Hello! Full time Rving student from KY!

[Cah341]

Hello! Glad to find the forum and such a wealth of knowledge at hand. My name is Carol, I am a full time student at MSU. I’m also the mother of three grown children. So a dorm just wasn’t an option for me. Can you imagine the horror painted on the face of some fresh faced eighteen year old as they walked in to meet their roommate and realized they had not escaped a mother’s influence after all?! So looking for options, my husband and I decided (after much searching) to purchase a 2019 Puma. We figured it would be an investment, save rent and after I graduate we can travel the states!

I’ve been in the camper for a year and a half and have a year to go. And boy have I learned a lot, and realize that I know nothing! Even after a year of staying in the camper four to five days a week, I’m still learning the ins and outs of this living space option.

I’m still battling the fear of wind gusts, fighting with propane tanks, managing the winter and struggling to keep the hose thawed out, and of course... the big one.... gnats/fruit flies in summer. Any advice is truly welcome!

Thanks for having me and I’ll be stumbling around threads looking for those that have come before me and left kernels of wisdom behind.

[Herk7769]

Carol, WELCOME to the forum!

We are so happy you are here.

As far as tips on your current situation (permanent - but temporary - spot), might I suggest.

1) Rent a 100 pound (or larger) propane tank and have them deliver your propane by truck.

2) Insulate the base of your camper with sheets of foam board on a framework of 2x4s so wind and air does not circulate under the camper.

3) Invest in a heater water hose.

4) Park the rig so the sewer connection and dump hose can be boxed in within the framework of insulated foamboard - so it won't freeze and yet have access so that you can still work the black tank dump valve.

Herk

[Cah341]

Thank you for the reply Herk!
I’m in a spot now that is hit by high winds frequently. First thing I learned after the move to this spot was... check on the history for wind. I’ve never seen a place with winds like this in KY. It wreaks havoc on the foam core. (I found a YouTube vid and did that last winter, worked great at the old location) I have gone through every tape you can think of trying to keep it in place and none have help we’ll in low temps. Even the silver tape from Lowe’s pulls right off. Duct tape, extreme temp, gorilla... I’ve spent a small fortune on it. I finally added hay bales last month as a wind break and they’ve stayed on for the most part. I’m looking at a product at Lowe’s now that I would like to use before next winter. It’s a thick neoprene type mat that is usually used as garage flooring. It would create a one piece skirt around the camper and look nice as well as insulate (I hope). I intend to use high powered magnets to secure it in place. The ones with the clamp/pins that would hold firm to the material, magnet attached to the camper. Looks like a solid plan on paper, but you know how that works. I’ve not been able to find anyone else that’s used something similar so I’m a bit dubious about it.

I do need to get a heated hose. I tried one, it froze a week after I bought it. So I’ve switched to just filling the tank once or twice a week and using the heat tape that I had installed on the underbelly to keep things flowing. It’s froze at the connection point on me and bulged outward, making me too afraid to keep it perma hooked and wind up busting that pipe in the wall.

Boxing the connection station in with foam core is an excellent idea! Thank you!!

I actually went last week to see about a large propane tank and have them fill and was told that they couldn’t lease or even fill one if it’s connected to an RV by law. Which still just doesn’t make sense to me. Right now I have four of the normal grill sized 20 Pound tanks and two 40, it gets old real quick having to Fill and switch tanks out, and waking up after a nap realizing it’s dark outside and it’s cold because the tanks are empty. Lol

[CurtPutnam]

Welcome from SoCal! What are you studying?

[Cah341]

I’m a Sociology Major with double minors in gender studies and photography. Thank you for the welcome! Very glad to have found the forum.

[Herk7769]

Carol,

Not filling tanks connected to an RV is a new one on me.
Will they fill it if you disconnected it?

I was thinking of making a wood framework of 2x4s and then screw the thick foil faced foam sheathing to the wood framework that runs around the outside of your camper. I doubt that would move around since it would be a big heavy box the size of your camper.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/R-Tech-1...0821/202532854

I suspect why your hose froze was a result of you covering the little pigtail that sticks out with insulation or tape. THAT is the temperature sender for the OUTSIDE air temperature. If it is covered, it will stay warm and the heat will NEVER come on. The heat is supposed to cycle based on outside air temperature not the hose temperature. Once the temp outside rises above freezing, the heat on the hose shuts off. If the air temp goes below freezing (32F) the heat cycles on.

Herk

[A32Deuce]

Welcome to the forum from South Jersey. I think you are on the right track by filling and using your fresh tank. We have used ours in under 20 degree temps and I found filling the tank the best. If you are on dirt, you could use ground rods driven into the ground and tieraps to secure your insulating panels. 6 ft rod a foot or 2 in the ground should hold.

[Cah341]

Both of those ideas are brilliant! And cost me far less than the new system I was thinking of! I have the one inch foam core already. So making the frame and using the rods would surely keep it all in place! I also had the rolled black construction plastic for fencing (hope I described that right) on the outside of the foam but couldn’t get it to stay on, I could attach that with zip strips to the frame to keep it looking nice instead of the green.

So... joining this forum today has now saved me $120 for a hotel (because now I think I can stay here instead of running from the wind), and $400 for the skirt material I had planned. Thank you!!

Oh, and Herk I bet that’s exactly what happened with the hose!

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by Cah341

Oh, and Herk I bet that’s exactly what happened with the hose!

Unless your hose burst, it most likely will still work fine. Try it again.

[Cah341]

I definitely will, it didn’t and it’s still rolled up and tucked into the generator cabinet.

[F.R.O.G.]

Originally Posted by A32Deuce

Welcome to the forum from South Jersey. I think you are on the right track by filling and using your fresh tank. We have used ours in under 20 degree temps and I found filling the tank the best. If you are on dirt, you could use ground rods driven into the ground and tieraps to secure your insulating panels. 6 ft rod a foot or 2 in the ground should hold.

Carol, welcome to the forums! MSU -- Murray State, Morehead State?

Be sure you know where the utility lines are before you start driving metal stakes in the ground.

[A32Deuce]

Originally Posted by F.R.O.G.

Carol, welcome to the forums! MSU -- Murray State, Morehead State?



Be sure you know where the utility lines are before you start driving metal stakes in the ground.

This is true, but by code they should be deeper the a foot or so.

[Cah341]

Thank you Frog! Morehead State in KY (apparently there’s two, one in NC I think... ).

The utility lines are actually above ground. So all good there.

[rsdata]

So where in KY are you staying semi-permanently with all of that wind? Western KY comes to mind...
Murray State...

[geeman53]

Welcome from SW Ohio .

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by Cah341

Thank you Frog! Morehead State in KY (apparently there’s two, one in NC I think... ).

The utility lines are actually above ground. So all good there.

Hmm I am thinking the water and sewer is underground so watch that.

If you tie the 2x4 side walls to the front and back walls you should not need to spike them in place. Friction with the ground and the camper itself should keep the assembly from moving.

[spicercars]

Welcome from northern MN.

[NJKris]

Can you imagine the horror painted on the face of some fresh faced eighteen year old as they walked in to meet their roommate and realized they had not escaped a mother’s influence after all?!

That's funny! I picked up a sociology degree, interesting major. I've been involved in life long gender studies. Primarily my keen observations of the opposite sex! Endless fascination!