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Old 01-20-2020, 08:12 PM   #1
Woodworker
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Camping in cold weather

It's 12 degrees here in NE Kansas and it takes 3 hours or more to get 12 degrees anywhere near 60 or 65 in a general comfort range.
When traveling in cold weather, is there any safe way to start the furnace for the last hour or so of the travel before setting up? Will the furnace blow out because of the wind?
We're freezing here!!
 
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Old 01-20-2020, 08:20 PM   #2
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Your furnace should run fine while traveling down the road. Might want to add a small electric heater assuming you have a hook up.
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Old 01-20-2020, 09:36 PM   #3
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We dont run our furnace when traveling. Some do.
Make sure your slides dont cover the vents.
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Old 01-20-2020, 09:56 PM   #4
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Steve and Ginger-- Are you camping in your rig or living in it full time? I'll answer more once I learn what the answer to this question is. Come on down to AZ and you won't have to worry about those 12* temps. We're from Omaha so we know what the temps up there can be like and that's why we head South for a few months.
By the way, you might consider joining us for the MOC Central Plains Regional Rally (CPRR) to be held in July at Victorian Acres in Nebraska City, NE. If you need more info just PM me and I'll be happy to fill you in on the details.
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Old 01-21-2020, 04:48 AM   #5
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We were heading from Michigan to Disney's Fort Wilderness last March. We had the Monty all packed up and didn't want certain perishables to freeze completely. So we ran the furnace all the way to our overnight stop destination in southern Tennessee. We had zero problems and did the same thing once we were heading home. Safe travels, and stay warm!

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Old 01-21-2020, 05:40 AM   #6
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When it is cold, we travel with the furnace on with no issues. I stop and get fuel about 2 hours before we plan to stop for the evening and turn it up to a more comfortable temp.
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Old 01-22-2020, 05:33 AM   #7
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thanks for the info on the MOC club rally. I'm going to look into this, and I'm sure there will be lots of correspondence forthcoming. We're just camping. I've got the 5th wheel set up here in Topeka, trying to get everything loaded and working. It just takes several hours for the furnace to raise the temp from 30 to 70, even with the two electric fireplaces. It made me wonder how people tolerate the snow camping and if they start their furnace while driving. I had several good responses. We're headed to Padre Island next week and they're forecasting snow and ice the day we leave. It's currently 75 in S Padre. Thanks.
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Old 01-22-2020, 06:10 AM   #8
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Check to see which vents will be covered by slides when closed. I would be concerned about hot air damaging the material under the slides, wood or flooring. We wouldn't do it.
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Old 01-22-2020, 08:23 AM   #9
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It should not take that long to warm up your rig. When you get a chance, take down your basement wall and look for pinched, cut, disconnected air ducts.
Last week we went from Goshen Indiana to Watson Illinois. It was in the 30*F. Dropped into the 20s. When we arrived at Watson for overnight stop we turned on the furnace, fireplace and electric space heater (50A hookup). We also turned on the oven for a little while. It warmed up pretty quick. They were predicting freezing rain. We pulled all the slides in and left the TV hooked up so we would not have slides frozen in place (extended) and an iced over hitch. Keep an eye on your propane tanks. It can go pretty quick at those temps. We use Mopeka tank monitors.
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Old 01-22-2020, 09:13 AM   #10
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We had no problem with running with the furnace on with our 3665RE, but can't do it with our 3720 due to three of the vents being covered when the slides are in. Besides the other issues, not enough air flow will cause the sail switch to shut the furnace down, the furnace to over heat or who knows what else.
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Old 01-22-2020, 12:39 PM   #11
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Thanks! Good idea to check the air hoses.
I'm curious if and how the Mopeka tank monitors work. Are they pretty reliable and accurate?
Steve
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Old 01-23-2020, 01:09 AM   #12
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A small electric heater should solve this problem. Depends on how long it takes for it to work. If not for a long time, then you can consider a chemical heater.
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Old 01-23-2020, 06:45 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Woodworker View Post
Thanks! Good idea to check the air hoses.
I'm curious if and how the Mopeka tank monitors work. Are they pretty reliable and accurate?
Steve
I love it. Before, one night at 2Am furnace quit. I had to get up and found I had left one tank turned off. Turned on valve, switched the lever over and got the furnace going again.
With the Mopeka, I can monitor them from my phone. Works up to 100' away.
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Old 01-26-2020, 01:33 PM   #14
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They are excellent. Well worth the investment. If you have an iPhone just buy the sensors and download the app.
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Old 01-26-2020, 03:13 PM   #15
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Sometimes we have hit a cold spot traveling and found the coach pretty cold. We would turn the furnace on and put a pot of water on the stove do r some warm herb tea to help warm the coach. With all the burners on and water boiling it gets warms pretty quick.
We also travel with the furnace on, but sometimes you overlook that with the excitement of the destination.
Hope this helps.
Happy Trails and drive safe
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Old 01-26-2020, 07:59 PM   #16
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Go south.
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Old 01-26-2020, 09:22 PM   #17
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below freezing?

We were crossing i-80 from west to Illinois, we experienced sub-freezing temps (and lost wheel!) across Wyoming last November 2018. We have always traveled with refridge ON propane and for this trip turned ON our furnace for an hour or two set at 50 degrees while monitoring situation which prevented tanks & water lines from freezing and continued eastward. We checked it every so often to find no issues. NO PROBLEMS! If any existed then it would have been turn off. Wear layers of clothing when stopping to keep warm and adjust temps for comfort (60) for stopping, sleeping and knowing we're heading for warmer temps!
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Old 01-28-2020, 10:09 AM   #18
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We are not traveling but our 381 is set up at a house we have upstate NY in the Catskills. I am using it as a place to stay while we work on the house & its been working out great so far. We set the furnace to 40 when we leave & have been using 1- 1 1/2 tanks of propane every two weeks. We crank it up when we get there & 2hrs its comfortable. I think having tank monitors would be a big plus since we are only a few hrs away. What I will be doing for next year is installing 12 volt heat tracing on the water system & insulating the lines using self regulating heat trace & just leave it on. You can wrap the pump, valves & anything else that would freeze with this stuff, no thermostat required, should be great when traveling as well. This winter has been a good test of how the camper performs during the winter as some nights its been in the single digits. Luckily when all the slides are in no vents are blocked so that helps a little.
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Old 01-28-2020, 05:09 PM   #19
Rsmarlow82
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Great suggestions Thank you
After more investigations , I think I have identified the real issue The appearant freezing is taking place in the plumbing lines near or directly connected to the pump. The pump is located directly behind/ adjacent to the small separated cabinet section where the selector valves are located, pull levers for black and front gray tank, and city water connection. The problem is this area is NOT heated or insulated.. granted it is adjacent to the heated section, but no direct vent between the (2) areas
Except the small 1/4 gap between the wall and the exterior door ..There’s the sign
So in spite of ours being an “all season” unit, that refers to a Florida only Lol
Thanks again for you suggestions
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Old 01-31-2020, 01:59 PM   #20
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Traveling with furnace on

For those of you that travel with your furnace on, I’m assuming you have an inverter or using a generator to supply the 120 volt side of the furnace. Which seems to be the more popular method ?
I’ve often wondered about doing that prior to arriving at a stop or our destination.
Nothing more uncomfortable than ice cold sheets.

Thanks in advance for any response
Michael
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