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Old 10-17-2011, 04:25 AM   #1
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First time poster.

Not exactly specific to cold weather but I have three questions that I am wondering if someone can offer opinions/suggestions.

We have a 23CK, purchased new in May 2010.

The radio that comes stock from the factory appears to always have the faceplate lit (although the radio is turned off - in fact has yet to be used). I am wondering if this is the way the radio is supposed to be wired. I ask because after the last trip (end of August), the trailer was parked in the driveway without external power (and all appliances off) and within a week or two, the battery was dead. A week or two seems to be too short a time period for a battery to deplete and am wondering if it is related to the radio issue as noted. The battery was dead after last winter storage but I can't say with any certainty when during storage it died as I didn't check for a number of months.

I have also found some mold under the mattress and the piano hinge (for the under-bed storage) is starting to rust. The location is along the area between the interior and the front pass-through storage, where it appears there is no insulation between the pass-through and living area. I expect this issue is caused by the cold exterior air meeting warm moist air from sleeping bodies. I am wondering if anyone has encountered this specific problem and what (other than vent fan etc) they have done to correct it. As the bed frame is too short for the stock mattress (extends over by 5-6 inches)I am considering rebuilding the frame anyway and adding solid insulation between the mattress and pass-through. An alternative, I guess, is adding insulation along the two walls of the pass-through, but that is either crawling in the pass-through and getting exactly measured hard insulation installed or removing/rebuilding some material inside the trailer.

Although I winterize for the cold season (left outside - no cover), I am wondering if keeping the trailer plugged in and a portable heater operating, will reduce the effects of cold weather on the trailer, or does it much matter if things get below freezing during non-use storage?

In closing, a couple general comments - The dealer (and manufacturer) extolled the quality of this trailer and the craftsmanship of the builders. Having the trailer for over a year, I am somewhat disappointed by the quality of some of the things I have found. I have had three trailers over the years and consider this one to be average at best with a number of design, fit and finish flaws. Unfortunately, some of the issues were found too late to take advantage of the warranty while others were fairly easy to resolve on my own. I realize most trailers arrive with minor issues, but this one seems to have more than it's share.

Apologize for the lengthy post and thanks for any comments you can offer.

Marv
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Old 10-17-2011, 06:47 AM   #2
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Marv, there is more then just the radio that draws on the battery even if nothing is turned on for use. If you are going to have the trailer in storage for several months, I would suggest either taking the battery out and bring it in the garage,or disconnecting the cables so there is nothing drawing on it. I purchased a battery minder last year for ours. Now I don't have to take the batteries out. Just disconnect them and hook the battery minder on and it's good for the winter. I see they are on sale now. Good price!!!
http://www.batterymart.com/p-battery...y-charger.html
As far as the mold, if you are using your rig in cooler weather, you have to vent to get rid of moisture. We open a window on each end just a crack, and open the overhead vent in the bathroom a crack at night when we go to bed. In the morning if it has been pretty cool we open all the windows and let the wind blow through. That seems to take care of excess moisture. Keep your pillows and mattress away from the walls if possible. Keep all cabinet and closet doors cracked open.
Hope this helps.
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Old 10-17-2011, 10:33 AM   #3
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Old Farmer,

Thanks for the reply. I took a quick look at the battery minder and seems to be a good product (and good price) so i will look into getting one. Now that I am aware of the battery drain issue, I will likely remove it and store it in the garage for the winter. Does that device plug in to a wall receptacle and keep the battery powered or does it just monitor the battery condition?

Although we don't tend to cold weather camp that much (except that one time we rented a motorhome to visit the son and daughter in law in Denver in late April and got snowed in so much we couldn't leave!!!), we did push it a bit at the end of last season and did Crater Lake Oregon in early October, so that's probably when/where the mold/rust developed. Regardless, we always practice good moisture-prevention techniques when travelling anyway. However, keeping the pillows and mattress away from the source as you correctly suggested won't solve this one as it appears to be under the mattress and adjacent to the uninsulated pass-through (except for the thin doors at each end of course). That's why I was contemplating either insulating the pass-through walls or placing solid insulation between the mattress and bed structure.

Thanks for the welcome aboard.

Marv
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Old 10-17-2011, 12:04 PM   #4
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Does that device plug in to a wall receptacle and keep the battery powered or does it just monitor the battery condition?

Yes, it plugs into a wall receptacle. After the battery is up to full charge it goes into a maintenance mode and desulfates the battery plus keeps it up to charge. Doesn't boil it dry either.




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Old 10-19-2011, 01:28 PM   #5
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Another way to combat moisture is to use an electric heater or disc furnace. Using the furnace puts a bunch of moisture in the camper. I bought a pelonis 5-disc furnace and it is enough to keep the camper toasty down into the lower 30's without an issue, but I also do have the thermo-pane windows and extra insulation. Sadly...this weekend will probably be the last weekend of camping before winterizing and it is suppose to get down to the freezing mark...wooo-hooo.



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Old 10-20-2011, 02:46 AM   #6
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Thanks for the suggestion. I checked the Pelonis site and they have 4 models of disc furnaces and all were out of stock, so they appear to be a popular item. Home Depot carries some of the models so I will check them out. As our trailer is quite small, are these things quite hot when running? Not many areas to place this and be assured no-one would inadvertently bump/touch it.

As well, I did not know that the trailer furnace introduces moisture. How is that possible?

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Old 10-20-2011, 04:28 AM   #7
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The trailer furnace has a sealed combustion chamber that draws outside air for combustion. It should not add any moisture to the interior of the trailer. JMHO
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Old 10-20-2011, 06:57 AM   #8
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I agree with Dale.
Those little heaters aren't very big. It would probably fit on a counter top right readily.
I use an Olympian Wave 6 heater. It doesn't require any electricity at all.




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Old 10-20-2011, 11:49 PM   #9
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What is the purpose of the interior intake grill for the furnace? Is it just for additional cooling? Since the system is sealed I am wondering.

Edited by: artgpo
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Old 10-20-2011, 11:57 PM   #10
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My assumption would be-----that is where the fan gets it's air for recirculating/and distributing through out the trailer.

To explain a little further, the fan takes the cold air from your trailer in thru the grille, warms it around the heating chamber, and then back out thru the heat runs.
Edited by: Old Farmer
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Old 10-21-2011, 12:49 AM   #11
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You have it exactly right Old Farmer. The grill is the return air supply to the furnace blower. Same as the setup in a house with a furnace with a blower, registers, and return air grilles.
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Old 10-23-2011, 12:20 PM   #12
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Dalemac - Just curious were you at Hidden Valley the weekend of Oct 15th?















































































































































































































































































































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Old 10-24-2011, 12:16 PM   #13
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Hmmm...I could be wrong about the moisture from running the furnace, but I thought that I had read that here on the forum somewhere a few years back. For those of you that are running an electric heater...be sure and check your wire connections on your outlet. A fellow cruiser owner this past weekend found a loose connection after it started to smell funny and tripped the gfi. Glad they caught it in time...



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Old 10-24-2011, 11:48 PM   #14
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gossamar:
I remember reading that same info, but if you stop and think about it---it just can't work that way. That furnace is sealed combustion, and it's exhausting the inside air to the outside.




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Old 10-25-2011, 12:51 PM   #15
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Yeah....must be all of that heavy breathing in the camper creating all of the condensation....I think I have only used the furnace less than 6-times in the 4.5 years. I dotest it each spring...just in case I do need it....
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