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Old 11-07-2016, 01:52 PM   #1
Banjopicks
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4 seasons?

Anyone using these to live in during the winter? I'm trying to decide if it's worth the effort to skirt it. I've got a 2016 Montana High Country.

I was looking for something under the sink last night and I noticed some fairly thick foam insulation where the cut for the drain pipe is. What's the truth about it being four season, will skirting make a difference?
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Old 11-07-2016, 02:30 PM   #2
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Re: 4 seasons?

I think you can do it but you will be cold if trying to fulltime in a northern climate. If you don't have the dual pane windows I would think that would be a place where you would want to try to put plastic over etc. too. I have a newer park model, the kind that has the pitched shingled roof and house siding. I have mine skirted but it is built more like a camper than a home. Thinner walls, luan interior walls. Even with the dual pane windows it gets quite drafty in New York, where it sits in the winter. an occasional weekend stay is tolerable but I wouldn't want to stay all winter in it. Now the Carolinas, it would be great.
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Old 11-07-2016, 04:12 PM   #3
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Re: 4 seasons?

The Carolinas won't be an option for 3 more years.
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Old 11-07-2016, 06:08 PM   #4
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Re: 4 seasons?

It will take a lot more than just skirting to be comfortable. 4 season or mine the polar plus package is not much of a help over older trailers. The polar plus says "Allows you to camp to zero degrees without worry of tanks or water lines freezing up". That's all they will claim. Nothing about being comfortable or how much propane it takes. Beside just attempting to stay warm yourself while in the RV. Do not leave without leaving the furnace on if at zero degrees. I would live in a good wall tent with a wood stove before a RV not prepped for the winter. I have used both in zero degrees while hunting elk for up to 9 days. Nothing like t-shirt temps in a tent as long as the stove is burning wood. Tent was 14x16. And after the toilet freezes up your going to the outhouse anyway.
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Old 11-07-2016, 06:39 PM   #5
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Re: 4 seasons?

We lived in a McKinzie Medallion in Battlement Mesa Colorado for three years. Didn't skirt it and we stayed plenty warm just using electric heater in the bedroom and living room. I did run a heat tape in the belly to keep the dump valves from freezing.

No way would I try that with the Copper Canyon I have now - and its advertised as a "four season" trailer.
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Old 11-12-2016, 05:39 AM   #6
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Re: 4 seasons?



First pic in last year in Illinois, second pic is this year in Minnesota and the third is my heated water hose run parallel to my sewer line. Wrapped both in R11 insulation. I'm set up in mobile home park so I was able get my hookups underneath my trailer. Also has a heater underneath that can turn on if needed. Inside I put that heat shrinkable window film in my windows.
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Old 11-12-2016, 06:23 AM   #7
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Re: 4 seasons?

I full-timed in a 30' TT for about four years in Northern VA, through several 20 - 30" snows. You don't say where you are, but from my experience, skirting will really help keep the floors warmer and your tanks from freezing. I didn't have them until the second winter after having several instances of black tank freezes. Made my own out of particle board covered with porch paint, and put a 60 watt trouble light on the ground under the black tank, and no more frozen tanks. There's 2" and 4" thick insulation board that comes in 8' x 4' sheets that I'd use today. Cover it with an outdoor latex paint and it should last fine. You could use Gorilla tape to fasten it to your frame on the low parts, but I'd have to figure out something else for the front. I would run a couple of 'brick' electric heaters and set the furnace for 60 degrees. That way it would kick in enough to warm what was underneath. Some put an incandescent light in the basement to add some heat to the underbelly.
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Old 11-14-2016, 08:19 AM   #8
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Re: 4 seasons?

Oil filled heater on low in the basement and open the wall between the basement and crawl space. heater can be close to stuff without fire worries.

Worked for us for 5 years in Michigan and one was -40 with 40 mph winds for a week
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Old 11-14-2016, 08:53 AM   #9
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Re: 4 seasons?

This CG owner doesn't want anyone to use electric space heaters and we are on a 30A service. We run our electric fireplace anyway but I wouldn't want to add anymore.

So far, our floors have been very comfortable without any skirting and we have had a couple of below 30 nights already. I've started skirting with reflectix. Someone else in the CG used it with good results so that's what I'm doing. I know it has no insulation value to speak of but it will keep the wind out. Plus it's really easy to install with just a pair of scissors and aluminum tape. I'm told this tape won't leave any residue when I take it off in the spring.

BTW, we're in RI
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Old 11-14-2016, 05:55 PM   #10
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Re: 4 seasons?

I stayed in mine a few nights down to 15F. Used 3 trouble lights/drop lights in the storage bay to generate some heat. Ran the fireplace. Used an electric blanket. Check the supply lines to the washer/dryer. Mine was up against the exterior wall. I slipped some foam pipe insulation over them.
Are you at a metered site? If not I would run the fireplace and an oil filled heater. You'll have to experiment to run the furnace enough to throw some heat towards the plumbing under the floor. Oh...that foam you saw around the sink drain may have been part of the laminated floor. You know...that weight saving helium technology. Ahem.
So...what does an apartment cost up there? I'm not sure this effort is worth it.
Or...like Ken/Claudia said... a wood stove in an Idaho sheepherders tent. Been there. HEY! WAKE UP it's your turn to load the stove.
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Old 11-15-2016, 01:44 PM   #11
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Re: 4 seasons?

We're going to try this before going to an apartment but it isn't off the table.
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Old 08-02-2018, 08:38 AM   #12
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I used 1" foam board for my first Nebrasks winter and had no problems. I did put 2 electic heaters connected to a thermostat controlled outlet underneath my 2008 Montana. I used the foil tape to attach the boards to my RV. It stuck all winter and left no residue to the sides.
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Old 08-02-2018, 08:51 PM   #13
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Our Cougar had the Polar Plus, stayed a week in single digit temps at night and below freezing during the day last winter. Used heated water hose, drop lights in basement where the water line to toilet was exposed and in the water connection closet (or whatever you call it). No problems except went thru 7 gallons of propane a day.
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Old 08-02-2018, 09:17 PM   #14
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My Montana is also a winter prep camper.
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Old 08-03-2018, 05:37 AM   #15
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Two inch Styrofoam walls, bubble wrap to help, 3" of fiberglass in the ceiling and 2" of insulation in the floor doesn't make for an "energy efficient building"... Consider that the "average 12,000 BTU window air conditioner is rated to cool 500-600 square feet in a S&B house. Most RV's are less than 350 square feet and a 15,000 BTU unit will barely keep the temperature "tolerable". It takes an additional 13.5/15K unit to cool an RV in any location where the temperature rises above 90F. That is directly related to heat transfer through those "barely insulated walls" and the single pane windows.

Trying to heat a "minimally insulated box" with single pane windows (0 insulating capacity) is going to result in excess energy consumption. For many "extrememly cold areas" it would cost approximately the same to heat an RV as it would to rent a modest apartment.

This is not an attempt to talk you out of trying to live in your RV through the winter, rather, consider it an attempt to highlight the expenses you'll face in trying to keep the interior "freeze free and comfortable"....
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Old 08-03-2018, 08:54 AM   #16
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The manufacturers claim they're 4 season, polar or whatever rvs & you CAN use them year round, but no where do they make any claim that you would be comfortable inside while using it year round.
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Old 08-03-2018, 05:33 PM   #17
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They actually advertise that some rigs are tested at zero degrees and inside stayed at 72. What they don’t say is how much propane it took to keep it at that temperature.
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