Help, Advice and Suggestions please

[jamieshannon]

We will be traveling this holiday week for the first time with temps in the low 20’s. We have a Class A Holiday Rambler that normally stays winterized and parked all winter long. We will not be totally dry camping but be able to hook up to a 15 amp connection. I thought about running a small oil heater that pulls about 8 amps on the medium setting. I know that we cannot run the roof heat pumps as I am sure they pull too many amps. Would you just run the furnace? What is safer? Is it OK to put water in the tanks and lines? What temp do you have to keep the inside of the coach to keep the lines from freezing? I worry about carbon monoxide so I usually do not like to run the furnace when we sleep; am I just being paranoid? Any advice is really appreciated! Thanks a Million, Jamie

[wagon217]

Hi Jaimee and welcome to the forum. Does your class A have a carbon monoxide detector onboard. Most newer rigs do have them. I would be sure that it is working and the smoke detectors as well for that matter.

As for using the propane furnaces I would not be reluctant to use them, given that they are on good shape. Most newer rigs while using propane will put some heat the basement area to keep the tanks and water lines from freezing up.

If I was going into weather that you describe I would fill my tank and put my water fill hose away. Also I would not deploy my sewer line until it was necessary for a dump.

If you are running a diesel pusher with air activated steps, in freezing weather those steps can become icy and freeze in position.

Folks have recommended to me to have them retracted with the door closed and open when you open your entry door. thus keep moisture off of them. This will use air pressure and will be necessary to run your engine to replenish the air.

These are my thought and I hope they are of some help to you..

Good Luck with your travel :)

[jamieshannon]

Wow Thanks Wagon217 for the quick reply and some great information! This is actually our 2nd coach we have owned and is a brand new 2008 HR Admiral which is not diesel... It does have a carbon monoxide detector in the ceiling in the bedroom and I also carry a portable one that has a digital read out of Carbon PPM. I think a lot of people might be surprised how often it went off in our older coach a 1996 Fleetwood Southwind with moderate levels. I do a lot of Sports Car races with a 100 RV’s packed in a small space with all generators running which I am sure does not help. We will actually be in the driveway of my mother-in-law’s out in the country so I could running the generator but I thought it would be better to run the little oil heater or just use the coaches furnace. I will not need a lot of water but should I fill tank full or just what we need? thanks again for the replys!