2010augusta
Well-known member
Let's see here
a good "trickle" ran 1 1/8 cups (9oz) of water in 1 min. That makes 9oz x 60 mins x 8 hrs 4,320 oz of water in a night. 128 oz/gallon makes for almost 34 gallons of water in 8 hours. If you put that in a container you'll have 34 gallons of ice outside that would weigh 270 lbs. now what to do with all that ice every day???
Bob&Patty
Founders of SoCal Chapter
HT, I told Steve to call me when he was home. Well I wish I had taken pix of my mod. I read the 2 posts about (think it was tankies) about adding more ducting to the duct from the heater plenum into the underbelly.
So this is what I did (alot of work). I removed the belly cover (PITA) front to rear. Found the 2" duct coming from the heater plenum to heat the underbelly. Went to trusty OL' Lowes, bought 1 1/4" PVC pipe and 3 "T"'s. Ordered 3 25' pieces of 2" flex duct from D&W Inc. in Elkhart. http://dwincorp.com/product_info.php?cPath=56&products_id=295 I used the foil stuff. Liked the way it worked. Cut a short piece of pipe and spliced in the new duct with 500mph (black) tape. Ran it down the OD side of the frame to a "T" that I made from the pipe and "T"'s. I installed the 1st "T" just before the tanks. Ran the new duct around the the 3 holding tanks and connected it to the 1st "T".
Next I installed another "T" at the rear of the tanks so I could run more duct to the rear of the coach. My fresh water tank is in the rear..behind the axles...go figure. I ran more duct around the fresh tank and connected it to another "T".
As I installed the ducting, I cut slits in it about every 1' facing the tanks. This was the easy part. As I was doing this, I wire tied all the water lines to the wire harness's and away from the frame. The new ducting also lays right next to the fresh water lines. OH YEA, I also fixed the vent line for the fresh tank. They were all below the tank and both the fill tube and the vent hose were about 3' toooo long. No wonder it would not fill. Works good now.
If any of you attemp this, make sure you have lots of 16" wire ties to secure all the wire harness's, new ducting, water hoses and any other loose stuff. Make sure that you also pull the ducting tight as you install it.
After I was done, I turned the heater on and BOY does it work slick. Hot air everywhere and the air flow in the the coach even increased.
This is my story and Im sticking to it. Been out 2 times now in freezing weather and no frozen water lines. It was easier to do the work than type all this. If I have the belly cover off I will take pix and post them. Bob
So this is what I did (alot of work). I removed the belly cover (PITA) front to rear. Found the 2" duct coming from the heater plenum to heat the underbelly. Went to trusty OL' Lowes, bought 1 1/4" PVC pipe and 3 "T"'s. Ordered 3 25' pieces of 2" flex duct from D&W Inc. in Elkhart. http://dwincorp.com/product_info.php?cPath=56&products_id=295 I used the foil stuff. Liked the way it worked. Cut a short piece of pipe and spliced in the new duct with 500mph (black) tape. Ran it down the OD side of the frame to a "T" that I made from the pipe and "T"'s. I installed the 1st "T" just before the tanks. Ran the new duct around the the 3 holding tanks and connected it to the 1st "T".
Next I installed another "T" at the rear of the tanks so I could run more duct to the rear of the coach. My fresh water tank is in the rear..behind the axles...go figure. I ran more duct around the fresh tank and connected it to another "T".
As I installed the ducting, I cut slits in it about every 1' facing the tanks. This was the easy part. As I was doing this, I wire tied all the water lines to the wire harness's and away from the frame. The new ducting also lays right next to the fresh water lines. OH YEA, I also fixed the vent line for the fresh tank. They were all below the tank and both the fill tube and the vent hose were about 3' toooo long. No wonder it would not fill. Works good now.
If any of you attemp this, make sure you have lots of 16" wire ties to secure all the wire harness's, new ducting, water hoses and any other loose stuff. Make sure that you also pull the ducting tight as you install it.
After I was done, I turned the heater on and BOY does it work slick. Hot air everywhere and the air flow in the the coach even increased.
This is my story and Im sticking to it. Been out 2 times now in freezing weather and no frozen water lines. It was easier to do the work than type all this. If I have the belly cover off I will take pix and post them. Bob
2010augusta
Well-known member
Bob, now that sounds like a great solution. But how did you keep all the fiberglass insulation from falling down, or how did you get it all back in? I have pulled a couple heat vents out from inside the trailer and on our LM all the plumbing is on top of the insulation, pressed up against the floor.
Bob&Patty
Founders of SoCal Chapter
Alan, this isn't any fiberglass in the underbelly, at least in our BH. The only insulation is the bubble tin foil type that lay's on the coriplast. What you are seeing is between the 2 layers of plywood floor. The heat ducts sit in between the floor layers. I did add as much 2" foam insulation as I could to the lower plywood floor. Glue'd and screwed. Bob
2010augusta
Well-known member
Oh, well, thats another difference in the LM and BH. I can see all sorts of pink fiberglass in one area and a bunch of white stuff that looks like "cotton batting" in another.
Bob&Patty
Founders of SoCal Chapter
Alan, the cotton batting is the same stuff that is in the pillows from HL. Junked the pillows, took all the stuffing out and stuffed it into the front cap behind the closet. I think that the pink insulation was added to the newer models. Maybe 08 and newer even in the BH. Bob
Hello everyone, just wanted to thank everyone for ideas on what to do if the water freeze's up. With very cold windy weather due to arrive in the San Antonio area Wednesday night, and lows predicted down into the teens. I will find out if my 2011 Big Country will freeze up. I am still in warranty so if it does the dealer is still very close. I know some of the Heartland people read these comments and I only wish I knew if things have been changed on some of the newer units. Guess I will find out. Since I am from South Dakota, with my old rv we camped a lot in the teens, with no problems. I am curious to see how this one will do. I can already see one freezing point with the water tank drain valve stuck out of the belly. In the dakotas this would be froze from November until April. Obviously Heartland didn't have water in the tank when they tested down to zero.
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