Well, if I get kicked out of the house

[Rattlecan ★]

at least I will have a warm place to sleep.

I winterized the trailer by installing a Chinese diesel heater. The installation was pretty straight forward, and after a minor hiccup on the initial startup, it is working great.

 

[Razors Edge ★]

1 minute ago, Rattlecan said:

winterized

We "winterize" by draining fluids, adding antifreeze, and shutting things down for the winter! 

You seem to be anti-winterizing!

[Rattlecan ★]

31 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

We "winterize" by draining fluids, adding antifreeze, and shutting things down for the winter! 

You seem to be anti-winterizing!

I don’t have any plumbing to worry about. In the past I have just taken the batteries out and put them in the basement but we are taking the trailer to Florida in February so looking to keep it warm and cozy for the first couple of nights till we reach the sunny south.

I keep it above freezing with an electric heater while it is sitting in the driveway to keep from damaging the batteries.

[Razors Edge ★]

1 minute ago, Rattlecan said:

I keep it above freezing with an electric heater while it is sitting in the driveway to keep from damaging the batteries.

Do your batteries have internal heating?  Is it just that, in Canada, it gets so darn cold, even those self-heated batteries need help or by using the electric heater, you hope to keep them in as good as shape as possible?

I know you didn't go with Battle Born but I imagine they are the norm? But storing them - outside in the winter months - might not work so well if the heating element draws faster than solar can keep up? If you go to the small electric heater, you keep the batteries relatively cozy during winter?

 

[Rattlecan ★]

55 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

Do your batteries have internal heating?  Is it just that, in Canada, it gets so darn cold, even those self-heated batteries need help or by using the electric heater, you hope to keep them in as good as shape as possible?

I know you didn't go with Battle Born but I imagine they are the norm? But storing them - outside in the winter months - might not work so well if the heating element draws faster than solar can keep up? If you go to the small electric heater, you keep the batteries relatively cozy during winter?

When I bought the first two batteries, Renogy did not offer a self heating option. When I bought a third battery last year, it was an option, and I considered getting one and putting it between the other two, but when I contacted Renogy to ask if that was a workable idea, they advised against it.

When it is parked at home, I just run a shore power line from the house and run a small electric heater on low just to keep things from freezing.

[Razors Edge ★]

29 minutes ago, Rattlecan said:

When I bought the first two batteries, Renogy did not offer a self heating option. When I bought a third battery last year, it was an option, and I considered getting one and putting it between the other two, but when I contacted Renogy to ask if that was a workable idea, they advised against it.

When it is parked at home, I just run a shore power line from the house and run a small electric heater on low just to keep things from freezing.

It definitely is an evolving market.  We're still using our AGM batteries, but when replacement time comes, I'll likely swap over to the lithium ones that make most sense at the time. May need other bits to get the system fully upgraded, but I'm not in any rush to add new costs to a system we don't get to use often enough yet.  Retired? Sure. Squeezing in where it fits on the calendar? It can wait.  We'll see how next weeks time at the beach plays out.  Supposed to be mid-20s up to low-50s, so, with shore power and the propane furnace, we should be fine.

[Rattlecan ★]

These Chinese diesel heaters are all the rage these days for everything from tents and ice fishing shacks to sheds, vans and camping trailers. They are basically copies of German designed units that have been around for many decades and were primarily used in heavy trucks.

 Of course, being German, they are very well designed and made, and also very expensive.

The Chinese versions are really cheap, I paid less than $200 CDN all in, but they are generally considered to be very reliable, efficient and durable.

[Rattlecan ★]

2 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

It definitely is an evolving market.  We're still using our AGM batteries, but when replacement time comes, I'll likely swap over to the lithium ones that make most sense at the time. May need other bits to get the system fully upgraded, but I'm not in any rush to add new costs to a system we don't get to use often enough yet.  Retired? Sure. Squeezing in where it fits on the calendar? It can wait.  We'll see how next weeks time at the beach plays out.  Supposed to be mid-20s up to low-50s, so, with shore power and the propane furnace, we should be fine.

Lots of advantages to lithium over AGM. About 1/3 of the weight, can be stored inside the passenger compartment without venting, many many more charge cycles in the life span and up to 90% or more of the amp hour capacity available vs about 50% for AGM.

 Once you get over the initial outlay, which is coming down all the time, it's all positive.

[Razors Edge ★]

21 minutes ago, Rattlecan said:

Lots of advantages to lithium over AGM. About 1/3 of the weight, can be stored inside the passenger compartment without venting, many many more charge cycles in the life span and up to 90% or more of the amp hour capacity available vs about 50% for AGM.

 Once you get over the initial outlay, which is coming down all the time, it's all positive.

That's my impression, and why it's the logical NEXT step.  The AGM will need replacing, and hopefully that is in line with me retiring  so right when we want more options with our trailer's power storage, we can upgrade and get the latest & greatest.

[Wilbur ★]

2 hours ago, Rattlecan said:

at least I will have a warm place to sleep.

I winterized the trailer by installing a Chinese diesel heater. The installation was pretty straight forward, and after a minor hiccup on the initial startup, it is working great.

Just leave it in the driveway and charge $2000/mo to rent it.  You will get your price. 

[Rattlecan ★]

12 minutes ago, Wilbur said:

Just leave it in the driveway and charge $2000/mo to rent it.  You will get your price. 

Don’t think that didn’t occur to me.

[2Far ★]

3 hours ago, Razors Edge said:

We "winterize" by draining fluids, adding antifreeze, and shutting things down for the winter! 

 

I re-light the pilot on the gas logs.

[Razors Edge ★]

6 minutes ago, Rattlecan said:

Don’t think that didn’t occur to me.

Or move in to the trailer and charge $5,000+ for your place!