Getting ready for coldest weather in our Solitude 310GK

[440scout]

Nuffsaid, I'm hoping that silver "thermo" blanket has enough insulation value along with the insulated pex pipe to prevent another freezeup if we get caught in another one of those "Polar Vortex" type events.
Yes, I remember seeing that same silver stuff under the dinning area slide when we changed the flooring to the factory vinyl.
Also, there is insulation under and around the fresh water tank but there are open air spaces, too. It wouldn't hurt to add more insulation unless, it would hinder warm airflow from that 2" furnace duct. I understand that rock wool insulation holds up much better to water intrusion than fiberglass.
I was planning on dropping the underbelly today to check out one of the gray tank heaters not working but it'll have to wait for a warmer day, we're not heading out till late March.
Please post pics of your tank heaters and heat tape insulation.

 

[LanerC]

I checked them a couple days ago when it was colder, I'm in Colorado. The black tank heater, fresh water tank heater and only one gray tank heater worked. Each one showed about 5 or 6 amps at the batteries when switched on individually. Because there are 2 gray tanks, the amperage should have been double when those heaters were activated. Those tanks are forward of the axles and once the coroplast is lowered the tank heaters should be very visable since they are glued to the bottom of the holding tanks usually near the tank drains. I will try to get pics and post them this weekend.

Thanks for the info.

 

[Nuffsaid]

Well, it was a beautiful day today and I decided to drop the Coroplast and investigate my freeze up concerns. What I found was some pretty shoddy workmanship, same as 440scout, foil barrier was folded back and short of the water tank drain, heater wasn’t working and is way too small for this big of a tank. Weight of the water tank is causing the edge of the tank to deform due to how it is supported. No insulation in the area of the drain and the heater duct it 2-3 feet away from the drain and water line. Insulation placement in the rear section looks like it was installed by a 3rd grader, some pieces are 8” too short, several pieces were overlapped with big gaps. The heater is only 78 watts probably enough for a 30 gallon water tank! I will install two 12x18 heaters and add a lot of batt insulation especially at the end of the frame where there were big gaps on the end wall with no insulation, no wonder it is so cold back there. I will also try and get some insulation against the inside of the rear frame rails even though the outside is spray foamed. I am also going to install a heat trace on the fresh water feed to the tank

 

[Nuffsaid]

Bottom of tank, notice on right side how the edge is colapsing from all the weight sitting on the tube steel support.

 

[Nuffsaid]

Insulation rear of trailer big gap with insulation lapped over front piece.

 

[Nuffsaid]

Maybe this will work

 

[Nuffsaid]

View attachment 49215 more photos of sloppy insulation

 

[Nuffsaid]

Nuffsaid, I'm hoping that silver "thermo" blanket has enough insulation value along with the insulated pex pipe to prevent another freezeup if we get caught in another one of those "Polar Vortex" type events.
Yes, I remember seeing that same silver stuff under the dinning area slide when we changed the flooring to the factory vinyl.
Also, there is insulation under and around the fresh water tank but there are open air spaces, too. It wouldn't hurt to add more insulation unless, it would hinder warm airflow from that 2" furnace duct. I understand that rock wool insulation holds up much better to water intrusion than fiberglass.
I was planning on dropping the underbelly today to check out one of the gray tank heaters not working but it'll have to wait for a warmer day, we're not heading out till late March.
Please post pics of your tank heaters and heat tape insulation.

It seems my trailer looks very similar to what you described, lots of area under the water tank with no insulation, the foil barrier was folded over for about two feet, some of my insulation batts were about 8 inches short or reaching frame rail to frame rail, insulation was bunched up around spare tire winch, one bat of insullation at the very rear was overlapping the piece in front of it leaving a large exposed area of floor with no insulation. I am going to add a fair amount of batting to fill in some of these cold spots. The heating pad looked to be 8 inches wide and 18-24 inches long, I removed it after checking to see if it was warm, it wasn't, cold to the touch. I ohmed it out and there was no resistance in the wiring. Two pads should be much better and the heat trace on the water line will be an added bonus. I shouldn't need to use this heater set up unless the temp is below 15 degrees. Tomorrow I will try and move the 2 inch heater duct closer to the water tank valve. It is zip tied in place, so I need to cut the zip tie and re install it.

 

[440scout]

View attachment 49215 more photos of sloppy insulation

Nuffsaid, I couldn't get any of those pics to open either on the laptop or cellphone. Several of us are very interested in seeing what you've found. Thanks

 

[Nuffsaid]

Nuffsaid, I couldn't get any of those pics to open either on the laptop or cellphone. Several of us are very interested in seeing what you've found. Thanks

Hmm, I will try them again.

 

[Nuffsaid]

I don't know what happening with the photos. I load the photo, it works and then when I try to look at it again it won't work. I had a message before that says I am limited to 5 images per post, but I am not sure if that mean for the entire thread or what.

 

[Nuffsaid]

Nuffsaid, I couldn't get any of those pics to open either on the laptop or cellphone. Several of us are very interested in seeing what you've found. Thanks

I got some of them to load, but I posted more of them in my other thread, Froze Up in the winter section. I am not sure what the issue is. I gave up trying to load the photos from my phone, so I sent the photos to myself in my email and then saved them to my desktop and then downloaded them from there. PIA

 

[Second Chance]

I don't know what happening with the photos. I load the photo, it works and then when I try to look at it again it won't work. I had a message before that says I am limited to 5 images per post, but I am not sure if that mean for the entire thread or what.

Try resizing the images to 600 x 800. Besides a limit to the number of images per post, there are also size limitations.

Rob

 

[440scout]

[MENTION=6569]Nuffsaid[/MENTION] I was able to see those pics and read your findings on the other thread, thanks.
I caught that deep congestion cough and so not going to drop the coroplast till I'm better and we get a stretch of warmer temps. I will probably replace the fresh water tank heater with the 2 heaters that you recommended and add a lot more insulation (rock wool) under the rear floor because that whole back area just stays cold, especially the floor. I've read that rock wool insulation holds up much better to water than fiberglass insulation and it's available at Home Depot.
Is it just laid down on top of the coroplast? What about gluing it to the underside of the floor? I'm just trying to install it the most effective way.

 

[Nuffsaid]

I canceled my Amazon order for the tank heating pads after I saw that they were only 40 watts per pad. The OE pad is 78 watts, I need more not less. I shopped around and now with the belly hanging open, time became a factor, because I really don't want to have to put the corroplast up just to take it down again. I found a heating pad on Ebay called Ultraheat, it is made for a 75 gallon tank which falls in line with what the Solitude has. It is a bit more expensive and I had to pony up for 2nd day air because it needs to go back together! Here is a link: https://www.ebay.com/itm/234272368936 I should add that this pad has a lifetime warranty and it is capable of working in temps as low as -40F, it draws 11.8 amps.

 

[huntindog]

I canceled my Amazon order for the tank heating pads after I saw that they were only 40 watts per pad. The OE pad is 78 watts, I need more not less. I shopped around and now with the belly hanging open, time became a factor, because I really don't want to have to put the corroplast up just to take it down again. I found a heating pad on Ebay called Ultraheat, it is made for a 75 gallon tank which falls in line with what the Solitude has. It is a bit more expensive and I had to pony up for 2nd day air because it needs to go back together! Here is a link: https://www.ebay.com/itm/234272368936 I should add that this pad has a lifetime warranty and it is capable of working in temps as low as -40F, it draws 11.8 amps.

FYI: When looking at electric heat pads, there is a direct coralation of amp draw to watts. More amps = more watts and more heat. There is no such thing as one brand being more efficient than another.

 

[440scout]

[MENTION=6569]Nuffsaid[/MENTION] that heater is what you'll need for those severe cold temps. It draws around double the amperage as the original heater but the old heater was probably only enough for zero temps. I read that certain Grand Design campers are rated to zero degrees. I bet thats true as long as everything is in order and working. That inludes that silver thermal blanket that is supposed to be under the fresh water tank!
We're looking forward to more pics and reading about the new tank heater, heat tape and insulation upgrade.

 

[Nuffsaid]

Update, I crawled under the 310gk for a little while this afternoon, I wire tied a bunch of wires that were just dangling loose everywhere, I unfolded about 2 square feet of reflective foil that should have been under the drain valve and about a foot of fiberglass insulation that should have been under the tank and drain valve. I moved the heater duct so that it will hit the area of the tank to water line transition and I moved a piece of fiberglass insulation that was on top of the water line to under the water line so it will actually be insulated. I have a plan at the very rear of the trailer where the coroplast attaches to the rear most crossmember, I will fill the 1/2 inch gap between the crossmember and the rear wall with some expanding spray foam. I greased the idler gear for both of the slideouts with some white lithium grease. I need to improvise a way to hold the fiberglass batting in place and I am thinking of maybe running some braided fishing line north to south to hold the fiberglass in place while I raise the coroplast back into position. Now I can hurry up and wait for the tank heater to show up, hopefully by Thursday. I know that winter can come back with a vengence any day now and I want to be done with this project and ready to test it. I looked for ways to increase the insulation on the edges of the frame rails, but I think there is too much in the way to do any good. My spray foam insulation on the exterior of the frame does what it needs to do, but the lack of quality in the belly defeated a lot of what I did.

 

[Nuffsaid]

FYI: When looking at electric heat pads, there is a direct coralation of amp draw to watts. More amps = more watts and more heat. There is no such thing as one brand being more efficient than another.

I am fully aware of this, but when I was looking at the new heating pads the amp draw/watts wasn't in the description and I didn't find it until I had already placed the order, I didn't want someone else to make the same mistake as me because I didn't look at it close enough. I wanted higher watts and amps and that is why I ordered the unit I did.

 

[Nuffsaid]

[MENTION=6569]Nuffsaid[/MENTION] that heater is what you'll need for those severe cold temps. It draws around double the amperage as the original heater but the old heater was probably only enough for zero temps. I read that certain Grand Design campers are rated to zero degrees. I bet thats true as long as everything is in order and working. That inludes that silver thermal blanket that is supposed to be under the fresh water tank!
We're looking forward to more pics and reading about the new tank heater, heat tape and insulation upgrade.

440scout, I am weighing options right now on the best way to approach the insulation. I too am fighting a cold, yesterday was a beautiful sunny day, but today is overcast. I moved the Solitude into a direct sun spot because it is usually parked on the north side of my shop and it stays cold there. Right now I am considering cutting some 1 inch rigid foam and placing them inside the frame rails for some added insulation, then fill in the gaps with a roll of fiberglass that I bought to fill in gaps in the front overhang above the front storage area where they shorted the insullation which lead to a cold spot in the bedroom floor. Did you see that I changed my mind on the tank heaters that I first saw? I found out that they were only 40 watts and that isn't close to what I wanted. I found a heater called Ultraheat, made in usa and lifetime warranty, I ordered the one for a 75 gallon tank, it draws 11.8 amps, so I will need to check the fuses. With this heater I am not going to add a heat trace on the water line, but I will pull the heat duct out like you suggested and then insulate all around where the factory didn't including unfolding the reflective sheeting and fitting the sheeting back over the spare tire cable with a slit instead of the crap job the factory did.. How hard should it have been to do a good job when the frame was upside down and all they had to do was lay insulation into the area. No pride in workmanship.Pictures don't show it very well, but there are several areas where the batt insulation is about 8 inches short, this is almost as bad as a skirting job I saw the other day of a trailer in a RV park. Guy skirted all around the trailer, but didn't seal off anything below the entry steps! Why bother skirting if it isn't enclosed! You just can't fix stupid.I thought about trying to glue the batting in place, but I am not sure how well it would work.