Insulating the Tanks
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Joined: Oct 2015
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From: Wyoming
Well geez, when you throw down a challenge like that... 
I'll have to see if there are any water lines exposed beneath the floor. I haven't had the trailer long enough to get a good look at what is on the underside.
I'll have to see if there are any water lines exposed beneath the floor. I haven't had the trailer long enough to get a good look at what is on the underside.
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Joined: Jan 2010
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From: Bristol, TN.
When it comes to system design, there is perhaps no system in an RV that is designed more poorly and with less fore thought than the forced air heating system. I say this coming from an age when HVAC folks were called tin benders because ductwork was still formed up from sheets of metal. In RVs the heat outlets are few in number and poorly spaced, the furnaces generate considerable noise levels in many models, and there are few folks who winter in them without complaint, unless ample stocks of alcohol are involved. 
If winter camping is something you truly intend on a regular basis, I would recommend changing ductwork where possible (I just finished on ours forming lengths of duct and extending a run). I would figure out what I was going to use to cover the windows. And I would give considerable thought to what I was going to feed that "propane pig" called a furnace as it will blow through about a gallon of propane for every three hours of operation. The next for AC or DC power in quantity goes without saying.
If I were winter camping only occasionally, I do not think you have to do anything at all.
Steve
If winter camping is something you truly intend on a regular basis, I would recommend changing ductwork where possible (I just finished on ours forming lengths of duct and extending a run). I would figure out what I was going to use to cover the windows. And I would give considerable thought to what I was going to feed that "propane pig" called a furnace as it will blow through about a gallon of propane for every three hours of operation. The next for AC or DC power in quantity goes without saying.
If I were winter camping only occasionally, I do not think you have to do anything at all.
Steve
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From: Frederick, MD
For winter camping I use two space heaters, one at each end of the 5th wheel.
Have to be careful as they do draw a lot of amps. I am running residential wiring in mine.
I also do not leave them on if unattended.
Between the two space heaters and the fireplace I generally can maintain a balmy 74F with no propane useage during the day in outside temps in the teens.
Have to be careful as they do draw a lot of amps. I am running residential wiring in mine.
I also do not leave them on if unattended.
Between the two space heaters and the fireplace I generally can maintain a balmy 74F with no propane useage during the day in outside temps in the teens.
Last edited by senix; May 26, 2016 at 08:23 AM. Reason: Bolded letters
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From: Wyoming
LOL! I don't think I've ever been at a campground where electric was available. To this point I've been a tent camper. Think boondocker without a trailer. So a hookup for the space heaters didn't even occur to me. Using space heaters when you have shore power makes complete sense to me now that I think about it.
I'm hard core. At least I used to be. I've been tent camping at -16° F. I've set up a tent in 4' of snow. I'm a leader in a Boy Scout troop that did an annual snow cave campout where everyone dug their own snow cave and slept in it. I own four different tents and and three different sleeping bags (one rated to -40° F). My learning curve on RV trailers is huge!
I'm hard core. At least I used to be. I've been tent camping at -16° F. I've set up a tent in 4' of snow. I'm a leader in a Boy Scout troop that did an annual snow cave campout where everyone dug their own snow cave and slept in it. I own four different tents and and three different sleeping bags (one rated to -40° F). My learning curve on RV trailers is huge!
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From: Frederick, MD
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Joined: Jan 2010
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From: Bristol, TN.
Space heater only in campgrounds. The furnace is rated at 20% going out the exhaust and another 20% as duct loss, so you have to bear that in mind when calculating how many BTUs are heating the space in the camper.
The furnace, however, is still capable of producing more heat than space heaters. To get the same output from space heaters would require a pretty intense amp draw and at least a 50 amp system, unless you took nearly everything else on a 30 amp systems off electric. On the other hand, we find that two space heaters set on the low setting keep us warm without a problem.
Steve
The furnace, however, is still capable of producing more heat than space heaters. To get the same output from space heaters would require a pretty intense amp draw and at least a 50 amp system, unless you took nearly everything else on a 30 amp systems off electric. On the other hand, we find that two space heaters set on the low setting keep us warm without a problem.
Steve
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From: Wyoming
Coming back to this question, I looked at a Desert Fox trailer a couple months ago that is rated at four season. The underbelly on that trailer appeared to be completely sealed. I couldn't see the frame crossmembers.
On my trailer the crossmembers stick out like a sore thumb.
On my trailer the crossmembers stick out like a sore thumb.
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From: Bristol, TN.
Here is the thing to remember about "four season". That does not mean any and all winter temperatures. In private conversation some manufacturers will tell you once you get below freezing, things get decidedly less toasty.
And, if you can see the frame rails, your belly is open with insulation below the floor, but with tanks exposed. One of our fifth wheels is like that. Truthfully can not tell it makes anywhere the difference you would imagine, but growing up in Minnesota before moving to God's country in the South, I guess any temperature above 0 makes me think summertime.
Steve
And, if you can see the frame rails, your belly is open with insulation below the floor, but with tanks exposed. One of our fifth wheels is like that. Truthfully can not tell it makes anywhere the difference you would imagine, but growing up in Minnesota before moving to God's country in the South, I guess any temperature above 0 makes me think summertime.
Steve
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From: Wyoming
Based on my quick look at the tanks they hang down quite a ways - at least the fresh water tank does. Any insulation solution would make that even worse. The insulation solution I'm thinking of would be using rigid foam to make a box around the tank.
There is a piece of angle iron spanning the bottom of the fresh water tank. It looks like it is there to support the tank when it is full. The angle iron already hangs down so maybe a piece of 2" rigid foam wouldn't be that bad.
There is a piece of angle iron spanning the bottom of the fresh water tank. It looks like it is there to support the tank when it is full. The angle iron already hangs down so maybe a piece of 2" rigid foam wouldn't be that bad.
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Joined: Jan 2010
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From: Bristol, TN.
Typically in that situation the fresh water tank used to be above the floor in the RV, often under the bed or under a dinette seat. I have moved them above the floor in some cases as it is one less thing to worry about freezing, but you may not have the space.