lightguy48
Tulsa, OK
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Joined: 03/18/2006
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We're relocating up to Tulsa, OK due to work and will have to stay in our TT probablhy through most of the winter.
I'm going to order up some tank heaters since we have an exposed underbelly on the unit, but I want to add some kind of skirting to keep cold air from circulating under the trailer and hopefully improve heat loss.
I was thinking about using some 1/4" plywood cut into smaller sections and then using 2x4's at the top and bottom to secure the plywood and to give me something I can screw yard stakes to hold the bottom side.
Does this sound like a good idea or are there some better ways to add a skirt?
Also, what is a good way to insulate the sewer hose? We were at the park and saw some people with just PVC lines but they were uninsulated, wouldn't the water hitting the cold PVC eventually freeze up into large chunks of ice and eventually plug the line? Or is the water too warm to freeze before it goes into the sewer?
Thanks for any tips & advice!
R. Brett Gilbert Tulsa, OK
2005 Fleetwood 27' Wilderness Limited
2005 Ford F-250 6.0L PSD Crew Cab
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Your Old Dog
Western New York
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Joined: 02/01/2007
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Can't help you with the skirt issue.
You didn't mention what your experiance was with a camper but at the risk of telling you something you may already know......
You know when you have a sewer hook up to not leave open the black water tank as you will have pooh problems !! When it starts to get full just go outside and release the gate till it empties. Then, if you were wise enough not to keep your grey water tank open, you can open it now and it will fluch everything down the drain and leave you set up for another few days. If you left everything open you would have problems and you are right, freezing would be a big issue.
good luck on the new job.
ray.......
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JJBIRISH
Butler, PA, USA
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Joined: 10/06/2002
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I have not spent a lot of time winter camping... but I would leave the gray valve open... the gray tank has to small of pipe and would freeze quickly...
the three inch line should be large enough to dump without a problem, but make sure it has enough fall and no low spots that hold water... the air in the sewer line itself will be above freezing and will rise helping keep the 3" from freezing also. the black dump valve will be the hardest thing to keep from freezing even with the tank heated, depending on how far from the main tank it is... I would build a box around the dump valve with a light in it...
skirting will be a must I would think, in cold windy areas... I have seen just about everything used as skirting... the quickest and easiest being bails of straw stacked like bricks with the leafs of broken bails as filler to get the right height...
if you have winter water at the park, you can get a heated hose, but I forget who makes them... they are expensive... or make your own, with heat tape and pipe insulation... I would bring the hose through the floor in a compartment and T off a water line to the compartment and make the connection there... keep a light in the compartment also...
keep in mind you will have condensation problems and ventilation problems in very cold weather...
with the amount of LP you will use, and if you are going to be paying for the electric, and the cost of everything else, a apartment will start sounding more appealing... if its the adventure you are after, the RV will provide that in extreme weather...
GOOD LUCK
Love my mass produced, entry level, built by Lazy American Workers, Hornet
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agwill
enosburg falls, vt
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Joined: 09/22/2003
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I have attached J channel for siding, screwed to the underside of trailer and used 1/2 inch insulation board (stryofoam?) with J channel on the ground using large nails driven into ground to hold the channel. I used metal tape for duck work to seal the seams. This was enough to keep my tanks for freezing at ten below. The insulation is less than $10 a sheet 4'x8'x1/2"
al
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lightguy48
Tulsa, OK
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Joined: 03/18/2006
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My plan is to keep the grey tank open unless the weather calls for freezing temps, then my plan is to close the grey tank and turn on the tank heater. I always keep my black tank closed until it reaches about 2/3 - full then I dump, and generally that same day I close the grey tank to flush it.
We talked about the possibility of an apartment but then that requires moving a 2nd time and we just don't have any interest in doing that. We could be there as little as 30 days or 3 months, and many apartments these days want a 6 month contract and we have no interest in that either.
Since we're playing for the TT we plan to use it so I need to perform the proper prep for it.
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ejbrandley
Entirely too young to be a
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Joined: 06/18/2007
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i would just use foam insulation board and stake it down be care ful dumping in really cold weather (when i was a kid i remeber peeing on the ground in below freezing temps and it froze pretty quick ) once the black tank starts to empty out it will slow down and more chance of freezing just be careful
good luck
TV 1997 GMC SUBURBAN, 92 Mustang Rag Top
PUP 1992 Starcraft Starburst
Eric 32,Tammi 37,Anthony 12,Julia 10,jason 9,Briana 7,Ashley 5,Robert 2
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Your Old Dog
Western New York
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It shouldn't matter to the interior of the trailer if you put a skirt around the trailer or put insulation on the floor. My TT has 4 I beams. It would be a pretty simple matter to put the Styrofoam panels from the inside of one I beam and span over to the other side of the trailer and bend the panel so it slips into the other I beam.
The idea of skirts came along before the popular use of styrofoam sheets but maybe it's an idea that should be up-dated.
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md2lgyk
Harpers Ferry, WV
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Joined: 07/11/2007
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An acquaintance of mine and his wife "wintered over" in his TT on the site where their house was being built. Instead of skirting the trailer, they stuck bales of straw under it. The electrician put a TT30 receptacle on the temporary power panel so they could plug in. I don't know what they did about sewer.
"The great object is, that every man be armed. Everyone who is able may have a gun." - Patrick Henry
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lightguy48
Tulsa, OK
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Fyi, if anyone is still following this thread. We moved to Tulsa and have been setup for a week now. We purchased skirting for a mobile home and cut it to fit before leaving for Tulsa.
The second night temps dropped to 22 degrees outside and we were comfortable inside. We have used one 35lb tank of propane in one week with the thermostat varied between 67 - 70 depending on whether we were sleeping or not.
We've had no issues with freezing or abnormally low temperatures under cabinets or in other areas with water lines.
I put UltraHeat tank heaters on my grey and black tanks and elbow heaters on the lines to the drain valves and one fresh water heater on the exposed drain/winterizing lines under the trailer.
The only issue we've had is moisture on a couple of windows pooling, but we bought some sponges and will check them every couple of days.
Other than the cramped space we have been very comfortable, I think proper planning and equipment has made everything work quite well even though we do not have a true four season trailer.
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JIMNLIN
Big Cabin, OK
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Joined: 09/14/2003
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we stayed in our 28' 5er one winter while our house was being built and used mobile home skirting which made a huge difference. I used 3" pvc for black/grey water with lots of drain angle to my in ground septic tank for the new house. With temps on a few nites below zero never had any freeze up probs as all tanks were heated and when dump time came lots of warm water moving fast didn't freeze up.
Moisture problems will show up when temps get on down later in the winter. You may want to look at a big dehumidifier. keep the air moving inside helps also. Look at Leggetts Mobile Mart at 11212 E Admiral or Duram Supply at 8518 E Admiral for mobilehome/RV supplies.
JIM
'03 2500 Dodge/Cummins HO 3.73 6 speed manual Jacobs
'97 Park Avanue 28' with two slides
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