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Old 11-12-2022, 08:48 AM   #1
Rpalmer55
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Talking New Member Who Needs Help

My husband (Andy) and I bought 40 ac in Ash Fork, AZ. We purchased our first rv (2018 Montana 3810MS) back in July of this year. Since we will be very off-grid (hauling water, propane and gas) we have purchased a solar kit from Shopsolarkits.com (I def recommend them) and have been installing that. It was so hot in July we didn't stay down. We went back in Sept for a bit. We are currently driving 10 hours (one way) back and forth to our Colorado home (my dad's place) until we can get set up for staying down there all winter. The temps are getting down to 20 degrees at night right now. Andy spent the last day and a half skirting the rv with 1 1/2" foam board. The underneath temp matched the outside temp (30 degrees). He spent another day installing R13 batt insulation completely around the inside of the foam board and this morning the outside temp was 28 and the underneath was 22 degrees. He had stuffed every hole he could see with the batt insulation.
Since we aren't down there full time yet we can't leave the camper without concern for the pipes freezing. I've been trying to figure out how many watts the tank heaters use but only find amps estimates so I don't know if the solar batteries will keep the tank heaters going or if it will drain the batteries.
Seems like every project we take on leads us down the rabbit hole and I'm beginning to think we made a huge mistake.
Any and all guidance we can get would be sooooo much appreciated. Thank you in advance.
Andy & Rhonda Palmer
11600 Six Shooter Trail
Westwood Ranch
Ash Fork, AZ 86406
 
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Old 11-12-2022, 12:45 PM   #2
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Rhonda,

Welcome to the forum and AZ!

Your furnace is going to be the best tool to keep your pipes from freezing. As it sounds like you are setting up a permanent install you will want to consider renting or buying a large external propane tank.

The tank heater do not draw a lot of current. You did not say how much solar you have installed but the tank heaters will not be a big draw.

Although we get cold at night the sun usually warms the rig fairly quickly during the day.
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Old 11-12-2022, 12:47 PM   #3
Daryles
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Here is a picture of the label of a tank heater pad. It shows the voltage 13.5 vdc, amps 4.8A and watts 65W.
In my opinion, the built in thermostat should be set to come on at 36⁰F and off at 40⁰F.
That would save the batteries from unnecessarily running the heater pads.
I bought a digital temperature controller for operating the RV fridge exterior cooling fans
I guess you could wire one in to control the heater pads to come on/off when you want them to.

HiLetgo DC 12V 10A Digital LED Temperature Controller XH-W3001 Mini Thermostat -50 to 110 Degree Heating/Cooling Temperature Control Switch with Waterproof Sensor Probe https://a.co/d/aVKR5Vd

The real problem with being off grid is power.
I'm in a FB group Solar Powered RV's and Boondocking and one guy posted he had a 2,200W system that could run everything. It cost him $20,000.
Personally generators are cheaper but you have to haul gas.
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Old 11-12-2022, 02:24 PM   #4
mlh
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I would take few minutes and winterize my camper. Get a hose adapter and a small compressor. You will need to drain your hot water heater. I have a ball valve on mine to make it quick and easy. After It’s drained open all the faucets until the water is out. Don’t have any water in the black tank. The grey tanks can be dumped on the ground, wont hurt a thing.
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Old 11-12-2022, 03:15 PM   #5
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We use our Montana throughout the winter months. We do our share of cold weather camping. But, if we are still in the freeze zone states, the camper is completely winterized. That means the RV pink-stuff antifreeze is in the water lines and all the tanks are completely empty.

Water is kept in 5 gallon containers, dish water is always caught in a pan and tossed out the door, and we use a port-a-potty and dump it in a campground provided pit toilet, or if at home, in the toilet in the house .... even when we have full hook-up sites.

We do not have solar, but if you are truly off grid, but staying in the camper only part time, then depending on solar only will require a huge battery bank just to maintain heat while you are there. I strongly suggest doing a complete winterization and picking up a generator that will provide you heat with space heaters and to charge your batteries real good, and let Solar keep the batteries charged when you are not there.

If you truly out in the middle of no-where, you'll have absolutely no one complaining about listening to a generator run all day and all night. This is probably your best option to get you through winter.

Now? Where you dump that port-a-potty? That's another question only you know.
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Old 11-12-2022, 04:06 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mlh View Post
I would take few minutes and winterize my camper. Get a hose adapter and a small compressor. You will need to drain your hot water heater. I have a ball valve on mine to make it quick and easy. After It’s drained open all the faucets until the water is out. Don’t have any water in the black tank. The grey tanks can be dumped on the ground, wont hurt a thing.
Lynwood
A question for you. How did you install the ball valve? I assume somehow using the anode rod insert pipe. ?? Is so how do you change the rod? Thanks.
(I had the threads get all messed up and used a threader and went a little too deep, so it is touchy whether I can get a seal. So if I could put an adapter of some kind, in it one time and just leave it I would be happy.)
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Old 11-12-2022, 04:12 PM   #7
mlh
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Originally Posted by twindman View Post
A question for you. How did you install the ball valve? I assume somehow using the anode rod insert pipe. ?? Is so how do you change the rod? Thanks.
(I had the threads get all messed up and used a threader and went a little too deep, so it is touchy whether I can get a seal. So if I could put an adapter of some kind, in it one time and just leave it I would be happy.)

I just screwed it in the drain hole. The only problem I had it was too long and I had to cut it off as much as I could. If you replace yours and have the same problem I’ll cut it off for you or buy one and send it to you. I own a machine shop. That helps.
Lynwood
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Old 11-13-2022, 08:38 AM   #8
mlh
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I forgot one thing in my previous post. You can get an anode rod with a drain hole in it. It has a small pipe thread in the end that you put the ball valve in.
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