Using the Cabover in Freezing weather
I have to remove the camper from the truck, and I will have 110VAC plug in available. But I'm worried about my 12 gal tank of water freezing. I know the Daytime temps will be low 40s, but after a...
Forum Discussion
Portland probably will not be getting all that cold this winter.
Last winter, the only 'cold' days where in December, where it reached 15F for a couple of nights, and then got warmer. It was only icy on the roads and snowed on a Thursday, Friday, and by Monday the roads where clear. But that one weekend was covered with ice.
I work at a retirement center in Lake Oswego, and keep track of the temperatures, as I fix the heaters and cooling systems. I also need to shovel snow, if it happens. But this winter, while we did have a couple of days below 30, it was sunny and very clear at night, no rain those days.
If you keep the electric heater on, I don't think you will have a problem with freezing. You might want to 'warm up' the RV with the furnace before leaving for the day, as it will help keep the water warm. Yet as long as the electric heater is keeping it above 55F, you do not need to worry about the water tank freezing.
As for heating, when I lived in my 30' Bounder in the winter of 2007/8, I had 3 electric heaters, and ran the furnace when I would get home for only a short time. It is less expensive to run the electric heaters, even when I was paying $0.10 per KW for power.
It takes 22 KW to make 80,000 Btu's. This cost $2.20 at the RV park I was in. Or you can burn 1 gallon of propane (95,000 Btu's) and lose a little heat through the heat exchanger, and still get 80,000 Btu's. 1 gallon cost about $2.99 the last time I checked. It is easier to get the electric back to the RV too!
I only froze my water pump once. I was driving from Battle Ground to Portland, and the air was 26F. Because the cold air goes right into the basement while driving, it froze everything. I was able to quickly thaw out the pump without any damage, by using a 800 watt heater near the water tank/ pump area. I left that heater set at 55F for a couple of months, to keep the tank warm, and heat the basement too.
I never had any other problems that winter. My furnace has a heat duct to the basement, and it is designed to not freeze, and I never had a problem camping at 19F when out in the desert dry camping, because I like to keep my RV around 65F. I have a larger solar system to keep the battery full while camping.
I did buy Reflex insulation - mainly to block out light, but also for it's insulation quality. It has a R-4 insulation rating, and I can cover all my windows, and especially the front windshield. It is 12' long and 40" tall! Some was left over to put under my mattress, where I store the window size pieces while traveling. I guess it helps insulate the bed from the cold below it.
Good luck!
Fred.
Last winter, the only 'cold' days where in December, where it reached 15F for a couple of nights, and then got warmer. It was only icy on the roads and snowed on a Thursday, Friday, and by Monday the roads where clear. But that one weekend was covered with ice.
I work at a retirement center in Lake Oswego, and keep track of the temperatures, as I fix the heaters and cooling systems. I also need to shovel snow, if it happens. But this winter, while we did have a couple of days below 30, it was sunny and very clear at night, no rain those days.
If you keep the electric heater on, I don't think you will have a problem with freezing. You might want to 'warm up' the RV with the furnace before leaving for the day, as it will help keep the water warm. Yet as long as the electric heater is keeping it above 55F, you do not need to worry about the water tank freezing.
As for heating, when I lived in my 30' Bounder in the winter of 2007/8, I had 3 electric heaters, and ran the furnace when I would get home for only a short time. It is less expensive to run the electric heaters, even when I was paying $0.10 per KW for power.
It takes 22 KW to make 80,000 Btu's. This cost $2.20 at the RV park I was in. Or you can burn 1 gallon of propane (95,000 Btu's) and lose a little heat through the heat exchanger, and still get 80,000 Btu's. 1 gallon cost about $2.99 the last time I checked. It is easier to get the electric back to the RV too!
I only froze my water pump once. I was driving from Battle Ground to Portland, and the air was 26F. Because the cold air goes right into the basement while driving, it froze everything. I was able to quickly thaw out the pump without any damage, by using a 800 watt heater near the water tank/ pump area. I left that heater set at 55F for a couple of months, to keep the tank warm, and heat the basement too.
I never had any other problems that winter. My furnace has a heat duct to the basement, and it is designed to not freeze, and I never had a problem camping at 19F when out in the desert dry camping, because I like to keep my RV around 65F. I have a larger solar system to keep the battery full while camping.
I did buy Reflex insulation - mainly to block out light, but also for it's insulation quality. It has a R-4 insulation rating, and I can cover all my windows, and especially the front windshield. It is 12' long and 40" tall! Some was left over to put under my mattress, where I store the window size pieces while traveling. I guess it helps insulate the bed from the cold below it.
Good luck!
Fred.
