GAP
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Posts posted by GAP
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On 12/17/2022 at 3:48 PM, Geronimo John said:
Certainly an odd design. I know that on some A/C systems it is normal to run the fan after compressor shut down for a short time to lower the head pressure. Sort of like an unloader in a shop air compressor. The intent for those set-ups is to decrease the re-start torque. But to run it continuously after compressor shut down boggles my mind as well.
If the fan running while the compressor is off is the source of the problem, would it make sense to have chosen a smaller unit? Would the 9.5 BTU in an Elite 2 run the compressor for longer periods, removing more moisture from the air? I would also guess that the smaller unit running for longer would have a similar power draw to what the bigger unit would use running for a shorter time.
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Has anyone replaced their cooktop because of the "NHTSA RECALL 22V350 Damage Cooktop Control Valves May Leak Gas" recall posted on the forum? My Elite 2 falls into the dates of potential problematic units. I'm looking to find out where the serial number fror the cooktops are located and to see if anyone has suffered the infamous Dometic black hole where their service centers refuse to work on warranted product because the center does not sell Oliver trailers while Oliver refuses to do the work because they are not a Dometic service center.
On an additional note, I feel it would serve customers well (not to mention making plenty of sense with little cost) for Oliver to include all product serial numbers with each new trailer. In my two years of ownership, searching for serial numbers has been a fairly frequent occurence as in having to repair/replace/maintain my bathroom sink, Maxair fan, inverter, fridge, furnace, thermostat and now, cooktop.
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Great to hear that the aluminum frame is standing up to marine environment so well. Guess that makes plenty of sense. Even with lots of exposure over last winter to the hideous stuff they apply to winter roads here in NE, my frame looks pretty good but, you can bet, I'll be watching as that mystery stuff is a different animal from ocean salt.
The overly wordy descriptor (apologies) I offered above about Fluid Film is very worth considering for those of us exposed to winter roads for both our trailers and vehicles. Perhaps not for the frames of the Olivers but my trailer axles and suspension parts, LP tank trays - which were heavily corroded - all looked old beyond their one year of exposure. I used a spray can of FF being careful not to contaminate the brakes. After my truck is a couple of years old will have that sprayed stem to stern too. Really stops rust dead. Let a little surface rust form first for something to adhere to, wash and apply. If you have flaking rust, hit it with a wire brush and paint scraper just to take off big bits, wash and apply. Stops all undercarriage squeaks and cuts new rust growth to zero.
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2 minutes ago, Jim and Chris Neuman said:
I can see using an anti-corrosion spray on the ferrous metal which makes up the axle framework. That makes sense. I was referring to the 6061 aluminum trailer frame. I built and own a 35" sailboat with a 6061 mast, boom and other components and, after 40 years living in saltwater, there is essentially no corrosion on any of the aluminum parts (the mast and boom is painted with AwlGrip). I spent the last 30 + years of my professional life as a sales manager with an aluminum extruder where we annually punched many millions of pounds of extrustions of all types using many different alloys including 6061 - it is remarkable stuff.
The one compound I do use religiously is an anti-galling gel on fasteners. You must also protect against contact with dis-similar metals ... mounting say a bronze winch directly against an aluminum mast or boom is a sure route to serious corrosion of the aluminum.
I am not against the use of waxes on gelcoat. It does help with aestetics and can extend the number of years your Oliver will have that brand-new look. My point was that a good gelcoat will put up with a lot of abuse and can be brought back to as-new appearance with surprisingly little effort.
Take care of your Oliver but don't be afraid to use it ... they are tough little trailers and built to be used and enjoyed.
Not that it applies just to the trailer but Im wondering what you would refer for an anti galling gel? There are steel on aluminum spots on the Oliver that are concerning to me as is the case with my mountain bike and some of my fancy pantsy camping gear. Thanks on that.
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1 hour ago, Jim and Chris Neuman said:
I would not paint any aluminum part unless you have extensive experience with aluminum coatings. Coatings which will work are expensive and difficult to apply. Rattle can sprays from your local hardware store will shortly fail.
Go to any marina and you will find uncoated 6061 aluminum masts, booms, etc. living very happily in a marine environment The surface will oxidize over time which provides a degree of protection. If you find yourself up to your frame in saltwater give the trailer a good hosing off in fresh water. After a winter of road salts it is good to do the same. Otherwise, don't worry about it.
Waxing the hull is a good idea but even left unprotected modern gel coats are extremely durable and will easily outlast anyone old enough to be able to afford an Oliver 🙂
You are right about aluminium in marine environments but that is different then the effect of whatever scary material they are spraying roads with. That said, while the metal on the axels and suspension on my trailer is certainly beat up, the frame still looks surprisingly new which is why Im holding off for no on spraying the Fluid Film. BTW, this stuff is a grease not a paint. Much the same as beeswax that you use to oil leather products. Washes off with water and soap. I sincerely doubt there is any chance of it having anything but a positive protective effect on the frames of our trailers. Easy enough to find gory details on the website. https://www.fluid-film.com/
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We live and travel mostly in coastal environments. Do quite a lot of winter trailering too. The stuff they put on roads nowadays is murder on vehicles.
I used to have a film lighting business and had a number of trucks. Historically, rust related problems ran me thousands of dollars. Did some homework and found that plow guys often undercoated their gear with Fluid Film as did maintenance folks working on bridges in marine environments . It's a natural based fluid, sprayed on undercarriage (with options of spraying into rocker panels, etc...) which acts as a penetrant and lubricant. Used if for years on work and personal trucks and absolutely swear by it.
Lots of folks apply every year. I used to clean my vehicles, coat with fluid film, repeat again the following year then do every other or 3rd year depending on how much use the vehicle sees. Commercial applications at garages is about $20/running foot but, if you have a compressor, you can buy the kit to do it yourself. A garage should discount as there is only frame to do on our trailers as opposed to the entirety of an average vehicle. Stuff goes on like viscous fluid then absorbs dust and firms up a bit. I used to go right from garage to drive on a dirt road. Turns into a brown, rubbery coating. You can leave entirely alone till next application or spray with low pressure but will wash off with high pressure and soap. I put on a 5 year old box truck which I had another 10 years with absolutely no new rust growth. You hit rusty spots with a wire brush - lightly - apply the film and that's it. Unlike standard undercoating, will not trap moisture and cause further rust creep. Penetrates into nooks and crannies really well. There is overspray which gets on exterior of vehicle but is easily cleaned with a hose and whatever cleaning soap you use. Have to be careful not to get on brakes. I always had the tech steer clear of them and I would follow up with canned spray Fluid Film which you can get at auto stores/amazon to hit spots they missed.
I have not applied to my entire Oliver undercarriage yet but have done the axles, trays that LP tanks sit on, base of the tanks themselves and suspension bits. Our trailers have so little metal in undercarriage that it would probably be easiest and certainly less $ to just buy a few cans and apply by hand. Will do a test by coating a cross member under the Oliver and checking progress in the fall before doing the whole frame. My f150 is just a year old so will wait till the fall before having it done. Some folks say it's best to wait for a bit of corrosion before applying so there is something for the film to stick to.
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Just now, Frank C said:
This pic may help to add to what bhncb posted. Black wire to the middle terminal of one set of three poles. And the gray to the outer end terminals. Both of my gray wires have a red stripe. The spiral wrap is something I added to clean up the wiring a bit.
Thanks both of you for that. Much appreciated.
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Hey All,
I was doing some work under the bathroom sink. Pulled the insert out of the vanity and left the switch for the water pump hooked up. Someone trying to help me out unhooked that connection and did not map out how things were originally attached. No good deed goes unpunished. There are 6 potential points of attachment and only three wires to hook into those points and I have not yet been able to figure out the configuration? I'll run at with a multi meter but am not a master of that device. Can anyone help me out with this?
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17 minutes ago, Geronimo John said:
DUCT TEMP: The rumpled uninsulated thin aluminum spiral air transfer duct gives up a lot of heat right at the furnace. Compare the surface temperature of it under the bathroom sink and say a foot from the furnace itself.
SMOOTH BORE DUCTS: Think of it as the difference between a rifle and a shot gun. For moving air efficiently a smooth bore allows for more laminar air flow vs. the rumpled flex duct. Here are two smooth bore ducts and below a compromise duct with a smoother bore.
Every product has it's pro/cons. Uninsulated or poorly insulated ducts in our hulls lose heat as they travel across the hull. This for moderate temp camping is wasted fuel. But for COLD weather camping, it is a good thing. Point is that well insulated ducting is not for everybody.
For the cold weather campers, I really like Hokieman's concept of using a fan to push air from the dinette foot area into the street side basement. And as suggested using an electric heater by the fan, and air transfer holes in the various walls creating a heated air return path down the street-side, basement and back to the furnace. The concept would be easy to do, and when not needed (as suggested) just turn it off.
However, my concern is actually with getting warm air movement at the rear shower area for an un-ducted air flow path. It's a long way with many air leakage opportunities and the freely moving air would likely be giving up it's heat long before it got to the most important target.... the aft shower plumbing area.
To optimize Hokieman's concept:
A. I suggest using a duct fan and lightly insulated 3" round duct. (Maybe DWV plastic???) Doing so would significantly improve the odds of getting warm air onto the aft shower plumbing area. By using lightly insulated duct, it allows for some heat transfer along the street-side basement to the primary target area. The duct fan needs to be very quiet. My suggestion is to get a 2" fan and run it in 3" duct. Only need say 20 to 35 CFM range.
B. For the duct fan control, I would use an Off/On/Auto switch. The Auto would be tied to a normally open thermal switch located at the most cold exposed surface of the aft shower area plumbing. The switch should close when the temp in the area falls below say 30 degrees F. They cost less than $10. WHY? So for example, if your are away from the trailer and bad conditions hit, or if you just forget to switch it on, if you have left it in "AUTO", you are still "somewhat" freeze protected. (NOTE: Somewhat because i would not recommend leaving an free standing electric space heater running while you are gone.) "ON" turns on the fan and leaves it on. "OFF" is off.
Hope this helps.
GJ
Lots of great stuff there Gj. I am especially interested in the insulated flexible vent duct options. I'd like to replace sections of duct close to the furnace as that is an area least in need of heating that runs super warm because of heat loss through the duct itself. I've replaced the duct line that feeds the cabin mid way under the curbside bed. Ran the new duct to a spot opposite the existing vent under the galley so now there is one close to the battery compartment. I used semi rigid duct which gets hot so it has heated the compartment surrounding the exterior shower and opened a vent through to the garage to share heat with pex lines run through there. insulated (with reflectix) areas close to electronics to protect that stuff. Will add some of your suggested insulated duct from the furnace till the duct comes out under the streetside bed as to minimize heating areas where not needed.
The ideas about running a fan and portable AC powered heater sound like smart thinking but I have yet to winter camp somewhere with access to shore power so may be a project for next summer.
Thanks much for sharing. Very helpful stuff.
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Geronimo John and Seadawg are on to something. I vote that, as a forum, we pitch in for a dedicated proofreader. Bet if we spend a few more $, we can even get someone to compose our posts for us.
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12 minutes ago, Rivernerd said:
Under the rear street side bed, on the trailer frame, right next to the exterior faucet. I wanted to know if those plumbing fixtures were exposed to freezing temps. The lowest reading from my digital thermometer in that location was 38 degrees F, when the outside temp was 9 degrees F.
That is great. It's is a vast improvement over what my 2021 would have done before I tweaked the heat system. Would be interesting to test readings in the rearmost area of the garage as the pex lines there are likely the most susceptible. I'm earnestly glad for you folks that have the new upgraded system and commiserate with the rest of us of us that have to do some pretty serious surgery to have trailers that work well (= having access to water) in actual 4 season conditions.
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2 hours ago, GAP said:
Sounds like a great experience. Glad to hear it but your post does bring up a couple of follow up questions:
- You state that you used about 1.5 gallons per night and have two 5 gallon tanks. My experience with the Dometic furnace in similar situations (but likely colder daytime temps) was burning around 15 gallons/day off a 30 gallon tank. I'm surer the Truma is more efficient but would be surprised if the difference was that much. The two stock options for tank sizes on the Olivers is either a 20 gallon tank ( similar to what you would find on a gas cooking grill) or a 30 gallon tank. A 5 gallon tank is about the size of big guy's head. Is that what you actually have?
- You shared the belly temp of 38 degrees on a night where it was single digits. That's great and, I agree, is likely an improvement due to the new return placements. Out of curiosity, where did you take this reading? The area of most concern for me, which is likely the most vulnerable, is behind the garge at the very rear of the trailer as that is where the lines to the exterior shower run.
I would bet your "sweating walls" was condensation settling on the walls as they and the windows are so much colder than the rest of the csbin.
Thanks much for the informative post
Hey All. My bad. Seadawg pointed out I was confusing pounds and gallons. I need a personal proofreader. Mabey a new year's resolution in the making?
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7 hours ago, Rivernerd said:
If you define "extended period" as 6 days, our experience towing our new Elite II home from Hohenwald to Idaho in mid-November is instructive. We used the Varioheat furnace for 6 straight sub-freezing nights in Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Idaho, 4 of them above 4000' elevation. The overnight low on three of those nights was in the teens, and 9 degrees F once (in Colorado). The Varioheat adequately heated the cabin with the CP Plus wall control set at 68 degrees F, and more important to us, kept the underbelly of the trailer where the tanks and water lines run, above 38 degrees F.
It ran almost constantly at night, which we suspect is because the trailer is not all that well insulated. It consumed about 1.5 gallons of propane per night. We figured that our two 5-gallon propane tanks allowed us to safely heat for 5 nights without refill.
The exterior walls remained cold and sweated a bit, but we do not blame the furnace for that. That is to be expected where, unlike in a home, the supply air ducts are in the middle of the heated space, not along the walls. We remained warm enough (and both my wife and I like to sleep warm, so we used sleeping bags), but because we could not get very far away from the exterior walls when sleeping , we did not feel "cozy."
We believe one reason the Varioheat furnace system kept the underbelly at least a few degrees above freezing is the addition of a return air vent from the bathroom to the open area under the front dinette seat. There has been extensive discussion on another thread suggesting that additional return air ducting from the cabin into the underbelly area will help improve Oliver furnace system performance. See:
As my wife and I did not purchase the Oliver for winter use, we find the Varioheat furnace adequate for our needs. We do not believe it is undersized. We were just happy that it performed well enough to get us home in reasonable comfort, given our mid-November delivery date and the colder-than-average temps we encountered!
Sounds like a great experience. Glad to hear it but your post does bring up a couple of follow up questions:
- You state that you used about 1.5 gallons per night and have two 5 gallon tanks. My experience with the Dometic furnace in similar situations (but likely colder daytime temps) was burning around 15 gallons/day off a 30 gallon tank. I'm surer the Truma is more efficient but would be surprised if the difference was that much. The two stock options for tank sizes on the Olivers is either a 20 gallon tank ( similar to what you would find on a gas cooking grill) or a 30 gallon tank. A 5 gallon tank is about the size of big guy's head. Is that what you actually have?
- You shared the belly temp of 38 degrees on a night where it was single digits. That's great and, I agree, is likely an improvement due to the new return placements. Out of curiosity, where did you take this reading? The area of most concern for me, which is likely the most vulnerable, is behind the garge at the very rear of the trailer as that is where the lines to the exterior shower run.
I would bet your "sweating walls" was condensation settling on the walls as they and the windows are so much colder than the rest of the csbin.
Thanks much for the informative post
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Can anyone who has done the Houghton install themselves go into a little gory detail of what it took? I would love to give it a go. Am happy to end up using a remote to control the unit as long as the heat could still run off the existing thermostat.
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On 12/17/2022 at 10:11 AM, Bill and Nancy said:
Check out this link these connectors are great and can be configured any way you want.
Soooo, I spoke with the head honcho at the link. Background is that my light bar works perfect till my headlights are on. Then the turn signals get crazy glitchy. Turns out that it's a common Ford problem but can happen with any vehicle that has "modern conveniences" such as blind spot monitoring (which is deactivated when trailer is attached) and the only fix is to hard wire. There is a bar light that is made by one company that will work in plug-and-play mode but it is (drum roll) $300. Does have a 3 year warrantee which, from my research, is three times the average working light of even good bars. Crazy!
Seems like the solution is following John's excellent set up or spending a pile of $ and tossing my current bar on the trash heap. John's fix and instructions are, as usual, fantastic but I am intimidated by drilling a through hole and doing the electric work. Etrailer carries a set of running/turn lights that terminate in a standard 4 pin connector which the claim will play nice with the Ford. Not as good a solution as a 60" bar but I may give it a go.
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I'm sure I 'm not alone in trying to find a workaround for bikes mounted on the rear bumper blocking the rear lights. Particularly bad in my case as I wrap the bikes in a protective travel bag. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RNPS8CM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1. The bag is fantastic for keeping the bikes dry and clean and has translucent panels on both sides to facilitate rear lights shining through but cuts the light too much to be of use on a sunny day so my turn signals are useless.
I purchased a 60" LED lightbar that terminates in a standard flat, 4 pin, connector. https://www.amazon.com/OPT7-Redline-Triple-Tailgate-Sequential/dp/B0771WDRHH/ref=rvi_sccl_4/144-1395279-4476013?pd_rd_w=VSM8e&content-id=amzn1.sym.f5690a4d-f2bb-45d9-9d1b-736fee412437&pf_rd_p=f5690a4d-f2bb-45d9-9d1b-736fee412437&pf_rd_r=76TJTKPWAPHZRG5MA7A3&pd_rd_wg=hgQej&pd_rd_r=d840fc24-bf18- . Fit perfectly on lower rear bumper and was clearly visible under the tires of the bikes. "Dry tested" it and it worked great. Ran wiring under the trailer, mounted the bar and all seemed great. Found that the turn signals on the bar got super twitchy when my headlights were on. Turns out, all these bars get twitchy when using 4 pin plug-and-play with modern vehicles that have BLISS (back up assist), blind spot monitoring or OEM reverse cameras. Top fix, you need to hard wire to rear lights. Crazy stuff. I can't tap into my truck's lights as that could potentially void the warrantee. I have no idea how to get to rear light harness on the Oliver. Hate to do electric as I really don't speak that language but need to do what I got to do.
Any ideas?
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On 12/10/2022 at 10:33 PM, Hokieman said:
I’ve been thinking along the same lines of having a cold (<30F) weather configuration to heat under the floor, but not moderately cold conditions. How about putting a quiet 12V fan with a switch in the wall somewhere up under the dinette? Leave the main furnace intake vent as is. Turning the fan on in very cold conditions would push warm cabin air under the floor and bunks, and warm the battery box as well. Extra vent holes inside the compartments could be created to facilitate flow. This mod would use extra propane of course, but would be turned on only when needed. One advantage of a suction fan is that if using shore power, an electric space heater could be placed near the dinette. Warm air would be sucked into the lower spaces, without using the furnace and propane. Another advantage might be a cooling effect on batteries in high temps. John Davies has already done a variation of this mod with the focal point being the battery box. Ideally, the 12V fan would be powerful enough to move the air effectively, but reasonably quiet. This might be the challenge. May take more than one fan, and could be mounted inside the hull space to help reduce sound. This seems too easy, what am I missing?
Sounds like some good ideas there. Have a couple of thoughts. If the fan is itself under the dinette, where would you be drawing warm air from tho heat between the hulls? On the newest trailers (and mine after tweaking last season) there is a vent cut from bathroom to under the dinette. Using the fan would work well in that circumstance but, if you have a composting toilet, could reverse the flow of the air through the solids box = sad faced smell. Another option would be to cut a small louvered vent under the forward dinette seat so the warm air could be drawn from the cabin.
You are spot on about opening the internal dead ends. There are walls between basement and garage under streetside bed and another behind the furnace which prevent warm air from getting to the rearmost water lines. It's a shame otherwise to heat the garage but those lines (that feed the external shower) are the most vulnerable in the trailer.
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On 12/10/2022 at 8:17 PM, Geronimo John said:
If you are an only cold weather camper: Yep great way to force more air where it is needed for freeze protection below floor and throne seat comfortability..
If you are never going to be a really cold weather camper, but do occasionally camp up high were having some furnace action is desirable, not such a great idea as it will run up your propane usage keeping the floor warm from below.
HOWEVER, if you are or may be both, or just like covering all the bases, I suggest putting a damper on the 8 X 10.
- For extreme cold close the damper down and force air where you want it. (Just be aware of furnace output temperatures as choking down on airflow has it's own hazards).
- Moderate cold, leave it open to promote most efficient cabin heating and reduction of propane use.
For those of us with older trailers with the "rumpled duct" interiors, changing out the duct to the bathroom to a smooth bore one and adding the small return air path makes a lot of sense.
GJ
GJ, you've offered up some great suggestions on this topic on both this chain and the 3.75 Season Trailer forum. That said, this one really hits home. Even though we travel with 3 30lb tanks, for both cost and convenience, I was dreading heating the belly at temps north of mid 20s where it is not necessary. I'll switch out the 8x10 existing return air vent for one with a louvre and plan to do the same for a couple of the others vents I've cut between dead ends in the garage and basement so I can tune the system 1) to the need to share heat between the hulls and 2) adjust flow to send the most air where it is most needed. Very helpful. Thanks on that.
Question: My trailer has the "rumpled" accordion, lightweight 4" foil ducts. I notice this is super delicate and have already needed to repair with foil tape in a few spots. You mention "smooth bore" duct. Can you be more specific as to the type of product and why it is more efficient? Unlike the "semi rigid" duct I've added to the streetside, I have not noticed the rumpled duct exterior heating up.
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On 2/28/2022 at 1:45 PM, routlaw said:
Do you folks increase the tire pressure at least in the rear while towing and if so by how much? I have always done this albeit not scientifically and there seems to be no end to the amount of conflicting information about this on the internet. Some people swear the front tires need to be increased also, but this makes no logical sense to me. Thus far I have increased my rears from the recommended 35 psi to 40-45 psi but leave the fronts at their normal rating.
Finally my current set of tires have been on my F150 for 9 years now and still not worn out and visually look fine, with probably another 10-15,000 miles left on them. I figure I should replace now before camping and touring season starts up. I currently have the Michelin LTX M/S on, but considering the Cooper Discover AT3 AS4's. Anyone have experience with either or have another suggestion.
Thanks a bunch.
I've experimented with this quite a bit. Non scientific but I can absolutely feel a difference between my tires with different air pressure. As I use the Anderson weight distribution hitch, I run the same pressure in all tires. Name plate on the door suggests 35lbs. Max pressure, as printed on sidewall, is 55. I have tried towing with everything in between and found that 45-50 is the sweet spot. At 35, feels to mushy and looses responsiveness. At 55 feels a bit sharp and gives a chattery ride.
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In had never heard of an isotherm fridge. I am starting to have concerns with my Norcold 3 way absorption fridge as it seems to struggle a bit in hot weather and the whole leveling thing has caused us a couple of shut downs on surprisingly level surfaces when we forgot to shut down such as being in town in a parking lot with seemingly normal run-off grade. Can anyone speak to differences between 3 way absorption, vs 2 way compressor or 2 way isotherm style? My simplistic understanding is that the absorption has trouble in hot weather, is super inneficient in 12v mode and hates being off angle but, has more usable storage space for the same size. Compressor and isotherm have no problem being off angle and both are super efficient in DC and Ac modes. Also supposedly both keep constant internal temps no matter what exterior conditions are.
Gerry
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14 hours ago, Geronimo John said:
From the furnace perspective, the bathroom vent into the basement does not effectively change much.
BUT, from the bathroom's perspective, if the door is closed and the fan and window are also closed, as they would be during very cold outside conditions, then effectively the bathroom long small diameter duct will not be able to move much air into the nearly closed box (bathroom). I suspect that the new air passage from the bathroom to the basement has more to do with getting more air into the bathroom, thereby making business there more enjoyable during real cold conditions.
That said, it also gives some air a path down the street side basement which may also help keep our pipes from getting frosty.
GJ
Hey John,
In addition to the 4" round vent cut from bathroom to the dinette area I also put one under the streetside bed to wall the garage and yet another one through rear wall under curbside bed, right next to the furnace. That wall is fitted super loosely so allows a lot of air to flow past anyhow. The plan is to partially cover some of the pre existing 8x10 return vent. My goal is to increase warm air flow past exterior shower and the shower's feed lines which inexplicably are buried all the way in the rear of the garage.
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Question from an admitted techno boob: Is it not possible that this problem is caused on the return air vent placement? As has been suggested in. previous post, could it be that warm cabin air drawn into furnace through return vent could be causing the unit to overheat and cycle through periods of shut-down to cool-down?
As a qualifier, I don't have this problem. Mine is a 2021 twin bed with Dometic furnace and thermostat. What set ups do you folks have that are suffering with short cycling?
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On 12/5/2022 at 7:30 PM, KenB said:
I live in the Mpls/StPaul area in Minnesota and have driven our LE II to Utah/Colorado and back in March (and in the summer). Everything is weather dependent. A pretty major winter storm moved across Nebraska when we made the trip west. We dropped down to Kansas to avoid it. It added a 1/2 day of additional travel. I70 west of Denver closed for a few hours the next day due to an avalanche. Not a big deal to sit out a road closer when towing a camper (you have food, water, heat, and a toilet), but it could have been bad depending on plans and reservations. Don’t plan on covering summer travel distances in the winter. I assumed as much on travel plans needing to be flexible and potentially slow. We are doubtful of finding a window of clear weather that would allow us to travel through South Dakota. Likely would be safer to travel through Nebraska and Iowa. Is there advantage in heading down to Kansas?
The truck stops and rest areas are always jammed full with semi rigs between here and Denver. You can’t depend on them being accessible for even an hour or two of rest. Rigs are often parked up and down solid in the access lanes. Great to know but scary. Will have to check on options like Gander Mtn, Walmart, etc..
It took five summers of traveling, but I’ve been to every state park in Minnesota. While open for day visitors, most close the gates to the campgrounds around mid October and don’t open again until Spring. The Mn DNR has a good website where you can make reservations. Went to the site and there are more options than I would have assumed but not necessarily close to the highway. Check it out before assuming they’re open. Mn state parks require online reservations now. Ranger stations will be unmanned in the winter, except MAYBE weekends. Cell service isn’t guaranteed. You may end up backtracking many miles to pick up a signal to claim a campsite even IF you find an open park. The days of filling out a slip and dropping your fee in the box on the post are mostly over. I know that many of the National Forest campgrounds around Ely are also closed during the winter. It’s probably not worth it to plow out the snow, especially in the camping spurs. The Army Corp of Engineers close their campgrounds too. Even in early October I have most campgrounds to myself. Call the ranger district for the area of the BWCA that you plan to visit, it’s pretty slow up there in the winter, they should have time to talk. They’d have a list if there are any camping options. In BWCA, my camping partner has a house that sits right where we would leave to go on our camping trip. My wife and dog are staying in the camper while I'm in the backcountry. Would be petrifying but, amazingly, our friend has a shop big enough to park the trailer in so they can be out of the snow/wind, with access to electricity and water. Really couldn't be a better set up.
Unless you’re driving freeway, stick to daylight hours anyplace north of St Paul due to deer strikes. Good point I wouldn't have thought of. At least the rut will be over when you’ll be here. Hwy 35 from Iowa to Duluth will be well taken care of. Same for Hwys 61 and 53 north out of the Duluth area and towards the BWCA. Expect side roads off of 35/53/61 to be slippery and ice covered. It’ll be a pleasant surprise if they’re not. I’ve never seen anyone use chains in Mn. Studded tires are illegal for residents. Everything east of Duluth over to Sault Ste. Marie, MI is pretty desolate. You’ll probably take highway 2 east out of Superior, WI after heading south out of the BWCA. It’s a two lane state highway. Don’t assume gas stations will be open late. Good to know LOTS of deer on that road. I haven’t been east of The Soo at all, so I can say what it looks past there. I’ve driven my motorcycle around Lake Superior in the summer. I would not want to tow my camper around it in the winter. No driving up there after dark. If a storm comes through, it can be hours before a tow truck is available. They might have to come from a considerable distance and will be backed up. Plan on spending the night in the ditch if you go off the road late in the day. Cell service is spotty away from the freeway in MN, WI and in the UP. It seems to switch between Verizon and AT&T depending where you are. Daylight travel only and limited to good weather windows wherever possible.
If I was making the trip, I’d lean heavily on our Harvest Host subscription. We do Boondocker but, given your suggestion, may try out HH It’s more likely a business would have a place for you to park compared to public camping facilities.
Hope this helps. It can get VERY cold. I used to live in Duluth. It can be below 0° for weeks, especially as you go north.
Let me know if you need anything else. Good Luck and be flexible.
Ken,
Fantastically useful info. Thanks on that. My responses and thoughts in bold in body of your post above.
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15 hours ago, John E Davies said:
You need to keep the compressor at no more than 60 psi. It will not hurt anything. Using 120psi off a big compressor will rupture lines.
I suggested blowing out twice with AF between those two processes. As long as you trust your AF is rated to -50F, I think you would be safe with just the AF. The main thing is to try to eliminate any and all trapped pockets of water.
Do you plan to carry an extra propane bottle? You will go through the gas incredibly fast. Depending on the inside temperature….
My adapter is a Camco one, I drilled out the tiny hole to make it flow better. I see that you can now buy one like that, see below.
John Davies
Spokane WA
Hey John,
Thanks for the clarifications. Yes, we do travel with a 3rd 30lb propane tank. We found last winter that once temps got below 10f, we went through a 30lb tank every other day. Will probably go through it faster this year because we've made tweaks to run warm air through the closet, basement and garage so will be heating more areas. Also, if it seems safe, will be turning on the water system this season so the water heater will eat up some BTUs.
I am intrigued by your suggestion to blow out lines in addition to using antifreeze. As I've never blown out before, I'll look for youTube procedure to do so. I have a regulator which supposedly with limit pressure to 45lbs. I do remember hearing that the danger was not to expose pressurized air to one of the systems - water heater or pump mabey - can't remember which. Does this ring a bell and how do you workaround when you do so?
More air flow in bathroom
in General Discussion
Posted
Where did you source that vent? It's exactly what I was looking for. In my case, I vented the bathroom into the space below the front dinette seat. Also added a 4" return in the rear face of the same seat which I use to tweak air flow coming from the bathroom as too much would reverse exhaust venting from my composting toilet. That same adjustable vent cover would be great for the return vent under the seat.