Just A Bit Disappointed!

[Delaine and Lindy]

Mount ?????

Bob what type of mount did you use for the 150 watt bulbs. The electric tape is good stuff, I have one at the home base. I will make a run to Lowes today and take a look at getting the 150 watt bulb. As you know our basements are heated but my propane tanks always run dry between 2:00 am and 6:00 am. The 150 watt bulb is a great back-up also. When I lived on the farm my Dad would alway put a 150 watt bulb under the hood of the Trucks. Thanks Bob.. GBY......

 

[HarleyRyder]

In the Home Depot web site, try "electric heat cable kit".

Bob

 

[TXBobcat]

Good Morning everyone..
It got down to 28* last night and the basement stayed at 61*.

Wabbit... I got my heat tape at Wal-Mart.

BC

 

[Mikemm62]

Out of curiosity, I looked for heat tape on homedepot.com and couldn't find it. Where would a guy buy this stuff, and how expensive is it?

You can get all you want from grainger ... make your own runs , put t's in ...anything you want 250' rolls of the stuff ... you can wrap the entire trailer up ... self controlled ..no external thermostat needed...

www.grainger.com


Good Luck..

Mike

 

[jbeletti]

...So the big question is then what temp is are these campers good for? Maybe heartland can jump in and answer some of these questions. Im going to Bristol in the Spring and I know that last year it got pretty cold at night and I was tent camping. Now I worried that if it gets cold at night everything is going to freeze up on my trailer. A little imput from heartland would help here.

Please contact Heartland Customer Service (877-262-8032) for this as I personally do not know the cold-weather design parameters.

Jim

 

[htneighbors]

You can get all you want from grainger ... make your own runs , put t's in ...anything you want 250' rolls of the stuff ... you can wrap the entire trailer up ... self controlled ..no external thermostat needed...

www.grainger.com


Good Luck..

Mike

The brand Raychem, that came up when I searched HEAT CABLE on Grainger's site is a great brand for this stuff, as far as I'm concerned. The heat trace I have on a 25' hose as well as what I have installed under my Cyclone is this same brand. I got mine from a job and it's the industrial grade, but definitely good stuff. By all means, use the SELF REGULATING type.

 

[lwmcguir]

You have to be careful with putting bulbs that give off heat in dry flammable areas. Neighbor burned his shed down using one. It fell down on the floor. Personally I like a ceramic heater that doesn't get hot enough to ignite something. Insurance companies cringe when they hear of heating space with lights on cords. All farm supply stores sell heavy duty heat tape with thermostats as well. Good luck however you do the freeze protection.

 

[beasleyrl]

Gzopete,

We just got back from a trip last weekend and when I left Charleston SC on Sunday, it was about 23 degrees. No problem with our Cyclone freezing. Last year, we hit Gatlinberg TN the week of Christmas and it hit 12/14 for a couple of nights. Again, no problem with the water lines freezing. We did disconnect our external water lines and ran off the tanks. However, we did have one issue last year. The night before the temp dropped, it rained and it must have got settled around the basement door. It froze so I couldn't open it. Took 3 days before I could get it opened.

 

[wdk450]

Isn't Grainger Wholesale ONLY?

You can get all you want from grainger ... make your own runs , put t's in ...anything you want 250' rolls of the stuff ... you can wrap the entire trailer up ... self controlled ..no external thermostat needed...

www.grainger.com


Good Luck..

Mike

When I dealt with Grainger through work years ago, you had to have a state registered business resale card on file with them to buy there. Has that changed???
McMaster did sell retail, though.

 

[Oldlthrneck]

Elizabeth and I were up in Bellingham WA last winter. Worst winter they have had in years. Temps were down to 10 deg and stayed there for a couple of weeks. I used the Home Depot heat tape and wrapped it with the foam pipe insulation. Never had an issue. The ice and snow drifts were so bad that I couldn't even move my truck for 4 days. The only issue we had was the sewer pipe. The park sewer line froze and so we couldn't dump. But we were only about 20 ft from the park bathrooms, so just bundled up and went there. I was very happy with how the Bighorn performed. Sometimes I think people expect too much from their rigs. When you are in extreme temps you need to take certain precautions. Even in a stick built house, during extreme weather precautions are in order. I have had water lines freeze and other issue when living in a house. Not sure how people expect an RV to be any different.

 

[Gzopete]

News to Me

I am going to take the trailer to repair shop tomorrow. I am having them look the trailer over for waterlines sitting on the frame. Also the water pump and water leak in the toilet.

One thing that I learned that was a shock to me!

The Cyclones and other toy haulers are not build like the other Fifth-wheel trailers that Heartland builds. The walls roof and floor are not make from the same laminated process they use for the other trailers.

 

[Bob&Patty]

Steve, are you taking it back to the dealer or the shop close to you?? You might ask about installing the foam insulation on the water lines while the belly cover is off. Easier then, than you laying on your back in your yard later. You could get the insulation at Lowes or HD and take it with you. Just a thought. Bob

 

[Gzopete]

Steve, are you taking it back to the dealer or the shop close to you?? You might ask about installing the foam insulation on the water lines while the belly cover is off. Easier then, than you laying on your back in your yard later. You could get the insulation at Lowes or HD and take it with you. Just a thought. Bob

Lowes what's that? Home Depot what's that? Yeah I am taking it to my local guy unless you want to come and watch the kids for day or so.

Remember Bob this is where nowhere goes to get away. We are lucky to have a Walmart.

 

[Bob&Patty]

3 small children. Tell you what.............I would drive there and do the work and you can watch them. BTW, I dont do diapers either. Bob

 

[Gzopete]

3 small children. Tell you what.............I would drive there and do the work and you can watch them. BTW, I dont do diapers either. Bob

Deal when should I expect you?

 

[Bob&Patty]

Steve, if I could do it I really would. Now if you want to drag it down here and leave it for a week or so. We could make it warm. Bob

 

[Gzopete]

Thats quite a long drive for service. Lets see what my local guy has to say and how much blood he wants.

And besides I think i would tow it instead of dragging it that would seem to be rough on the tires.

 

[Rockerga]

New Insight!

On nights at or near freezing it is really not that big a deal. The more important is how long it will remain below freezing and like this season how low for how long...

I do live part-time in mine up in the N. Georgia mountains year-round. I did buy electrical heat trace tape. Wrapped the incoming water line and all fittings TIGHTLY. That means from the ground to the input spigot. I even piled leaves up heavy and put a bucket over the water/electrical post to insulate further.

To assist draining and warmth at the drains (Newly found brainstorm) and assist with the underbelly I now use a 150W trouble light beneath the drains to keep all that toasty. I used thick cardboard cut to fit that shields the entire area as an inexpensive insulator.

In extremes you need to live warmer than I prefer but keeping your propane heater set at 70 degrees is "suppose" to be the manufacturers temperature for ample heat to reach the underbelly to keep from freezing.

I was VERY MAD in my earlier post as I do keep the NT at or above 70 degrees and with temps staying at or barely below freezing for a week my underbelly FROZE-UP!

 

[TXBobcat]

Good Morning everyone...
I know the weather it is not as bad here as it is up North, but it is getting colder here than most people are use to.

My Low last night was 23* with slight rain and 20mph winds.
Temp in basement got down to 59*. Water line is not frozen. Sewer line was emptied yesterday morning so no problem with it.

GZopete
Home Depot and Lowes are big hardware stores here in the US... Check them out on the web..

Rockerga is correct. Like here in the Dallas area it is cold and below freezing, but if it gets above freezing during the day time you will have less problem with frozen lines, but if you have many days below freezing then you will have a bigger problem.

To find where you can get Heat Tapes do a google..
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=heat+tape+for+water+lines&aq=0&oq=heat+tape&aqi=g10
Lowes, Home Depot, Ace Hardware

lwmcguir is correct. If a bare light bulb fell into a flammable area it cause a fire. Also if something fell across the light bulb it might catch fire.

However if you read my earlier post I noted that I use the large aluminum reflector. Also if you use a trouble light it protects the bulb, but also the aluminum light reflector acts as a heat sink and distribute the heat into the air.
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=203213-1373-FL-300NPDQ12&lpage=none

I hope all of you had an uneventful evening and have a great day. We live in an RV and are blessed... Who else gets to take their house with them everywhere they go...

BC

 

[Rockerga]

lwmcguir is correct. If a bare light bulb fell into a flammable area it cause a fire. Also if something fell across the light bulb it might catch fire.

However if you read my earlier post I noted that I use the large aluminum reflector. Also if you use a trouble light it protects the bulb, but also the aluminum light reflector acts as a heat sink and distribute the heat into the air.
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=203213-1373-FL-300NPDQ12&lpage=none

I hope all of you had an uneventful evening and have a great day. We live in an RV and are blessed... Who else gets to take their house with them everywhere they go...

BC

That exactly the trouble light I have and for the same reason! "Trackrock" in the N. GA. area is not expected to reach freezing or above for a few more days yet (Hopefully late Wednesday afternoon) so I am staying home in the burbs. The water line feeding the water heater froze so no sense in going until a good thaw occurs.