Need some cold weather advice

[Live2Hike]

Hello!

We're out and about in our Minnie Winnie 22R and are expecting temps in the upper 20s tonight... Temp will bounce back up to the mid 49s tomorrow. I've got the furnace and tank heaters on (I'm plugged in). Should I be concerned about the fresh water holding tank and lines freezing? Anything else I need to do?

Thanks!

[FleetMan]

If you have an electric heater, make use of it. Watch your electrical load so you do not pop any circuit breakers. If you can use your microwave outlet, you will have a 15 amp circuit which is independent of the others. Make sure you keep under sink doors open to allow heat to get in. Disconnect and drain outside water hoses. Your fresh water tank and internal lines should be OK if you use your onboard propane furnace.

[skigramp]

Stow the fresh water hose whenever you expect overnight freezing temps ... rolling up frozen hoses is not fun ... don't ask why I know that ...

In regards to the water lines in your rig:

1. Upper 20's and light wind .... NO PROBLEM
2. Teens and wind ... keep your LP furnace running and your hot water heater running ...
3. Single digits and wind ... you will to do some extra work (putting trouble lights and or heaters in some critical bays)

[Bigd9]

I knew someone who thought it would be a good idea to let the water faucets run just a trickle to keep the water lines from freezing. His thought process should have gone one step further though, and he should have opened the gray water tank valve!

I'm curious skigramp, what is your reason to mention wind speed in your great description on what to do?

[Live2Hike]

THANK YOU sooo much! Hoses were stowed, kept the tank heater and furnace on (mainly so we wouldn't freeze) and had a cozy night.

Happy Thanksgiving!

[OLYLEN]

Great you lived through the night. LOL Just a caution on the electric heater use, the furnace needs to run to keep the bays heated. Electric heat is great but not too much. As to wind, the chill factor comes into play, temp is the same but heat lose is magnified.

LEN

[bobmac]

I have a 60 watt trouble lamp hanging in my service compartment and turn it on when temps expected below freezing. Have had no issues and all tankage is above the compartment.

[Milom]

I too am concerned about water tank and line freeze up! I have put 250 watt halogen work lamps in my service bay as well as the bay that holds the fresh water tank. we keep the propane heater set at 60f and the hot water tank on 24/7 and both slides in. I don't want to completely winterize as we use it on weekends, but it is unattended 5 days a week. Am I doing enough or Is this overkill?

[Bigd9]

Originally Posted by Milom

I too am concerned about water tank and line freeze up! I have put 250 watt halogen work lamps in my service bay as well as the bay that holds the fresh water tank. we keep the propane heater set at 60f and the hot water tank on 24/7 and both slides in. I don't want to completely winterize as we use it on weekends, but it is unattended 5 days a week. Am I doing enough or Is this overkill?

I would be concerned that is too much heat, especially within a few feet of those 250 watt bulbs. Everything is plastic in those compartments from wires to tanks and plastic doesn't play real well with a lot of heat.

In our last Fleetwood Discovery I used 60 watt bulbs with one in the sewer bay and another one in the water bay. We camped during a snow ski trip and temperatures dropped down to -8 degrees. The bays stayed above 40.

A lot will depend on how well insulated the bays are and if there are any leaks where cold air can enter directly.

[pasdad1]

Originally Posted by Bigd9

I would be concerned that is too much heat, especially within a few feet of those 250 watt bulbs. Everything is plastic in those compartments from wires to tanks and plastic doesn't play real well with a lot of heat.

I agree, the halogen reflector lights can get too hot. Something like this with a 100 watt bulb would be safer IMHO.

[Bigd9]

Something like this with a 100 watt bulb would be safer IMHO.

Hard to buy 100 watt bulbs anymore CFL bulbs don't produce much heat so they are not as good as the old fashion filament bulbs.

I wish I could find the picture I saw once where a light bulb got to close to the plastic compartment side wall. It looked like the plastic melted and ran down puddling at the floor. If my memory serves me, it was a trouble light that had gotten rolled over so the glass bulb was aimed directly at the wall.

[skigramp]

comment on difference of wind:

Heat loss is greatly increased whenever the air is moving about ... in northern climes we hear about this all the time in wind chill factor ... the rate at which heat leaves a motorhome in 10 degree temps with 15 mph winds is much faster than with no wind.

[skigramp]

In cold weather you should stow your drain hoses as well. They will freeze very quickly. I have never had to stow a frozen sewer hose but a friend of mine witnessed someone attempting it ... it was not a pretty site ... the hose shatters ... so you have pieces of hose and brown ice to contend with ...

STOW THE HOSES ...

[pasdad1]

Originally Posted by Bigd9

Hard to buy 100 watt bulbs anymore

Stock up now while they are still available !

[sylvia43]

Originally Posted by bobmac

I have a 60 watt trouble lamp hanging in my service compartment and turn it on when temps expected below freezing. Have had no issues and all tankage is above the compartment.

We have a new 1801FB Minnie. We are new to TT, so newbie questions coming...

1) We have an enclosed underbelly. Is that the "service compartment" that you all refer to?
2) How do you get in there to place a light?
3) Do you rig the light into the existing electrical system somehow?
4) Is a "trouble light" different from a regular light?

Thanks in advance.
Jessica

[mel s]

Originally Posted by sylvia43

We have a new 1801FB Minnie. We are new to TT, so newbie questions coming...
Is a "trouble light" different from a regular light?
Jessica

sylvia43
This is commonly called a "trouble light" (and/or "drop light"):

Mel
'96 Safari

[Pigman1]

I too use the incandescent light bulb in the wet bay area to keep some more heat in the wet bay at night. We have a portion of our rear hot air heater that goes to the wet bay but we turn our heat down at night. To be sure our light does not get too close to things it shouldn't I fabricated a mount for a light socket with a switch. We've had the Bus down to 12 degrees and 30mph winds and have been OK but you sure burn through propane at those temps. When it gets that cold we close all slides to keep the heated volume down.

[mel s]

Originally Posted by OLYLEN

Great you lived through the night. LOL Just a caution on the electric heater use, the furnace needs to run to keep the bays heated. Electric heat is great but not too much. As to wind, the chill factor comes into play, temp is the same but heat lose is magnified.
LEN

OLYLEN
Correct

"Chill factor" refers to the temperature "felt" by "animate objects".. (depending on the air temperature and the wind speed).

"Wind speed" affects how fast "inanimate objects" cool down to the temp of the air around them... but "inanimate objects" can get no colder than the temperature of the air surrounding them, (no mater what the speed of the wind).

Mel
'96 Safari

[JBP]

when you ith the furnace running and the electric heaters on the tanks on Winnebago told me that they tested that down to the teens. No problems. So you can be safe with those conditions.
Enjoy your coach.

[doit2010]

Hi guys, our Minnie Winne 22R's DO NOT have much of a service bay, we just have a large storage area and have to take down a panel to get to the water pump and low point drain. We can come down under the rear birth to access these items and if needed we could hang a work light in this area to keep that area warm. I just finished camping for four nights with the temps down into the mid to lower 20's each night and had on my holding tank heaters and electric heater on all night. All was well the next morning. Did not use my propane heater until the next morning to bring the temp back up to a comfortable level. Set the electric heater at 65 for the night and directed it towards the bathroom and water pump area. Would not want to do much colder temps without doing more to keep things from freezing though. On the first night I did forget about the water hose and it froze, the next three night I rapped my hose with my electric hose tape and all was well, see link below

http://thumbs2.ebaystatic.com/d/l225...tEy9PJztqg.jpg

Happy camping
ESW