So I moved in about a week ago. Just in time for it to get cold. I did change from 100 watt incandescent bulbs underneath to 250 watt heat lamps to help keep the tanks from freezing. I put 2 lamps with the 100 watt bulbs in the pass-through because there are pipes that run through there. While the coldest it has gotten so far is the low 20's I have been quite comfortable. It's not going to get a lot colder here until the end of January. Then February is fairly miserable. I don't seem to be tearing through propane too badly at this point. I discovered a feature on my fridge that I was unaware of. It has a warning light when you approach the 30 amp limit. So far by being careful with what is running when, I can run everything as needed. I guess I'll see what February brings.
About to Move In
- Thread starter Russell57
- Start date
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Adventurous Traveler
Well-known member
Well, good luck to you as the Winter moves on. Running the heat bulbs was a good idea. When I got home from a March trip to NC last year there were still some sub-freezing temps in the WNY area. So I kept a 100W utility light in my water bay to keep some gentle heat there. It worked well.
neanderthal57
Member
Just a quick update. The town would not allow me to put a 120lb propane tank on the property so I purchased two additional 30lb tanks giving me a total of 4. I fill them 2 at a time so I always have 2 full tanks. I have been plenty warm. I use the oil filled electric heater in the bedroom at night and I use a Big Buddy heater in the main cabin when I'm in there. The furnace is set at about 61 and that Buddy heater can drive you out. I'm averaging about $125/month for Propane and a little less for electricity and ZERO dollars for rent. While there is still time for a deep freeze here in the Northeast the forecast for the next week is unseasonably warm. Once we hit March, heavy snow is not unheard of but extremely cold weather is. So it has been a very comfortable winter. Next up is how I fare in the heat and humidity of July and August. I want to thank everyone for all of the advice. It was very helpful in successfully navigating winter.
Adventurous Traveler
Well-known member
Is Russell and neanderthal the same person?
neanderthal57
Member
Yes, apparently I opened a second account not realizing I already had one. The sad thing is I probably did them two days apart. It's tough getting old.
Mark_K5LXP
Well-known member
What tank fill/drain strategy are you utilizing?
Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
neanderthal57
Member
Right now I'm using my fresh water tank. I fill it from a hose at the house. I filled it when I moved in and have refilled it once. Once there is no longer a chance for a freeze I will connect to city water. I shower and wash dishes elsewhere so I don't fill up my grey tank. I do not use my black tank. When the ground is no longer frozen I'm going to see if I can open the grey valve and let the water dribble onto the ground without causing any issues. If not I will use a portable waste tank and transport it across the yard. There is a slop sink under one of the basement windows in the house that I can dump the soapy water into.
Tulecreeper
Well-known member
So, you can't have one 120# tank, but you can have four 30# tanks sitting side by side?
The particular unit I have has onboard storage for two 30lb tanks. Right next to that is an empty compartment the exact same size. I just put the two additional tanks I purchased in there so yes, I have four in a row. They are not visible so the town doesn't know they are there. I wouldn't travel with the extra two, but stationary they are fine. I don't even anchor the original two because it's one less step when refilling them.
Ex-Calif
Well-known member
Don't worry. We will let you know when you start arguing with yourself...
John From Detroit
Well-known member
There is a science fiction story (Ender's Game) Where you young boy and girl open multiple Social Media accounts and actually manage to influence world activities and national policies.. "Not bad for a couple of kids who don't have a dozen pubic hairs between them yet" is an as near as I can recall an actual line from the book.
Sadly there's a lot of that going on.
Sadly there's a lot of that going on.
So I have survived my first winter. I was actually quite comfortable. I purchased two extra 30# propane tanks for a total of four. I had a dedicated 30 amp circuit run to the trailer and I used an additional existing 20 amp extension cord that I used to keep two infrared heat lamps running all winter under the trailer and two 100 watt incandescent bulbs lit in the pass through that had some water hoses in it. I also had heating pads on all of the tanks running off of this circuit. My first electric bill was $150. The second was $105 and they went down from there. The expense that had me concerned was propane. It went like this.
11/3 $332. This included the recertification of 2 tanks, the purchase of 2 additional tanks and filling all of them
12/6 $58
12/26 $69
1/8 $55
1/21 $70
2/10 $54
3/3 $64
3/23 $74
5/5 $54
I'm probably good for propane until next fall sometime. I used a Buddy heater in the main cabin when I was home and an oil filled electric heater in my bedroom at night. When my sister or her husband came over for a visit they always commented on how warm it was. (around 75 most of the time). They keep their house at about 66.
My expenses seemed very reasonable as was my comfort. We'll see how I fare in the heat of the muggy summer. Again thanks to all for your comments and advice.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
Thanks for the detailed report.
Adventurous Traveler
Well-known member
Man, you talk about follow-up! That's great info for those on the forum who are thinking about living in their RV through the cold winter months.
CharlesinGA
Well-known member
Consider sending a message to the forum administrator using the "contact us" at the bottom of the page, explaining what happened and asking them to (if possible) merge the accounts under one name. Otherwise, just stick to one name in the future.
Be aware that before beginning travels on the road you will need to do a number of things to the trailer. They don't take well to sitting stationary for a long time. Most notable replacing the tires, probably replacing the wheel bearings, or at least cleaning and inspecting them before repacking them.
Charles
DeckArtist
Well-known member
Get the oil filled heaters, they work fantastically. Much better than the others.
UPDATE...shoulod have checked the date of your post. I see you are already fixed up!
Dusty Traveler
Well-known member
Welcome to the RV Forum!
We are from the Sunshine State on Florida's west coast.
I'm H.L. and Jan, along with our ride, Greta, who gets where we need to be, from time to time.
WOW, I just completed a full read and yes this is an old post. Not having to put up with cold weather here in Florida. It was an interesting read. Bouncing, and playing with what now, 5 LP tanks having seen a 130-gal. I understand you do what you have to do. Very dangerous. More so if you had thunderstorms. Happy to see you made it.
I was wondering what all you did get to wrap up on the outside of your Trailer. Did you add the window film? Any issues covering the skirting around the bottom? Thanks for sharing your dilemmas and challenges with old man winter. Stay safe.
We are from the Sunshine State on Florida's west coast.
I'm H.L. and Jan, along with our ride, Greta, who gets where we need to be, from time to time.
WOW, I just completed a full read and yes this is an old post. Not having to put up with cold weather here in Florida. It was an interesting read. Bouncing, and playing with what now, 5 LP tanks having seen a 130-gal. I understand you do what you have to do. Very dangerous. More so if you had thunderstorms. Happy to see you made it.
I was wondering what all you did get to wrap up on the outside of your Trailer. Did you add the window film? Any issues covering the skirting around the bottom? Thanks for sharing your dilemmas and challenges with old man winter. Stay safe.
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