Class A for winter

[CARBONE]

Hi All
Need a class A 30-35' to live in for next winter, can not use a trailer NEED TO MOVE ONCE A MONTH, CITY LAW, WHAT MAKE WOULD BE BEST.
TEMPS DOWN TO TEENS, COMPLETE HOUSE RENOVATION, WILL LOOK AT CRAG'S LIST Etc. know pretty much what i need to do, water wast Etc.
Thanks
AL

[mowermech]

Having "wintered over" twice in Montana, once in a Class A and once in a fifth wheel, I can say from experience that there are NO "must haves"!
However, there ARE some things that are "good ideas".
In a Class A (and, to a certain extent, in a fifth wheel), skirting is a good idea. I used Reflectix aluminized bubble wrap insulation to skirt the Class A, plus I covered the grill and windshield. It turned out to be a VERY good idea!
It is also a good idea to get a large propane cylinder or tank. I used a 100 lb. cylinder for the Class A, and leased an 80 gallon tank for the fifth wheel. Of course, the 100 lb. cylinder is more portable, but hauling it to be filled was a pain!
I found that making the water line out of hard copper tubing was another good idea, then installing heat tapes and wrapping it with pipe insulation eliminated freezing problems.
Apparently, the hot water running through the sewer lines prevented freezing, and/or the snow insulated it adequately. We never had a freeze problem there, either.
When we encountered a cold draft, we hung a blanket from the Thrift Store over it. that worked.
While we had an electric heater, we rarely used it.
"Wintering over" requires planning and thought and common sense.
Yes, it CAN be done, HAS been done, and WILL BE done again by somebody.
Good luck.

[bluwtr49]

Dick_B wrote:
Wet blanket here...Have you considered those long term motel rooms? I would be chicken to stay in any RV in the winter since we had our water lines freeze one year on the way back from Florida in January.

Bear in mind that a Class A is totally different than your towable. There aren't any exposed water lines since they all follow the frame rails inside the bays. Much more difficult to freeze anything while it's occupied, even traveling.

[Billinwoodland]

My Monaco Monarch has a heated wet bay and double pane windows. I have not had the opportunity to test it in cold weather, but will have the opportunity next fall. BTW, one dealer told me that most of the newer Mohos have pcv pipes that can expand and resist freezing. I never confirmed that statement, but if part of my mission was being in real cold climates for an extended length of time, it might be worth exploring coaches with freeze resistant plumbing.

[Dick_B]

Wet blanket here...Have you considered those long term motel rooms? I would be chicken to stay in any RV in the winter since we had our water lines freeze one year on the way back from Florida in January.

[bluwtr49]

If you look at coaches with hydronic heating systems...Hurricane, hydohot, and etc you will by default get heated water bays. Usually these are only found on higher end coaches which are also just better built for cold weather.

Temps in the teens are really not that cold so you should have a lot of options. We use the fresh water tank and only use the outside hose to fill periodically so that's not a problem.

[wa8yxm]

Most Class A's with enclosed tanks are rated for down to 20 degrees

For lower temps (Teens) you can add heat to the wet bay.. 3 options

1: Small heater
2: Peal and stick heat panels that attach to the tank
and the option I chose is:
3: Lights.. On my rig there is a gap between the bottom of the fresh tank and the bottom of the compartment.. I put a string of C-9 Incandascent Christmas tree lamps in there.. These are the old "Outdoor" type 9 watts per lamp = about 270 watts for the string.

I put a 100watt lamp in the other end (Waste end) of the pass through bay

Since doing that I have had one day where one pipe froze (And thawed with no damage) it was like 11 degrees that night.

I have had outside lines freeze several times.. So my fresh hose is also light up with a string of incandescent rope lights duct taped to it

All lights are controlled by thermostats Plug adapters sold for eves de-icers and pipe heat tapes and stock tank heaters at Lowes, home Depot, Farm & Fleet type stores.

[rgatijnet1]

I agree that Holiday Rambler is a good choice as are any of the Monaco brands built in 2003 or before. I say 2003 only because in 2004 the Monaco brands shifted to fiberglass insulation in the sidewalls rather than the foam insulation, which is much better in cold humid climates. Dual pane windows are also great. Also as mentioned, 50 amp service is preferred. We travel mostly in the Winter and temps to zero and below have been no problem for us. We keep the fresh water tank close to full at all times and only hook up to the shore facilities to empty our black and gray tanks and to top off the water tank. If temps are really going to get low and stay there for awhile we use a thermostatically controlled 100 watt incandescent light bulb in the wet bay to keep the water lines and pump free from ice.
Many people will say that if you use your furnace, it will keep the water lines from freezing. That may very well be true but we very seldom will use our furnace and rely on electric heater and a heat pump unit. This has worked well for us in many years of Winter traveling in the Western mountains.

[John_Joey]

Double pane windows will be a must. 50amp to run a couple of heaters will also be nice. Heated floor would be super, but probably won't be possible.

Since you're just looking for a temp home, I'm thinking a Holiday Rambler would be a good choice and can be found at a fair price. They seem to be well insulated for a MH.