward! Knowing you and Jackie so well, a noteworthy accomplishment to still be married upon arrival home!
Cheers for sharing the knowledge gained! Glad it ended well and you got some skiing in. Best to you, Jackie and Ryan!
Wow! What a story. It reminded me of a Chevy Chase road trip movie. You and Jackie are tenacious about how you tackled every obstacle. The next trip has got to be easier......
Sure hope so. It will be some time before I can lure Jackie back into the camper.