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01-04-2017, 07:37 AM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 50
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Aqua Hot - Cold Weather Camping
Help this newbie out.
Before I head to Quartzsite I am going to make a quick trip to Green Bay for the Packers and NY Giants playoff game. I will be over-nighting Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The temperature low is going to be "0" and the high in the 20's. (I spoke with the prior owners and they never cold camped.)
My questions are about weathering the cold. Will the basement and will the heater keep the fresh water from freezing? It will be a boondock. Will the Aqua Hot furnace keep the coach above 60's inside? When I owned a semi I would just keep the engine running it that kind of weather but with the MH do I run the generator and the Aqua Hot system and turn off the engine?
I do not want to freeze out the other three guys who are going with me.
Thanks,
Bob Ballard
2007 Monaco Executive Whitney
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01-04-2017, 07:52 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Show Low Az
Posts: 1,323
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run generator to keep batteries charged, you do this by watching the Battery Voltage meter. Do not let them get below 12.2 Vdc.
Run AH to keep warm, as it uses Diesel fuel and 12 Vdc (batteries).
Have you verified everything is in working order?
Has everything been maintained correctly?
By the way, when was the last time YOU verified the battery water? Or used a Hydrometer and not the one with little balls floating?
When was the last time you performed a deep charge on your coach/house batteries?
__________________
Dale&Susan, 08 Alfa Gold, DaGirlsRv Blog
2015 F-150XLT_2000W Solar_800 AmpHr Lithium
Magnum_MSH 3012 & PT100
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01-04-2017, 07:54 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 189
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Get two or three ceramic heaters and run the generator as well as the Aquahot. If temperatures approach zero do not put out the slides.
For a three day stay start with a full fuel tank.
Be sure door seal on water bay is fully sealing the area.
Going down the road set the Aquahot wall thermostat to "on" as the engine coolant circulation will provide heat to the Aquahot. No need to run generator or diesel burner. We find the dash heat is inadequate in any outside temperature below about 40F.
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01-04-2017, 09:45 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Boise Valley (SW Idaho)
Posts: 2,018
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You should be able to do it ok. If it were me, I would put all three zones on the "Furnace" setting, thermostats at whatever setting you want to keep. Use the "Diesel" setting on the AquaHot. I would turn off the inverter, if you don't want to run the generator too much and you're ok with your clocks being off.
Make sure the little thermostat in the wet bay, passenger side, is set to no less than 40 degrees or more. I would probably go for at least 45 degrees, if it were me. You want it warm enough to keep the driver's side above freezing. You might stick a remote thermometer in the driver's side of the wet bay to see how it is doing and adjust as needed.
If you have good coach batteries, and if you don't run loads other than your AquaHot and your lighting, and your refrigerator is running on propane, you should be good overnight without the generator running. But if you do that, you should enable the "Auto Start" feature for your generator in case the batteries do go low.
Generetor during the day to charge the batteries and enable your luxuries, AquaHot at night to keep you and your wet basement bay cozy with minimal draw on the batteries.
Enjoy the game!!!
__________________
Jim & Angie, Boise, ID
2021 Entegra Esteem 27U
2017 GMC Acadia Denali
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01-04-2017, 09:58 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club Grand Design Owners Club
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 250
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I just did a -4 F, slides out, no problem at all. But I would add to the comments above and suggest you add a winterizer to your fuel, regardless of where you are starting from. The aquahot fuel system has no tolerance whatsoever for gelled or thickened diesel (before an actual gelled state you see your fuel turn milky as the temps drop). Setting my temp to a comfortable 68 inside kept my bays at 52-54.
__________________
2002 Monaco Executive
Cummins 500ISM (11L)
Castle Rock, CO
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01-04-2017, 10:30 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Holiday Rambler Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 596
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All of the above and I may have missed it but most will have a switch on the dash labeled ENG HEAT or ENG PRE HEAT, this will engage one other pump on the Aqua hot that will circulate the antifreeze on the engine of the coach (assuming yours is also tied to the engine cooling system) to keep that warm also, so when you go to leave it should start up with ease.
If equipped one will also be the block heater outlet, which you will need the generator or shore power to operate.
__________________
2002 Holiday Rambler Imperial 40PKD
with Residential refrigerator conversion
2014 Jeep Wrangler in tow, M&G brake system
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01-04-2017, 10:38 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 2,947
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Eaglesview
Get two or three ceramic heaters and run the generator as well as the Aquahot. If temperatures approach zero do not put out the slides.
For a three day stay start with a full fuel tank.
Be sure door seal on water bay is fully sealing the area.
Going down the road set the Aquahot wall thermostat to "on" as the engine coolant circulation will provide heat to the Aquahot. No need to run generator or diesel burner. We find the dash heat is inadequate in any outside temperature below about 40F.
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Eagleview confirm the aqua-hot if turned on (set at thermostat) will supply static heat through registers while driving down the road? Learn something new everyday.
Sent from my iPhone using iRV2 - 2008 Monaco Camelot 40 PDQ
__________________
Perry & Julie: 2008 Monaco Camelot 40PDQ, 400ISL, Toad; 2015 Chevy Equinox.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
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01-04-2017, 11:02 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: On the Road
Posts: 1,608
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Bob, the water bay thermostat is reachable from the curb side door to the aqua hot. Little hole towards front of coach. The aqua hot was serviced last year. If it were me I'd make sure I had half tank of fuel until I got far enough north that you can buy winter blend and top off before you get to parking or high idle long enough to fill lines/filters. I used an indoor/outdoor thermometer with a sensor in water bay to keep an eye on it. Good luck, see you at Q. Frank.
2012 NuWay HitchHiker 363RSBDA, 2016 Ford F-350 Dually 6.7
__________________
2012 Nu Wa 363RSBDA
2016 Ford F-350 Dually 6.7
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01-04-2017, 11:54 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 296
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All of the above is good advice.
Slides out should not be a problem. Put some anti-gel in your fuel and get some heat tape on stand by for your AH fuel filter just in case it starts waxing. Only wrap it if you have issues, and take it off before traveling.
I full time and used 72 gallons of diesel last month for heating, all cold weather, coldest was -1F and lots of teens, and I like to keep the coach toasty warm. No issues with basement, it stays 50F. For just a couple of days you probably wont use much fuel but still start out with close to a full tank to be safe since you'll need the generator too.
Since you will be boondocking, If you have lead acid house batteries, you will probably need to run the generator allot as lead acid batteries at those temps have highly reduced capacities unless you can heat the batteries up. They hate being charged at those temps too.
The only other thing I'd worry about is an ice maker line if you still have a norcold and vented exterior access panel. I wrapped the part of the line that is not heated and the valve with some thin fiberglass pipe insulation. Then I cut a 9 inch wide swatch of normal house insulation and just stuck it between the pipe and the exterior panel, which blocked the lower 3rd of the vented panel. This keeps the cold off of it, and the thinly wrapped pipe exposed to the hot absorption plumbing. It still allows air flow for the rest of the stuff if it needs it. It has worked fine all season in this configuration, I let the ice maker do it's thing like usual, I gotta have my mixers!
Edit:
Thought I would add on the driving down the road part. While the main engine does supply the AH in a reverse circuit, it is not going to be full BTU capacity. If driving in super cold I would leave the diesel burner switch on and let the engine assist. Then if the engine heat cannot keep up it still has the burner to fall back on.
__________________
~Jeremy
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01-04-2017, 03:36 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Utah
Posts: 2,893
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All of the above is great advice. The Aqua-Hot was on our "must have" list for the sole reason of cold weather camping. We used all of our coaches for snowmobiling and although the LP furnace did an ok job, the friends of ours that had Aqua-Hot systems always seemed to be much more comfortable inside after a long day of snowmobiling and wanting to relax.
We would usually have between 4 and 12 coaches on weekends up sledding and those of us with Aqua-Hot systems seemed to be the place where most everyone hung out after a day of riding. We generally didn't put our slides out in the dead of winter when temps were in the single digits but by February/March-ish when evening temps were in the teens and daytime temps in the 30's we would have slides out without any issues, unless a snowstorm was looming, then I would keep them in to avoid having to brush snow off of the slide toppers.
Mike.
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01-04-2017, 03:58 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 6,573
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Bob, your Executive will have an AGS (auto generator start) button on the inverter control panel. You can set it up for temp or voltage. I would set it up to come on at 12.2 volts.
I agree with the others. Make sure you top off the diesel when you arrive in the area. Enjoy the game!
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01-04-2017, 04:01 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Grasonville, MD -- Golden, CO
Posts: 6,222
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BobGoPackGo
Help this newbie out.
Before I head to Quartzsite I am going to make a quick trip to Green Bay for the Packers and NY Giants playoff game. I will be over-nighting Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The temperature low is going to be "0" and the high in the 20's. (I spoke with the prior owners and they never cold camped.)
My questions are about weathering the cold. Will the basement and will the heater keep the fresh water from freezing? It will be a boondock. Will the Aqua Hot furnace keep the coach above 60's inside? When I owned a semi I would just keep the engine running it that kind of weather but with the MH do I run the generator and the Aqua Hot system and turn off the engine?
I do not want to freeze out the other three guys who are going with me.
Thanks,
Bob Ballard
2007 Monaco Executive Whitney
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Really not that complicated;
Get there early and get a good parking space
Full fuel tank.
Slides out
Generator ON
Aqua Hot on (at the Temp you enjoy)
Bring a few electric Heater - just incase.
When driving in the cold turn the thermostate up a little for the front unit - Cold air on the front needs a little more heat (Engine will heat the entire Coach while going down the road, no problem)
Be sure the satellite TV is working - might watch the second half in the Coach (0 is really COLD)
Enjoy the Game - Go Packers!!!!!!!
I've wintered three years in Golden Colorado (-17 one year, every night for 10 nights straight - came up to 0 so we went to Vegas for Christmas, Aqua Hot will make you smile .
Let us know how the trip was, Best of Luck,
Hide an extra set of keys (things just Happen in Big Games)
__________________
Busskipper
Location - Grasonville, Maryland - and/or - Superior, Colorado
2005 Travel Supreme 42DS04 - GX470 Toad
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01-04-2017, 04:57 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 868
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For the ice maker line I would shut it off and drain it. I have been boondocking in my 98
Dynasty for the last 2 winters and my coach is propane heat and I have had no problem keeping it warm. I run my generator every night for at least hours to charge up the batteries and at night I set my thermostat at 55 and also during the day when I'm out. In the morning I run my gen 1/2 to an hour and that keeps my batteries up fine. When I run my gen I have 2 electric heaters going to put a load on the gen. I also
use the bubble rap insulation on the front windshield and I also added insulation around
the wet bay. I leave my inverter off.
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01-05-2017, 07:36 AM
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#14
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 50
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Thank you for all the help.
I have been testing it before I pull out tomorrow. The thermostats set on furnace and at 90. The bathroom and bedroom is a nice toasty 74 however the kitchen and living room is 64. Keeping the shades down greatly help in keeping it warm.
First thing I did was get the ceramic heaters out of my pop-up camper.
Is putting a drop light in the curb side water bay a good ideal?
Frank, what about the batteries. Should I have any concerns?
2007 Monaco Executive Whitney 44
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