Cold weather skirting around RV

[roller183]

I have a good list of materials for insulating the underbelly of the RV and plan on starting that project next week. After volumes of reading about cold weather/snow camping, skirting is one item thats said to help a bunch in keeping tanks/lines from freezing.

Dumb question. I priced skirting from a company that said 2000.00 for material type skirting. This should be the only winter I'll be trying this.

What other materials, not too pricey and acceptable to RV parks do folks use?

Thanks for your input.

Ed

[Merrykalia]

Probably this- according to whichever way you put it up. One side is silver and the other is styrofoam.

Foam board

[roller183]

I passed thru the RV park I want to stay at and saw a RV with what appeared to be Styrofoam and it looked good.What type of styro foam is this? I did not have time to stop and ask.

[nvreloader]

Roller 183

Here is what Imade for our 28' Desert Fox toyhauler, that we used for several months, lowest temp was -22* for a couple of weeks.

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

Have any questions, be glad to answer them or help up.

Tia,
Don

[drillking]

tioga28c wrote:
i have seen a supply water hose with a heat tape built in to keep your fresh water line from freezing . i think i seen it on camping world flyer

Spirit makes this heated water line. We do a lot of winter travel and I've used these on 3 fifth wheels so far. Excellent product. Most RV parts stores sell them.

[roller183]

Thanks for all the replies. This will be my first go at it in the snow. I'll let you know how it goes.

[Dirtclods]

I've always have had issues with the elephants waking us up while they're eating our hey.

[Dog_Folks]

korbe wrote:

Dog Folks wrote:

korbe wrote:

Dog Folks wrote:
Please do not use hay bales.

The fire hazard, and the odds of pest infestation too high.

Haven't heard of any fires nor increased pests.

Here you go:

Regarding pests, I only have 30 years of experience in the pest control field, and you?

Don't believe me. Goggle it.

Hey Dog Folks. Didn't say I didn't believe you. Just said I hadn't heard of any fires, nor increased pests. And "30 years in the pest control field". Wow. Got me there too. Oh boy.

Didn't mean to "slap" you. Sorry, no offense was intended at all. Just wanted to clarify so new members might not be mislead.

There are really only three things in this world that I am an expert at, and one of them is pest control.

I have seen wet hay bales under spontaneous combustion, No ignition source needed, and burn down a barn. Would not want any item that can catch on fire all by itself around my trailer. An RV will burn to the frame in mere minutes as it is.

[korbe]

Dog Folks wrote:

korbe wrote:

Dog Folks wrote:
Please do not use hay bales.

The fire hazard, and the odds of pest infestation too high.

Haven't heard of any fires nor increased pests.

Here you go:

Regarding pests, I only have 30 years of experience in the pest control field, and you?

Don't believe me. Goggle it.

Hey Dog Folks. Didn't say I didn't believe you. Just said I hadn't heard of any fires, nor increased pests. And "30 years in the pest control field". Wow. Got me there too. Oh boy.

[Dog_Folks]

korbe wrote:

Dog Folks wrote:
Please do not use hay bales.

The fire hazard, and the odds of pest infestation too high.

Haven't heard of any fires nor increased pests.

Here you go:

Regarding pests, I only have 30 years of experience in the pest control field, and you?

Don't believe me. Goggle it.

[newman_fulltime]

korbe wrote:

Dog Folks wrote:
Please do not use hay bales.

The fire hazard, and the odds of pest infestation too high.

Haven't heard of any fires nor increased pests.

mice love warm hay bales in the winter

[korbe]

Dog Folks wrote:
Please do not use hay bales.

The fire hazard, and the odds of pest infestation too high.

Haven't heard of any fires nor increased pests.

[boogie_4wheel]

My TH has an open belly and exposed holding tanks. I added 120V Ultra-Heat stick on heaters to my grey and black tanks. I added the Home Depot/Lowes Frost King heat cable to my exposed hot & cold water lines that runs side-side between the two tanks, then covered the lines with foam pipe insulation. I bought the heat cable a few feet longer than needed then taped it to the drain lines of the holding tanks in a loop, then wrapped with leftover fiberglass housing insulation then wrapped with heavy plastic.

I skirted my trailer with the thinnest OSB I could get. I backed it with 1" foam insulation (the stuff with the foil on one side). My trailer does not have an overhang/skirt along the sides. I cut ~6" pieces of 2x4 and screwed them along the floor with them being inset slightly from the edge. I screwed the OSB/insulation to the 2x4s, so the outer edge of the OSB is inline with the outer edge of the trailer. Any holes around the skirting (tongue rails, entry steps, ect) I filled with pieces of a foam mattress; squeeze it up and stuff it in the hole and it expands and reduces air flow.

My fresh water hose got a length of the Frost King heat cable and covered with foam pipe insulation.

My trailer did just fine in -20*F temperatures last winter. The OSB looks like******since it has been exposed to the elements for 12-13mo now, but I never planned on being in the same spot this long. If I would have known I would have been hanging around longer, I would have painted that stuff. It is starting to bow and curl in some spots. I must say I'm on a gravel pad so I dug down a couple inches and stuck the sheets down in the ditch and then backfilled to hold the bottom of the sheets in place.

All this cost me maybe $300. Cost is just OSB and foam (however many sheets you need, and depending on how you frame and attach, a few 2x4s). My neighbor just did his 37' FW just like I did, but he is painting his OSB so it will hopefully last longer, as he plans on staying for a few years.

[DutchmenSport]

It might be the most dangerous (fire and insects), but hay bails are probably the best for insulation value. One of the coziest places I've been are inside barns, in the loft, surrounded by hay bails when it's 20 degrees below zero outside. Been there, done that!

An option might be to use styrofoam form board sold at any home improvement store. Attach to a sheet of plywood, cut to the height of the camper from the ground and surround the camper.

But I think (really), the material itself is not so important. You could use sheets of bare tin. The real secret is to get it secured tight from any possible wind blowing through any cracks or gaps. If you can make it air tight, that's what's really important.

If you've ever had a chance to see what types of underskirting is used in mobile homes, you'll be amazed to find most are just aluminum siding. Some go fancy and put fiberglass insulation attached to the inside of the aluminum. But mostly, that's about all they do.

[korbe]

I have seen hay bales placed along the underside edge. And to spruce it up, cheap tarp strips were tacked up to hide the bales.