Fulltime in Minnesota

[UTTransplant]

Folks skirt their RV’s with those foam boards that are silver on one side. Wind might become an issue so you will need to find a way to anchor them and maybe tie together.

I have seen them attached to the ground with what are basically the L-shaped shelf brackets with a very long pin holding them to the ground. I didn’t notice how they were attached to the RV, but I bet strong Command adhesive strips would work. The individual pieces of foam board were held together with aluminized furnace tape, the shiny stuff, not the more common duct tape.

 

[Kirk]

Yeah I need skirting lol probably wouldn't have cracked the discharge pipe if it had skirting of some kind.

The heaters on the plumbing are too small to do their job if there is any significant air movement under the trailer with nothing to block it. I suspect that you are correct, especially if you use a good material for the skirting.

it does seem capable of using 20 pounds of propane a day easily.

There is nothing surprising about that, especially if the RV is one that doesn't have the extra insulation of a 4 season RV. You can probably improve that considerably by using some expanding foam to stop air penetration into the RV from openings where plumbing and electrical wires pass through the floor. A good skirting will also help that as it will improve the floor temperatures that you have.

Folks skirt their RV’s with those foam boards that are silver on one side.

I have a good friend who used the foil wrapped foam insulation boards of 3/4" thickness to skirt his fifth wheel and spent the winter in comfort in northern Montana near Glacier NP. He did have heat supply under the slide to keep the skirted area above freezing and set to turn on at 40°F and off about 50°. He also used 100# propane bottles and kept a second one full all of the time. He sealed the edges of the foam board and also along the top where it touched the RV with duct tape. If you do put an electric heater under the RV be very careful of the location and the type of heater. If possible use one of the oil filled radiator type heaters as they won't cause a fire if something should touch them.

 

[p38fln]

The heaters on the plumbing are too small to do their job if there is any significant air movement under the trailer with nothing to block it. I suspect that you are correct, especially if you use a good material for the skirting.

There is nothing surprising about that, especially if the RV is one that doesn't have the extra insulation of a 4 season RV. You can probably improve that considerably by using some expanding foam to stop air penetration into the RV from openings where plumbing and electrical wires pass through the floor. A good skirting will also help that as it will improve the floor temperatures that you have.

I have a good friend who used the foil wrapped foam insulation boards of 3/4" thickness to skirt his fifth wheel and spent the winter in comfort in northern Montana near Glacier NP. He did have heat supply under the slide to keep the skirted area above freezing and set to turn on at 40°F and off about 50°. He also used 100# propane bottles and kept a second one full all of the time. He sealed the edges of the foam board and also along the top where it touched the RV with duct tape. If you do put an electric heater under the RV be very careful of the location and the type of heater. If possible use one of the oil filled radiator type heaters as they won't cause a fire if something should touch them.

The pipe heaters only draw like 6 watts, I wasn't surprised at all that they couldn't keep up. The tank heaters worked because the tanks are located above and between crossmembers in the frame, so they are skirted around all 4 sides.

I'm definitely getting the insulation boards to wrap it and a fernco coupler to fix the crack in the discharge pipe.

 

[p38fln]

The heaters on the plumbing are too small to do their job if there is any significant air movement under the trailer with nothing to block it. I suspect that you are correct, especially if you use a good material for the skirting.

There is nothing surprising about that, especially if the RV is one that doesn't have the extra insulation of a 4 season RV. You can probably improve that considerably by using some expanding foam to stop air penetration into the RV from openings where plumbing and electrical wires pass through the floor. A good skirting will also help that as it will improve the floor temperatures that you have.

I have a good friend who used the foil wrapped foam insulation boards of 3/4" thickness to skirt his fifth wheel and spent the winter in comfort in northern Montana near Glacier NP. He did have heat supply under the slide to keep the skirted area above freezing and set to turn on at 40°F and off about 50°. He also used 100# propane bottles and kept a second one full all of the time. He sealed the edges of the foam board and also along the top where it touched the RV with duct tape. If you do put an electric heater under the RV be very careful of the location and the type of heater. If possible use one of the oil filled radiator type heaters as they won't cause a fire if something should touch them.

Absolutely getting those foam boards. It's WARM today, probably one of the last above freezing days until sometime in late February.

If I had more money I would get one of the heat strips for the Dometic Brisk Air II AC unit - yes I know 5,000 or so BTU is hardly going to matter when it's 15 below zero, but running a small portable space heater does keep the propane use down. I'm not insane enough to run the electric space heater at night or when we're gone though, but the electric heater in the AC seems pretty safe. Doesn't draw any more power than the AC does and runs over the same wiring.

The crazy thing about the openings into the RV - they're TINY. I could barely pass the 12 volt wires through to feed the tank heaters. I guess they didn't need a hole 9 inches across to feed a 1/4 inch wire through back in 1991 (Yes, I've seen the absolutely huge openings on the newer ones from other member's posts)

 

[Kirk]

I'm not insane enough to run the electric space heater at night or when we're gone though, but the electric heater in the AC seems pretty safe.

Actually, if you use one of the oil filled, radiator type space heaters they are quite safe to leave operating while you sleep or are not home. I have been using one from Pelonis for more than 20 years and now have a second one like the one in the link. They make no noise at all and even if you put a coat or something directly on it it will not get hot enough to start a fire and have a built-in over temperature device.

 

[Jkoht]

I spend many weekends all year round at my cabin in northern MN.
In the late fall or winter months I run two electric heaters in my camper along with the furnace, but the use of the electric helps keep the temp up enough that the furnace doesn't cycle as often. I don't go through very much propane this way.

 

[p38fln]

Actually, if you use one of the oil filled, radiator type space heaters they are quite safe to leave operating while you sleep or are not home. I have been using one from Pelonis for more than 20 years and now have a second one like the one in the link. They make no noise at all and even if you put a coat or something directly on it it will not get hot enough to start a fire and have a built-in over temperature device.

My concern is the crappy quality of RV plug outlets, I have a Pelonis fan forced heater and it has overheat and tipover protection

 

[p38fln]

The water pump died, kind of expected it to die after the issues it was having with the check valve. I got a new one at camping world, another Seaflo 33 just like the last one and swapped it out in about ten minutes.

It's very nice to be able to leave the power switch turned on and just use the faucets when needed. I turn it off at night or when we're gone.

 

[p38fln]

The electric heater for the AC showed up. The connector plugged in just fine but I had to add some mounting holes to the ceiling bracket to get the heater placed into the airflow coming back from the AC unit. I'm absolutely amazed at how much heat it throws out. I know it's exactly the same amount of heat that the space heater was making but the much more powerful fan gets it all the way to the back and front of the RV. It was easily maintaining 65 degrees at 25 degrees outside.

I can't figure out exactly what this AC unit is. Its model is 57915, not B57915, but the connector for the heater was the right one for B57915. The panels all say Dometic DuoTherm Brisk Air.

 

[p38fln]

So, I got tired of paying $7 a gallon for propane at a propane exchange or $4.50 a gallon during the extremely limited hours at the closest propane filling station (M-F 8a to 4p only if they're not too busy). Swapped the propane heater for one of those cheap Chinese heaters, actually works pretty decently. I hooked it to the existing ductwork and poked the exhaust hoses and intake hoses through the ports the original Suburban NT furnace was using.

 

[Mountain high]

Going to get our manufactured home's 500 gallon propane tank filled next week at $2.109/gallon with coupon from Ferrellgas. It's $4.259/gallon for our two 10 gallon (40 pound) RV tanks at U-haul over 30 miles one way. Thought about refilling them for half the price off of the tank, but then the next delivery truck will have to chain up to get it here as it is. I don't want to take it from our home's main source for heat when this winter's snow has been here since mid-October. It's currently 11F. We run a pellet stove 24/7 as a secondary heat source versus going through our propane. Got about 4 tons in our garage.


I don't trust the cheap smaller electric space heaters as our 3rd emergency heat source running from a propane generator during below negative 24F power outages. They all will eventually squeal, vibrate their cheap plastic fans, and cease up. Gone through a half dozen in the past 10 years from various retailers. Just one of the larger models with the steel fans versus plastic has failed, but I had it for decades. At least it had the decency to trip a circuit breaker versus smoking. Yes, they're big, but have steel components versus cheap plastic. I'd put a smoke detector around the smaller ones.

 

[Kirk]

So, I got tired of paying $7 a gallon for propane at a propane exchange or $4.50 a gallon during the extremely limited hours at the closest propane filling station (M-F 8a to 4p only if they're not too busy).

Have you considered asking your propane dealer about getting a larger tank from them? Most of them have tanks from 100 gallons to as much as 500 gallons in size and the cost per gallon is less for larger amounts.

 

[p38fln]

Have you considered asking your propane dealer about getting a larger tank from them? Most of them have tanks from 100 gallons to as much as 500 gallons in size and the cost per gallon is less for larger amounts.

Yep, $1500 to buy a 120 gallon tank which is the smallest they'll fill. I called every single propane dealer in a 50 mile radius and none of them would rent a tank to an RV, they were willing to fill up a tank I bought on my own though. Price per gallon would go down to $2.59 to $2.79 depending on the company

 

[Mountain high]

$2.59 to $2.79 is their advertised price. Ferrellgas sends a discount coupon via Email to me and its probably the same for every Propane business. It's far less than $2.59 this month.

 

[p38fln]

$2.59 to $2.79 is their advertised price. Ferrellgas sends a discount coupon via Email to me and its probably the same for every Propane business. It's far less than $2.59 this month.

That's the prices they gave me when I called and asked. My aunt has como with a 1200 gallon tank $1.99 a gallon

 

[Mountain high]

That's the prices they gave me when I called and asked. My aunt has como with a 1200 gallon tank $1.99 a gallon

It might be worth it to just purchase a few 40 lb (10 gallon) propane cylindrical tanks versus the 120. Always have backup for heat.

I called a few days ago for our propane refill which was at 22%. Anticipated delivery date of December 21st. It's supposed to get near zero Fahrenheit here, so I am on the wood pellet stove and space heaters for our manufactured home (wheels removed). Conserving our 110 gallons of the 500 gallon propane tank due to it's been snowing a lot today and a delivery will require tire chains.

We winter camp at Blue Mesa, Antero Reservoir, and Browns Park, Colorado. Temperatures have gotten to negative 36F at Antero while we're camping. I start having trouble with the propane not working properly when the cylinder tanks get below 1/2. Minus 44F is the lowest propane works at per the following...

https://fosterfuels.com/blog/how-do-temperature-changes-affect-propane/

"Does Cold Weather Affect Propane Tanks? Propane tank pressure is more important than temperature. Propane can freeze, but only at temperatures that aren't common in your local area. A propane tank cold temperature limit is -44 degrees Fahrenheit — at that point, propane turns from a gas to a liquid."

 

[p38fln]

We'll be in a hotel for a few days, the weather has been absolutely scary. I can handle cold but trees are falling left and right. We counted 15 trees breaking Wednesday evening and packed up when half a pine tree snapped off and did a nose dive into the rooftop AC early Thursday morning. It sounded like a a car crash and there was a burning smell immediately afterwards so I killed the breaker to the rooftop AC.

We went back today to check on damages and couldn't even get in the driveway because so many trees were down. Obviously the rooftop AC is destroyed. Im very happy this camper has an old fashioned flat metal roof just like a semi truck trailer since they sell the patch kits at most hardware stores. There's a hole 3 inches wide by 6 inches wide above the microwave.

Neighbor left when we did and came back to a 4 foot long branch sticking through his roof into the kitchenette.

It's still snowing so we'll wait to go back until Saturday morning. Not going to risk lives to save one night in a hotel.

On the plus side, enough trees are down that Starlink might finally work.

Also, I need a new AC.

Our car was also smashed, but this is an RV forum so I'll just say it's most likely totaled but still runs and drives.

Looks like a tornado went through the area.

The first picture is showing the road...which the county had to plow with a bulldozer. Yes, a straight up bulldozer. Tracks and everything. Nothing else could move all the trees out of the way.


Hole is dead center of the picture

 

[jackiemac]

Gosh. Lucky it wasn't worse!

 

[Oldgator73]

Yep, when the sap in trees freeze and expand the trees will break. It sounds like an explosion. Glad nobody was injured and it was a smart thing to get out of there. You have a great attitude. A lot of folks would be ranting and raving about the damage but you attitude was hey, need to patch a hole and install a new AC and Bob’s your uncle.

 

[p38fln]

Yep, when the sap in trees freeze and expand the trees will break. It sounds like an explosion. Glad nobody was injured and it was a smart thing to get out of there. You have a great attitude. A lot of folks would be ranting and raving about the damage but you attitude was hey, need to patch a hole and install a new AC and Bob’s your uncle.

It helps that the trailer repair guys at Halvor Lines used to grab me out of my office to help with holding the rivet gun while they patched holes in trailers Ive seen how crazy easy it is to patch a metal roof.

It was ice and heavy snow not typical for the area. We usually get very fine powder that's almost like sand, this stuff was nasty heavy wet snow that stuck to everything combined with 45 mph winds. Some of the trees actually bent in complete U shapes to the ground before finally snapping two days later, and the tension in a full size 100 foot tree trunk bent double is absolutely insane. The trunks would snap halfway up and the top half would go wherever it wants to go.

Here's a picture that shows a tree that hasn't snapped yet, although I'm betting it snapped by now. My trailer is all the way on the right side of the picture, you can see the remains of the AC unit.

I'm not that terribly upset about the SUV getting smashed. It will probably be totalled. It has stupidly high payments. It isn't big enough to tow the travel trailer safely. I view it as an opportunity to get something heavy enough to tow this 7000+ pound trailer.

Edit: The old van doesn't belong to me.