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Old 10-20-2006, 05:50 AM   #21
Parrothead
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Carol
Thank you for once again for clarifing the 50 amp setup. I've said it before on the forum but some people seem to be stuck on the 30-20 configuration. I think they changed this in late 2004. We hear the comment "don't have second AC or washer/dryer so don't need the 50 amp". When one pole on our 50 amp plug came loose it was real evident how the unit is set up. We had electricity in the back half of the Monty but not the front half.
Happy trails.......................
 
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Old 10-20-2006, 06:16 AM   #22
bsmeaton
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Sue,

So what you are saying - my 2003 Monty is a 30A + 20A setup? Even if I plug into the 50+50 pedestal?

Brad
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Old 10-20-2006, 12:42 PM   #23
Mrs. CountryGuy
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Ok, someone get SteveR to tell us when his 3295 was built, the one he just sold. His was the 30 20 set up.

Our 3295 was built about Memorial Day 2003. We took delivery June 20, 2003. We have the 50 50 set up.

Sometime between SteveR's build date and ours they CHANGED the way they wired Montanas.

I am sorry, I cannot get the date down any more specific than that, someone else might know, I just don't.

Glenn, what do you have, 30 20 or 50 50? (sounds like we are running a odds making house here, ). Glenn's was built just a bit before ours. Maybe running down his build date will help us determine when the change over was made.

ON EDIT: Never mind Glenn's build date for the 50 50 question, he has a 2955 (is that right Glenn??) and when they built his they put in a 30 AMP, not the 30 20 type 50 (this is getting confusing folks! HA HA) Anyway, his build date will not help us for the 30 20 vs 50 50 question.
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Old 10-20-2006, 03:30 PM   #24
sreigle
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Ours was built July 2002. The easiest way is to look at the main breaker. It's a double breaker. If one is a 30A and the other 20A, that's the older system like we had. The newer ones have 50A and 50A main.

The newer setup started with the late 2003's, I believe. In that case, if you have the step up between bath area and bedroom then you probably have the older electrical setup. If a flat floor, then you probably have the newer setup. That might help those who don't have easy access to their rig to have an idea what they have.

As for supplemental heat, we don't need supplemental heat to keep warm, either in this Montana or our 2003. But we do need it to keep propane costs down. Since we buy our propane but don't pay extra for electricity, the supplemental heat is advantageous for us. I'm also thinking of insulating the ceiling in the basement storage, as was mentioned. But mostly the cold floor is not so much over the storage area but is over the overhang area. I could drop the skin of the overhang and insulate in there but probably won't this year.
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Old 10-20-2006, 04:38 PM   #25
bsmeaton
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Thanks Steve,

We've got the flat floor, so now I'm anxious to look at the breakers (in storage). I know what you mean on the bedroom slide, that is a cold point.
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Old 10-23-2006, 04:31 PM   #26
Russ and Sandy
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We've got the 30-20 in ours too in our 03 2955RL. Since we don't have the second a/c, I converted the blank cover to an outlet in the bedroom ceiling - which is handy for a hair dryer when we want to take advantage of the "50 amp" service.

I also tapped into that same circuit down near the breaker and added 2 outlets along the floor under the sink and under the stove. We use one or the other of these regularly with our space heaters to keep from tripping one of the other breakers.

All of these outlets do work whether plugging into 30 or 50 amp service. We just keep an eye on the V monitor which we keep plugged in at the kitchen counter.

Another "add-on":
I also added a GFCI protected outlet inside the basement near the front jacks switch. It is powered by a 12 GA extension cord stored inside the left propane compartment which goes through the bulkhead into the outlet. I ran a wire from that outlet to another outlet which I added to the area beside the step (in front of the converter). When needed, I uncoil the extension cord out the bottom of the propane compartment and plug into the campground post.

I decided to do this after our experience a year ago where we were being broadsided by 40 mph winds in -8 temps for 3 days. At that time, I had strung an extension cord into the basement and intermittently ran a heater there.

Russ

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Old 10-26-2006, 04:02 PM   #27
lsproul
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Just a question,
if you are camping in sub zero temps, how do you keep your water hose from freezing when using water supply.

Lsproul
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Old 10-26-2006, 05:19 PM   #28
Montana Rog
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I don't know about sub-zero temps..but in more moderate temps like 15 to 20 at night, I fill the on board fresh water tank, which is kept heated by the furnace..and roll up the hose until you need to fill it again. Be sure to drain the hose every time. It works..I do it!
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Old 10-27-2006, 12:13 PM   #29
powerstroke73
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Home depot or Lowes sells a lite kit that has a guard on it. We used one when we had are cabin ( in the well house) it kept everything from frezzing up when it got down to around 20 or so. The light has a clamp with rubber feet to keep it up off the floor of the storage area. Hope this helps.
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Old 11-02-2006, 10:27 AM   #30
richfaa
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Did a little experiment last night.Don't know what it means, maybe nothing, But it raised my eyebrows. It was predicted to be below freezing last night (northern, Ohio) Now the Montana is winterized and we keep a space heater inside on medium just to keep the interior above freezing..have always done that. The camper is along side the house and protected from the wind but there was no wind last night. I turned the space heater off yesterday afternoon. This morning the outside temp was, by our digital thermometer...31.7 degrees at 8Am. A push of a button indicated that the low temp last night had been 27.6. Went out into the camper and the digital thermometer in the camper was reading 28.6 degrees..it was colder inside the camper that it was outside..not very encouraging. Maybe the artic packaage means that it keeps it at artic temps ..inside the camper???? We are going to do that again tonite... The good news is we are going to Az in December....
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Old 11-02-2006, 10:43 AM   #31
Mrs. CountryGuy
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Rich,

ok, if it got down to 27.6 outside

and inside at 8 AM it was 28.6

and the outside temp was 31.7 at 8 AM

my take on this??

is that the temp inside your rig did not get as low as the temp outside, but maybe close.

and it was warming up faster outside, but, our experience is that if there is no sun or little sun it takes a long while to get the inside as warm as the outside.

we have never heated the inside of the rig UNLESS it has freezable items in there, since we don't want to pay to heat it for 2 to 3 months (before exiting and heading south), we take out ALL freezable items when we winterize. You might have the right idea, keep it warmer, maybe that would protect it from dampness damage, just don't know. Have been doing it our way, (no heat) for years, and I don't think we have experienced any damage from doing so. Lots of people have to store their rigs in storage lots, and most of them cannot heat the unit. Sure you have your reasons for doing so, but from our front porch, it is a waste of heat and $$. (you know the routine, our way, works for us, your way works for you.)

We feel Tana holds the high temps better (like 80) than it does the low temps (like 26)

course, we have a much older unit than you, yours is built for better cool weather living than ours.

Best comment in your post, we intend on leaving ........

(ahhhh, yea, that is the best! )
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Old 11-02-2006, 12:40 PM   #32
richfaa
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Normally we would take all the freezable items out of the camper over the winter. We have for years strung a couple of 60 watt light bulbs inside the camper to prevent moisture buildup and it seems to have worked. Since we are heading to Az hopefully right after Xgiving we did not winterize the inside of the camper this year hence the convection type heater. It is very efficient and only draws 5.6 amps` om medium (according to my handy dandy Kill-o-meter.) My reason for the experiment was that there is a lot of stuff we left in the camper that will freeze and since it was not really all that cold wanted to see how the Montana held the heat...it didn't..gonna keep the heater on till we leave..Cold and good old lake effect snow for tonite..Can't wait to point the Montana South/West.
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Old 11-02-2006, 01:05 PM   #33
Mrs. CountryGuy
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Rich,

If it gets cold enough (this is from personal experience), you will need to OPEN all doors that might be hiding freezables.

One year when we ran out of here, I put some pure olive oil in the back cabinet, it was liquid when I loaded it. By the end of the first day (we did not run with heat on that year), the olive oil was cloudy, and rather frozen. It thawed, no biggie, no damage done.

Point is, that it can get real cold behind those doors and stuff will freeze or come close even IF you have heat on in the unit. We will prop open the doors on nights when it gets down around 25 or below and we are in Tana, usually the first few nights outa here on our run for the warmth, err, Texas.

But you knew all this!

As for us, our freezables are stacked in the garage, where we monitor the temps, and if the temp in there gets below 30 we add a little (electric) heat for the minimum of time. If it gets downright bitter (like 15 and downwards from there), we will have to pick it all up and cart it into the house. We are hoping for warm temps till January 5th, and we hope to be long gone by then!
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Old 11-03-2006, 02:29 AM   #34
richfaa
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You can tell you guys have been rv'ers for a long time and we who live in deep freeze climates know all the tricks. We leave the Fridge door, freezer door, Bathroom door, Sliding closet doors and as you say any cabinet that may contain items that will freeze or gel open to aid in airflow,Also leave a roof vent cracked just a tad, really helps. The light bulbs in the camper trick, If you can do that, also helps with condensation and mold.The heater in the camper now is on a thermostat set for 40 degrees. This morning it was 28.3 on the outside digital thermometer at 8AM low reading of 26.3 Degrees, lake effect snow last/ We Had the heater inside the camper set on Medium heat and was pleased to see the the overall inside the camper temp was 47.6 degrees this AM. We are staying over for Xgiving this year but the general consensus is coming around to ..next year lets get out of Dodge as early as possible.
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Old 11-03-2006, 03:03 AM   #35
Mrs. CountryGuy
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Rich,

YES to a roof vent, we leave one open just about 1/2 inch when we are fall and winter (cold weather) camping! It really does help.

Al and I have had any number of situations arise during our years as camper/RV owners, have to say (do you see me knocking on my wooden noggin??? ) that we have not had trouble with mold.

Had mice; had broken frame welds; had camber go south on 2 trailers (one was a boat trailer); had axle trouble; had the brake wires break and loss of brakes more times than we want to remember or count; had the siding blow off the front of the last TT when we were hauling; had the front windshield cover thingy blow off a unit while we were hauling; had a few flat tires, luckily NEVER when hauling; been stuck in our own yard, van and trailer all hooked up and ready to roll, that was a fun day ! NOT!

But, please spare me from mold!

(Now you know why our phrase, Handy with your hands or handy with your money! HA HA)
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Old 11-04-2006, 02:58 PM   #36
Bobcat
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We had a couple of cold nights down here in Louisiana. Noticed cold air from the slide outs and from under the steps to bedroom. Really cold air, just like outside, from under steps. We insulated the basement with the quilted roll of foil from Home Depot. This helped this area, bathroom warmer. Warming back up, will explore the area around the furnace and under the steps. Also we are getting an adjustable vent for the vent at back of trailer, more heat come out of this one than the others in the downstairs area. Working on a few ideas for the slide outs, since we are not going anywhere anytime soon. Will let yall know it my idea works.
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Old 11-05-2006, 02:06 PM   #37
trukdoc
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Probably not convenient for fultimers but when I am travelling in cold weather I use the furnace and for water I use the storage tank not a hose connection. First time in cold weather found us with no water haveing fresh water tank empty and the water hose froze solid.
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Old 11-30-2006, 07:09 AM   #38
Army Guy
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I've noticed the problem in our bedroom also. It seems to be coming around the bed frame by the floor. My thoughts are its from the slide out mechanism there and all the open space under there. I have a small ceramic heater set to a timer that goes off about a half hour before I wake up that takes the chill out of the bedroom. This is working well for us.
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Old 12-08-2006, 12:39 PM   #39
Montana_6601
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New to the forum...Hello from Texas.
We just recently got back from the Durango, CO area. have been there several months working. My question is concerning freezing of the hot water line that runs from the kitchen to the shower/bath lavatory. We have a '06 3295RK. The temp got down at or just below for a few nights in a row and each night the hot water line would freeze. It always thawed during the day. Just wondering if anyone else has encountered this problem. I contacted Montana and the woman I spoke to didn't have any answers for me. I quizzed her about the Artic Insulation/4 season package and she replied that the trailers were not designed for "cold" weather. Salesmen should try to sell on that point. Anyway, if anyone has any suggestions I would appreciate it. I want to have vinyl skirting built, but am having trouble finding someone that is interested in doing it.
Thanks for suggestions...
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