Arctic Package? - Montana Owners Club

stimpy123 · 01-29-2010, 02:53 PM

I really wonder about the claim that the Montana will maintain 70 degrees when the outside temp is 0. We have an 09 3605Rl, and with the ost @30, the furnace runs most of the time with the thermostat set at 70. We still have to use the electric fireplace and cover with blankets in the living room to stay comfortable. I wonder how long the furnace fan will last when it runs for 10 min and then is off for 2-4 min before going through the startup process once again.
Maybe you shouldn't make the claim, as I don't, In my humble opinion, feel that the claim can be met. Even when the rig was fairly new, with less than 1 year in service, the temperature couldn't be maintained easily.
Thanks for listening.
Yours truly,

washley1 · 01-29-2010, 05:28 PM

There was a similar thread a couple of weeks back. We went through a week in early January in SC at temps from high teens to low 30s, set at 70, had no problem staying warm. Used the fireplace for ambiance, not heat. Did not burn all that much propane, maybe 1 full 30lb bottle, and we did a lot of cooking as well. Yes the fan ran a lot, and may not last because of it, but so far, so good.

DarMar · 01-30-2010, 04:33 AM

The thing is one can maintain that temp if we allow the furnace to run long enough all right but then there are all those drafts to deal with. To use those famous words of Rich, most of us are left without that "warm and toasty feeling" while relaxing in our rigs at those temps. Perhaps many people feel perfectly comfortable during those conditions, we sure don't, and find ourselves adding extra clothing and shoes or slippers. In order to boost the warmth for that more warm and toasty feeling we use two electric heaters and even then are left to deal with numerous drafts from all those slides we have. Certainly while sitting at our desk during below freezing temps one must wrap themselves in an extra blanket to remain warm and toasty. So, as you correctly stated "the temperature couldn't be maintained easily."

TLightning · 01-30-2010, 06:56 AM

I think we all pretty much agree that the "Arctic Package" is a sales gimmick...it sure sounds good. As to the claim the RV will "maintain 70 degrees," sure it will...you just have to run the furnace all the time and some supplemental electic heaters certainly help.

deadeye · 01-30-2010, 10:28 AM

The "Artic Package" is designed to keep you cold in the "Winter" and "Hot" in the summer.....Actually the insulation is no thicker or better than in any STANDARD unit. I guess we are lucky that it muffles the noise somewhat...

jretz · 01-30-2010, 02:25 PM

Just imagin how much the heater would have to run if you did not have the Arctic Package.

washley1 · 01-30-2010, 05:19 PM

Sorry, gang, but I stand by my warm and toasty comments. It was sub freezing all that week, and we were fine, no electric heat needed.

Mrs. CountryGuy · 01-31-2010, 02:42 AM

Walt, you have a Big Sky, maybe your insulating factors are different that Montana, and different again from Mountaineer?? I have not kept those numbers in my ole leaky brain, but, you are supposed to get something better for your Big $ky $$$$$.

I always thought that artic package stuff was mostly for the basement, to keep our water running. But, then, there is that leaky brain stuff again. SIGHHHH

And, then factor in personal differences. Yesterday I was photo recording some headstones, it was 40 and breezy, I had on the thermies, jeans, warm socks, t shirt, sweat shirt, good jacket and ear muffs. My fingers were icy. There was a guy in the cemetery at the same time, talking to Al, (who was bundled up even more than I was) who was in a cotton short sleeved shirt and jeans and was NOT cold. I am always cold, guess this guy isn't.

Something else we notice, if it is calm (as in no wind), colder temps outside don't bother us too much, but add in a breeze to a wind, and there is a HUGE difference in our unit (read year and stuff below in the sig line, we don't have as much artic package, etc as MOCers with newer units). Yepper, when that wind blows, you will find us adding another layer of clothes or just crawling into bed with a good book, 3 yorkies and several blankets. Hoodies, optional.

hookman · 01-31-2010, 03:33 AM

I find if I run our ceiling fan the air is circulated and the furnace doesn't come on as much as it forces the warm air down.

exav8tr · 01-31-2010, 04:32 AM

Our ceiling fan has a reverse on it which we use during the winter months to help dissipate heat from ceiling. We set furnace on 65 during the day and run an aux elec heater also. Trailer stays between 65 and 70. This is in 30 degree temps. We don't seem to notice many drafts coming in so we are fine. We do dress for the winter though, although we don't wear thermals. I usually have on jeans, long sleeve shirt and sweater, sometimes sweats. DW likes her sweats in the trailer. We set things down at night and use electric blanket on the bed. We just don't do extreme cold weather.....

washley1 · 01-31-2010, 05:12 PM

Carol, I like to think we spent big bucks for a better build, but I doubt the diffs are more than cosmetic. If we got better insulation, then I'm glad we did, but I am not sure. And of course, you are right, different folks feel cold more than others; Lately I thought I was in the colder group! Whatever the temps, I just hope everyone can find some way to be warm or cool enough to enjoy their Monties!

Tom S. · 02-01-2010, 02:34 AM

Well, I have to speak up. In the "Old Days" we had a 1973 17.5 foot Cavalcade trailer that proportionally used propane faster than our Monty does, so I'm guessing there must be something to the "Arctic Package".

richfaa · 02-01-2010, 10:51 AM

I do make fun of the Term" Warm and toasty" Everyone has their own level of comfort. We had no problem keeping this thing at 70 Degrees in temps in the mid 20's. We will have a problem in paying the electric and propane bill in doing that. Like Carol says when the wind picks up we get that "drafty and breezy " feeling. Socks, sweat shirts, sweaters..it's all part of rv'ing.

TLightning · 02-01-2010, 11:08 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by richfaa

Like Carol says when the wind picks up we get that "drafty and breezy " feeling.

All Montanas, and just about any RV with slides, come with the "Drafty and Breezy" option.

richfaa · 02-03-2010, 01:57 PM

AArrgghhhh.. Our jan utility bill was 6 tanks of propane at 127.02 and electric 99.40 and we were not warm and toasty..
However we are as we speak "warm and toasty." Furnace is running set at 70 degrees. We are at the PC desk in stocking feet and Tee shirt Outside temp is 59.3 degrees 70's during the day No wind.... Artic package is working.

Tom we had a 73 Holiday TT , remember them.? Used it during hunting season in NE Pa. Slept in our Woolrich hunting clothing.

Tom S. · 02-05-2010, 01:29 AM

Rich - Do you mean the Holiday Rambler? A friend of mine had one, but I don't remember the year. Must have been between a 72 and 74. It was a very nice unit!!

We didn't sleep with our woolen clothes on, but we had lots and lots of blankets! One side of our bed was against an outside wall, and it would sure wake you up in the middle of the night if your bare skin happened to come in contact with it.

old turbo · 02-08-2010, 02:13 AM

I would say that most fiberglass insulation over the years of bouncing down the road will compress in the roof, floor and side walls. The construction of you rv is a time process to get it out the door. I would add that in era of rv construction spray foam would be a better insulator even if was used only in the roof and floor area than the old fiberglass.I did some work on the roof vents on my 5vr which means I had them completely out. I found some ares by the vent holes that had no insulation at all, I mean full strips, and the rest just laid in and not even taped in and this had moved out of position.

sreigle · 02-08-2010, 09:52 AM

We've been in temperatures as low as minus 5 degrees F and ten days where the highest temperature was 14 and have been plenty comfortable inside. We dress like we did in our stick home days. That means I probably had on a long sleeve shirt and maybe a sweatshirt. We use lots of propane at those temperatures but 70 degrees was very doable. It can be a little drafty around the edges of the slides and if you don't have dual pane windows you can get a draft off the windows. We solve that by putting the heat shrink film over the windows on the inside.

My preference, however, is to go south. Even when it's comfortable inside I still have to sometimes go outside in that temperature, like to refill the propane or dump the tanks.

richfaa · 02-10-2010, 05:15 AM

Our normal KW usage for a 24 hour period is @8 KW and we do not skimp. We use what we need. In one 24 hour period in Jan we used 41 KW with two heater running on high and the temp set at 70 degrees. We are averaging 9.45 thus far in Feb and we are having some cold Florida days.We had some good broadside winds last night and it was drafty in the main 3400 slide. Helen has down two loads of wash this week and that drove up the KW's. We used 12KW on both of those days. We do stay " warm and Toasty" with sweater, sweat shirt and pants and socks but we pay for it. Not complaining. We knew about keeping these things warm going in so no surprises.

NASCARon · 02-22-2010, 01:23 PM

In the Nashville, TN area we had gone through some weeks where it got down to 10 degrees at night and didn't get any higher than 20 degrees during the day. We stayed comfortable without running the electric fireplace or any other electric heater. We did go through 60 lbs of propane in 4 days but we did stay comfortable and our water didn't freeze. Of course we heat-taped and foam wrapped the hose outside of the rig but all lines within the coach were fine.

Everyone around us were not running their furnace and were relying on electric heaters (since electric is free here) and EVERYONE had frozen water pipes. The arctic package has an enclosed underbelly that is heated from the furnace.

We've also been in 12 inches of snow and I was worried the weight would hurt the slides, but the rig handled it well. I'm very pleased with our 3400.

Arctic Package is a little misleading though. It doesn't mean four season, it just means it can handle some cold. A four season unit has things like double pane windows, thicker and more insulated walls floors and ceilings, etc. Arctic package is just designed to handle a little below freezing. We did 10 degrees but I wouldn't want to be in anything below that.

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