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Comments
Soooo....
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TX28XD6
The shower is not strong, but I dump as much pink stuff down the shower drain as water I use, so I want a Navy shower anyway. And the water is super filtered. I can move it to and from the car as needed to keep it thawed, and if I'm out more than a few days I carry a couple extra 5 gallon jugs.
P.S. Light snow in Jackson today and a bunch of Colorado resorts are already making snow. It's almost time!
[Edit 11/4/2019: Do NOT pressurize this filter when nearly full in a cold car or camper, and then move it into a warm environment. As everyone remembers (except me) from high school physics, that will gradually raise the pressure to a zillion psi and may burst a seal or seam. Seller at ePrep Store was kind enough to send out a new part. Doh!]
Former steward of a 2017 T@B S Max
Former steward of a 2017 T@B S Max
(Voice of experience in 1st home when only the hot water froze, not the cold water—luckily no burst pipes.)
2021 T@B 320S Boondock “The T@B”
Towed by a white 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 Supercab, 3.5L V6 Ecoboost “The Truck”
Secured Alde basement hose to grey and black valves and insulated the sides of the trailer frame. Still need to seal the black foam tape in the photos below.
Blue arrow is wire for the remote thermometer. Yellow arrows point to the Alde hose coming in/out of the basement:
Another angle showing the Alde hose next to the valves:
1/2" insulation along the inside of the trailer frame:
Foam tape used to secure the Alde hose to the valves. It has a very strong adhesive side:
Foam board used on the frame sides (will also be used to cover the entire belly):
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0774BGBHS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I'm using two - one for the area between the fresh and grey tanks (assumed to be the coldest area in the basement, and one next to the grey valve.
The floor plate is simply a piece of aluminum. Not sure if it has any BTU value. Alde told me that the plate can indeed be glued to surfaces. It is very thin and flexible.
Plate with PEX pipe in channel. The heat from the pipe warms the aluminum floor plate. I assume the outside edges of the plate will be the coldest.
The PEX is much smaller than the Alde rubber hose. Therefore, the Alde glycol will move slower through it. This is a problem because it slows the fluid movement in the entire Alde system. I didn't want the fluid going from the warm cabin into the colder basement, then slow way down as it ran along the valves outside the basement, then back into the basement and then into the cabin again. My thinking was to have the fluid spend as little time as necessary near those valves.
You will definitely need the tool on the left for this project. It's used on the spring clips that connect the Alde hose to the various elbows, convectors, etc. About $20 and worth about $500 as you use it constantly! The one on the right is for the PEX pipe connectors. About $50, heavy and cumbersome to use in tight spaces. Has a cool LED light to let you know when the crimp pressure has been reached.
I abandoned the PEX loop idea near the grey and black valves because not enough warm glycol was running through the much smaller PEX pipe. The Alde rubber hose works MUCH better and is easier to work with.
Regarding costs, I've spent a bunch of money on things that turned out to be unnecessary (hindsight is always 20/20). First, the PEX tool, pipe and fittings added up quickly. I'd recommend against using them. Second, I installed four mini-convectors when I could have probably gotten by with one (or zero) because the Alde hose itself generates a good deal of heat. A loop of only hose around the perimeter of the basement would probably keep the tanks warm enough assuming you insulate the area between the frame members (and seal all openings). This would also mean less fittings and install time. Knowing what I know now, I'm guessing this project should cost around $200 in parts and tools.
The fresh water drain spigot (behind the pull-out step in a 320) is exposed to the elements from the factory. Big freeze problem in colder temperatures. The good news is that it is connected to the fresh water tank with a PEX fitting. My limited research shows that PEX fittings can be rotated (swiveled) without compromising the integrity of the fitting. Therefore, you simply swivel the spigot up into the basement when not in use. An insulated cover can be used to cover the spigot during cold temperatures:
The spring loaded cover is not designed to be installed horizontally. The weight of the metal cover will cause it to drop to the position you see here:
Photo of the open cover with the spigot retracted. Please cut me some slack for the awful cutting of the inside edge of the electrical cover - it was the first time I've ever used a Dremel Tool!
To retract the spigot, you simply reach into the opening and swivel the spigot downward:
The spigot cover is secured with a screw through the loop you see on the right next to the spigot above.
One of my concerns was the potentially dangerous build-up of propane in the now sealed and insulated basement area (everything between the four frame members). Because propane is heavier than air, I installed a vent at the lowest portion of the front basement area:
I also left open the two areas at the rear of the basement frame joints for additional air flow (covered with metal mesh and bug screen):
Let's talk about Flex-Seal. I used the spray and liquid products to cover the foam tape over the grey and black valve areas. This really is an amazing product. However, in this application, not even Cindy Crawford could make the end result look appealing. It is liquid rubber. It will not come off your hands or clothes, it drips down at the slightest provocation, it takes forever to cure (24 hours), but man o' man, it does seal that foam tape with a vengeance! So no photos of the "Flex-Sealed Foam Tape" for now. However, this week's plans include covering the grey and black valves with diamond plate metal as a rock guard. Stay tuned.
Yellow arrow is pointing to the driver side front stabilizer. It's located very close to the black drain 90* elbow coming out of the cabin floor making it almost impossible to enclose that area.
Side view of the box. I didn't lose any ground clearance - just the thickness of the foam insulation around the ABS drain pipes and thickness of the diamond plate. Very happy about that.
Front view of the box. Arrow is pointing to the black drain opening.
Top view looking down through the Outback rack:
Bad photo of the rear of the box. Arrow is pointing to the 90* black drain elbow coming out of the cabin floor. Blue arrow is pointing to the steps for reference.
Will test everything out in a few weeks, but very happy with the results so far. This was my first metal bending and pop rivet project, so I would have done a few things differently knowing what I know now.
Has anyone insulated their water hose with a pool noodle?
Line Insulation For An RV So The Water Doesn’t Freeze
If you have an RV and are planning on taking a trip to a cooler climate, this hack might just save you! Bring pool noodles to insulate your water and sanitation lines. You’ll be thanking the noodles in the morning when neither line freezes up and you’re able to utilize the water.
Yep - I removed the propane tube for better access to the grey valve area. The good news is that my tongue weight went WAY down. The better news is that it looks like both valves can be enclosed. Note the cable-activated grey valve line coming out of the cardboard template. Most others would not have to deal with this configuration (a definite plus). Will post photos of progress moving forward.
Yellow arrow pointing to a dip on the top cover for water drainage. Black arrow pointing to maximum location box can be placed without hitting the Outback aluminum platform:
Note bend in diamond plate to accommodate movement of stabilizer bar. Blue arrow pointing to area where diamond plate touches frame:
Another shot of the stabilizer bar. You will need to trim all excess caulking at the base of the black pipe 90* elbow in order to make this enclosure work. Black arrow shows point diamond plate is secured to the coroplast.
Yellow arrow pointing to front of trailer. Black arrow shows cap securing the diamond plate to the coroplast. This is tricky because the grey tank is above the coroplast at this location. A simple solution was to use that flat metal bar in the ceiling to hold light fixtures. Simply cut a slit in the coroplast, slide the bar into the slit, move it back so the center hole is visible, insert the threaded rod and secure with the cap or nut.
Nice shot the flat bottom. Arrow points to the bend needed to avoid the stabilizer.
Will finish up be cutting out the excess caulk and cleaning things up in general. PM me if you're interested in doing this mod. There are lots of shortcuts that will save you time and money.