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Topic: Starting in subfreezing weather while visiting friends, etc. (Read 869 times) previous topic - next topic

Starting in subfreezing weather while visiting friends, etc.

A lot of us visit friends in winter where the temperature drops below freezing. Our shore power cord won't even come close to making the stretch between their house and our coach in the street/driveway. When we use a 100 foot extension cord, the voltage drop down, down, down, until we switch on the block heater and everything shuts down.

Solution: Unplug the block heater in the engine compartment (where it plugs in the 110V outlet) and plug it directly to the long extension cord and leave it plugged in all night. The next morning the main engine will start without a fuss and no one will call the EPA about the smoke and noise. Just use the house batteries for the inverter/furnace/etc. when necessary. For those thinking about it, running the generator all night may not be an option in a lot of residential locations.

Where you are stuck without a power source, $5 or $10 may get a gas station, motel or store to allow you to overnight in their lot with an extension cord to the block heater from their outlet.

Found a sympathetic motel clerk in Santa Fe, New Mexico who let us plug in without taking a dime (I only offered a dime). Just remember to take the cord back out of the engine compartment before cranking up.

Best for the holidays.

Pierce & Gaylie Stewart
93' U300/36
Pierce and Gaylie Stewart
'93 U300/36 WTBI
Detroit 6V-92TA Jake
1140 watts on the roof
SBFD (ret)

Re: Starting in subfreezing weather while visiting friends, etc.

Reply #1
A lot of us visit friends in winter where the temperature drops below freezing. Our shore power cord won't even come close to making the stretch between their house and our coach in the street/driveway. When we use a 100 foot extension cord, the voltage drop down, down, down, until we switch on the block heater and everything shuts down.
You are going to need a Extra-Heavy Duty 50-Amp 6/3 + 8/1 STW Cord or 2 to run that distance to keep the voltage up.
Extra-Heavy Duty 50-Amp 6/3 + 8/1 STW Cord,
The selected media item is not currently available.Barry BEAM #16014
2003 U320 40' AGDS
Beamalarm, Foretravel technical help and specifications
"Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve"

Re: Starting in subfreezing weather while visiting friends, etc.

Reply #2
A lot of us visit friends in winter where the temperature drops below freezing. Our shore power cord won't even come close to making the stretch between their house and our coach in the street/driveway. When we use a 100 foot extension cord, the voltage drop down, down, down, until we switch on the block heater and everything shuts down.

Solution: Unplug the block heater in the engine compartment (where it plugs in the 110V outlet) and plug it directly to the long extension cord and leave it plugged in all night. The next morning the main engine will start without a fuss and no one will call the EPA about the smoke and noise. Just use the house batteries for the inverter/furnace/etc. when necessary. For those thinking about it, running the generator all night may not be an option in a lot of residential locations.

Where you are stuck without a power source, $5 or $10 may get a gas station, motel or store to allow you to overnight in their lot with an extension cord to the block heater from their outlet.

Found a sympathetic motel clerk in Santa Fe, New Mexico who let us plug in without taking a dime (I only offered a dime). Just remember to take the cord back out of the engine compartment before cranking up.

Best for the holidays.

Pierce & Gaylie Stewart
93' U300/36

Great suggestion running an extension cord directly to the block heater.  Thanks a ton!
Kevin

Current  1997 U295. Build #5160
Previous 1994 U300

Re: Starting in subfreezing weather while visiting friends, etc.

Reply #3
Just a comment, there is not place that I am that the genset is too loud to run. Sure places have rules but it is no louder then the residential heaters. In fact if you have a propane furnace that is louder then the generator. I just run the genset and have all the power I need in the winter.  I have had three different FT and they are just not that loud.
2025 Wanderbox Outpost 32 on F600 Expedition Motorhome
2015 Born Free Royal Splendor on Ford 550 nonslide version  for sale
Former Coaches  covering. 360,000 miles
1999 34 U270
2000 36 U320
2001 42' double slide U320
2018 Jeep Rubicon