New Full Timers

jimvad

Member
Hi all my name is Jim, My wife and i are new to full time RVing. we just purchased a 2014 Sundance 3270res and are heading south from Maine to Florida next week. I have searched the forums and have not found an answer for a question i have so i am posting it here for some help.

We will be spending a few days still here in Maine before heading south but we are expecting a good size snow storm before we leave. Is it ok to keep the slides out in snow? and what steps should be taken to insure we have no damage to our new 5Th wheel from snow or ice?

Thanks in advance.


Jim Vadeboncoeur
 

danemayer

Well-known member
Hi Jim,

Congratulations on the new Sundance and welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum.

When you're in sub-freezing weather, the challenge is to keep the water systems working. Options like the Yeti Package (tank heating pads and heat tape on the fresh water feed line) help a lot. If you don't have these options, you'll need to be very careful with your holding tanks.

We have an owner-written Water Systems Winter Usage Guide that will probably answer most of your questions about what to do with the water systems.

As for snow on the slideouts, if you have slideout awnings, you need to protect them from the weight of the snow, either by supporting them with a PVC, baskets, or some other construct. And you need to clean the snow off frequently to keep the weight of the snow from damaging the awnings.

If you don't have slideout awnings, you'll need to clean the snow off before pulling the slides in.

If you have a refrigerator with icemaker, and it's in a slideout, you need to evacuate the icemaker water feed line and cut off the water to that line. It's exposed to outside air and will freeze and be damaged as soon as temps go below freezing.

If you have other questions, feel free to post. And let us know how your trip goes.
 

noobee

Well-known member
I would not leave them open prior to your trip if it will snow. Closing them with or without awnings can be a challenge if any of the snow ices up.
Have a safe trip south.
 

jimvad

Member
Thanks for the replies, Water feed is not an issue as we will not be hooked up to domestic water just the full tank and will fill again if needed. My concern is the outside temps more than anything i will be about a week here in Maine before heading south with temps in the mid 20's F during the day and close to zero at night. The Sundance 3270-RES says tested to 0 so i don't know if it will be ok or not so looking for some input from anyone that might have first hand exp. with this unit.
 

danemayer

Well-known member
The Sundance 3270-RES says tested to 0 so i don't know if it will be ok or not
That's comfort tested which means the interior temperature can be maintained at a comfortable level when the outside temp is down to 0.

That is not a statement about your water systems. At 0 degrees F, if you don't have tank heating pads, and heat tape on the fresh water feed line, you will not get any water out of the fresh tank. At a minimum, the fresh tank drain line will freeze and the ice will wick up into the feed line, blocking it. It's also possible you could have freeze damage to a tank, particularly the fresh tank.

If you don't protect the water pump, it could freeze and be damaged.

And of course, freeze damage is not covered by anyone's warranty.
 

jimvad

Member
Great that the info i needed, Gona leave it winterized and hit the hotel for a few days until i get to warmer climate in 3 days or so. Thanks for the input.
 

jimvad

Member
ok back again we are now in Florida's Big Cypress RV Resort after a few stops in Flaggler Beach, St. Cloud and Fort DeSoto State Park. We are very happy with the way this large RV hauls down the road and the room we have when we have to stay inside for bad weather. Have a few issues Already and need to get some stuff fixed so will be looking for a nearby repair facility. I have already fixed a few items myself so as not to have to wait for repairs. All in All still pretty happy with our purchase just wish the Quality control at the factory was a bit better (IE Toilet had no seal installed between the flange and the toilet so we are having to smell the Urine that leaked from the toilet into the storage area for about a week) and 1 by 1 the spring loaded hinges on the over head cabinets keep popping out of the holes. Heading to Homestead on Friday wile searching for a repair facility in the area.
 
Hi all,
Jim and Lori, we can appreciate your issues with your new RV. We just purchased our first RV (Big Country) at the end of February. Luckily we camped overnight at the dealer, because the furnace didn't work after they had fired it up and tested it. It ran once, then wouldn't run again. Turned out the furnace was defective - they replaced it the next day. Later we had trouble with the tanks running out. The regulator didn't seem to work right but we eventually got that worked out.
But then we towed it (from downstate PA to near Charlotte NC). First full day there we went to do laundry and the washer had no power. We called a nearby technician as we didn't want to drive it to Camping World (they wouldn't send a tech). Turns out the dryer had a defective front panel board - apparently a known problem. So nearly three weeks after purchase we are now about to try our washer for the first time.
But overall - we agree - we love this new life! Just leaving the snow behind was a plus :)
 

wdk450

Well-known member
Hi all,
Just leaving the snow behind was a plus :)

I was watching a Diners, DriveIns and Dives segment on the Food Network about a restaurant here in Mesa, Arizona. Guy F. asked the owner/chef why he moved to Arizona from the Chicago area. His reply: "You don't have to shovel sunshine!"
 
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