Insulation & Winter Camping

[sasquatch]

I am interested in purchasing a trailer for boon-docking full-time, so I may experience a good share of cold weather. Oliver trailers interest me because they seem like they are very well designed for extreme conditions but with such a high price tag it'd be great to have some assurance about their real world performance.

 

It is difficult to find r values for trailers in general or reports on rigorous real-world testing that compare the design benefits of trailers. I would like to see concrete figures. What amount of propane is required to heat per day in different temperatures and how efficiently it can be cooled? I need more detailed information on this and a comparison of other much cheaper brands before I am ready to consider buying an Oliver.

[ScubaRx]

Sasquatch, Welcome aboard.

 

Since ALL of the 23 footers have hit the road since about March of this year, there's not going to be much hard data about cold weather operation with them yet. I can give you some information about how they fare in warm weather. Our unit would consistently stay some 10 degrees cooler inside than outside without any outside influence (A/C, fans, etc) Crank up the A/C and you'll be turning it down soon. Cool evenings make for good sleeping and the Maxxfan did a good job of keeping it comfortable.

 

We camped for a week in Arkansas earlier this month. It was cold and it rained every day. There were mornings that it was downright chilly. We would turn the basement furnace on for a few minutes while showering and getting dressed and I can attest to just how quiet the furnace is and to how warm it got. That vent in the bathroom sure is nice. I know that's not like it might be if the temps had been in the teens instead of the forties and fifties but I have no doubt that the Oliver's heating system could have handled it. On a side note we had little to no condensation on the walls, there was some on the windows but not enough to run off, puddle and cause a problem.

 

We have the solar panels and, although they didn't get to strut their stuff during the rain, two weeks before we had been up in Northern Tennessee and they easily kept all our batteries topped off. Camping during the monsoon in Arkansas did prove to be enlightening however. It took four days to get our batteries down to 60%. I decided to not be conservative and see how long we could go. (As you probably know, you should never get below 50%.) We ran the lights, water pump, furnace, Maxxfan, and two CPAP machines every night. We averaged about 40 amp hours of drain per day. We could have gone another day to just reach 50%. With conservation, I think we could go a week. And I'll tell you, if you're in one place for 7 straight days and there's absolutely no sun, it's probably time to move on anyway.

 

Never having owned any other brand TT than Oliver (this is our second) I'm afraid I'm not able to do much side by side comparing of efficiencies. I’ve seen most of the other brands and you’ll not find one appointed as nicely or built any better than the Oliver. I truly believe it is the finest molded fiberglass trailer in the world. That may sound like a lot of bravado, but as Will Rogers once said “If you done it, it ain’t bragging.”

 

Keep asking questions, you’ll find this is a knowledgeable, laid back group.

[bugeyedriver]

Steve see,

 

"We would turn the basement furnace on for a few minutes while showering and getting dressed and I can attest to just how quiet the furnace is and to how warm it got. That vent in the bathroom sure is nice."

 

BRAGGART!!!!! Next, your going to tell us how cool the wine cellar is in the summer . . .

[ScubaRx]

Next, your going to tell us how cool the wine cellar is in the summer . . .

 

Pete, funny you should mention that, I was thinking just the other day how long it had been since I'd been down there. I must remember to ask one of the staff to let me know what the temperature is and remind them to keep it at about 55 degrees.

[trumpetguy]

Steve,

 

Do you have a feel yet for how much propane the furnace will use per hour? We take delivery the end of this month and Hohenwald is looking pretty cold for us Floridians. We carry a 1500 watt cube heater plus 20 degree sleeping bags for personal comfort but I am concerned about the plumbing freezing.

 

Dave

[SeaDawg]

Steve, do you know which furnace the new 22 uses? Is it the same furnace as in our 17, or a bigger, higher btu model?

The new heating system is all ducted thru the storage areas?

 

Sherry

[routlaw]

Sherry I believe this is the one used in the new 23.6 foot models. JFTR, they are not 22 ft.

 

http://www.rvcomfort.com/suburban/products/sh1.php

 

I know that it is a suburban that runs quiet, so have to assume it is the SH products.

 

Hope this helps.

 

rob

[cpaharley2008]

What is the exact length now, is it 22' or 23.5 feet? According to my info, the interior length is 18.5 long, adding 3' for tongue and .5 for bumper makes it 22'? I realize you can extend the tongue but unextended, what is the total length?

[cpaharley2008]

Sherry I believe this is the one used in the new 23.6 foot models. JFTR, they are not 22 ft.

 

http://www.rvcomfort.com/suburban/products/sh1.php

 

I know that it is a suburban that runs quiet, so have to assume it is the SH products.

 

Hope this helps.

 

rob

anyone know the amp draw of the furnace while operating?

[SeaDawg]

CPAHarley2008, as to the length, besides the bumper and the tongue, I guess you also have to add in the depth of the propane cover. I'd ask Steve to get out his tape measure again, but I think he requested an even longer stinger than the usual extendable tongue. Our propane cover is well over a foot in depth. The new model cover looks larger to me.

Sherry

[routlaw]

Its my understanding the exterior length, bumper to hitch (normal length) is 23 ft 6 inches.