Off-grid Winter RVing Question
Hi everyone, I have a 21 foot Toyota Dolphin that I'm planning to take on long ski weekends on Mt. Hood. Typical nighttime temps are in the low teens. Sometimes (thought rarely) single digits. Dayt...
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Some findings: The 30 gallon fresh water tank is mounted inside the RV, just below the sofa. It's easily accessible through a large cabinet drawer. Fresh water lines, and the water pump are also located at the front of this cabinet, just a few inches from the RV's living space. The floor is carpeted in that area, and it looks like there's an inch of polystyrene insulation at the back of the wall.
The hot water tank (6 gallons) is located inside the RV as well, and is mounted below the oven. It too is accessible through a cabinet.
The only tanks that are exposed to the elements are grey and black water.
Here's what I'm going to try. I've winterized the holding tanks by adding two gallons of anti-freeze. On a single 20lb tank of propane, the Big Buddy is rated at 220 hours (9 days) run time on low. That's approximately 5,000 BTUs. This weekend temps were in the mid-40s. Running the Big Buddy on medium (9,000 BTUs) quickly got the RV interior to the mid-80s. I'm hoping that by leaving those cabinets open and running a small 12v fan to circulate warm air into those compartments I'll be in good shape. I'll leave the Big Buddy on low while hitting the slopes. Temps on Mt. Hood are usually in the mid-20s and higher, so we shall see.
Incidentally, neither CO detector indicated anything above 0ppm. That was with two windows cracked to provide adequate fresh air.
This weekend I plan on parking for a night at Timberline Lodge, elevation 6,000ft. I'll keep everyone posted. I know RVs aren't intended for true winter use, but I'm too stubborn to let that stop me. :)
The hot water tank (6 gallons) is located inside the RV as well, and is mounted below the oven. It too is accessible through a cabinet.
The only tanks that are exposed to the elements are grey and black water.
Here's what I'm going to try. I've winterized the holding tanks by adding two gallons of anti-freeze. On a single 20lb tank of propane, the Big Buddy is rated at 220 hours (9 days) run time on low. That's approximately 5,000 BTUs. This weekend temps were in the mid-40s. Running the Big Buddy on medium (9,000 BTUs) quickly got the RV interior to the mid-80s. I'm hoping that by leaving those cabinets open and running a small 12v fan to circulate warm air into those compartments I'll be in good shape. I'll leave the Big Buddy on low while hitting the slopes. Temps on Mt. Hood are usually in the mid-20s and higher, so we shall see.
Incidentally, neither CO detector indicated anything above 0ppm. That was with two windows cracked to provide adequate fresh air.
This weekend I plan on parking for a night at Timberline Lodge, elevation 6,000ft. I'll keep everyone posted. I know RVs aren't intended for true winter use, but I'm too stubborn to let that stop me. :)
