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Old 10-13-2020, 11:51 AM   #1
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1996 Pace Arrow Winter Camping.

Hello,
I was wondering if anyone has a 1996 or around that year Pace that they have stayed in over the winter. I am looking to do that this year and wanted advice on how to ensure all the lines do not freeze. I will be staying in one spot.
I will have a heated hose for incoming water but how do I keep the interior lines from freezing or the water, gray and black tanks?
I’ve seen a lot of people put insulation board around their RV from the ground to about 3 feet up the side and tape it all up. Would this be enough to keep the interior lines from freezing with the two furnaces going?
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Old 10-13-2020, 12:33 PM   #2
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The Pace Arrow line of that era (mostly) wasn't meant to be a cold weather RV to my knowledge. It was sort of the low end of Fleetwood's models. So whatever precautions you take to survive the cold you should try to be 'overprepared' IMO.

My '94 Bounder had what was labeled the 'Alaska Pack' which included Dual Pane windows, plumbing that ran alongside interior walls (rather then being under the floor), extra insulation here and there, and leakage from the furnace into the wet bay. The basement doors had the typical 1/2" foam insulation between metal skins. And that was it. I spent 5 summers and 3 winters up in Fairbanks Alaska in that RV and by mid October I'd moved into a cabin because it would be impossible to spend the winter in the RV. And I'd move back in mid to end of May.

In your case, some information might help us give you appropriate advice. What's your model? Gas or Diesel? Alaska Pack or not? Dual pane windows or not?

And the best info you could offer is where do you intend to spend the winter? Answers for North Dakota will be quite a bit different from answers applying to Orlando or Phoenix. Ha. Anyway, you will get lots of great answers from the experts here on iRV2.
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Old 10-13-2020, 06:31 PM   #3
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That vintage Pace Arrow was a 3 season RV. You will need to deal with freezing in the basement, sewer tanks, the water faucet is not protected by the heated hose, etc. That big windshield is a huge lose of heat.

Ken
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Old 10-14-2020, 01:19 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim_HiTek View Post
In your case, some information might help us give you appropriate advice. What's your model? Gas or Diesel? Alaska Pack or not? Dual pane windows or not?

And the best info you could offer is where do you intend to spend the winter? Answers for North Dakota will be quite a bit different from answers applying to Orlando or Phoenix. Ha. Anyway, you will get lots of great answers from the experts here on iRV2.
Thanks for your reply.
Fleetwood Pace Arrow Vision M-37J
Chevrolet 454
No winter package I know of
Furnace up front and in rear
Double pane windows
Indianapolis, I put my daughter close to her college in it rather than a dorm for social distance and cost.
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Old 10-14-2020, 02:39 PM   #5
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Okay...you have dual pane windows...that's a great start. Means you have more winter insulation then RVs without them. So, yeah, after checking Indianapolis weather for the winter, I think with a team effort you can pull it off. To answer your initial question, check your Pace to see if the plumbing runs along the floor inside the RV. That's what the Bounder did to make it a cold weather RV. I still had to keep the under sink cabinets open to avoid freezing and once a pipe did freeze but I guessed where it was and pointed a heater towards it so no problem. Since you have a dual pane window unit, I'd suspect you're already pretty well protected. The furnaces should keep things unfrozen for the most part. They leak warm air into the wet bays too, usually.

1) Situate the RV in a spot where the side of the RV gets the afternoon sun, south facing. That will help keep the tanks from freezing.

2) Put tires and jacks on plywood platforms so they don't freeze to the ground.

3) Make sure you daughter knows how to dump the tanks and fill the water tank so those hoses don't freeze during the harshest cold period. If she's careful about ONLY using them when needed and putting them away afterwards, slinky goes in a basement compartment, water hose in the house, that's the best way to keep them from getting filled with liquids and freezing solid if you leave them connected up all winter. Don't bother with heated hoses, unless you want to repeatedly replace it. They have a very short life. Keep a regular water hose inside so it's warm and limber. Take it outside and connect up to shore water when needed, fill the on board tank, drain and put the hose away. Plastic quick connects make it an easier job.

4) Do buy several heat tapes with thermostats. Wrap the RVs dump valves and if you have a shore water inlet in a basement compartment wrap that too. Might wrap the slinky loosely so it can be connected to shore sewer, used and put away easily. If it freezes, it can split very readily. Maybe buy the Rhino brand slinky, they have pretty thick vinyl and stay put when squeezed together. Or hire a honey bucket service to come pump her tanks out for her occasionally.

5) Use the 1"-2" blue foam sheeting around the bottom of the RV. Try to block off the front of the RV totally if you can. Get creative with that because a lot of air moves around the engine area. Put a small electric heater on a thermostat under the RV.

6) Blue foam sheets across the dash blocking off the windows totally. It's too cold in that part of the RV to 'enjoy the view' anyway in the dead of winter.

7) Buy a roll of foil covered insulating bubble wrap. Home Depot has it in 3' wide rolls of 25'. Cut it for the windows. They can be removed during the day for a view, and put up at night when it gets cold.

8) Go to thrift shops and buy several small forced air electric heaters. Put one under the RV and one in each wet bay. The rest go in cold spots inside the RV. 5 or 6 of them should do it. Find an electric blanket for her bed. By far the best heating appliance for night. You are best to stay at an RV park that has 50-30-20 amp power towers. That way you can use extension cords and a dogbone for the heaters and thermotapes plugged into lines she's not using for the house itself.

9) Arrange for a 100 gallon propane tank from your local gas retailer. Have it installed and connected up to your RVs system. Yes, it's done all the time, but you might have trouble finding a qualified propane tech near where she's going to stay.

10) Maybe install one of these diesel heaters to get away from all the propane she's bound to use, eBay has them too: Heater...


11) Avoid Lil Buddy heaters at all costs. Those are for tents.


Have FUN! Winter camping can be complicated but it has it's enjoyable moments. The worst part is if the water hose or especially the slinky get mostly filled with ice and freeze to the ground. Almost impossible to get them loose without ruining them or spending hours working on it.
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Old 10-19-2020, 12:59 PM   #6
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After crawling over, under and through my RV I have determined this has a winter package. The basement is an insulated compartment with vents blowing down from each furnace to the fresh water bay and black/gray bay.
I still need to heat the inside of the water/sewer bay just in case the furnace vent is not enough. I fear this will be a main point of freezing. I have a remote temperature monitor coming for that area this week and a heated hose. I plan to lift my sewer hose off the ground and insulate it so it will not freeze.
I also plan to put insulation board around the bottom of the RV. Not sure how much this will help but all the cool kids are doing it in the RV park.
Definitely not as bad as I thought it was going to be.
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