Community Forums

mojoracing · 03-04-2017, 07:34 AM

Several weeks ago, there were a few folks who asked about whether or not their Bounder could make it through some cold winter weather. Well, I can now answer that question with a resounding YES! I have spent the last nine days in my Bounder located in northern Wisconsin. I am about 30 miles north of the Dells and temps have been as low as 4 degrees with the average being somewhere around 21 degrees at night. Other than attaching an external propane tank, I did little else to prepare for the cold. I did run the fireplace to supplement the furnace and between the two, the coach was toasty warm. The coach was full of water the entire nine days and I used the plumbing system as normal.

At first I was a bit wary of filling the coach with water but this was a perfect time to test the system in the cold as I had a back up plan should something go wrong. I was staying in the rv at our manufacturing facility so if it did start to freeze up, I had the option of pulling it into our heated loading docks but that never became necessary. The coach survived 4 degree temps, stiff winds and 8 inches of snow during the 9 days and did it all comfortably. So for all of you that want to try a little winter camping, I say go for it! Your Bounder is up to the task.

sbleiweiss · 03-04-2017, 07:39 AM

Helpful report. Thanks. What kind of electric were you hooked up to?

mojoracing · 03-04-2017, 03:19 PM

Thats the funny part, I haven't had time to have our shop forreman install a 50a outlet for me yet. Heck, not even a 30a. I was only plugged into a regular 20a 110 outlet. If I wanted to run the microwave, I had to shut the fireplace down.

House Husband · 03-04-2017, 03:20 PM

When John Crean designed the original Bounder in 1985, cold weather survival was one of the requirements. My 95 Bounder has survived -7 degrees F for one night. Glad your Bounder works in cold weather.

Richard

KF5UMC · 03-04-2017, 05:00 PM

Regardless who designed what...did your run a indoor cold water facet to keep the outside water source from freezing up? Amazing how many snowbirds go south (yes it freezes in the south or southwest!) and find they have no water inside the coach!

mojoracing · 03-04-2017, 10:30 PM

No I did not run the water all night. I was working off the tank and the pump. Worked fine. Im sure it would have been fine if I was hooked to water and used a heated hose.

KF5UMC · 03-05-2017, 03:34 AM

Several folks have the electric heated water hose here in Tombstone AZ. When the temp dropped to <27 degrees over night, the hose bib / spigot froze up and the water valve could not be turned. The solution was to pour hot water over the spigot to free up the water handle/valve. Yet we just stream the indoor cold water and no problems and no heated water hoses to lug around!

mchero · 03-09-2017, 08:45 PM

Spent many night below zero in our rig w/o issues. Had to put an electric heaterin the water bay ( no hookups).
Cold weather down here in the S.W. was no issue.
Did install a ventless propane heater and will never go back to inefficient RV furnaces.

mojoracing · 03-09-2017, 09:07 PM

A few winters ago, I tried to subsidize the rv furnace with a buddy heater. They work well and certainly save on propane but I always worry about being overcome by fumes. My heater has a low oxygen cutoff, but I still worry. If you crack a window in low temperatures, it kind of defeats the purpose.

**NLOVNIT** · 03-09-2017, 10:53 PM

We got caught by a cold front one fall trip with temps diving into the low 30's & wind chills well into the teens. Pulled in the slides to conserve on heating space & our Bounder did just fine for the 1.5 days/nights until a warm front came through & warmed it back up to the 50's.

Wouldn't hesitate to winter camp in a Bounder.

Lori-

mchero · 03-10-2017, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mojoracing

A few winters ago, I tried to subsidize the rv furnace with a buddy heater. They work well and certainly save on propane but I always worry about being overcome by fumes. My heater has a low oxygen cutoff, but I still worry. If you crack a window in low temperatures, it kind of defeats the purpose.

As may of you know these RV's are not very "air tight", especially if you have multiple slides.
Propane heater or not we always keep one window cracked (for fresh air) and one roof vent cracked (to get rid of moisture).
Many people out here running ventless propane heaters. We sell/install many during the winter season here in Quartzsite.

z3406 · 03-10-2017, 09:52 AM

First night I was in this coach we went out to eat dinner when we came back from dinner the water hose and spigot pipe were frozen solid. Next morning I had to get a space heater out to thaw the water spigot to disconnect. Next time I was at Harbor Freight I bought one of their inexpensive electric heat guns, now no worry about a frozen water connection. Did I mention that it's pretty difficult to draw water thru a frozen hose? Now if there is even a hint of cold in the air I fill the fresh water tank completely as soon as I get the coach set up. Can't flush a toilet or take a shower with an empty water tank and frozen hoses.
If it's going to get below 32 degrees your built in propane furnace is a must. It provides heat to the basement areas and protects your plumbing and tanks system from freeze damage.
I don' know how effective this will be on your coach but with mine if I leave the dash vent system set to draw outside air( not recycle) I turn on one of the roof vent exhaust fans I can feel the fan drawing air thru the vents in the front of the coach. If I'm only using one roof vent fan I don't bother to open any windows for an air source.

mchero · 03-10-2017, 05:57 PM

Our wet bay is indeed heated BUT the heater register is on the curb side and water valves and such on the street side! In extreme cold I run the risk of frozen pipes!
If I where to head back into such temperatures I'd have to put a bulb or heater on the street as side. If I was real ambitious I'd install a 2nd register on that side.

mojoracing · 03-11-2017, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mchero

Our wet bay is indeed heated BUT the heater register is on the curb side and water valves and such on the street side! In extreme cold I run the risk of frozen pipes!
If I where to head back into such temperatures I'd have to put a bulb or heater on the street as side. If I was real ambitious I'd install a 2nd register on that side.

I too worried about this but I make sure that when cold weather is coming, I dissconnect the hose and work off the tank. I also make sure that the cover is over the opening for the sewer hose and the electric cord so that cold air cant get in the compartment. Even at 12 degrees, I have never had the compartment freeze up and have never used an extra heat source. The register on the curb side eventually gets some warm air back to the tank area. if you look closely, there are openings between some compartments as well as openings to the main raceway that lead back to that area. Fleetwood installed louvered vent covers on the openings between my compartments and I had never noticed them. Make sure you dont have anything blocking them. They are near the top in the back of a couple of them.