0° temps

[MarioM]

Been staying in my 16' Babi in Flagstaff. Have not had problems at all and a few nights it's diped to 12° I've been using a radiator heater that's been keeping up and when it gets below 20° and it's been a nice 70 degrees inside. I drain the water heater and lines at the low spot after I shower.. but never experienced 0° and they are calling for that on Saturday night. I went today and bought 2 100# tanks because I fear I'll have to turn on the furnace and it will suck up a lot.. I've been very surprised this Honeywell radator has been able to keep up. I have family I can run to if I have a disaster but I prefer my little house.. I'll keep you all posted in how it goes.. lol. Wish me luck!

[Wabbiteer]

Once temperatures get silly low the ceiling will be the envy of everything else because all the hot air will stay glued to it... just a little breeze to keep air layer stratification from happening will make things more comfortable inbetween furnace runs... well except if you're on the top bunk


Good Luck!!

[kidjedi]

A small 12v fan to keep warm air circulating is good advice (direct it over the radiator or at the ceiling). Also, stuff a couch pillow in ceiling vents, and make sure the windows are covered if you haven't already. Covering the windows with something that has "loft" is best (pillows, comforters, coats, etc.).


Have fun!!!
...

[OTRA15]

A little more detail would help get better suggestions IMO. For instance is your water tank inside the trailer above the floor in your model? Also do you have one holding tank or separate black/grey tanks? Tank heaters?

Zero degrees Fahrenheit is way below the capabilities of most RV's to weather, without very special precautions taken IMO. The wind speed and direction will be crucial, especially if the prevailing wind hits the trailer near the shower valves [or any other plumbing, for that matter, running inside exterior walls]. Do you have such items?

Have you skirted under the trailer with hay bales etc.?

Good luck,

Peter

[OTRA15]

Here is the hourly forecast for Flagstaff:

https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClic...Type=graphical
[note "Forward 2 Days" button at top right]

. . . which shows a low of 16 on Saturday morning, and 8 F early Sunday. Luckily the winds are quite moderate IMO.

Are you in Flagstaff proper, or maybe up at a higher elevation, which could get colder temps and stronger winds?

Happy trails,

Peter

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by MarioM

. . .
... I'll keep you all posted in how it goes.. lol. Wish me luck!

Curious to know how it goes tonight.

Thanks,

Peter

[Spartanguy]

Run the furnace, vent a little, enjoy winter camping in Flagstaff! I’d probably keep it more simple and just leave the water heater on, but no expert here.

[MarioM]

It's a 2016 16foot Bambi. Lessons learned from this so far at 8°. Remove the recessed spare tire, stuff void with insulation (the water tank is above the spare tire in the dinette seat, yup started to freeze), my foot stuck to the floor in that area like a toung on a light pole and alrted me to look at the tank. Stuffed some insulation in the wheel wells, oddly made a huge difference, draining pipes and water heater, good idea.. covering windows.. didn't bother. Furnace is off still, the Honeywell portable heater had to turn it down when it got to 75° inside.. prop bathroom door open, toilet was like sitting on ice. But so far no difference between 32° and 0° outside and the warm cosey feeling inside here in here... Condensation, non existent, cracked the bathroom vent just a smidge.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, we stayed in Custer South Dakota once in October; Locals said it was an early winter for them. It was Zero degrees at night with a high of 27 degrees during the day. I left my water heater and furnace on 24 hours a day, for about five days. I also used an oil filled heater too. I got here with two full 30 pound propane tanks and if we stayed one more night they would have been empty. Propane goes really quick in that weather. My fresh water hose and sewer hose froze.

[BayouBiker]

I checked the wheel wells on my 25ft International, they are not insulated much if at all either. Since your spare tire is recessed it makes sense that is a problem area also.

It's unfortunate your water tank is propane only but since it is insulated, it won't consume much propane, I'd consider not draining it and leave it turned on. Drain the water lines, but be sure to leave the sink and shower faucets open to hot and cold water so any poorly insulated run that might partially freeze has a place to expand. See if you can get some air circulation to the water pump. For those readers following this thread that have an outdoor shower, remove the head and open those valves too. Bring the fresh water hose in when not using water so it is not frozen and unusable if and when you need it. Run the furnace for a couple minutes every hour to let it circulate a bit of warmth to places your electric space heater can't get.

For those wondering where to get insulation, bubble wrap is a cheap, durable and reusable temporary multipurpose insulator. If you are caught off guard, crumpled paper and cardboard, towels, blankets and clothes work in a pinch.

[OTRA15]

Thanks for the midnight update, Mario. How are things this morning?

Exterior shower valves? Waste tank(s) and related piping/valves OK? Waste tank(s) heaters, or tanks relatively empty? You can always dump extra RV AF down the drains, but it is a little late for that maybe.

Peter

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Indeed, simply draining the hot water tank generally isn't enough when there is risk of the unit freezing. I ran into an unfortunate individual who found that out the hard way earlier this year.....

Bob

[MarioM]

Well, it's -5° right now... Windows have ice on them but with the blinds closed it's fine. Still have not turned on the furnace.. it's 70° inside.. ended up stuffing the down comforter against the wall and pulled another blanket out. We will see how the pipes did when it warms up later today. I don't have a shower outside, only a hole with a cheap plastic cover, I stuffed towels in that. The low spot for the drain is in the front, so I lowered the jack and opened it to drain all the water.. fingers crossed.

[OTRA15]

Thanks for the update. When do you expect to be able to connect to city water, and pressure-test all the supply plumbing, waste tank integrity, dump valves, etc.?

Per the lower lines on these monthly charts, it looks like Jan/Feb will not be a good time to "summerize" in Flagstaff IMO:

https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/fl...6854?year=2020
https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/fl...6854?year=2020

Maybe you are heading back to Tucson soon? Friendlier temps there:

https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/tu...6936?year=2020



Peter

[Caffeinated]

I’m not sure why you seem averse to running your coach propane heater. I know on the larger airstreams the coach heater, in addition to warming the interior of the AS, also provides heat to the water tanks, plumbing, etc. I assume it’s the same on your ‘16 Bambi. To me that would be worth burning some propane.

Mike

[mojo]

Any reason why you don't drop down to a lower altitude with more reasonable temps like Camp Verde or elsewhere in AZ?

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by Caffeinated

I’m not sure why you seem averse to running your coach propane heater. I know on the larger airstreams the coach heater, in addition to warming the interior of the AS, also provides heat to the water tanks, plumbing, etc. I assume it’s the same on your ‘16 Bambi. To me that would be worth burning some propane.

Mike

His water tank and some plumbing is above the floor:

Post #8:

Originally Posted by MarioM

. . .
. . . the water tank is above the spare tire in the dinette seat.
. . .

His 16' does not have heat ducts under the floor like other models IMO.

[MarioM]

Sorry, had family pop up for the newyear. So far no cracked pipes, or anything frozen. She appears to do just fine in -5. No we can't go to Tucson, we listed our house there and are moving to flag, we are also moving our business here from Tucson so we have to be here for contractors. After the business is back up and running I'll look for a new house, just not my priority at the moment.

[Caffeinated]

Good to know that you are doing ok at those temps. We are somewhat in the same boat as you. We are having a new house built and will be moving into our trailer for a couple of months in Feb. although the temps in W Oregon shouldn’t be as cold as Flagstaff.

Mike

[OTRA15]

Thanks for the update Mario. So are your holding tanks and the discharge pipes/valves empty? [maybe you only have one holding tank in the 16'?]

Peter