FR Arctic Pack

[btjapkes93]

Is this a worthwhile option when camping north of Florida?

[MightyMike]

That's gonna depend on when and where you camp. Dealer originally told us ours had it, but when I got there I saw it didn't. We camp in PA, MD,VA and SC. The only thing I wanted it for was the extra insulation. It was over 100 degrees in SC the 1st week there this year, and the 2 A/C units worked all day to keep it cool. Camping in PA late fall it would help keep the heat in. We had tank heaters on a former rig, but never camped when it was cold enough to use them.

[cardinal4fun]

For the added insulation yes for the tank heaters no. But then it depends on your camping style and where and when you plan on camping. The insulation will help with both heating and cooling. The tank heater is a waste of money unless you are going to be staying at below freezing temps. for along time. I have the tank heaters and do not remember ever turning them on.

[F and E Damp]

From reading the paperwork that we got from the original owner of our rig, the "Artic Pack" consists only of heaters for the grey and black tanks. When you consider that FR can't even spell "Arctic" you have to wonder. There's no mention in any of the documentation of additional insulation.

We got the manufacturer's "owner manual" for the system. Our 32-footer has two heating pads on each holding tank (nothing on the potable water tank). Each pad is powered by the 12Vdc system and each draws 7 amps. From my viewpoint a drain of 28 Amps on the house batteries is significant.

According to the info, the non-adjustable thermostat switches the elements on when the temperature of the tank contents drops to 40F and off again when it has heated to 60F. Who needs to heat the sewage up to 60 degrees? On at 35 and off at 40 degress would make more sense.

I'm also concerned about what would happen if an empty tank was hit with 84 watts of energy over a relatively small area. Melt through would be a concern. I decided to disconnect the system to prevent any grief. We don't camp in very cold weather, so the system is of no use to us.

[Terier]

Originally Posted by F and E Damp

From reading the paperwork that we got from the original owner of our rig, the "Artic Pack" consists only of heaters for the grey and black tanks. When you consider that FR can't even spell "Arctic" you have to wonder. There's no mention in any of the documentation of additional insulation.

We got the manufacturer's "owner manual" for the system. Our 32-footer has two heating pads on each holding tank (nothing on the potable water tank). Each pad is powered by the 12Vdc system and each draws 7 amps. From my viewpoint a drain of 28 Amps on the house batteries is significant.

According to the info, the non-adjustable thermostat switches the elements on when the temperature of the tank contents drops to 40F and off again when it has heated to 60F. Who needs to heat the sewage up to 60 degrees? On at 35 and off at 40 degress would make more sense.

I'm also concerned about what would happen if an empty tank was hit with 84 watts of energy over a relatively small area. Melt through would be a concern. I decided to disconnect the system to prevent any grief. We don't camp in very cold weather, so the system is of no use to us.

Does FR spell it incorrectly throughout all the documents & adverts? Just curious if it's an error or just how they wanted to it to be.

[F and E Damp]

Terier:

That's the legend on the big label next to the switch. To a Brit like me, "artic" is slang for an 18-wheeler, a shortened form of the term "articulated lorry". I don't recall if it's mentioned in the nigh useless "owner's manual". The manufacturer of the heater spells it correctly.

Use of the term in the advertising gives the impression that the RV is fully equipped for cold weather camping, which is definitely not the case.