Skirting

Hi,
I was wondering if any of you who are living in your units full time could give me some ideas how you skirted your trailer in for winter. I have a 2009 Sundance 2800RLS. I am a bit confused how to do this. I have 50 feet of water hose and 50 feet of sewer hose, so I have to figure all that in as well.
If anyone has any pictures could you post them please?
Thanks
D

I think it will be pretty difficult to stay in an RV that's not made for Winter climate if it gets much below freezing. Unfortunately a Sundance is not one of the more well insulated units in the Heartland lineup. I would look at renting an apartment for the real cold season or possibly a mobile home. Otherwise your propane and electric bills will eat you alive. JMHO..Don

I did one winter in my BH and swore never again. Use heat tape on your water hose. Will your water bib/hydrant be protected? Don't worry about the sewer hose - just don't leave any dump valves open except when actually dumping. I made the mistake of leaving a kitchen tap dripping for a few very cold nights and had 30 feet of sewer hose popsicle 2 days later. Don't forget to skirt around the slides.

We have lived full-time in our 2800RLS 2009 Sundance two winters now. Temperatures dropped to +5*F with many days in a row in the mid 20's max. We skirted the unit with particle board, used a tape heat on the water and do not leave any water in the sewer hose. Run the furnace for heat so basement pipes do not feeze. Put a light bulb in the basement compartment for additional freeze protection. Bubble insulation taped to the bed slide will help cold drafts.

grizzlygiant said:

We have lived full-time in our 2800RLS 2009 Sundance two winters now. Temperatures dropped to +5*F with many days in a row in the mid 20's max. We skirted the unit with particle board, used a tape heat on the water and do not leave any water in the sewer hose. Run the furnace for heat so basement pipes do not freeze. Put a light bulb in the basement compartment for additional freeze protection. Bubble insulation taped to the bed slide will help cold drafts.

Click to expand...

Where do I tape the bubble wrap? On the bottom of the slide? Did you put foam insulation on the inside of the particle board? I have heat tape on the water hose. The only problem I had with the sewer hose was the valve froze, so I figure I had better put insulation on that for this winter. I never used my propane furnace I used electric heat. One of those oil filled heaters. My hydro bills were frightening though. How do I put a light bulb in the basement? just a lamp? and where would I plug that in?
Sorry for all the questions. I just don't want to go thru another winter this year like I did this past winter. I was told I don't need to skirt around the slides, just around the base of the unit.

We put the bubblewrap on the inside of the windows at the head of the bed. I have seen others put the stuff on other windows; it helps but you can't see out. We use painters' masking tape to hold it in place.

Some people use foil covered insulation board in place of particle board for skirting. Gorilla tape at the joints and corners holds it together..

The light bulb or lamp plugs in the recepticle at the UDC (by the water inlet). Be SURE the heat source is protected from other stuff in the basement...fire.

The propane furnace puts warm air in the basement. Without the basement heat you run the risk of freezing your water lines and tanks.

I would NOT use an oil heater, or any other non vented combustion furnace in a RV; the products of combustion are lethal. Electric heat is OK as a supplement to the propane furnace.

With a skirt your sewer valve should not freeze.

We fulltime in our 2011 rushmore here in panhandle of texas. Winters (last two) haven't been kind. Get a good heated water hose. I put foam pipe inslulation around mine and run the hose under the trailer and then skirted w/ cedar fencing and rigid foam insulation on north, east and west sides. Skirted south side with 4 x 8 siding cut to fit. built it in sections and when in place put one cedar siding board upright to tie the sections together. I only need to remove about 2 dozen screws and the skirting is ready to remove and stack for travel. It is relatively easy and cheap to cut the rigid foam insulation to fit the bottom of your living area slides and gorilla tape or block up to undersides of slides and does help a great deal. Also have used the foam pipe/hose insulation as fillers in interior area around slides. When wind gusts hit 35-50 mph there is an ovious amount of air infiltration around the slide gaskets. I don't have the name of the item, but some of your feed store/ag type places or ebay sell a thermo-cube. is turns one plugin outlet into 2 or three and has a thermostat in it. Plug one into your basement plug and then run a droplamp or small electric heater from it. I believe the thermostat comes on at 45 degrees. It is essential you use your propane furnace as some heat is directed into the underbelly when it is running. We have had the fresh water drain freeze on us and it blocked us from getting anything from our freshwater tank, but will remedy that situation this summer. The heated hose we bought was a Privit brand i believe. Real heavy duty farm/livestock hose ok for potable.
As far as sewage, I have left mine open, but have my hose enclosed in a 4 inch PVC pipe at a pretty severe angle down, so have no low spots for sewage buildup. Have not had any problems with it. I do not leave gray tanks open, but dump when full. Be careful leaving a faucet dripping, as if drain hose does freeze up, sink etc may run over.

Do you have to put vents in the skirting?
D

Deede, Howdy;

NO! That defeats the pourpose of the skirting... Ya want the skirting to BLOCK the wind and cold from getting under the trailer.

I spent the last 2 winters in Central Utah. In a 1995 TT. Insulation wasn't the best but me an the pooch made it.....Both winters.

There is a learning curve...What ya miss the first winter you'll fix the second.

I made sure that I had plywood or at least OSB cutat a width adiquate enough to have the bottom edge buried a few inches below ground level. I'd painted it first to help it fight the snow and moisture therein. Get a good hose, tape your heat tape to it and cover it with the round foam stuff. I tape the closed as well. I had chosen a site that allowed my utilities (water, and sewage), were on the South side (SUNNY), I also aquired som adapter (any RV parts store), that allowed me to hook-up a 3" BLACK PVC pipe to the sewer. The sun on the black pipe was all that I needed to keep the water flowin'... I did keep my gray tank open so. I DID keep the BLACK CLOSED till ready to dump. I also would put 32 oz. of ice melt into the tank when I was done cleaning it. That and some Downey fabric softner to help prevent freezing and make it smell better. You can figure which does what...lol.
I had to supply a heat tape for the water spigot, Park owner put a 12" PVC pipe over it and filled it with fiberglass insulation.
It gets down to MINUS 40 several times each winter and doesn't get back above PLUS 10 till a month or so later.
This past winter ZERO FREEZE-UPS.

This comming winter I'm headin' to Southern New Mexico!!! LOL,LOL,LOL

hankaye