This winter has been a major learning experience for me since downgrading from 1,220 sq. ft. worth of living space to 358 sq. ft.
My biggest lessons have been in insulating the underside of my travel trailer to keep the holding tanks from freezing up. I will have to think of better ways to hold the temporary skirting up around the bottom…well, I have all summer to think about it.
Meanwhile, I have taken all the tarps that I had duct taped to the bottom off, folded them and have them stacked up under the trailer. I have to figure out how to get the duct tape off. It really stuck on there good.
This winter the I only had one really bad day. The gray and black water holding tanks were full and I couldn’t dump them because they were frozen solid. I hauled butt up to the Lowe’s and bought a cheap propane heater and tank. Set it up underneath and burned it on very low. Every 15 minutes or so I went under there to feel the bottom of the trailer to make sure nothing was getting singed or too hot. After three hours both tanks were finally melted enough for me to dump.
Oh…there was another day where it got below 15 degrees and the water hose that brings in all my water froze up solid even though I thought I had insulated it enough. My son and I spend half a day wrapping that hose….. It took 2.5 days to melt and I found out that I needed 2 gallons of water a day to take a bath, wash my hair, make coffee, cook something to eat and clean up afterward.
Besides that, it was pretty cozy all winter. A tank of propane lasted for about 2 weeks until it was time to refill, but that was only if the temps stayed far below freezing for an extended time.
Tango's Going Ons 
I left a slow drip running in my kitchen sink. That seemed to do the trick.I guess when I think about it, 16 gallons of propane is not so bad for one month when it gets super cold over here.
I left a slow drip running in my kitchen sink. That seemed to do the trick.I guess when I think about it, 16 gallons of propane is not so bad for one month when it gets super cold over here.
Thanks for visiting Coal. I had the tank warmers on both the tanks, but they still froze up on me. I should have saved that 200 bucks for insulation. Even though the next winter is a long ways off, I'll be looking around for stuff to do it differently this time around.
Thanks for visiting Coal. I had the tank warmers on both the tanks, but they still froze up on me. I should have saved that 200 bucks for insulation. Even though the next winter is a long ways off, I'll be looking around for stuff to do it differently this time around.
Forgot, heat trace line on the incoming water line.
If you have access to power, install tank warmers either 12 or 120 volt, low amp draw and should keep things flowing, failing that, skirting and then regular insulation stuff up under the trailer, you know the pink stuff.
So there were snow flurries on my way to an inspection in Clifton, 20 miles away….and I thought the weather woman was making that up.
So there were snow flurries on my way to an inspection in Clifton, 20 miles away….and I thought the weather woman was making that up.
lol…great idea. I wonder if I can get my good friends, who\’s yard I\’m parked in, would consider trading in their four dogs for four cows?
lol…great idea. I wonder if I can get my good friends, who’s yard I’m parked in, would consider trading in their four dogs for four cows?
You’d think things would get easier when you down-sized. Next winter park over a pile of cow manure. That stuff gives off heat and gas.