Community Forums

Scarab0088 · 11-03-2017, 11:42 AM

It's that time of year again...cold is sweeping down from the north. Made us wonder...
"What is the lowest temperature you've experienced?"

Our Damon/Thor Motor Coach Class A (like most TMC Class A's) has heating system ducts from the furnace to the the critical service bins (and the garage in our case), preventing freeze damage.

The coldest we have experienced was 13degrees - overnight in West Yellowstone, MT, during a week of low teens overnight - everynight.

Obviously, the furnace cycles more often as the temps drop. Is there a point where the anti-freeze ducting does not keep-up?
If yes, did an insulation blanket on the bin floor or some other alternative help?

Bigd9 · 11-03-2017, 04:57 PM

Minus 5 degrees Fahrenheit at Canaan Valley State Resort Park, WV during a snow skiing trip. We were prepare with electric heaters in the wet bay, heat tape on some of the remote water pipes, and a fan to redirect heat to blow on the water heater tank. It was so cold, inside moisture froze on the aluminum wall studs creating white streaks going from the floor to the ceiling, but we stayed warm and toasty inside. No skiing that day!

Sweetbriar · 11-14-2017, 04:59 AM

My lowest overnight was in the high teens and I don't plan to do it again. A late model Hurricane isn't what I would consider a comfortable lower temperature coach. After Veterans Day I'm pretty much done with scheduled outings until Easter.

tconn54 · 11-15-2017, 10:27 AM

Even if we had a high end coach, anything under 60 is cold to me

Tim

bigjim1959 · 11-15-2017, 11:51 AM

Food for thought, I use a remote sensor in the water bay when we do cold weather stuff, never seen it below 35 f when it was 0 f .

Waiter21 · 11-15-2017, 11:54 AM

Last year, minus 20 F, with the wind blowing 30 - 40 MPH. We were spending the night in Iowa, but we couldn't see the roads in the campground, so spent the night in the main parking lot..

Furnace ran all night and couldn't keep the inside of the MH warm.

Podivin · 11-15-2017, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waiter21

Last year, minus 20 F, with the wind blowing 30 - 40 MPH. We were spending the night in Iowa, but we couldn't see the roads in the campground, so spent the night in the main parking lot..

Furnace ran all night and couldn't keep the inside of the MH warm.

I lived in Iowa for 20 years, it's hard enough to keep a house warm in those temps, wouldn't want to try it in an RV.

To the point of the topic, your main concerned I believe is plumbing lines below floor level - those will be the hardest to keep safe. BUT, all you have to do is keep them above freezing, they don't have to be WARM, just above 32.
If you have a safe place to do so, you could put a heat lamp in the basement to augment the furnace heat - but that would only be necessary on really cold nights (personally I'd draw the line there at about 20 degrees).

Open kitchen and bathroom cabinets that contain plumbing to allow the heat of the room to circulate in there. Especially at night when it's coldest, and even more especially on the windward side of the RV where the cold air is doing a better job of working its way through the wall.

znt1186 · 11-15-2017, 12:07 PM

Low 20's is plenty cold for me. I have seen -16 here in the 80's and did not like it at all. Plan to stay far south of temps much below 25.

saddlesore · 11-15-2017, 12:30 PM

Moorcroft, Wyoming, got caught by weather system, roads went to hell so parked at a little fuel stop,(Coffee Cup) knew that it was going to get durn cold that night so put 60 watt light bulb in sewage/water fill bay and another one in the water pump/water system shutoff bay, also put covers over the outside AC's and a "pillow" in the roof vent..
Fired off the generator.
Fired off the AquaHot and flipped the switches for engine heat. AquaHot ran about 30/45 minutes every hour.
Set thermostat @ 70 deg, coach stayed around 65/70 deg.
-22 deg @ 7am, roads still not good, left around noonish.. no issues other than drove slooow for the first 10/15 miles or so to let the lubricants warm up in differential/transmission/ wheel bearings.
Made it as far as Kimball, SD and repeated (@ Ditty's fuel stop & Cafe)
Note! I had the fuel "doctored for anti-gel" down to -35 deg.& spare filters/wrench on hand just in case.
On our coach all plumbing is enclosed.
I do not recommend RV'n in this severe of temps (no matter which brand of RV you have) as things can fail @ the most inopportune times, and the consequences can be life threatening even if you are prepared.

Superslif · 11-15-2017, 12:43 PM

In both our Aerolite (hybrid's) we have camped as late as Thanksgiving. Night time lows in the lower 20's / upper teens. ( NE. Ohio). Small electric heater, and ran the trailer furnace at night to supplement. The only issue was condensation on the windows and bunk end ceilings. Took an old bath towel and wiped them down twice a day.

The new tt we just picked up is far more winterized for off-season camping. Outdoors RV Timber Ridge. Thermal pane windows are standard. Designed for temps down to zero. Can't wait to get out once more. The local state park ( Punderson) has extensive X-country ski trails and a tubing hill.

Come on Mother Nature give me all you got !!!!

wa8yxm · 11-15-2017, 04:03 PM

With no problems.. Not sure
With one minor issue (A line froze, NOTE PEX can handle freezing the connections at each end of the line can not so this thawed come daylight) 11 degrees

With problems (Froze solid) minus SIX.. Only thing that did now freeze was the ice maker line.... I had it air charged at the time.. Broke one fitting between the city inlet and the Quick Fill valve. Cost me 10 bucks plus about an hour's work.