Artic Package

[richfaa]

quote:Originally posted by Lee F.

Yes it is. try this: http://www.wbuf.noaa.gov/tempfc.htm

I knew it was true..

[indy roadrunner]

Let me make this as simple as I can. Anything below 32 deg F is cold even if it is 0 degrees C.
I am beginning to get the impression that if I want to do the snowbird thing and not be cold I am going to have to further south than Florida, lets see maybe somewhere in the middle of South America.

[richfaa]

OK so December is over and we used 8 tanks of Propane at a cost of over 173.00 and no we are not in Alaska or Wisconsin but in Sunny Florida near Disney world. We keep the camper at 70 degrees and do not wear gloves, stocking caps, heavy socks and winter clothing inside the camper. The electric bill will be @ 115.00 for a utility bill of @288.00 to heat 400 square feet of living space. % wise that would be@ 5 times as much as it would cost to heat our stick home in Ohio.. We need that " warm & toasty package" bad.

Good news is it is back in the mid 70's and the furnace has not run for 24 hours..

[Mudchief]

Rich, in December we burned 10 tanks of propane here in Kansas and $180.00 for electric. Just think what it would have been if we did not have that artic package. Leaving next week headed Southwest burning that $3.25 a gallon diesel so we can save on propane.

[exav8tr]

I think the REAL "Arctic Package" is a FAT Wallet to pay for all the heating costs.

[sola123]

I can say that we have been very satisfied with the Monty on the cold days we have experienced..at a Va Tech football game weekend..22 degrees and windy 25- 30 mphh...stayed warm and toasty..cant say we had drafts...only had a small generator for electric lights and tv...no fireplace or elec heater.. but kept very warm...and yes we did burn a lot of propane but we stilled loved being in the Monty...lot better than our SOB we had....we were very satisfied overall as it was our first really cold weather test....

[richfaa]

The numbers are in. Just paid the December 2010 Bill. 8 tanks of propane at 21.17....169.36. That is the most propane we have ever used anywhere during our wintering and this is in Florida. We do run the hot water tank and Fride on propane. Electric 82.56 not to bad. Total 251.92 for utilities...an all time high. Now we do not skimp. We do not lower the temp in the camper we use what we use and pay the bill.When we can no longer pay the bills we will hang it up. Disney helps.....

[oldelmer1]

Do the coaches have an ARTIC PACKAGE sticker on them? or do all Montana's have the Arctic Package?

When I pulled my underbelly down to look where my tanks are, I had lots of insulation on the underbelly.

[granet]

Sorry for the delay in returning questions-I'm still working and don,t retire till this summer but here goes:
We have stuffed all the rubber slide out boots with strips of R30 fibre glass both inside and out!
As to propane we have rented a 250 pound pig from the supplier here at the campground during the cold snap over Christmas and before it lasts about 3 weeks in -10 and below temperatures at a cost of about $210 a fill.
We found that the front pin box was wide open to the closet floor so we stuffed that with insulation as well -it seems to have done the trick as the bedroom floor has no cold spots anymore!
I hope this information is beneficial to those who are full timing in cold weather;by the way, this set up took me and my 2 sons about 4 hours to get ready!
Regards
Granet

[richfaa]

Tom..My 06 3400 has only that silver insulation..That IS my Artic package. They all have that sticker.

granet.... Now that is a Artic package. Did you do anything about wind and cold air getting under the camper. The slides are the main offender, IMO. Doing what you did around the boots and getting something under the slide flooring would be a real artic package.

[mhs4771]

OK, I have a question about the Artic Package: Per KeyStone the Monty is suppose to be 0 degree F certified, yet I have exposed water lines in the Basement which again per KeyStone is not heated. So does that mean it's 0 certified as long as the unit is Winterized only??
I will say this tho, the Monty is much better insulated than either of our previous TTs

[richfaa]

Well Helen and I are not 0 degrees F certified and we would not want to be in this thing at 0 degrees F. I had a wet towel in the basement of this 3400 last week when the temp went down to 28 degrees and it froze solid.

[oldelmer1]

quote:Originally posted by richfaa

They all have that sticker.

Hmmm, mine does NOT have an ARTIC sticker.

[scductman]

Rich a friend it tn this winter showed me how he did his slideouts. he screwed 2" styrofoam under his and layed it on top under the slidetoppers I know it would have to be removed to retract the slides but for long term might be a good mod. he told me it worked really well. I guess it depends on how far you are willing to go.
bobby

[CamillaMichael]

quote:Originally posted by scductman

Rich a friend it tn this winter showed me how he did his slideouts. he screwed 2" styrofoam under his and layed it on top under the slidetoppers I know it would have to be removed to retract the slides but for long term might be a good mod. he told me it worked really well. I guess it depends on how far you are willing to go.
bobby

Not sure of timeframe you are thinking when you say "long term," but according to the manual, the slides are supposed to be "actuated" a couple of times a month when they are out for extended periods of time. If that is so, what a pain to have to remove the styrofaom every other week! But I guess it would be worth the few minutes to do that in order to be warmer and save heating costs the rest of the time.

[exav8tr]

"Not sure of timeframe you are thinking when you say "long term," but according to the manual, the slides are supposed to be "actuated" a couple of times a month when they are out for extended periods of time. If that is so, what a pain to have to remove the styrofaom every other week! But I guess it would be worth the few minutes to do that in order to be warmer and save heating costs the rest of the time."

Michael, I did not know that. We have been parked for as long as 5 months and never exercised the slides. We are sitting for the next 6 months or so. I suppose I should do as you say. Thanks for the "heads up"!!!!

[CamillaMichael]

Phil, the Lippert manual can be downloaded from the Lippert website...tried to paste the specific site address, but without luck! Anyway, on page 6 of the manual there is direction to actuate the slides once or twice a month to keep all of the moving parts moving. If you are not able to find the manual on Lippert's website, let me know and I will try attaching it to a PM. Michael

[DarMar]

We have used a seasonal spot (4-5 months) with our last 3 Montana models since 2003. We have never actuated our slides during the season. I do lube them in the spring and again in the fall with no problems thus far.

[granet]

Rich et al:
Let me make myself perfectly clear the slide outs are all enclosed by the insulation board and then the outside skirting the only exposed slide out is the bed room and for that we friction fitted chunks of the R40 board and then taped it too the unit-duck tape doesn't like the cold so we,re using 90knot tape from a friend who flys helicopters it seems to be holding so far with no residue from the glue. I hope to take some pictures soon if I can just figure out how to get them on here.
Regards
Granet

[richfaa]

Granet.. Sounds like you have the artic package figured out.

We see some of the permanent campers here who have sealed the slides as Bobby describes.
We do not move the slides a couple times a month but do move them about 3 or 4 times a winter season here in Florida.

Perhaps they took the Artic sticker off because it was such a stupid statement.