[Archived]

You have two areas of concern. I do not have a Beaver so I do not know how they have the plumbing and holding tank set up, but on my Liberty both are in the same bay so I only have to deal with one bay area.

The large hand held head gun Liberty chooses as a bay heater would not accomplish what I wanted when we lived in winters with sub zero temps so instead I used a small cube heater with a fan set to 500 Watts setting and placed it about 8″ to 12″ from the fresh water tank and turned it on. I made certain the water tank was full. Over time the heater had the water at least 60 degrees so when it got well below zero the heat in the water along with the cube heater never allowed the bat temp to get below 45-50 degrees. I mounted a thermometer where I could see if just by cracking the bay door so I could frequently verify all was OK.

In the house I used a single 500-1000-1500 heater with an oscillating fan sitting on the kitchen counter pointing down the hall towards the rear of the coach. All water pipes and devices were between the kitchen and bedroom. I opened all doors covering places where water would be such as sink cabinets, door covering the W/D, opened the door to the bath/toilet.

I lowered all shades to minimize heat loss through the windows. The bus was in a drafty barn which minimize loss of heat due to wind, but prevented solar heating on sunny days so that might have been a wash.

I set the heater at the 500 watt setting until temps were forecast to fall below 32 at night. Then I used the 1000 watt setting until temps were forecast to drop into single digits and below at which time I used the 1500 watt setting. In all cases the fan was on and oscillating.

The interior never fell below 45 and the open doors kept heat in areas where pipes were run.

I checked daily. In your case you could use multiple heaters but just make sure heaters are set to the areas where pipes will be run or where they enter the fixtures are getting some heat.

Now the coach is always inside its own garage that I can heat if needed. Without heat, but with the 6″ insulation in the walls and 12″ in the ceiling it stays above 45. I still monitor the coach and garage daily.

[Archived]

Thanks Jon, Do you use temp monitors by any chance?

Maybe Jim Lane of Coloradobus will chime in on this, but I believe the plumbing and holding tank set up is in the same bay.

Harry

[Sid]

Harry,

As you know I use Marcell and it has save our butts a number of times.

Blustream looks similar but I noticed it doesnt have power monitoring. Monitoring the power is going to be the quickest prompt to alert you of a problem. With temp and humidity monitoring only, you will not be aware of a problem until the temp goes out of the perimeters which could take a day or more depending on outside temps, sun etc. Also, what if the outside temp is such that the temp stays within range inside the coach. Your batteries will suffer because you are unaware you have no power.

I only monitor the inside temps of my coach. I have the factory installed electric bay heater as well as an additional ceramic heater plugged into an outlet that is on a different circuit. The ceramic heater is set 5 degrees lower than the factory heater in case of a failure of the factory one. I feel that there is no need to monitor the basement temp being that I know when power is out and the basement has a backup heater. The inside temp monitor is sufficient. I do most of what Jon suggests also. Like opening cabinet doors closing blinds, fresh tank full etc. I use the coach electric heat inside when stored.

Two things that I overlooked last year was taking the cap off of the dump outlet. I had a slight drip one of the dump valves and it filled the dump oulet and froze. Luckily I caught that in time. I will take the cap off from now on. Also, The macerator outlet caps should be removed as to not trap any liquid in there. The dump oulet and the macerator outlets are both exposed to outside temps.

Jeff

[Jimmy]

Harry,

I don’t use heat monitors and never have. I have a flip phone rarely on. I’m old school and still drive manual transmissions and can get along nicely without apps or being connected.

[Harry]

I like some of the new fandango equipment they have out but like Jon, Ain’t up on the tech stuff. Do have a smart phone but really don’t know what’s so smart about it. In my books, Life was simpler 20 years ago.

[Archived]

Wow, Jon and Glens, the dinosaurs of the Forum! I’d like to disagree with you guys but I can’t. All this technology can make you crazy and many times makes us wonder if we’re better off for it!

I’ll most likely go with a monitoring device of some kind because you guys have properly scared me to death about something freezing in my bus. Being only 20 minuets away a warning of a low temp because of loss of power or a heater going out etc would give me time to do something about it and that’s huge to me!

Jeff, When you say “With temp and humidity monitoring only, you will not be aware of a problem until the temp goes out of the perimeters which could take a day or more depending on outside temps, sun etc.”

With that said, would I not have time to react to low temperature? That’s all I really want to do is keep the temps in balance.

What about a monitor in the wet bay? I’ve noticed most systems offer one monitor. If you can buy more I’m not sure, I’ve not checked that completely as yet. Mainly want to get you guys reactions.

Jon, I know your bus is in the garage at you Home. Glens, yours is also at your home on a pad right? That could make a difference as far as a monitoring system. My thought is if I can add an additional layer of protection I’m foolish if I don’t take advantage of it!

Harry

[Bernie]

Electronics and gadgets are wonderful when they work as designed but we know everything will need to be updated from time to time.

I have to say that I love the Liberty i-link as I can check/control most house items from my Apple i-phone.

I can check/control the following on the i-link app sitting at home:

-House battery charge level and temperature of each battery.

-Can turn on heated floors, Espar heat, heat pumps, etc. (or air conditioning).

-Control Roof vent fans.

-Can see temps inside and outside (not basement).

-Control 12 breakers (Bath heater, Block heater, Compartment Heat, Water heater, Oven, Range, Refrigerator, Galley heater, Air compressor, Engine Battery charger, Water pump and the Tankless water heater).

-Turn on/off generator and set auto start or shore loss setting.

-Control awnings and the breaker

-Check inverter status.

-Lock and unlock coach entry door and/or bay doors.

-Control all Interior/Exterior lights.

-All window shades including dash shades.

-Check tank levels (Fresh and Holding).

Mark

[Harry]

MM,

These guys know you can flush your toilets from Berlin, that’s one of the differences between 2 million and 100 grand.

What I don’t get is all you new guys buying buses or wanting a bus I never hear about where am I going to put it when not in use. I guarantee you the number one hazard to your bus is it sitting outside in the elements. If you think you got it plugged in or winterized or heaters inside or the a/c running sitting outside and you are serving your bus well, BS. It is aging at a rate you wouldn’t believe.

Not everyone can do it. I feel bad for the guys who can’t but me personally I wouldn’t own a bus if I had to park outside, warm or cold. Makes no difference.

The old man needs to put a header at the top of the PDI instructions.

GET A GARAGE FIRST.

Later

bv

[Roscoeapproved]

Bernie,

I guess I was pointing out the electronics we get today that we can love or hate.

We just bought a new car and comparing it to the ’95 convertible that we also have (top of the line at the time) has less on it than a new Hyundai. No side camera’s, no navigation, no side airbags, no bumper sensors, etc.

Those who like the old style anything won’t have much choice when buying new/newer.

Safe travels,

Mark

PS. And I agree 110% about storage. I wouldn’t have a coach if I couldn’t store it inside (we rent two spaces).

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Jeff and Lindsay

91 Marathon XL

[Tim]

BV
I will not dignify that post with the long list of reasons for which people buy buses with no garage. I will offer one though. Suppose someone is of the age that they know they may have limited time to realize their dream of owning a prevost. Suppose their resources would allow them to buy one but not store it inside. What if they are confident they will not outlive the coach for its beauty or usefulness. Get your nose out of the sky and get some perspective. Later, Jeff

[Bernie]

Mark and Bernie, I thank you both for that information but it doesn’t change the reality on the ground… My bus will be outside and although I’d like nothing better than a heated and air conditioned facility. One is not available to me in any reasonable proximity of my home.

Any help anyone can give me regarding 50 amp service and parking outside would be most appreciated!

Harry

[Greg]

Harry: My situation is similar to yours (coach sits outside, on concrete, plugged into 50amp service) … except that its at my house, about 75 feet from the house. I can’t easily see the coach from the house, but I can easily walk over to it.

I presume our average temps, and possible low temps in SE Wisconsin are lower than yours in NC. I’ve most everything mentioned above … waste tank empty, fresh water tank full, turned on the electric water heater, see the water bay heater (heat gun fastened to the ceiling on a dedicated circuit to 40-45 degrees with a thermostat), I have two or three small 1000 watt cube heaters in the coach on separate circuits, all window blinds closed, all lower cabinets doors open (this gets warm air to the plumbing chases), door to the water/dryer is open, and digital thermometers in the coach and in the plumbing bay.

From this Forum, I learned that what … 200 gallons … of fresh water holds a tremendous amount of heat (BTUs) that first comes from water weather and then comes from heat dissipated from the water heater and nearby plumbing lines. Then went it gets really cold, the water bay heater kicks in.

I leave the toe kick heaters OFF; I’m concerned about them running for extended periods of time and getting the wood near them HOT and creating a fire hazard. Maybe I’m worrying about something I don’t have too.

A couple of times I’ve gone out to the coach when it was 5 degrees over night, opened the water bay door and saw seem temps in the high 40’s/low 50’s.

I don’t turn on the heaters in the electric bay … should I?

I never thought about removing the covers for the septic dump plumbing (we have dump ports on both sides of the coach and uncovering the macerator discharge port (unscrew the cover in case there is pressure built up). Good ideas.

As I’ve posted before I tried blowing the lines out with air (didn’t work completely) and filling ALL the water lines, water pump, ice maker, bottom of waste and fresh water tanks, and traps with pink RV anti-freeze … that worked fine (even the first and only time I did it), but it was an exercise to do and an exercise to undo it. We plan on leaving about Christmas for two or more months down south, the exposure to really cold weather will be temporary.

As you use heaters, be cognizant of the amp draw on the circuit. Its easy to overload a 15 or 20amp circuit with electric heaters. My rule (of thumb) is only ONE electric heater on a circuit, with nothing else on the circuit.

In response to the strong recommendation that all Prevost coach owners have a bus barn … I agree 100%, but if you can. I can’t because of the zoning laws where I live now. If we ever move, bus barn will be a priority.

For those of us like me (and apparently Harry) who can’t have or don’t have a bus barn, make sure you’re parking the coach on a paved surface. Concrete pad with a vapor barrier under it essential. DO NOT park your coach on grass, gravel, or dirt. Moisture coming up through a porous surface will rot the bottom of your coach. While concrete without a vapor barrier isn’t ideal, its much better than gravel, grass, or dirt.

[Greg]

Harry

I have had my Beaver since 2003 and a GMC4107 before that, both had to be parked outside. I have a RV cover that I put on it, I have a cube heater in the water bay (all your plumbing is in that bay, except for pipes) set to turn on before freezing temps. I have cube heaters inside with all cabinet doors open. I now set one of the Cruise Airs to dehumitify. I dump all the water out of the tanks. You should have a dump valve for the fresh water located on the passenger side 4th bay. This 4th bay is the location of the electrical breakers and water heaters. The valve handle for the fresh water should be behind the water heater door. There should also be valves to drain the plumbing pipes in the house in there also. You can also buy a (camping world) connector to put on the fresh water fill hose to blow that water out of the lines, after opening the faucets ( one at a time while blowing in air). I have a RV refrigerator in mine so I have a light in the outside door that I turn on and a piece of insulation over the outside door for it to keep the wind out. Of course it is plugged in so my inverters are charging the house batteries. I do check on it from time to time to make sure all is working.

[joel]

Jeff

You are such a self centered individual you must of thought I had addressed that post to you.

Now you want to go the age and sick cards route. In case you haven’t noticed we all have to play that hand. Did you think you were exempt?

What a shame.

Later

bv

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1999 XLV X-6872,  liberty #440

[Walter]

Bv
To clarify, im only 50 years old and in great health so I wasnt playing any card. On top of that my bus is indoors so I obviously didnt take it as pointed towards me or even Harry who started this post. My point was that the idea of no barn no bus is rediculous and your tone while trying to make that point annoyed me. Jeff