Class C in driveway storage, extreme cold

[cherv]

Hi, does anyone use portable heater during storage when temp. In single digits? Unit is winterized and plugged into shore power all winter. Never had a problem in prevoius winters but really cold this week.

[Ron Dittmer]

Really cold?

I recall someone sharing a picture a year or two ago of their new-ish rig he stored outside. He went inside his rig sometime after an extreme cold snap to find his vinyl floor had split lengthwise from the cab up front all the way through to the back. Apparently it split because the entire interior was constructed on top of the vinyl, preventing it from contract evenly.

I would place a tiny electric cube heater inside and set it to the middle 750w-1000w setting. Also open every cabinet and bathroom door to allow the heat to travel throughout. Place the heater on the floor on top of a 12" patio block for safety sake.

It's cheap insurance.

[Kahoona]

As long as you have winterized the plumbing a heater inside won't make any difference. Other than the plumbing the only other vulnerable items are outside anyway. I would be careful when going inside because some things like plastic can be brittle when they are really cold. Space heaters always carry a small risk of fire and should not be left alone for long periods of time.



Others may have more information for you. Just my opinion.

[NRR]

My winterized class C is in the driveway plugged in also. I will check the batteries the next time the temp gets up close to freezing. Never had a problem. They say -1F tonight.

[Kahoona]

Originally Posted by Ron Dittmer

Really cold?

I recall someone sharing a picture a year or two ago of their new-ish rig he stored outside. He went inside his rig sometime after an extreme cold snap to find his vinyl floor had split lengthwise from the cab up front all the way through to the back. Apparently it split because the entire interior was constructed on top of the vinyl, preventing it from contract evenly.

I would place a tiny electric cube heater inside and set it to the middle 750w-1000w setting. Also open every cabinet and bathroom door to allow the heat to travel throughout. Place the heater on the floor on top of a 12" patio block for safety sake.

It's cheap insurance.

I like the patio block idea. Also make sure it is UL listed

[lakerider]

I like the idea of adding a heater also to protect flooring and other things.

I would get a marine heater which is bilge safe, they are made to not overheat and have ignition protection built in. They are typically around 400 watts.

An added plus is that they tend to be "Thermostat Controlled".

Many, many marinas use them in the engine compartments of boats.

Richard

[Capt Steve]

We recently moved from Tucson up to Payson at 5,000'. One of my main reasons was to find a property where I could store all of our toys {Car, truck, Class C, Cargo trailer, Rzr SXS and my Can Am Spyder} on the property and the .57 acre that our new home sits on fills that bill nicely.

We were hoping to get some snow {be careful what you wish for} and we sure got it last week starting on Saturday. Sunday afternoon we had 6" which by morning was well over a foot. Got up Tuesday to 2'+ and the temp was 18 degrees.

I park our 24' Class C {2012 Nexus Phantom} in our south driveway and I had winterized it a couple of months ago. I drained all fresh water from the coach and all the traps and black and grey tanks have RV antifreeze{oh, I restocked the bar as well}.

I bought a decent quality AC heater, 1300/1500 watt that came with a thermostat controller and run it on 1300 with the fan activated thermostat set down to 60 degrees. Cabinets and drawers are cracked open and on the really cold nights I turn on the tank heaters. On Tuesday I ran the 35,000 BTU furnace for a couple of hours more for the exercise than the heat and the coach is staying fairly comfortable with no worries about damage.

I had an electrician hard wire in a dedicated 30 a mp outlet so the coach always has AC. The 2' of snow on top is slowly melting but probably will be there for at least another week as we have an other storm coming in tomorrow afternoon with 3"+ forecast. I run the generator a couple of times a month for an hour or so with a decent load on it and also fire up the V-10 on a regular basis. I used my big garage compressor 135 psi {it is on wheels} to top up the tires a month ago and keep 25 psi in the air bags.

Works for me...

[Dave-Oh]

I have 30 amp outlet, coach is plugged in, and I have a 400 watt oil-filled heater inside. I wouldn't like the vinyl to split....

actually, I have to great rationale, but I don't think extremes of temperatures are good for the cabinets. just trying to keep the edge off, I guess.

[gorgeguy]

I currently have a class C on order and have Tiffin Alegro Bus. I keep it plugged into a 30A service but have to check my house batteries every month or two since there is water evaporation from charging all the time. So if you are plugged in I suggest checking you battery fluid level unless you have a sealed type of battery.

[Jim.B1]

If an RV has been properly winterized, I question why it would be necessary to add supplemental heat during the winter months.
RV's are sold and stored at dealership lots all over North America and they are not heated during the winter, nor are cars or trucks in dealership lots.
Freight trucks ship LED TV's, radios and other electronics throughout the winter in non-heated trucks.
I leave my RV plugged into a dedicated 30-amp receptacle beside the RV to keep the batteries charged over the winter, but do not understand the purpose or advantage of heating an unattended RV, providing it has been properly winterized?
I live in Ontario, Canada and have experienced sub freezing temperatures each year, and have never had any negative experiences with either RV's or Boats being stored outside without heat during the winter period.
I'm not suggesting anyone is wrong in doing so, personally, I have never seen the need for it.

[cherv]

You are right ,in 30 yrs of rving i have never had a freezing issue. Must be my ageing factor 80 this yr, tend to worry about everything and everything little thing becomes a chore.. Thanks from ontario and happy camping this yr...