Travel trailer life

[heehaw]

i've seen those tape strips at all sorts of rv places, i "assume" they work? but one blast of cold water when takin a shower would send me to lowes to get a 100 lb tank and line to hook up and solve the majority of that problem: for heat, those radiator looking electric units work really well, and i'm not sure that wouldn't be cheaper than tryin to heat with propane?
heehaw

 

[Highbeam]

Those radiator heaters are silent too. That is a big deal in a tiny trailer compared to a forced air RV furnace kicking on over and over (poor insulation) and clicking/rumbling/blowing at all hours of the night. The cool old wilderness trailers (and others prior to the 80s or so)had a convection heater so the furnace did not have a blower at all. No battery power needed either, just good heat with all fumes vented outside like you would expect. Still don't know why they abandoned that system, I made many fellow RVers jealous of that one while camped without hookups.

 

[Tdog]

Thanks to all for your help. This is not my trailer, it is rented for us by our insurance company. We were very apprehensive about what our homeowners would/would not cover. Gotta say, so far, so good.
We have a 30 amp line to the trailer, & it is connected to my septic tank clean-out. I do have a small electric ceramic heater that we use to supplement the propane for heat. You are right Michael - - our electric rates are about the same. Guess I should be using the electric heater more.
Holzster - - that's a great suggestion. I'll give it a try today. ANd, I may look for some of that tape too Egon.
But throwing the dogs out? I'm more likely to be pitched out before they are - - can't separate Alpha from her pack! BTW, I've already pitched out the cat - - she spent the 1st two nights pacing & crying. When the 3rd night started the same way, I cured the problem by introducing her to the great outdoors. She's declawed [it was done when we lived in town 12 years ago], so I feel a little guilty. But she is coming around to eat & I leave the garage open for her.

Thanks for all the replies.

Jack

 

[Tdog]

Hey Holzster,

I gave your tip a try this afternoon & it was easy to tell where the gas was - - I probably have a couple of inches left. Enough, I figure to make it through the night. Not cold here now. If fact today was a typical spring day - - I'd guess the high around 75. I'll slap on a full tank next to the other full tank tomorrow.

thanks!

Jack

 

[Bird]

Which Wilderness do you have? I didn't know they even made them without automatic changeover regulators anymore. When we were full time RVers, we had a couple of small electric heaters that we used to conserve propane. I don't remember the brand, but they had blowers (fans) in them, and one night a terrible screeching noise awoke me. The fan quit turning and the heating element was overheating and the whole front of one of those heaters was glowing bright red; pretty scary. I think that little heater would have caused a fire if it hadn't made enough noise to wake me when it did.

 

[Holzster]

TDog

Glad it worked

 

[Tdog]

That must have been my ignorant stupid brother who told you it was a Wilderness. I just went outside to check the model & it is not a Wilderness - - duh. It is a Wildwood. It is 31 ft with a slide out. I guess it could sleep 8 if it had to.
We bought a ceramic heater that oscillates for additional heat. It can run at either 750 or 1500 watts. So far, we've only run it at the lower setting. The story about your heater malfunction makes me think I'll take a fire extinguisher from the house out to the trailer for a little extra peace of mind.

Jack

 

[Highbeam]

You didn't have a fire extinguisher???? Wow, I don't even use the safeties on my guns but I always had fire extinguishers in the trailer.

Next thing to know then is which window is the emergency exit and how to open it. There should be red handles on one window somewhere opposite the entry door. Fire sweeps through these trailers so fast they made it a rule that there needed to be a second way out.

I also equipped my older trailer with a carbon monoxide detector, they are cheap. New RVs have them along with a propane detector and smoke detector so you may have one. Carbon monoxide is the colorless odorless death gas that kills you in your sleep caused by incomplete combustion of propane.

 

[Bird]

Ah, a Wildwood by Forest River instead of Wilderness by Fleetwood. I just haven't kept up with RVs the last few years, but I thought, as of about 10 years ago, that all the manufacturers started including the automatic changeover regulator for the propane tanks, carbon monoxide detector, LPG leak detector, and a fire extinguisher. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[Tdog]

It came with a fire extinguisher - - I just want one close to where I sleep. There is also a carbon monoxide detector, & lpg leak detector. But no change over regulator for the propane tanks. Thanks.

Jack