Is it worth putting a 60 wt light blub in the underbelly of my fiver to keep the holding tank area a little warmer? I have a sealed underbelly and I know there's a small ducting hose off the furnace that goes down there but there are times when its parked I don't turn on the gas/furance. I thought some one told me a single 60 wt blub in 20-30 deg weather would keep that area above the freezing mark. Any one try this? Any mods out there? After dark I could see where my holes are also! LOLJust wonder what others have done for that 20-30 deg weather...thanks!

One year I did put 100W lamp with a heat shade in the basement to keep the holding tanks and potable water from freezing when i didn't winterize the MH. I can't tell you what temp the bays were but the tanks never froze. N6RGM

Yeah that's what I thinking about. I want to put some water in and check out everything but not leave the furnish on all night. We are prep'ing it to go out....I'm thinking like a shielded drop light or something like that..Thanks, Rick

I would purchase one of these rather than using a light bulb. You can wrap sensitive areas if you need to.Electric pipe wrap

I don't think a heat source in the basement of your fiver will do anything for the tanks. My furnace ducts run underfloor and give some heat to the tanks.

Another idea is to use an infrared heat lamp controlled by a thermostatic heat cube. That way, it only comes on when temps are near freezing, off at 45f You save power, infrared produces a lot more heat than incandescent. best of both..

Heating Underbelly of Fifth Wheel | Good Sam Community

SeaDog_BRR
Explorer
Jan 24, 2016
One year I did put 100W lamp with a heat shade in the basement to keep the holding tanks and potable water from freezing when i didn't winterize the MH. I can't tell you what temp the bays were but the tanks never froze. N6RGM
rreynold51
Explorer
Jan 24, 2016
Yeah that's what I thinking about. I want to put some water in and check out everything but not leave the furnish on all night. We are prep'ing it to go out....I'm thinking like a shielded drop light or something like that..

Thanks, Rick
Artum_Snowbird
Explorer
Jan 25, 2016
I would purchase one of these rather than using a light bulb. You can wrap sensitive areas if you need to.

Electric pipe wrap
joebedford
Nomad II
Jan 25, 2016
I don't think a heat source in the basement of your fiver will do anything for the tanks. My furnace ducts run underfloor and give some heat to the tanks.
SDcampowneroper
Explorer
Jan 25, 2016
Another idea is to use an infrared heat lamp controlled by a thermostatic heat cube. That way, it only comes on when temps are near freezing, off at 45f You save power, infrared produces a lot more heat than incandescent. best of both..
time2roll
Nomad
Jan 25, 2016
Have you measured the temperature in the bay? Might be warmer than you think.
Otherwise I recommend a regular heat pad for the tank.
www.ultraheat.com
rreynold51
Explorer
Jan 27, 2016
Local temps get down to around mid 20's some nights..but up to 50's during the day. I think I have a remote sensor for a thermometer I can put down there to monitor what the temp gets too. The furnace running at 60 in the RV will keep it above freezing down there..but again prefer not to use furnace when we are just sitting at the house with water in the tanks.
mlts22
Explorer
Jan 27, 2016
One idea I've been thinking, assuming that I can put the heater on a GFCI and I am convinced that the heater would not get wet, of putting a Vornado, or other high powered fan heater underneath, something that does a lot of warm air. Set it to 750 watts (with the temperature set to 50 degrees or as low it can go), and it would keep that area well warm enough to prevent freezing.

Downside is the electrical wattage spent on that, which isn't inexpensive, as it adds up... but may be cheaper than the propane or electric needed to run the rig's furnace.
rjsurfer
Explorer
Jan 28, 2016
Doesn't the Coroplast underbelly liner lay up against the cross beams? I'm thinking that they do and sort of separate the underbelly into different sections making a single heat source ineffective?

I put a hundred watt light bulb in my front storage compartment by the way and it keeps that area and all the water pipes nice and toasty. I had one of those yellow temp control switches that turn on at 36 degrees or so but I never could get one that worked reliably. China junk. I just open up the hatch for the laundry chute and turn the light on manually.

Ron W.
RJsfishin
Explorer
Jan 28, 2016
I run a 60 watt bulb in the water pump/holding tank area, and another on the other side at the WH, both connected to a timer....off in the daytime.
Then inside the RV I run a 500 watt heater along w/ an indicator lite hanging in the window, both connected to a thermostat "CUBE" 35-45 deg.
Never a problem in 15 deg weather