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Old 11-13-2021, 08:33 AM   #1
CaravanMan
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Winterizing in WA- Windows, Skirting & Heating.

Greetings!


We are living full time (for the first time, and first winter in WA after many years in WI) in a 2014 Cougar High Country 321 RES in Sequim, WA about 4 miles from the water on flat open ground. We will likely be in this same spot all winter. I think we have our heat situation worked out ok, using 2 oil radiator heaters at night, as the furnace is too loud going on and off to sleep through. Spending about $25 a week so far on propane.


My questions are:


1) At what temp would it be wise to get some sort of tank heater, like a heat tape designed to keep the propane tanks from freezing? I did see suggestions about getting a larger tank that get's filled, not sure this is an option, but something I could look into. It has also been suggested to get a 3rd tank so I always have 2 full tanks. I have 2 spares in WI! Lots of good they are doing us.



2) Our windows seem like they are the place we are losing the most heat, around the pretty awful seal. I am considering using some of that plastic sheeting with double face tape, but many of the windows have fittings on the inside that will make this challenging if not impossible. I could put it on outside, but temps are such that I don't know if the tape will adhere well, and weather could do them in pretty easily, and I don't want to harm the finish. If I could just seal the window edges that would do the trick, but how?


3) Skirting. I don't really want to use foam board for multiple reasons. I don't really want to install a snap kit but this may be the best option. I could make a frame of some sort using wood or pvc and attaching vinyl or plywood. Seems like it would work but be a lot of work. In a different thread someone mentioned about mobile home skirting?


Any other ideas about maintaining heat, and any other things I need to be on top of? I'm a little concerned about night time temps and my pipes, tanks, etc even with skirting since we don't run the furnace at night. Looking at average temps here through the winter it hovers around 30 at night in the coldest month or two of the year.


Thanks!


Peter.
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Old 11-14-2021, 07:35 PM   #2
CaravanMan
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Surprising to me that no one has anything to say about this. These seem like questions that everyone living full time in one of these rigs would have to face in one form or another.
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Old 11-14-2021, 08:04 PM   #3
JRTJH
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The forum is filled with comments from people who live in these things full time. There's several threads in the past 30 days discussing exactly what you're asking, threads from the past winter discussing plans to help through the winter and threads discussing what worked, what failed and what those who lived through the winter are going to do to improve for next winter...

There's threads from 10 years ago (RV's haven't changed that much) discussing exactly the same questions that you asked...

Maybe it's not that no one has anything to say about the topic, it's that, for the most part, they've already said it, some multiple times.....
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Old 11-14-2021, 08:07 PM   #4
CaravanMan
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JRTJH View Post
The forum is filled with comments from people who live in these things full time. There's several threads in the past 30 days discussing exactly what you're asking, threads from the past winter discussing plans to help through the winter and threads discussing what worked, what failed and what those who lived through the winter are going to do to improve for next winter...

There's threads from 10 years ago (RV's haven't changed that much) discussing exactly the same questions that you asked...

Maybe it's not that no one has anything to say about the topic, it's that, for the most part, they've already said it, some multiple times.....
Fair enough. I dug into the forum a fair amount and didn't find much addressing my questions. I will dig deeper.
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Old 11-14-2021, 08:38 PM   #5
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Well how cold are you expecting?
We used the interior heat shrink window coverings on all windows we could. You state you are paying about $25 a week for propane, that is about one and a half tanks. You don't state what what your electricity is costing you, but you are using electric at night.

Skirting will help even if it just hay bales, your location is not great the wind will blow up the Strait of Juan de Fuca and chill things.
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Old 11-14-2021, 09:11 PM   #6
travelin texans
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DO NOT use hay bales for skirting! That's hanging out the VACANCY sign for critters to come winter with you. Personally I'd use 3/4-1" foam board, not sure why you wouldn't?
You need to run the furnace when it's the coldest as it has a duct into the underbelly to aid in keeping the lines/tanks from freezing, whereas portable electric heaters will not reach those areas.
Contact the local LP distributor to set up a 100# or larger tank with a contract to keep it filled, this is much better than the hassle of removing & filling the smaller ones every 5-7 days or more often.
If the coldest temps will be around 30 at night warming during the day then you shouldn't have much of an issue with freezing. Use a heated water hose & you should be good.
As for the windows use the 1/2" foam board as well sticking to the wall with 3m command strips, possibly the Velcro ones so the boards could be removed if wanted, they will not harm the walls.
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