Plumbing heat question

[Jhenson2211]

Hello, I’m new to the forum and glad I found it! I have a new 2017 Salem Cruise Lite 201BHXL that I’ve only had out twice so far in the warmer months. I’m getting ready to take it to Colorado at the end of October for 10 days and was wondering about the heating systems for the water. I looked thru the manual but it didn’t really look specific and just gave general info. When I look up underneath, I can see the big white fresh water tank & the 2 smaller waste tanks. I have a non-ducted gas furnace too if that matters. My question is... are these holding tanks heated? How can I tell if they are? What about the water lines? I’m assuming the “Water Heater” switch on main control panel is only for the 6 gallon hot water tank under the bunk, correct? The only other switches I have are for the water pump, lights, awning, and gauges. If nothing is heated from the factory, what is the best way to go about doing this? Any help will be much appreciated. Thanks

[Bama Rambler]

If you can see the tanks and the frame, then it's highly unlikely that you have heated tanks. If they are heated they will have a rubber 'mat' glued to the bottom of them with wires running from them.

It's pretty easy to add coroplast and Styrofoam insulation to the bottom of the RV, but I'm not sure that a couple of weeks is time enough to get it done. Also since you're going to CO for a couple of weeks it's going to be pretty cold during that time, so I'm not sure that just covering and insulating the underbelly will be sufficient to keep things from freezing. You probably need to add some type of heating under there too. Heat blankets for the tanks and tape for the pipes will probably be required, but that requires time to get and install also.

[jd50i]

On my 21RR, "heated tanks" meant the underside was covered and the propane heat was ducted into the area to heat them, nothing electric.

[rockfordroo]

Heated tanks usually look like this:

[MR.M]

Originally Posted by Jhenson2211

Hello, I’m new to the forum and glad I found it! I have a new 2017 Salem Cruise Lite 201BHXL that I’ve only had out twice so far in the warmer months. I’m getting ready to take it to Colorado at the end of October for 10 days and was wondering about the heating systems for the water. I looked thru the manual but it didn’t really look specific and just gave general info. When I look up underneath, I can see the big white fresh water tank & the 2 smaller waste tanks. I have a non-ducted gas furnace too if that matters. My question is... are these holding tanks heated? How can I tell if they are? What about the water lines? I’m assuming the “Water Heater” switch on main control panel is only for the 6 gallon hot water tank under the bunk, correct? The only other switches I have are for the water pump, lights, awning, and gauges. If nothing is heated from the factory, what is the best way to go about doing this? Any help will be much appreciated. ThanksAttachment 188797

getting snow in Colorado now . temps will avg between 50's highs and mid 20's at night . i'm heading out hunting this weekend but will not take my th with so will winterize for the first time in 4 years . after hunting i head south

[Jhenson2211]

Ok thanks for the replies. Definitely sounds like my tanks aren’t heated from the factory. When I first bought it, I looked up at the tanks then and seen the wires coming off the sides and figured that was heat probes or something of the sort but duh, those are for the level gauges. So anyways looks like I’ll be buying some electric heating mats for the tanks and heat tape for the lines. I don’t know if I’ll have time to install before I go on my trip tho. What if I took some plywood or heavy plastic and made up some underpinning or a “skirt” all the way around the bottom and put some electric heaters underneath. I think that would be sufficient, especially if I leave heater on inside too.

Mr. M - That’s what we’re going up there for...hunting. We usually go every year and have always stayed in a big army tent with 2 wood stoves, no inside bathroom, no shower, no stove lol Got tired of roughing it and waking up cold & smelling like fire smoke so we got ourselves a motel on wheels. We will be going to the White River National Forest up around New Castle, CO.

[Bama Rambler]

Boarding up around the bottom of the RV and using a couple of small heaters you should be fine.

[MR.M]

Originally Posted by Jhenson2211

Ok thanks for the replies. Definitely sounds like my tanks aren’t heated from the factory. When I first bought it, I looked up at the tanks then and seen the wires coming off the sides and figured that was heat probes or something of the sort but duh, those are for the level gauges. So anyways looks like I’ll be buying some electric heating mats for the tanks and heat tape for the lines. I don’t know if I’ll have time to install before I go on my trip tho. What if I took some plywood or heavy plastic and made up some underpinning or a “skirt” all the way around the bottom and put some electric heaters underneath. I think that would be sufficient, especially if I leave heater on inside too.

Mr. M - That’s what we’re going up there for...hunting. We usually go every year and have always stayed in a big army tent with 2 wood stoves, no inside bathroom, no shower, no stove lol Got tired of roughing it and waking up cold & smelling like fire smoke so we got ourselves a motel on wheels. We will be going to the White River National Forest up around New Castle, CO.

i know the area well . I'll be over up sweet water , got horses coming but will not haul my th up there road is to rough and muddy now . smoke smell does not spook animals but people smell does . hunting first season and can expect a foot of snow that first weekend as it's been raining /snowing up high for the last 2 weeks . after that it could get warmer . you just never know when you're over 8400' the flat tops offer some of the best elk hunting in the state . i lived up sweetwater and know exactly where the elk are been 30 yrs doing it

[Jhenson2211]

Originally Posted by MR.M

i know the area well . I'll be over up sweet water , got horses coming but will not haul my th up there road is to rough and muddy now . smoke smell does not spook animals but people smell does . hunting first season and can expect a foot of snow that first weekend as it's been raining /snowing up high for the last 2 weeks . after that it could get warmer . you just never know when you're over 8400' the flat tops offer some of the best elk hunting in the state . i lived up sweetwater and know exactly where the elk are been 30 yrs doing it

Yeah I hear ya. I unloaded my motorcycle at the bottom of Coffee Pot Rd. around Dotsero, CO one year and it was 55° at the bottom and only had a t-shirt and jeans on. It’s about 35 miles or so up hill to the top and about half way up I was freezing. Had to pull over and put sweatshirt and coveralls on. By the time I reached the top it was in the low 30’s and there was about 3” of snow on the ground, even more in the shady spots! That’s just crazy! Elevation definitely changes things up a bit.

[MR.M]

Originally Posted by Jhenson2211

Yeah I hear ya. I unloaded my motorcycle at the bottom of Coffee Pot Rd. around Dotsero, CO one year and it was 55° at the bottom and only had a t-shirt and jeans on. It’s about 35 miles or so up hill to the top and about half way up I was freezing. Had to pull over and put sweatshirt and coveralls on. By the time I reached the top it was in the low 30’s and there was about 3” of snow on the ground, even more in the shady spots! That’s just crazy! Elevation definitely changes things up a bit.

long way up coffee pot road . spend a lot of time up there . snow this year for first rifle season and many got stuck . Elk have been hard to come by . It was 10 Monday morning . knowing coffee pot like i dop i would not take my TH up there . i remember running it in my truck when the logging trucks where still working talk about scary as they fly down that mountain . good luck on your hunting . first time in many years we didn't even see an elk even in my honey hole . very few tracks in the snow and cdow said numbers are down . out of 8 camps only one bull was taken . next yr i guess