Cold Weather Camping (Again)

[al1florida]

I installed a little muffin fan to blow air from under the bed to behind the shower for really cold nights. I don't turn it on unless the temps get below 20*.

Since we do a lot of cold weather camping I enclosed the black & gray water tanks to keep them from freezing. The coldest we have been in was about 10* last November.

This fall we have seen about 5-6 mornings at 16*-20*. The coldest the inside temp has been is 39*. On the really cold nights we do open the cabinet doors and leave the catalytic heater on low. We don't mind the cold unless the inside temps get to about 40*-43* or lower. Since we mostly dry camp or boondock we don't run the furnace except to take the chill off in the morning.

[hayesj29020]

Good info. Thanks guys!

[bcope01]

Recently attended a Born Free rally at Carson City, NV, where I needed to run a heater at night for comfort. Unfortunately, the space heater I have has an analog heat setting control, so I was up and down several times a night trying to dial in the correct temperature.

So, I just picked up a Lux WIN100 Heating & Cooling Programmable Outlet Thermostat off of Amazon.com. This digital thermostat should allow me to sleep through the night. Plug the thermostat into your wall outlet, plug your space heater into the thermostat and turn it on all the way, set a temperature and you are good to go similar to your house thermostat.

Bill

[Mike Astley]

A couple of winters ago I rigged up a little 12V digital thermostat that runs a bilge blower fan that blows air from under the bed to the area behind the shower via a 3" dryer hose. The thermostat sensor is on a wire extending behind the shower and the thermostat activates when the sensor reads a near freezing temp.

I plug the thermostat into the 12V plug that is by the corner bed when needed.

Overkill I'm sure but relieves concerns about freeze-ups.

[John S.]

SOme good ideas. I love winter camping and usually take the Foretravel as it is comfy in single digits. In fact I was just in Iowa and it hit those. I have not taken the BF into temps below 20 yet but no problems at that temp.

[Dallas Baillio]

Mike Astley,

You and I have a RSB. After reading your post I opened the door to the right side rear storage door above the propane tank and looked at the duct that carries the furnace heat to the bathroom. This set me to thinking that a small diversion of air from this duct into this area might do the same thing that you did with your blower fan. I'm wondering if this might work?
Perhaps someone reading this post may have a suggestion. A small hole cut into the duct might do the trick as long as it does not divert too much air.

[al1florida]

Mike Astley,

You and I have a RSB. After reading your post I opened the door to the right side rear storage door above the propane tank and looked at the duct that carries the furnace heat to the bathroom. This set me to thinking that a small diversion of air from this duct into this area might do the same thing that you did with your blower fan. I'm wondering if this might work?
Perhaps someone reading this post may have a suggestion. A small hole cut into the duct might do the trick as long as it does not divert too much air.

That probably won't help getting the air to go behind the shower wall. It will keep the area under the bed warm, but so will keeping the water heater on.

In the area behind the shower wall in the rear corner of the rig, the water pipes to/from the water heater run along the floor and do have foam insulation helping protecting them. However the pipes running up to the shower faucet are not insulated.

You should be OK with these pipes unless the outside temps get down to somewhat below 20*. One thing, though, If the daytime temps are about 29-30* and then it drops to say 19* or lower at night, that is a totally different situation than if the temps are in the 40's or 50's and sunshine and then it drops to say 18* for a couple of hours early in the morning. With warm daytime temps and sunshine, you have fewer hours of below freezing temps to cool the pipes down allowing them to freeze.

[shezonit]

Mike Astley,

You and I have a RSB. After reading your post I opened the door to the right side rear storage door above the propane tank and looked at the duct that carries the furnace heat to the bathroom. This set me to thinking that a small diversion of air from this duct into this area might do the same thing that you did with your blower fan. I'm wondering if this might work?
Perhaps someone reading this post may have a suggestion. A small hole cut into the duct might do the trick as long as it does not divert too much air.

I was looking at the ducting under the bed and thinking what a brilliant design- that one long duct from furnace to bath keeps the area under the bed warm. Is this not enough to keep shower area from freezing? How about leaving water heater on if its going to be well below freezing? I have only been in about 30 degrees so far.

By the way, about how many days/ weeks can you run the furnace, water heater on the propane tank? I keep waiting for the LP gauge to move- in 3 weeks of cooking, some furnace and water heater, it has barely nudged one mark.
Incidentally, my economy solar panel (Harbor Freight package for $130) is working great - has kept house batteries topped, and charges my cell phone and iPad. Even with furnace cycling all night, house batteries only dropped one mark overnight and as soon as the sun came up..... Back to full.

[Mike Astley]

"In the area behind the shower wall in the rear corner of the rig, the water pipes to/from the water heater run along the floor and do have foam insulation helping protecting them. However the pipes running up to the shower faucet are not insulated."

If you are saying the pipes themselves have foam insulation, that's not true in our RV, they are just running along the floor without any insulation. There is some fiberglass insulation in the back wall.

Re. splitting off from the duct pipe to the bathroom: I expect it would be possible. I don't have experience in duct work so just created my own solution.

Re. would the water heater keep the pipes from freezing? We've gotten to where we seldom use the water heater. The quantities of hot water we need at a time are better served by heating water on the stove. We use a fair sized old stove type coffee pot (without the innards) we bought for a buck or two at Quartzite.

My wish had been that Born Free had put shut off valves in the pipes just after the toilet as we can live without the shower and water heater when winter camping, and all the pipes from the toilet and before are in the warm part of the RV. In that case you could winterize and then isolate the back portion.

[shezonit]

Re non use of shower---
I've been on a hot springs tour. In 3 weeks, I used my RV shower once.... I turned on the water heater 2x, once to shower and once at night because temps would be < 30 degrees. Oh, I used the tub and hand spray once to wash my small dogs. Other than that, the tub stores a small trash can for t.p. (Mexico style), 2 plastic gallon jugs full of "non drinking" water.
I appreciate the solid door and the fact the toilet room is actually roomy enough to change clothes if I have company. Also I have a great little hanging clothes drying device. I washed a big load of clothes, hung shirts and pants on hangers over rod in shower, the smalls on the device hung on rod and left the bath roof vent open and door propped open. One day and clothes were dry, and they were out of sight.

When I did this in my Class B, the clothes were spread all over the back and sides and made the interior messy and humid for 2 days.
I'm liking the Born Free more all the time!

[Dallas Baillio]

Years ago we had a TV weatherman (today a meteorologist ) who was much beloved by his local audience. Each time a hard freeze was forecast he told his audience to let each faucet in the house drip to provide continuous movement. He may have been on the payroll of the local water authority or on the other side had a dislike of plumbers.

If you are camping with a water supply this may be something to try when desperate.

[oliverpsmile]

Dallas it is true that flowing water prevent freezing to some degree.

So, why don't we explore the following idea:

A small circulation pump to be installed on a pipe near the water heater (less noise) and a valved bypass behind the shower wall (RSB units). Thus, with the water heater and pump (could be cycled to save AH) ON, the most vulnerable part of the plumbing would be protected.

[Ray]

Hey Dallas and other 26' owners - There is a register/vent under the 12v converter. Is this supposed to be a heat duct from the furnace? Or a vent for the converter? If its a heat duct from the furnace the duct work must run under the coach - and if that is the case I have a problem cause I am not getting any heat out of it - which would probably mean I have a break under the coach in the duct work and I am trying to heat the world when the furnace is running. Thanks, Ray

[shezonit]

I believe this is just to allow cooling of the converter (or is that thing an inverter?)
Anyway, it has nothing to do with the furnace. If you look inside your underbed storage from the outer side door, you can see the furnace to the right and the silver ducts that come off it. The longest one goes to the bathroom. I only have 2 more - short ducts that go to round vents at foot of bed and top of stairwell. A clean design, except front of coach can get a bit cool. Then it's time for the down throw.

[Mike Astley]

Yes, there is no furnace venting through that vent. However there is a rather large open space behind it and makes a great hidey-hole for important stuff such as credit cards or cash when you are somewhere you are concerned about security such as well south of the border.