High-altitude, no-hookup, winter RV heating

A 2000 watt Honda or Yamaha Inverter generator is very quiet and efficient. We use ours to recharge our batteries. Run it for an hour in the Am and an hour the Pm. That's all it takes. Then you can run your furnace.

wasatchion wrote:
I really like the idea of an indoor propane heater that has an exhaust out the roof. We have a few vents we might be able to use for that. Westend----do you have any photos of that setup?

Sportsman rating plate:


Sportsman heater top, exhaust Class B flue, fresh air pipe for flue make up air:


Class B flue top and cap:


Picture of roof with flue taped off for applying roof paint:

westend wrote:

hilandfrog wrote:
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BTW, Repo, how's Diddums? I know you said you were moving so hope you can get some time in on the old girl. :)

1 and 1/2 sides on... Should be picking up a few more used big rig trailer siding pieces tomorrow to finish up the passenger side. Once it is Mouse proof Diddums will be pulled down to the barn to get front and rear metal and then new rubber roof, cut in vents and weld on new ball hitch as the one we have is sucky sucky broken.
Not soon enough is the short answer, but I did get 4 hours in tonight :)

Repo

If the only access is by snowmobile, how did you get the trailer up there?

Yeah, a really good life insurance policy... Good luck with your adventure.

Thanks for all your replies guys, this has been very, very helpful so far.

RE water/waste: We won't be using any water or RV toilet facilities. Totally drained and anti-freezed. We will pack-in drinking water and use an outhouse for bathroom facilities. No showers.

RE enclosing/insulating the carport: Too expensive and too late in the season. We can only bring up things that can be packed in or carried on a snowmobile. Maybe next year.

RE snow: There is at least 6 feet of distance from each side of the RV to the perimeter of the carport. We are hoping this means no snow will accumulate near the sides of the RV.

RE 10x10 building: Yes, this would probably be the best option starting from scratch. However we use this property for RV storage and don't want to have to build another structure.

I really like the idea of an indoor propane heater that has an exhaust out the roof. We have a few vents we might be able to use for that. Westend----do you have any photos of that setup?

So far I have decided to attach 2x100 watt solar panels to our single battery, along with a charge controller. The panels will be placed under the carport pointed south so that snow will not accumulate on the panels. I'm hoping that these will keep the batteries 'topped-up' while we are away.

I will also leave our Durastar 4000watt generator that we bought from Amazon for $225 (generator) there to charge up the batteries if/when it dies and also as a backup. The generator has been converted with a kit from USCARB to run on propane. As a backup-backup, I will keep a few of those personal heaters that run off 1lb disposable propane tanks.

I think the best, and simplest option is westend's option. A close second would be to replace the blown-air furnace with a simple propane-only heater, but it is too late in the season to do that.

Any other suggestions guys?

B.O. Plenty wrote:
Why not enclose and insulate the carport then put in a good wood stove and forget about using the trailer..

B.O.

I've never done anything like your asking. But, this suggestion seems to make since to me.

hilandfrog wrote:
Seems like putting a SMALL wood burning stove in the camper would do the most good. the RV is warm and you get to chop some wood:)

Use a separate tank for toilet only, basically plumb in a 5 gallon RV anti-freeze tank to flush with.

Place covers over every window/ vent. you aren't using for light, plug up refrigerator roof vent make new vent into cabin, reverse for summer. I'm not referring to the combustion venting from propane usage in cooling.

hey bales work great for wind blocking around RV also provide great home for mice:(
I'd build a "mud room" or hot/ cold storage area so each time one oped the door it wasn't direct vent to outdoors.

Repo

I'm liking that mud room idea, maybe just a tent room if a guy couldn't build a structure. The OP says he has "ski access" so don't know if that means on the end of a trail or right off the parking lot.
For skirting, I've used plywood, foam board, and my latest, insulated aluminum garage door panels. The latter can be spendy, I got them for free.
About heaters and venting: I installed a non-electric propane heater, Sportsman brand that is no longer made. It is basically a gas ring inside a metal barrel. It is vented through the roof with a 3" Class B flue. I've always installed a heater like this with combustion air piped in from the outside. What I did discover was that the opening in the bottom of the stack draws 4 times the amount of air going out the stack from combustion. That 4 times amount has to be made up from somewhere and, in a trailer, it comes in every pinhole and door/window crack, resulting in a negative cabin pressure. This time, I installed another 1 1/2" pipe from the outside that connects to the bottom of the stack to provide for that incidental make up air. The Sportsman is now in it's third camping rig and performs just like expected, lots of heat and low propane consumption.

BTW, Repo, how's Diddums? I know you said you were moving so hope you can get some time in on the old girl. :)

Seems like putting a SMALL wood burning stove in the camper would do the most good. the RV is warm and you get to chop some wood:)

Use a separate tank for toilet only, basically plumb in a 5 gallon RV anti-freeze tank to flush with.

Place covers over every window/ vent. you aren't using for light, plug up refrigerator roof vent make new vent into cabin, reverse for summer. I'm not referring to the combustion venting from propane usage in cooling.

hey bales work great for wind blocking around RV also provide great home for mice:(
I'd build a "mud room" or hot/ cold storage area so each time one oped the door it wasn't direct vent to outdoors.

Repo

You mention you have an awning rated for the snow load - but how deep does the snow get? Will you be able to open the door to the trailer if it's burried under several feet of snow?

Solar panels are a great idea- but how will how keep the snow off of them? If you visit infrequently, you may find them burried under snow and your batteries frozen solid.

Remember that battery capacity is reduced by cold temperatures. You will want a good size battery bank - maybe 4 six volts wired in series parallel.