BAC Forum

General Boards => General Discussion => Topic started by: Tom Fisher on January 12, 2018, 10:05:39 PM

Title: Travel in Cold weather
Post by: Tom Fisher on January 12, 2018, 10:05:39 PM
We weren't able to get out of Colorado as soon as we had planned. We are leaving soon, and I was planning on draining the domestic water system of antifreeze and check the system. It will be getting around 10* at night with the unit in my driveway for the next few nights, then for 4 or five more days on the road. I have a 2005 Beaver with Hydro Hot. Will the Hydro hot  keep the basement above 32? If I read it right,the manual states that it should keep the basement around 40*. Parked and driving down the road? 
Opinions appreciated.
Thanks
Title: Re: Travel in Cold weather
Post by: Steve Huber Co-Admin on January 13, 2018, 12:33:31 AM
Tom,
If the HH is on, the bay t'stat is set at about 40F. The actual heat exchanger / fan is usually in the same bay as the water pump or fresh tank.
Steve
Title: Re: Travel in Cold weather
Post by: Joel Ashley on January 13, 2018, 02:19:05 AM
As long as the HH is on, including while on the road, as Steve said the bay exchanger will run if it’s independent thermostat senses around 40 or below.  But just because the unit comes on at 40 doesn’t mean it can keep up throughout the entire bay system with super crashing outside temps.  Ours is in the waste tank bay, and the water manifold is at the street side end of that, so it’s promiximally protected.  Our fresh tank is a ways away but right next to the HH itself for ambient warmth.

Regardless I’d take small auxiliary heaters along in case the HH fails for some reason.  And at anything below 20 degrees ambient outside I’d be frequently checking bay temperatures... just don’t leave the doors open very long to do it.  An infrared gun like many of us use for tire temps, etc., can read interior bay surface temps instantly.  Installing in the bays of most concern a couple wireless remote sensors that connect to a module on a wall or table inside your coach can be reassuring, but as I recall your Aladdin may provide such.

Joel
Title: Re: Travel in Cold weather
Post by: Bob Stone on January 13, 2018, 04:02:40 AM
Three years ago I left Calgary Alberta for Yuma on November 11th in a blizzard, temperatures at least 15 degrees below freezing. I kept a close eye on the Aladdin bay temperatures and found the HyroHot could not keep the  basement above freezing likely partly due to the wind and vehicle speed, even with the engine supplemental heat through the HydroHot.
As all of the cabin heat was needed to keep the windshield clear and just adequately ice free I ran the generator to power an electric heater to keep the driver (me) warm. When the basement temperature got down to freezing I put an electric heater in the utility tank bay as well.


Three days of that before I reached the palm trees in Las Vegas. There was sufficient heat when parked at campgrounds with electric service. I learned my lesson, I now head south on November First.
Title: Re: Travel in Cold weather
Post by: Stan Simpson on January 13, 2018, 02:13:28 PM
We left home on Dec 19th with temps in the mid-to-high thirties, traveled through Ky, Tenn, Ark, Ala, to the Florida Panhandle, where the temps at night got down in the high 20s. The day-time temps were always above freezing, so our basement temps remained good with the HH going. We are paranoid about freezing up, so we didn't de-winterize until we got to Florida, but then we went through the cold they had in the north. We check basement temps constantly on the Aladdin, and have separate temp sensors in each bay going to an indoor read-out.

I have learned that as long as ambient temps are above freezing most of the day, going below freezing at night is not a problem, as long as the HH is running. It's the ambient temp being below freezing for an extended period, day and night that is the problem.

Title: Re: Travel in Cold weather
Post by: Tom Fisher on January 13, 2018, 04:48:21 PM
Thank you all, I appreciate it!
Title: Re: Travel in Cold weather
Post by: Joel Ashley on January 13, 2018, 10:02:06 PM
Stan brings up what I meant to add and forgot;  if you’re not going to be more than a few days on the road, you could always leave it winterized and take gallon and 5 gallon jugs of water along inside for washing dishes and flushing, and bottled for drinking.  Nothing really all that inconvenient if you’re tent-camping experienced.  Then dewinterize at a southern destination when you’re relaxed and not under “pack and leave” stress.

As an aside, Lee still insists on carrying bottled water with us anyway - force of habit from getting a tankful of bad park water 10 years ago, before I got a large filter/softener to haul along.

Joel