Re: Subzero camping
Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 98509
Good info sharing, Rich - you made me cold!!
We dry camped on Muncho Lake Strawberry Flats Provincial Park for 6 days on our way to alaska. The lake was still frozen over, and thick ice too. It was in the teens most nights. Our first major trip with the new battery bank and solar panels, so I spent some time testing them out. (X's 4 L16 Lifelines for 800AH. X's 5 240W 48V High Efficiency Sharp/Panasonic Solar Panels for 1200W, feeding thru the MidNite Classic 150 controller.)
I found that we could our stand alone portable electric heater on low during the day, and the solar panels would keep up with this draw. Day time temps would get up into the low 40's, with one day in the low 50's.
When the evening meals required the convection oven, we'd fire up the generator. I used that time to gain as much heat as possible. Would turn on the portable heater to high, floor heat to 90, and fire up the coach heating units (Our front register under the dash was out on this trip, so one in the front zone below the galley cabinets.) and have on the electric heat element in the Hydro Hot. (The 04 Allure has a single element, so it helps, but not as robust as the double element in other units.) A few nights while doing this, the diesel part of the Hydro Hot kicked in to support this heat running.
Once the generator was shut off, we'd just bundle up as needed, but frankly most nights the temp loss was so gradual, especially with the floor tile heated up, that we were fine until bedtime. Light sweatshirts for the wife, and I usually was fine in a thicker long sleeve shirt.
At night, we'd cocoon ourselves in the back bedroom area, with the door to front of the coach closed off, but we'd leave the bedroom doors open - as I seem to get up for night time activities much more then I used too:)! With a good blanket and comforter, and the extra body heat of our dog, we all were comfortable. Temps would drop down into the high 40's some nights in the rear of the coach. The front would see mid 30's.
I did leave the Hydro Hot Diesel on, and set the furnace temps to 35, but the furnace temps would not kick on overnight. The Hydro Hot would fire up off and on during the night, and that would protect the water bay for us.
I'd usually brave the cold of the front of the coach area around 5:00-5:30AM. Crack the window over the kitchen sink, and remove the kitchen roof vent insulation cushion (we have these in both vents, and they really help), and that vent was cracked about 3/4 of an inch. I'd then start our Heat Buddy (we took the big HB on this grip, instead of our smaller one), and set it to medium (Just one panel fired up.) and did not turn on the built in fan. I'd place the HB on the kitchen table (did this because we have the dog), and have it spliced in with a hose to a LP access that we had plumbed from the main LP tank to just below the fridge, beneath two drawers in our coach. We also had two six packs of the 1# bottles, as well as the 10# portable LP bottle I use with the BBQ and Campfire In A Can. So we always had plenty of LP available. With cooking via the stove top, LP fridge consumption, and the HB running - we were down just below a half a tank on the rig's main LP storage, after 6 days of dry camping, with about 4 days of non HB usage as we traveled to get to this campground.
The HB on medium setting, would get the temp up to mid 40's by the time I would get up at between 6:30-7:00AM. I'd crank the HB up to high, and turn on the HB fan. Fire up the inverter, make our pot of electric brewed coffee. Wait about 10 mins after that to let things 'rest' then check the SOC which was usually about 85%. (That includes a few movies at night, led lights, computers running, and Hydro Hot overnight.)
Usually about 30-45 mins after turning the HB up to high. I'd be in the low 60's. Would then turn off the HB. Close the window and put the insulation cushion back into the roof vent. Then turn on the furnace to 65 in both front and rear zone. The Hyrdo Hot would kick on as needed. This way by around 8:00-8:30AM, the DW and Dawg would feel it was 'acceptable' to come out of their beds and start the day!
With the longer daylight hours as we moved North, even at the lower angle of the sun, the SP would usually have us back up to full charge before noon, a few days with more clouds, it was 2:00PM before 100% SOC. But, we had also shifted back over to the electric heater on low setting, usually by around 9:30-10:00AM, and the outside sun was helping on heat gain by then too. It would not get dark until about 9:30PM - so the Solar Panels were putting out battery charging amps for quite a long day.
If we knew we were going to be cold camping in the low teens for extended periods, and be in the same place. We'd add skirting to the coach. We also would have put insulation into the skylight over the shower, our biggest area of heat loss. But, as I ran the Solar Panels straddling over the top of the skylight, I feel this has helped on heat loss, and for sure on heat gain in hotter areas.
If we were not dry camping, we'd run a humidifier, and get by without the HB without any problems down to the low teens for longer periods.
Best to all, have fun, stay safe,
Smitty
Topic: Subzero camping (Read 1015 times)
previous topic - next topic
Country Coach Motorcoach Forum