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Old 02-22-2012, 02:50 PM   #1
ColoradoKeystone
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Heated underbelly????

I'm wondering if the heated underbelly on our 2011 Keystone bullet is all that it says it is. We purchased it because it had this and because we live in Colorado and want to go camping in all four seasons. What is the word out on these???
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Old 02-22-2012, 03:35 PM   #2
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Yes and no, how's that for an answer? Most campers with the so called polar/Siberian livability package is not quite what they make it out to be IMO. Our fiver has this package and I wanted to test it out. So last February, in the middle of the month we went camping. The fiver was new to us purchased in November, and heck I didn't care lets go camping. It was only our third time in it, and it was going to cold so I thought I would do a little test. At night I put a thermometer in the basement around all the plumbing stuff, and the first night according to my inside thermometer it got down to 23. When I checked the thermometer in the basement storage it said 47. Hmmm, Ok All is well. The second night it got down to 25, and the thermometer in the basement said 46, so I thought that was good. Now granted we only stayed two nights and the daytime temps. With no sun was around 50. The idea of heated underbellys is the fact that your heaters duct work runs through there and the radiant heat as you run your heater is what is heating your underbelly. I will probably not camp in that cold of weather for more than 3 or 4 days at the most, but now I know I can if desired. Part of the so called polar packages is better insulation in the walls and roof as some manufacturers claim. Happy Camping, Sam
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Old 02-22-2012, 04:16 PM   #3
Festus2
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There has been quite a discussion here about the "heated underbelly" and if you do a forum search on this topic, you should find numerous posts and threads about it. The heated underbelly will only be heated so long as your furnace is running - otherwise, your underbelly will remain unheated. Some members have carried out fairly extensive modifications to the underbelly to ensure that it is, in fact, "heated".
My answer to your question - "Is it all that it says it is?" ----- is NO.
I would spend some time browsing through these posts and threads and you can draw your own conclusions.
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Old 02-22-2012, 04:28 PM   #4
geo
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ColoradoKeystone View Post
I'm wondering if the heated underbelly on our 2011 Keystone bullet is all that it says it is. We purchased it because it had this and because we live in Colorado and want to go camping in all four seasons. What is the word out on these???
ColoradoKeystone -

I cannot specifically address your travel trailer, but I can talk about the Alpine 3640RL plenty! As the Alpine is advertised with high insulation values, I would dare say that there might be some similarities. See the Forum thread:
http://www.keystonerv.org/forums/showthread.php?t=4784

My DW and I do plan to cold weather camp in the near future, so I am busy now with several mods to allow cold camping. All are listed and described in the Modifications section. One key item for cold camping in an unmodified Keystone - you must run the propane furnace. Campers will get electric heaters to utilize the campground's electricity, but this does not heat the basement area. What I hear, the furnace use will allow one to camp down to around 25F to 23F. Looking over the Forum you will see several posts, particularly during the 2010-11 winter about frozen plumbing and tanks.

IMHO, if you are serious about cold camping, you will look at either using skirting to keep the underbelly warmed, or you will think about some of the mods I am doing/have done.

As others have said, "Just my two cents" and "Your results might vary".

Ron

Festus2 is too nice. I'm pretty sure I know who "those members" are/is. It seems like the full-timers use skirting most of the time. I'm wanting to be a little more mobile.

And, Festus2 has a full keyboard to type on. So much better than pecking at the Droid screen!
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Old 02-22-2012, 07:23 PM   #5
chuck&gail
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We've had no trouble at 20 degrees F, although furnace runs a lot. As said, DO NOT use electric heaters if it is below freezing outside, as furnace doesn't run and pipes can freeze.

Remember to disconnect shore water and store drained hose.

Also remember to drain and store sewer hose, or you may spend a long time trying to leave. Do not ask how we discovered this.

Finally some say to leave sewer connected and let water drip in faucet so pipes do not freeze. Talked to someone who did that. Sewer hose gradually froze closed, then waste tanks filled, then water ran on TT floor. He was NOT a happy camper. I guess the TT pipes didn't freeze, but ...
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Old 02-23-2012, 05:57 AM   #6
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Ive done enough research to decide on my way back from up north in September, the dealer will be winterizing mine for 65 dollars, and November deer hunt will be a porta potty and bottled water Ive read of some wrapping heat tape on the tanks and lines, which makes sense and would prevent freezing, but I'm content, and don't do much if any winter camping except for November when I spend a week in Northern MN.
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Old 02-23-2012, 10:29 AM   #7
ColoradoKeystone
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What about those heated water hoses????? Has anyone used those????
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Old 02-23-2012, 11:32 AM   #8
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If you Google "rv heated water hose", you will find numerous articles and ads about different types, heat tapes, brands, etc. Perhaps some of the members who have used heated water hoses will contribute to this post and share some first-hand experience with you.
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Old 02-23-2012, 02:23 PM   #9
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I used a heat strip on a regular drinking water hose wrapped with black foam pipe insulation, and two days later, the hose was leaking and had big bubbles and blisters all over it. Sooo, I decided to read the heat strip directions which stated to not install it directly on the hose. Lesson learned!! It really doesn't get that cold in Louisiana, so I just use the black insulation without the heat strip. So if you consider using a heat strip, you might want to put some kind of barrier between the hose and the strip, or run the strip on the outside of some black foam pipe insulation.
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Old 02-23-2012, 03:44 PM   #10
jje1960
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Polar package

This is just MHO, so not looking for contention. I personally think the "Polar Package" is great. They enclosed the underbelly and have run the furnace ducts in that space. Frankly, what else can be done... Unless your going to pay for a unit that has heat strips everywhere and the supporting electric (which needs electric...) I personally think these units are as advertised, with consideration. As long as the furnace unit is running, there is heat down there, if you don't run the furnace and use electric heaters in the unit... then there is no heat down there. Unless that is that you can run the furnace fan, which will pull the warm air through the ducks (from electric heaters in the unit), which may warm the under carriage areas. If you have electric hookup, then any $17.00 Walmart heater in the storage bay will protect the plumbing, also that heat will resonate up through the floor.. somewhat... I don't believe that RV's should be expected to stand up to 10deg temps for extended periods of time, it's a fiberglass box without thermal windows and other "home" insulation. I feel safe taking off for a vacation with temps in the 'teens', if I can keep enough electric and propane on-board for the trip, I think that's what the manufacture intended. RV is obviously recreational vehicle... not a home on wheels, however this is my perspective, others may feel differently.
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Old 02-23-2012, 04:03 PM   #11
ColoradoKeystone
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Thank you for all the great input. We are not planning on camping in 10deg weather. burrrr. It's still very cold at night here in the spring so we just wanted to make sure we would be ok. Thank you again.
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Old 02-23-2012, 06:50 PM   #12
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We were in Dallas in our Alpine in November/December in 2010. The daytime highs were in the 30's and the nightime temps were in mid teens for about 10 days. Our furance went out about the third day and we purchased two elcetric heaters, one for the bedroom and one for the living area. At night we would disconnect the water line and sewer line and had water in the fresh water tank. We opened the kitchen cabinets under the sink and placed one of the heaters blowing warm air into the space under the bathroom floor. We never had any frozen pipes or tanks but we were very concerned. We would run the fireplace and the heatpump (turned off the heatpump when the temps got down in the low 30's because it would freeze up) until we went to bed. At night we would run the two heaters. We were very comfortable in the camper even with a 25 mile hour wind every day. We don't have double pane windows so we had a lot of cold air radiating through the windows. We put towels between the shades and the walls and that reduced the cold air radiating from the windows.
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