Feasibility of f/t in 2010 Eagle Ridge

Hello everyone, what a great site this is. My wife and I have learned so much by researching the various methods of "surviving" a tough winter in a 5er. We currently have a 29' Keystone TT that is used for fair weather only but are pulling the trigger and venturing into the f/t rv living. We were focused on the 4 season Montana until we came across a deal on a 2010 Eagle Ridge 35DSRL. We absolutely love the floor plan and price of this 5er but can't find any info on whether it'll be adequate for f/t living. Please give any and all advice on the pros/cons of a setup like this for tough winters. Thanks again.
 

danemayer

Well-known member
Hi usafmsgt7594,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum. A lot of people full time in these 5ers and the floor plan does have a lot to do with how comfortable they are. As for living in it through tough winters, you may want to plan on doing some modifications.

The sealed underbelly is probably heated by the furnace, but that'll only take you so far on a cold night. In very cold sub freezing weather, the water system needs some additional help. Tank heating pads and heat tape on some/all water lines will go a long way. You'll want to add insulation to the underbelly while installing the heat tape and tank heaters.

If you haven't already found it, we have an owner-written Water Systems Winter Usage Guide that contains a lot of advice on the subject.
 

TravelTiger

Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
Hello everyone, what a great site this is. My wife and I have learned so much by researching the various methods of "surviving" a tough winter in a 5er. We currently have a 29' Keystone TT that is used for fair weather only but are pulling the trigger and venturing into the f/t rv living. We were focused on the 4 season Montana until we came across a deal on a 2010 Eagle Ridge 35DSRL. We absolutely love the floor plan and price of this 5er but can't find any info on whether it'll be adequate for f/t living. Please give any and all advice on the pros/cons of a setup like this for tough winters. Thanks again.

Where are you considering living in it full-time? We have a 2010 ElkRidge, which is basically the same except a name change. We are vacationing users of our coach, and have been to Las Vegas in 115 degree heat and Durango Colorado in -23 degree cold. In both extremes, we managed ok, but were not 100% comfortable. This coach is not designed for full-time living, but it could be ok depending on your location. Does it have 2 ACs? You will need them when the temps get over 90. You will need to add some heat pads or tape to pipes/tanks, if temps are in the 20s or lower for long. Does it have a fireplace? Good to have for supplemental heat. We go through a bottle of propane in about 2-1/2 days in the winter in Colorado.
Does it have dual-pane windows? If not, the windows transfer heat and cold, making the AC or furnace work harder to maintain the temp. The other thing to consider -- tank sizes. Ours are "weekend sized". We can go about 3.5 days before needing to dump tanks.

We love our ElkRidge, and we've adapted it to work for us and the way we use it. IMHO, Bighorn, Big Country or Landmark are probably better suited for 4-season full-time living.


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Thanks for the responses and great advice. We will be staying in Ohio for this winter but are moving to Montana next year (Air Force). Ohio winters can be rather cold but Montana will be a huge challenge with the cold, snow, and wind. We are already planning on heat tape for the water supply, tank heaters, and electric space heaters in the cabin and underbelly storage. We currently have unlimited electric so our only issue will be staying within the 50amp limits of the 5er. We also have a plan in motion to install skirting and bales of straw/hay as additional insulation from the wind. In Montana, we will have a similar situation at first but will be pulling it to our land which will be off the grid living. We are starting to look at alternative electric power such as solar and wind generators with a bank of batteries to store our power. How much insulation does the Eagle Ridge have? I've noticed that our Keystone loses heat rapidly causing an excessive usage of lp when it's cold.
 

danemayer

Well-known member
Insulation values get higher as price of the rig gets higher. Montana can get pretty cold. You might want to see what's available in the Bighorn line.

You should be able to stay warm with furnace and supplemental heat, but energy cost can be high. Propane pricing went through the roof this past winter. We spent 7 weeks in Breckenridge, CO in our Landmark and it was what I would consider a mild winter for Breck. Propane went up to $3.30/gallon, and that was on a resort long-term contract price. Retail was over $5.00/gallon. We use about 10 gallons/week. Electric was substantial as well.

You'll want to have the local propane company deliver an external propane tank - at least 120 Gallons if not larger. In Montana, you'll probably want to make some window panels for insulation, especially at night.

If you put a space heater in the basement, be aware that the heat will rise behind the walls and may confuse your living area thermostat. If you have to turn the thermostat up to 95 to get the furnace started, that's the reason.

Also, take special care when draining tanks to make sure there are no leaks. I have a clear twist-on adapter and external gate valve. After dumping the tanks, I close the external valve and check back in an hour or two to make sure there's no slow leak. If you have a slow leak in very cold weather, you can build up an ice dam that backs up all the way to the tanks.

Also suggest you think about backup procedures for your rig in the event you have a furnace problem or electrical failure. For example, if you have an electrical failure in the trailer, you'll need a high capacity battery charger to keep your 12V systems running, including the furnace. But if your tank heaters are 110V, you'll need to dump the tanks to keep them from freezing. If you have a furnace failure, will you have enough electric heat as backup? If there's a local electric power outage for a day, you'll want a generator to keep critical systems going until power is restored.
 

GOTTOYS

Well-known member
Rent an apartment...the rent will be cheaper than your energy cost plus you have some assurance of staying warm. Even the very best 5th wheels that cost 2-3 times more will be difficult to stay comfortable in during extreme weather. An Eagle Ridge was more of an entry level rig with lighter insulation and no double pane windows. It just wasn't made to be used in extreme cold weather...May not be what you want to hear..Don
 

TravelTiger

Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
Rent an apartment...the rent will be cheaper than your energy cost plus you have some assurance of staying warm. Even the very best 5th wheels that cost 2-3 times more will be difficult to stay comfortable in during extreme weather. An Eagle Ridge was more of an entry level rig with lighter insulation and no double pane windows. It just wasn't made to be used in extreme cold weather...May not be what you want to hear..Don


Although I would not call an Eagle Ridge entry-level -- before Silverado and Gateway came along, the Eagle Ridge was one step down from a Big Country.

But I agree, it's not really suited for Montana winters!




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rumaco

US Army Retired (CW4)
DUH! Don't stay in the north for winter!!!!!!!!!! That's why they put wheels on them................................
 
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