Skirting fifth wheel

[whiteysax]

As I settle into my first winter as a full timer and learning as I go, I'm planning to skirt my 5er as I've deduced the major cause of chilly drafts is coming from the floors of my slides (around the couches in the front living room, around the bed in the bedroom and under the table in the kitchen).

Obviously, I'd like to avoid the thousands of dollars involved with professional custom fitting. I happened across EZ Snap skirting kits, but I'm not too keen on screwing studs into the body of my home and it would appear I'd still be spending $1500-2000 to wrap fully around my 40-ft rig AND 5 slides. I'd like to skirt it with a fabric material as opposed to insulated boards for storage reasons. I'm just not sure where I'd store boards should I need to.

I'm toying with the idea of custom fitting a skirt on my own using adhesive snaps. Has anyone had any success in outfitting your rig with a homemade skirt? Suggestions on skirting material?

[Almot]

There is no way to fasten it reliably to the rig without either building a frame underneath, or driving screws into the rig. Friction-fit foam will fly away in heavy winds. Suction cups will come off with time, and/or rubber will become brittle. Duct tape will turn into dust after one hot summer (and what will remain, will be a pain to clean off the rig).

If this is a permanent site - build a frame. Whatever you put on it, is not critical. Can be a block foam, can be plywood, can be discarded corrugated metal or fiberglass, pieces of siding, truck tarp - whatever you can get for cheap or free. Dissimilar pieces can be painted. Under the front you can put a piece of plywood on two hinges to make a shed for items not too valuable.

[nvreloader]

Here is what I did,
for my 28' Desert Fox TH RV that we use mostly in the colder weather
Works like a champ and down to -20* this year.

See info Here:
http://s1220.photobucket.com/user/Nvreloader/slideshow/

Tia,
Don

[scishawn1999]

i had the same problem in the winter with drafts and over use of propane as i wouldnt have a house with out siding on the underbelly, as a full time rver, drilling 100 holes and paying 1500 and up for a canvas skirt that once it stretches is like a wrinkled prune, also in the summer skirts help with cooling, and added storage, outasite outa mind kinda thing, anwser,,, rv-skirting-solutions, no holes, 1/3 the cost,

[Dtaylor]

I would use foam boards. They come in 4x8 sheets and easy to cut. Duct tape in place and even paint if you want. Any Lowes or Home Depot have them and are available in various thickness.

[campigloo]

I, thankfully, don't know much about the kind of temps most of you have to endure, but what about 6 mil visqueen taped to the sides with firewood to hold it down?

[houtrz]

The rv park I stayed at would not allow hay bales due to fire danger . I think they had a couple go up in flames and finally banned them

[houtrz]

I lived in my fifth wheel in Michigan then Ohio for four winters. Right before winter set in, I contacted a boat upholstery shop and he was going to make a custom fit skirt for my RV using Sunbrella fabric in my own color. He was going to sew in a pouch on the bottom so I could slide a 2x4 or some heavy item to keep the fabric down on the ground. He was going to mount a track system on my RV and the mating track sewn onto the fabric. It would be made in sections with those big plastic boat zippers to hold it all together. I had a thirty nine foot fiver and back in 2008 he quoted me $2,500. He was about to start the project and a bad cold front blew in and it stayed below freezing after that. His shop wasn't heated and it was to cold to work with the material so he didn't make it.

That left me in a bind so I ended up buying 1/2" extruded foam board (NOT the white bead foam board) in 4x8 sheets, some 2x4's, long nails (8 or 10" I think), roofing nails with those big plastic heads, some silver aluminum tape and a couple pieces of corner wall edging. It's basically a piece of angle iron made out of clear plastic.

I nailed the 2x4's to the ground all the way around the RV, then cut the foam board and taped it to the RV and used those roofing nails to nail it to the 2x4's. I usually ran at least a double layer of tape and triple in areas that might be weak in strong wind. On the back of the coach on the corners I taped those up real good but on the front over hang I used those plastic angle pieces to make the joint strong taping both the outside and inside seam. I even cut out a small door so I could store stuff in there. I would cut out a small door you can put a heat in if you ever have a freeze that will be done.

I experienced temperatures as low as -20 at night and it was hard but I made it. The one thing I highly recommend is to buy a couple of those Mr Buddy heaters and keep a case of one pound bottles on hand. I lost power plenty of times and my electric heat wouldn't work and my propane heat will only work until the battery goes dead. Yes you can use the stove for heat but you might run out of gas as well. When it's cold you will appreciate the little portable heaters. Yes I know its dangerous but when I flew back to Michigan and I had no power that was the best I could do in -20 temps so make sure your CO detector is working.

[John_Joey]

I would construct a 2x2 frame and friction fit it to the 5'ver and the ground. Maybe a brace here or there then 45 degree into the ground under the trailer. Insulation board on top of that, and if you're going for looks then a stucco on top. under the 5'ver I would run a string of lights or a barn heater on a switch. On the really chilly nights you could turn on the switch giving off some heat in the area below the trailer.

If you go to the big box store they already sell a foam board with stucco on it for the exposed outside of a house basement

[ferretgrandpa]

Remember that hay bales generally have lots of pests in them. Stacking them up next to your trailer makes it easier to infest your living space.
Other, better choices out there.

[SomedayisNow]

We bought awning material pieces that had small tears or dirt marks on them so they could not be sold for awnings. A good scrubbing and some awning patch tape took care of the holes & dirt. Commercial twist lock snaps for the top edge, eyelets & stakes for the bottom edge, and scissors to cut the material were sued to create the skirts for the bottom of our 5ver. It helped tremendously to cut the wind from under our unit in the winter. Our total was about $150 cost and has lasted 3 years. Will have to do some maintance this summer for next winter on the bottom edges but well worth the cost.

[whiteysax]

I'd have to stack a few bales to skirt my slides...

[TakingThe5th]

korbe wrote:

I have seen hay bales placed along the drip line and white plastic wrapped around the bales to give it a clean look.

More then a clean look, the plastic helps keep the hay dry and keeps the critter population down. Dry hay insulates better and smells less.

[westend]

I've used plywood, insulation board, and lately, insulated garage door panels. None of these were for full-timing. If I needed a solution that could be used for Winter and taken off easily, I'd be looking at concrete insulation blankets and snap fittings. There will still be some storage concerns.

[korbe]

whiteysax wrote:

stubblejumper wrote:

whiteysax wrote:

mdamerell wrote:
Hay bales ?????

But what would my horses eat?!

The Hay !! By the time spring rolls around it would be all cleaned up!!:B

Clever.... Now I just need some horses!

I have seen hay bales placed along the drip line and white plastic wrapped around the bales to give it a clean look.