Yeti Package

[4ever]

One of the featuers of the Yeti Package is the tank pad heaters. Do all the tanks have to have water in them to use this feature? If you turn on the tank pad heaters with no water in the tanks will you cause a problem? I have not found any info on this package in the owners manual.

Thanks for any input.

Ted

 

[kakampers]

YES...several people have burnt/melted their tanks by not having fluid in them...

 

[Gary521]

Silly question. Why would you turn on tank heaters with nothing in them in the first place?

 

[Theresau]

I've heard some have turned on in error.

Now that we are "freezing" in FL, do think having this package would have been a good idea. Noted that front closet is a bit chilly. My understanding is this package includes insulation in front and rear caps.

Silly question. Why would you turn on tank heaters with nothing in them in the first place?

 

[kakampers]

I've heard some have turned on in error.

Now that we are "freezing" in FL, do think having this package would have been a good idea. Noted that front closet is a bit chilly. My understanding is this package includes insulation in front and rear caps.

It does...our closet is chilly but not extreme...and that was at -6 degrees this morning...

 

[tboy]

When you get a chance take out your shoe rack in the closet, only 4 screws held mine in . I was surprised to see that all of the insulation was not stapled in and all of the insulation fell to the bottom in the wall, what a job trying to put it all back in place and staple it in. Also no insulation on or around the shoe rack, living and camping in Florida my closet got extremely hot in the summer, not now it stays as cool as the rest of the unit in the summer time. Also I was surprised to see that the walls behind the front cap were wood and not aluminum, the dealer told me that all the exterior walls were aluminum, not ! I still love my coach after taking care of all the small problems, now it is better than new !!

 

[danemayer]

Silly question. Why would you turn on tank heaters with nothing in them in the first place?

It's tempting to run with the gray valves open in cold weather so you don't have to manage the tank levels. But you still may have water in the fresh tank and the black tank may get emptied once a week. So you have to have the heating pads on to protect the fresh and black tanks, but if you run with grays open, you may burn through the gray tanks.

On our first ski trip, it was so cold that the gray valves were freezing. To solve that I left them open. It took me a while to find the leak under the heating pad on gray #1.

 

[DougAndJudy]

It's tempting to run with the gray valves open in cold weather so you don't have to manage the tank levels. But you still may have water in the fresh tank and the black tank may get emptied once a week. So you have to have the heating pads on to protect the fresh and black tanks, but if you run with grays open, you may burn through the gray tanks.

On our first ski trip, it was so cold that the gray valves were freezing. To solve that I left them open. It took me a while to find the leak under the heating pad on gray #1.

With so little documentation and experience with the Yeti package available, wouldn't it make sense to put a warning sticker near the tank heater switch cautioning about turning them on without water in ALL the tanks?

 

[jbeletti]

With so little documentation and experience with the Yeti package available, wouldn't it make sense to put a warning sticker near the tank heater switch cautioning about turning them on without water in ALL the tanks?

I just sent this request in. Thanks Doug and Judy.

 

[jmgratz]

Since we are new to the Yetti package here is my question. I have a toggle switch that says Yetti and a circuit breaker that says Tank Heater. When I turn on the Yetti switch it has a red light that comes on even though the Tank Heater circuit breaker is off. Does this mean the water line heater(s) is on and the tank heaters are off? Or is the system off? Or does the circuit breaker need to be on for the water line heater(s) to be on too? Is the who Yetti system off if the CB is off? If so why is the red light on the switch lite when the switch is turned on and the CB is off? Please someone explain.

 

[danemayer]

Since we are new to the Yetti package here is my question. I have a toggle switch that says Yetti and a circuit breaker that says Tank Heater. When I turn on the Yetti switch it has a red light that comes on even though the Tank Heater circuit breaker is off. Does this mean the water line heater(s) is on and the tank heaters are off? Or is the system off? Or does the circuit breaker need to be on for the water line heater(s) to be on too? Is the who Yetti system off if the CB is off? If so why is the red light on the switch lite when the switch is turned on and the CB is off? Please someone explain.

Hi Jim,

I don't think we know for sure, but here's what I think you've got.

The original Yeti implementation had 110V AC tank heating pads powered thru a circuit breaker. The 110V went through an illuminated wall-type light switch to turn on the tank pads. The fresh water heat tape was powered by 12V thru the fuse box and came on thermostatically when temps dropped. I don't believe there was an off switch for the heat tape. The only way to keep it from coming on was to pull the fuse. If boondocking in cold weather, you could drain the battery.

I think the current design uses the switch to turn on both heat tape and tank heating pads. My guess is that the switch is now 12V and powers the heat tape as well as a 12V relay that routes 110V to the tank heating pads. The 110V would originate in the circuit breaker panel. So I think one switch now turns both parts of the Yeti system on and off as needed.

If you're feeling adventurous, maybe you could take a voltage reading on the switch to see if it's 12V DC or 110V AC. And perhaps there's a relay nearby behind the switch panel.

 

[jmgratz]

Thanks. I will investigate some more to see what's up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tboy]

The first week I had my new coach the battery would die over night, I traced it the 12 volt heat tape being on even through the outside temp was in the 80s. The yeti switch was in the off position , pulled the 12 volt fuse out for the heat tape and never had a problem again. The dealer gave me a new and better battery and all is well, if I ever need to use the heat tape I will just put the fuse back in, I don't ever plain on being anywhere were the temp will be below freezing !!

 

[mountainlovers76]

I have the Yeti package also on my 2014 Key Largo but after reading all these posts I am now concerned mine is not working. I have separate switchs in mine, one for the tank pads and one for water line but when I turn them on the red light never comes on to indicate they are working. The circuit breaker is on and all fuses are good as well. We just came back from two weeks in the Smokies and had some really cold temps and one of my gray water tanks did freeze up. Is there anyone else that when you turn on the Yeti switchs the red light does not come on? Guess it is time to drop some of the underbelly and make sure the padds were installed. I do remember reading a post somewhere where the pads were left off the tanks.

 

[danemayer]

I have the Yeti package also on my 2014 Key Largo but after reading all these posts I am now concerned mine is not working. I have separate switchs in mine, one for the tank pads and one for water line but when I turn them on the red light never comes on to indicate they are working. The circuit breaker is on and all fuses are good as well. We just came back from two weeks in the Smokies and had some really cold temps and one of my gray water tanks did freeze up. Is there anyone else that when you turn on the Yeti switchs the red light does not come on? Guess it is time to drop some of the underbelly and make sure the padds were installed. I do remember reading a post somewhere where the pads were left off the tanks.

Hi mountainlovers76,

It would be a pretty long shot that the pads didn't get installed. Before dropping the underbelly, I'd check for voltage at the switch. I've had wires come loose on two of the switches.

On the gray tank freezing, are you talking about the valve being frozen stuck? If so, that's not protected by the tank heating pads, except to the extent that the pad warms the water a bit. I've had gate valves freeze at about -15 or -20F even with tank heating pads working. Gray #1 was the first the freeze. Had to drop the corner of the underbelly and defrost with a hairdryer. I've since installed heat tape on the gate valves.