Tips on living in the 24W in winter

[Solera]

I have to find out how to insulate my 24W this winter so its usable full time in temps well below freezing at times. I see other rigs with walls of plywood around the exterior. I see all sorts of contraptions for people living in their RV's here where the temps can get even below zero.
I would appreciate any tips for not winterizing my moho and yet protecting it from damage this winter. I do have the Arctic package and will use that.

[merrykalia]

We have a friend that travels with his work and has a fifth wheel. He constructed walls made with the rigid polystyrene board, cut and numbered to fit his trailer. These are connected to 2 X 2s and taped with Gorilla tape together on the underside. He even painted them to match his RV. He keeps a couple of 60 watt light bulbs underneath to increase the temp. He said he had never had a freezing problem unless he forgot to unhook the fresh water hose at the spigot.

Here is the polystyrene he used.

Shop Expanded Polystyrene Foam Board Insulation (Common: 0.75-in x 4-ft x 8-ft; Actual: 0.687-in x 3.875-ft x 7.875-ft) at Lowes.com

When his time is up in one place, the boards, 2 X 2s and anything else goes inside the RV for travel to his next job site.

[SSmbs]

We travel to the south each year in sub zero weather without water in the fresh water tank or pipes. Ok to use the toilet. Furnace runs a lot when parked. I think when you add water and cold temperatures you may have some issues-not a lot of insulation,lots of single pane windows, and arctic packages have a big draw on the battery. Please post on how it works.

[Solera]

I should have mentioned that I am plugged into 30amp power and am using the Arctic Package for heating,,,,,whatever that does.
I need to insulate my moho while it sits but is being used in the winter months. I cannot winterize it since its being used in my driveway.

[SSmbs]

The arctic package is just a heating pad on the holding tanks.

[merrykalia]

Just to clarify what I posted above, the panels, as described, will keep the wind and cold out from under the coach. This will keep the air below the coach at or above freezing, therefore, the water lines, etc. underneath will not freeze.

There are lots of things that people will do for inside the RV. Some will use bubble wrap over the windows, then some type of window coverings to keep the air from coming in the windows. Some use the foil emergency blankets to reflect the cold and keep heat in.

Many have a small infrared or ceramic heater that they cut the chill in the morning. If you are using propane to keep the interior warm, just be forewarned that it will burn through lots of it when it gets cold. When we are parked in a campground, we will use out heater almost exclusively since we aren't paying power, but we are buying propane for the furnace.

Some people will hang towels around their windows for extra heating, there are just so many different ways to cut down on heat loss through the windows, underneath, etc.

It's just according to where you live, how cool you can stand, if this is just a temporary situation, etc.

[barnbnb]

One big issue for heating is from drafts coming in around the slide(s). If you closely inspect the perimeter of the slide on your "W" from inside the coach when the slide is out, you'll see some daylight, especially in the corners. Take some bed sheets or blankets and stuff them all the way around the perimeter of the slide on the interior of the coach, between the slide's decorative molding and the wall. This will make a huge difference in your comfort.

[Pod2Vibe]

There is also a major draft under the shower pan on the 24R.

Not sure on the W, though.

If you have a heater vent there, you can pop it off and check.

[scootingranny]

This video shows some real life tips/tricks and a goof or two that they made

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac_2ArA9g1U

Not sure about what she says about the spray foam (we have a sealed underbelly so not sure how we could do that) but the rest of her ideas make sense

[Solera]

These are all such great ideas. Thanks to all who have joined in here. Hopefully this info is helpful to others but I will be using most of these ideas.

[dukeboone]

Originally Posted by Solera

I have to find out how to insulate my 24W this winter so its usable full time in temps well below freezing at times.

I was told by yet another local (I'm also in Bend) that the cinders the County uses on the roads are prone to damaging the 12v tank pads. He suggested I have them coated in spray foam to protect the pads and also further insulate. Not yet sure what I'm going to do myself. Although I hope to take mine up to Bachelor a couple times in the spring.

[Solera]

Thats a great idea. I think I will go buy a case of spray foam and go for it. How thick did you spray the foam?

[dukeboone]

Originally Posted by Solera

Thats a great idea. I think I will go buy a case of spray foam and go for it. How thick did you spray the foam?

I haven't actually done it myself but I'll ask my friend (also my colleague) when I see him at the office later.

[dukeboone]

Originally Posted by Solera

Thats a great idea. I think I will go buy a case of spray foam and go for it. How thick did you spray the foam?

I spoke with my friend and when he did it on his Born Free he sprayed about an inch thick layer of spray foam on the two tanks. HTH

[Solera]

Thanks for checking on that. Thats more than I might have done so good to know......more is better in this case. I just returned from Home Depot with several cans of spray insulation.

[dukeboone]

No worries, let me know how it goes. Maybe even share a couple of photos, would love to see how it works out for you.

[MNtraveler]

Originally Posted by SSmbs

The arctic package is just a heating pad on the holding tanks.

As I understand it (per dealer), the Arctic Pac heats the fresh water and gray water not black water. Can anyone confirm or deny?

[dukeboone]

Originally Posted by MNtraveler

As I understand it (per dealer), the Arctic Pac heats the fresh water and gray water not black water. Can anyone confirm or deny?

On mine there's a heating pad adhered to the bottom of the two holding tanks since they are exposed to the elements. The fresh water is under the rear bed in a slightly more conditioned space. I would think on the R plan the Arctic Pak heating pads would be located on the same tanks, even if they are in a slightly different location than the S plan.

[Solera]

I started this thread and want to say thanks to everyone who has jumped in. I am living in my motorhome, my Solera 24W, right now. The temps are in the lower 30's at night but with my electric heater going its fine and very comfortable...70ish degrees. As it gets colder and I keep living in my box, I will post here and share the experience. Oh, and I did buy a bunch of the spray foam from Home Depot and very thoroughly coated all the hoses including the sewer pipe and any other water or waste related thing under there. It was easy since that stuff sticks to whatever you spray it on so working upside down was no problem. At night I draw the shades but have not yet done anything else to the windows. In Bend, Oregon the humidity is usually around 30% so condensation is not as problematic as in many other places.
I used to live on a boat in Seattle and it was the circulation of air that prevented condensation in that very wet environment.

Happy RVing....

[wendylys]

I'm also in Bend, and while my Solera is being winterized, I do have a couple of times I'd like to use it over the winter. I think I will have to have my teen boys sleep in there for a couple of days at Christmas to make room for relatives. I keep it in a heated shop with an electric hookup, so I'm not worried about them being warm enough, and they will just have to come in the house to use the bathroom. I would also like to use it at Bachelor in early spring if the roads are clear.