Just A Bit Disappointed!

[leftyf]

It's gonna freeze

I've lived in my RV for the last two winters. And, at some time no matter what I did, the water froze at some time.

There are only two type of winter campers. Them with froze pipes and them that pipes ain't froze right now.

Unless you have insulated ever inch of exposed water line everywhere in your RV, it's gonna freeze sooner or later. Pipes freeze in houses...and they are gonna freeze faster in a RV. It's the nature of the beast.

My best purchase has been the Drs Foster's handy dandy heated water hose.
It's made a big difference and seems to work better than the heat tape and pipe insulation that I've used for the last 5 or 6 years.

You can either do that...or move to Mexico.

 

[kakampers]

I maintain heat tape on my water lines all winter no matter the temps. We camped this holiday season from the day after Christmas until an abrupt end on Sunday 1/3/10.

We were forced to leave camp when both our dump valves froze solid. We never encountered any temperatures below 17 degrees.

...and I am in N. Georgia so it was not at that extreme temperature for a long time. This is our "first winter" in the NT and I have to say its the last. I need something that can go where I go and still work. I can put a "work-around" in place but I should not have to given the claims!

I am surprised that you would think ANY lightweight RV would be capable of withstanding these temperatures. No where in the North Trail advertising do they suggest these units were Zero tested, or in anyway capable of handling severe temps...actually I'm surprised that your unit did as well as it did!!

As for the dump valves freezing...as far as I can tell unlike the Bighorns and Landmarks who's dump valves are in the UDC, the Northtrail pulls are outside on the pipes...they are bound to freeze up, as they were never meant to be used in severe cold, and weren't advertised as such...JMHO.

 

[JohnDar]

Doesn't look winterized.

:angel:

But maybe if you put a sticker on it....

You have to order the accessory foundation kit with it. Comes complete with cement truck, masons, and piping.

 

[Mikemm62]

When we bought our Landmark and I saw the "zero tested" I asked the "salesman" what this ment.... his reply (even though I don't believe it) was that if the thermostat was set too 72* the basement would not get below 40* ..... I do not know his source , but if you did not know better you would think you were all set to go camping down too 0* as long as you kept it 72* inside... just what I was told .... Again I do not put much faith in it because it came from a "Salesman" good luck

Mike

 

[Bob&Patty]

John, are the pipes insulated?? If so down to what temp. ROTFLOL...............John you are a funny little guy

 

[BIG_ZD]

I am surprised that you would think ANY lightweight RV would be capable of withstanding these temperatures. No where in the North Trail advertising do they suggest these units were Zero tested, or in anyway capable of handling severe temps...actually I'm surprised that your unit did as well as it did!!

the last i checked 17 degrees is not zero degrees.

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.

 

[kakampers]

No...but it is well below freezing and that's the issue! 30 degrees or 17 degrees things will freeze that are not meant to be in these temps...

All of us that have "camped" or, in our case lived, in these temps, even with a Zero tested unit, realize that precautions are needed to prevent things outside the living area from freezing. From putting a light in the bay to removing the water line and using the onboard tank, etc. As someone else stated...these are RV's not homes.

 

[BIG_ZD]

Certain products rate their product for different OUTSIDE temps knowing that the enclosed areas will stay somewhat warmer. Just because it is below 32F does not mean that the enclosed area is that temp. I was wondering what rate of temp chances does heartland rate there enclosed underbellies from not freezing?

 

[Bob&Patty]

Jason, the OP's issue was the water line for the F/W tank was frozen. The overnite temp's were between minus 1 to minus 11. I'm not sure if anything could take those temps. That is 43* below freezing at 32*. It's hard for me to believe that someone would want be camping in that weather. It's one thing to be full timing and be stuck in a place. JMHO Bob

 

[leftyf]

I think experience is also part of the scenario. My light bulbs can only do so much.

That's what I do...
BC

What size bulbs?

 

[kakampers]

Certain products rate their product for different OUTSIDE temps knowing that the enclosed areas will stay somewhat warmer. Just because it is below 32F does not mean that the enclosed area is that temp. I was wondering what rate of temp chances does heartland rate there enclosed underbellies from not freezing?

I was responding to someone who's outside dump valves froze at 17 degrees...it has nothing to do with an enclosed underbelly....

 

[TXBobcat]

What size bulbs?

I am using 2 150 Watt..

I am also looking to use a heater on Wednesday thru Friday..

Weather is suppose to be a low about 10* and a high of about 28*.

I know that is not cold as it is going to be in the next 3 days up north but I am gong to try and be pro active about it.

Good to see you here again Lefty.. Happy New Year...

BC

 

[rvn4fun]

Disagree with 20 degrees, fourth season, ect.

Coming from South Dakota, if you don't stretch the seasons a little. You would be camping possibly, 3 months a year, if you had to stay out of a 20 degree weather situation. We made a decision a long time ago to stretch the season as we have big rv paymeants 12 months of the year and simply are not going to camp 10 weeks and put our expensive toy away. This year we had our outside water hose freeze up in Nebraska in May. We have traveled to just outside of San Antonio for the winter and have had 6 nights now that our outside hose has frozen up, we didn't expect weather like this when we came down here, but we are stuck here now for the rest of the winter. So far our Big Country has performed great, no inside freezing issues yet. I would be extremely dissappointed if we have a freezing issue, unless it gets below 10. I understand that Heartland and most manufactures don't build rvs for extremely cold temperatures and if they did they would cost a lot more. Our friends from South Dakota bought a new Sundance and we camped with them in a unusually cold and snowy weekend in October, so much for global warming, where we were down in the low teens with 35 to 40 mile winds and they did not have any problems, this is one of the reasons we decided to get a Heartland product. Hopefully this weekend we have water after the teens hit Texas, but I don't consider, in the 20s a fourth season.

 

[Delaine and Lindy]

Remove water Line.....

When the outside temps are expected to be below 32 degrees I remove our out side water source. And keep the fresh water tank over half full between 50 to 70 gals. Delaine did laundry today so after the temps went above 32 degrees and I just went out and unhooked because the temps will be below freezing again tonight. GBY....

 

[htneighbors]

When we bought our Landmark and I saw the "zero tested" I asked the "salesman" what this ment.... his reply (even though I don't believe it) was that if the thermostat was set too 72* the basement would not get below 40* ..... I do not know his source , but if you did not know better you would think you were all set to go camping down too 0* as long as you kept it 72* inside... just what I was told .... Again I do not put much faith in it because it came from a "Salesman" good luck

Mike

Having wintered last year in WY down to -30 degrees and in NE this year sand so far down to -22...I can confirm that - at least in my Cyclone. I keep my thermostat set to 70 during the winters and everytime I open my basement, it is plenty warm in there! I think I'll put a thermostat in there, cause I've been curious how warm it actually is.

 

[TXBobcat]

I will post the temperature in my basement each night and if anything inside the trailer freezes. I will also let you know if anything outside freezes. I am not going to disconnect the Shore water and Sewer.

Good test. Suppose to get down to around 10* this week... Lowest in 13 years.

BC

 

[Delaine and Lindy]

Bob we have never disconnected the sewer, but unless your shore line is heated it will freeze if its below 32 degrees unless you leave the water running. It was at leat 10 shore lines froze her last night, and the MH hooked to a water filter has frozen and bursted and the low temp was 21 degrees. GBY...

 

[TXBobcat]

Bob we have never disconnected the sewer, but unless your shore line is heated it will freeze if its below 32 degrees unless you leave the water running. It was at leat 10 shore lines froze her last night, and the MH hooked to a water filter has frozen and bursted and the low temp was 21 degrees. GBY...

Yep... I am already setup for it. Have been since I arrived. I lived in the area for 38 years and know what it can be like in Dec & Jan.

I have a heat tape wrapped around the Shore water hose and faucet. I took some spray foam and filled two Wal-Mart bags and formed them around the faucet and put a plastic 5 gal bucket over it. I wrapped the water hose with the heat tape with the black 1" pipe insulation and then taped it and used nylon cable ties to keep it around the hose.

I have the opening in the UDC covered and the hose is wrapped with the heat tape and pipe insulation up to the UDC water connection.

I have 2 150 watt light bulbs in the basement and may put a third in for the next 3 days.

So far the temp in the basement has not gotten below 54* when it got down to 20*. The Sewer hose has been drained and I have a 3rd heat tape wrapped around the sewer pipe just under the trailer body. Could not get enough to wrap all that was exposed outside of the trailer.

Will let you know how it turns out..but I am confident all will be well.

BC

 

[kakampers]

Bob...sounds like you took every possible precaution...don't think you'll have any problems....

 

[wyleyrabbit]

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?