Cold weather got me again this year

[byrdr1]

We had a nice weekend 2 weeks back.. I had learned my lesson on the electric heaters in my camper over the winter months last year. So this year I filled my 2 propane tanks up and set my furnace to run at 40 degrees in the camper. I checked it every weekend.. I turned the frig on end of January and put some sodas in it. Everything is going along fine.. The other weekend the temps hit 70 plus degrees I was in the camper dusting it and just messing around "my relaxer!!" I turned the furnace off and put it on the air so it would be blowing it around to move some of stale air. I worked in the camper for around 2-3 hours.. Sat a little turned the TV's on checking them out. Just enjoying myself. Wife calls and said its time to get ready to go out and eat. No problem, turned the air off and closed up the camper.. Fast forward to this last weekend.. Messing in it again as its in the 60s. Hey I need a soda, open the frig and boom. Guess what?? during the week temps dropped back into the 20/30s.
4 cans of soda had exploded inside the frig and I had pepsi and diet dew all over the inside of the frig.. I spent the next almost 2 hours cleaning it all up, when the cans expoded they busted the plastic frig shelf on the door from the swelling.
So I turned the furnace off and got busted!
It was really my fault and lucky this was just a minor problem.. I think this coming year I will lock it up in the winter months like most of you do and stay out of it all winter long..
NOT sure I can do that with it right at the house and being under the cover now..but its a thought..
Randy

[jsmith948]

Sorry you encountered a problem. It would certainly be easy to forget the furnace (at least for me as I suffer from CRS). However, every month or so when we aren't using the camper, we like to go out and 'exercise' everything. We open the slides and clean and run the furnace and the a/c fan, put out the awning to let it dry. I really think that is better than 'just letting it sit'. Nothing factual to back that up - JMHO

[JRTJH]

jsmith948,

Fortunate for you that you live in a place where you can do that. Around these parts, when it gets put up for the winter, it's pretty much "there till spring". Even something as simple as putting out the awning can cause damage. Imagine the awning, put up dry, but a little "snow melt" and the inner rolls of fabric are frozen together, push the button, the awning starts going out, suddenly you hear a "RIIIPPPPP" and realize the awning, fully extended, now has a "skylight" in the middle

Sometimes, depending on the circumstances, it's better to leave "well enough" alone till spring

[byrdr1]

John, I am sure I can't just park in and leave it alone, its 20 ft from my house and under the rvport now.
jsmith, I usually open it up every other weekend or so, but this year the weather has been COLD.. so I havent spent much time in it as I would normally. I had an accident last year so I was more careful this year.I thought???
BUT the soda in the frig thing was me wanting a cold one(HAHA). I just jumped out when the wife called and never thought about the heat again..Another lesson learned.. I keep getting these lessons, one day they might stick...
I have already ordered my shelf for the frig. $30.00 shipped to the house..
randy

[canesfan]

Hmmm, I've been keeping stuff in my fridge for years and thankfully never had that experience. I don't run the heat in the winter. But I keep sodas, waters, cold ones, etc in there all the time with the fridge on. I'm like you, it's 20' from the back door and I go out and piddle in it when I can, otherwise it gets lonely. Then I find all these things to do and nothing gets done around the house. Anyway my thought always was it's insulated, it keeps things cold when it's hot, so it should keep things cold when it's freezing.

[jsmith948]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

jsmith948,

Fortunate for you that you live in a place where you can do that. Around these parts, when it gets put up for the winter, it's pretty much "there till spring". Even something as simple as putting out the awning can cause damage. Imagine the awning, put up dry, but a little "snow melt" and the inner rolls of fabric are frozen together, push the button, the awning starts going out, suddenly you hear a "RIIIPPPPP" and realize the awning, fully extended, now has a "skylight" in the middle

Sometimes, depending on the circumstances, it's better to leave "well enough" alone till spring

Good point. Living in an area with mild winters, I had not considered damaging the awning do to it being frozen. We do get hard freezes from time to time. Good food for thought. Love this forum