What is a "heated underbelly" ?? exactly?

[SunseekerFunseekers]

I agree, Silverbirch - But... Luckily, I checked the FR site, only to learn that our new Sunseeker SHOULD have come with TP holder, toothbrush holder, towel bar, + another circular hand towel ring, & a soap dish. We got NONE of these items! You know as well as I, that had I not brought up these " missing" items during our walk-thru, we would never have seen them! They then told us, "Oh, we know, those items are on order!" NOT, cuz I called FRiver & checked! From delivery date, it took prob about 2 mos, to get this stuff & growing tired of waiting, I'd purchased my own adhesive TP holder & a small fingertip-towel holder for the counter. The rest of the items are wall-mounted & I don't like all that stuff "out" anyway, so, once we FINALLY got everything, I put a typed note in the bag (for next owners) stating what I just said, & put bag in bottom of a drawer for safekeeping. That way, they can do as they wish w/everything, as you stated. One more note - Actually, it's pretty nice stuff; if purchased @ Amazon, it all would have cost ~$75 (so dealers prob pay what, about $30)?

[GarFish]

Originally Posted by Danley

Afraid I bought a terrible, brand new, trailer from California and... ugh!

Came out of the Camp Fire safe with wife, baby and animals (although lost everything else we owned) bought a brand new 2019 alpha wolf 26rl-l and to this day its been an absolute headache. with so much to do and things happening, dealing with a total pile of a trailer has been eating our sanity slowly.

Forest River has been fighting us every single step of they way. we needed a trailer to do cold weather...

Trying to figure out how we are getting our trailer fixed (everything is broke) discovered that our trailer is not a heated underbelly. our papers say it is, its not an option as shown with an * symbol in the papers. When I asked forest river they said that the Tank heaters make it a heated underbelly.

Is this true? I cannot find anything online about how tank heaters make the underbelly heated.
Our pipes all broke when it was cold. now we have a sewage bubble under the trailer in the closed underbelly. among all the problems this is the one that truly bothers me.

I should have bought used, after losing everything of my past present and future I am now stuck with a molded and sewage infested trailer. Can things get any worse? sorry, I am rambling, dwelling over spending insurance money on a trailer I cannot use.

I had major warranty issue with Brand new FR Hybrid ! After several emails back and forth with Forest River and dealer! Forest just flat out refused to fix! As I keep good records and as I was gathering emails I had one more thought, I went to Forest River web page and called general number ( Instead of direct person that I was dealing with) and ask for legal department . When they answered , I told them I wanted there address for my attorney, she ask me why and I told her. She gave me address! It was not 10 minutes later that the person that had be talking to at Forestriver called me back and was not happy I could tell by his voice, ask me what I wanted done , I told him and it was extensive and agreed to do it ! By the time I called dealer, they had already received call form him authorizing repair. this took a period of around 2 months to get done! Thank Goodness it was and off season!

[boblinda]

I was misled in the heated underbelly issue by the salesman when I bought my FR as well. I asked at the time of purchase, and was led to believe it was heated, but after purchasing and going through the manual (which are horrible in my estimation) I found nothing pertaining to that issue. When I questioned the dealer he said that the trailer was not heated underneath, or had any provisions for cold weather except the furnace. Ok I don't plan on doing any camping in extreme cold, but am concerned about those who DO plan to do so and are not fully informed when asked at time of purchase. Dealers can be shady and dance around some questions you may have. The only real concerning question I had asked before purchasing my FR in Fl was what if I need warranty work done when I return home to NYS. The answer? quote "Just take it to any FR dealer". Just try to do that and you will get a rude awaking. If you didn't buy the rig from them they will either "put you on a waiting list" and never call you back or in one case a dealer flat out refused to do the work. I wound up repairing the unit myself which required replacing a slide cable, and also replacing a control circuit board. Both of these parts I found online and how to do the repairs on YouTube. I know this strays from the topic of heated underbellies, but points out the importance of not putting stock in what dealers may tell you, or how they may word their answers.

[JohnD10]

OK...one more time...

Heated underbelly DOESN'T MEAN that it is rated for winter living.


Heated underbelly means that the furnace will run some heat in the underbelly to help keep the plumbing from freezing if you just happen to be out when the temps drop.


To get the winter package, many RV manufacturers call it the 'Yeti Package' or something similar.

And it will cost you more money to get this.

And it will be listed as an add-on item or option...not just a sales technique.

Usually this package will include heaters on the water and sewer tanks and heat tape on the plumbing.

[lilmikey_ab]

So, I lived in an RV for 18 months, up here in Alberta, Canada. This RV was not a FR product. It did have the heated underbelly & tank heaters.. What that means is, the tank heaters are pads on the tanks, that when switched on will keep some heat in the tanks, like a heated blanket I suppose. The heated underbelly is force air from the furnace into the underbelly. This was labeled as a year round unit, which is why I bought it.... but!!!! I also had skirting on the sides that was pegged to the ground. I also built 2 makeshift sawhorses with 2 100watt bulbs on each horse to put under the trailer before skirting was installed. This was a 5th wheel unit with 4 slides. Bedroom slide had a "scarf" on it, which was like skirting, but wrapped around the whole slide. The other 3 slides i installed the basement insulation foam (used on houses). I also had a wireless thermostat under the belly that would send signals to a weather station inside the trailer. I used this year round, down to -40 deg C.. the coldest I got under the belly was -4 - keep in mind this thermostat was outside of the heated underbelly, but still within the skirting.. so the tanks were most likely above freezing.. The only issue I had was the water lines going to the washer/dryer froze.. INSIDE the trailer.. they were against on outer wall & covered with a trim piece that didn't allow heat to really get to it..

All I can say, do your research, investigate & learn how to be a 4 season camper..
No RV out there will withstand a winter without the proper accessories..
Sorry about your luck, but, chalk it up to a learning experience..
Research on your part before buying would have probably kept you from having many of these issues..
Be prepared..

[MR.M]

Originally Posted by lilmikey_ab

So, I lived in an RV for 18 months, up here in Alberta, Canada. This RV was not a FR product. It did have the heated underbelly & tank heaters.. What that means is, the tank heaters are pads on the tanks, that when switched on will keep some heat in the tanks, like a heated blanket I suppose. The heated underbelly is force air from the furnace into the underbelly. This was labeled as a year round unit, which is why I bought it.... but!!!! I also had skirting on the sides that was pegged to the ground. I also built 2 makeshift sawhorses with 2 100watt bulbs on each horse to put under the trailer before skirting was installed. This was a 5th wheel unit with 4 slides. Bedroom slide had a "scarf" on it, which was like skirting, but wrapped around the whole slide. The other 3 slides i installed the basement insulation foam (used on houses). I also had a wireless thermostat under the belly that would send signals to a weather station inside the trailer. I used this year round, down to -40 deg C.. the coldest I got under the belly was -4 - keep in mind this thermostat was outside of the heated underbelly, but still within the skirting.. so the tanks were most likely above freezing.. The only issue I had was the water lines going to the washer/dryer froze.. INSIDE the trailer.. they were against on outer wall & covered with a trim piece that didn't allow heat to really get to it..

All I can say, do your research, investigate & learn how to be a 4 season camper..
No RV out there will withstand a winter without the proper accessories..
Sorry about your luck, but, chalk it up to a learning experience..
Research on your part before buying would have probably kept you from having many of these issues..
Be prepared..

Mine is year round living . Montana Summer and Florida winters never needed heat in the winter just the AC . and in the summer the heater

[lilmikey_ab]

Originally Posted by MR.M

Mine is year round living . Montana Summer and Florida winters never needed heat in the winter just the AC . and in the summer the heater

So what does your living have to do with heated underbellies... Are you being of any help to original poster??

[MR.M]

Originally Posted by lilmikey_ab

So what does your living have to do with heated underbellies... Are you being of any help to original poster??

Just being a little lite heart-ed . get over it . as far as heated underbellies there are no true 4 season campers unless you go to the pains of insulating and sealing all around the camper . you will get the heated tanks and some furnace air pushed down there . but that will not take care of real winter weather . . So does this sound better or will you waste your time with another foolish post .

[Scheinin]

Originally Posted by MR.M

Just being a little lite heart-ed . get over it . as far as heated underbellies there are no true 4 season campers unless you go to the pains of insulating and sealing all around the camper . you will get the heated tanks and some furnace air pushed down there . but that will not take care of real winter weather . . So does this sound better or will you waste your time with another foolish post .

Loud and wrong. I have the Cedar Creek with the 'Arctic package'. I have lived in it comfortably in Maryland's winter with week long temperatures 4-7 degrees. (As a side note, when I went up to the Arctic Circle last year the temperature was 56 degrees.)

[MR.M]

Originally Posted by Scheinin

Loud and wrong. I have the Cedar Creek with the 'Arctic package'. I have lived in it comfortably in Maryland's winter with week long temperatures 4-7 degrees. (As a side note, when I went up to the Arctic Circle last year the temperature was 56 degrees.)

Well if you got all winter in 4-7 degrees with out freezing anything and with out sealing off between the ground and unit . then you got a special unit

[lilmikey_ab]

Originally Posted by MR.M

Just being a little lite heart-ed . get over it . as far as heated underbellies there are no true 4 season campers unless you go to the pains of insulating and sealing all around the camper . you will get the heated tanks and some furnace air pushed down there . but that will not take care of real winter weather . . So does this sound better or will you waste your time with another foolish post .

Is that not what I wrote in my first post.. going thru all the trouble of skirting & insulating.. as I said.. a little research goes a long way, as well as being prepared.
I was just trying to offer the OP some advice as to how he could properly live year round in it if necessary..