New Member Introduction and First Question

Topic: New Member Introduction and First Question (Read 1304 times) previous topic - next topic

New Member Introduction and First Question

February 15, 2013, 02:06:08 pm

My wife and I have just joined the ranks of Foretravel owners. We've been 5th-wheel RV'ers for 14 years but are new to motorhomes. It's been a very fast transition.

It all started on our RV trip over the Christmas/New Years holidays. We were at Lazy Days in Tampa over New Years and went "just looking" at motorhomes. We got very excited about a 17 month old Damon but managed to resist temptation and decided our 5th-wheel and truck would last another 5 years before making the switch to a motorhome.

Over the next few days, we continued to learn what we could about motorhomes to become more educated decision makers when it got to be time to switch. One morning, I walked over to ask a fellow who was hitching up his toad a few questions and he spent 15 minutes explaining why his Foretravel was the best deal out there (Thanks Gary Omel!).

Three days later, 60 miles from home in Ohio, the truck broke down again and the boss explained to me that WE weren't going to be doing anymore traveling with it. But we had lots of travel commitments for the next 5 months so the search for a replacement was on.

In the next 3 weeks, we bought a Jeep for a toad, found the Foretravel Forum, searched the internet for Foretravels for sale, found Mike O'Leary's 2002 U270 in the forum classified, flew to Washington state, found a great coach, and made a deal. We're flying back out on the 23rd to drive it home. We're really looking forward to our future travels.

So now on to my first question for the forum. Driving across the central U.S. from Washington to Ohio in late February would not be my first choice but like I said earlier, we have commitments. It will be great if we catch a warm spell and ride it all the way home but we may not. I know from my 5th-wheel experience that camping in temps down into the teens should not be a problem but driving the 5th-wheel below freezing would be a problem. Without heat, the plumbing would quickly freeze. And comments on the forum support the fact that you can camp comfortably in a Foretravel in cold weather. But I haven't found anything about driving with temps below freezing. I would think that driving the Foretravel with temps in the 20s should be doable if we keep the furnace on and the temps in the coach up to comfortable levels for us passengers.

So the question: Does anyone have any experience driving in temps below freezing and if so, how did it go?

Let me add that we will have enough flex in our schedule to lay low for a few days if we get a bad spell of weather. I have to carry chains in order to legally get out of the states of Washington/Oregon due to winter pass requirements. I have a set on board but if it ever gets so I need them, I'll be sitting in a campsite waiting for the weather to get better.

Thanks in advance for any input,

Rich

Note for the moderators: I started this post once and it disappeared into a bit bucket somewhere. Not in my posts or drafts. If it is a duplicate, please delete one. Thanks.

Re: New Member Introduction and First Question

Reply #1 – February 15, 2013, 03:25:59 pm

Welcome to the board.

Do a search for winter tips, Dave Stevens and DrScruggs have both just done vacation trips to cold country, with out problems.

I am sure they will be along with helpful info.

Added, later. ' There are many owners with winter fun trips.'

Re: New Member Introduction and First Question

Reply #2 – February 15, 2013, 03:27:08 pm

Rich, Welcome aboard. Don't worry about traveling in cold weather in a FT. I have made trips to CO in winter in temps down in the low low teens, while driving use the furnaces and you can even run the genny and use the heat strips in the AC's. Furnaces will direct heat to the bays. Wind is your enemy, if parked try to face the wind, Keep small heaters in the bay if hooked up to power. Keep remote thermometers in the water bay to monitor temps. You can also use bubble wrap reflective material in windshield and windows to prevent heat loss when you are parked.
Worst I got into was in KS in 20 degrees with 50 MPH winds, no problem, we stayed warm, the dogs were happy and except for damn fools on the road trip was uneventful.
Have fun
Gary B

Re: New Member Introduction and First Question

Reply #3 – February 15, 2013, 03:34:46 pm

One tip for driving on slick roads is dont use the retarder. You may have already read that but just in case.

Mark

Re: New Member Introduction and First Question

Reply #4 – February 15, 2013, 03:50:28 pm

Rich,
Welcome to you and Peggy. You found a great coach and went for it...very good! I'm in Cincinnati not more than an hour from you. So, if you have a need, contact me either through the forum or my cell...513-484-9846.

Re: New Member Introduction and First Question

Reply #5 – February 15, 2013, 04:54:27 pm

We drove from TX to IL over Xmas and New Year break. Went through some crazy snow storms, ice, and freezing weather. I think some road ice may have knocked our transmission temp sensor loose, but other than that no issues!

Re: New Member Introduction and First Question

Reply #6 – February 15, 2013, 06:52:58 pm

Welcome to the FT club.
FWIW,
1. One thing I found out here on the forum. Get a couple of those 200 watt personal heaters. Use the to heat the bay where the water pump and the dump/faucet/electric cord exit area are located.
2. I got a couple of car wash sponges and a bunge cord to hold up the drop down door where the electric cord exits. This stops the cold air from entering pretty well. The sponges fit perfectly between the dump cover and the drop down door. They provide pretty good insulation, and stop the draft.
3. I like Gary's idea of the bubble wrap but only used on a couple of windows but feel that the added insulation would be good. I did keep the blinds closed and think this also provides some insulation.
4. I did get a couple of those electric ceramic 1500 watt heaters for the FT (inside). These are great for decreasing the use of propane whilst parked and keeping warm. I did not use the heat strips/heat pump in the motorhome. I do recommend using the rear furnace. The rear furnace is the one which has the vents down to the bays. I don't know if this is same as my 295 (in your 270). I also think it is a good back up plan.
5. I think having the chains on board is a good idea as there are some states that require them at times. Of course, I would not recommend using them. HOWEVER, the laws seem pretty clear to me. As I recall you have to have them as well as flares, and fire extinguishers on board on any vehicle above 26000 lbs. I think this fits. I understand the fine is steep if you are found in violation.
6. Agree with Mark, don't use retarder on snowy/slippery slopes. Use may lead to the rear of FT being in front of the drivers going down the hill. Sounds like a bad idea. When I was faced with less than idea conditions, I go slow. Yes, a lot of people passed me but I did not have any issues. When you are on dry good roads, the retarder is great. Read up on how to use either here or on the net. I sure enjoyed using mine whilst in Colorado. I don't get much opportunity to use here on the Texas coastal plains. So that was fun.
7. I got one of those atomic clocks (works off of satellite) mine had a remote temp sensor for outside temps. I put this sensor low on the wall next to the H2O pump. I know it is not outside but rather to monitor the temp next to the water pump (to prevent freezing pump).
8. Try to keep your propane, diesel, water tanks near full and your grey and black water tanks near empty. This will facilitate your being held up for several days.
9. Perhaps needless to say but do take along a couple of warm blankets. I have some wool blankets that I took and they were great. We decreased the temp at night to about 60 and were fine. I did not but considered a couple of sleeping bags for breakdowns.
10. I would overstock on food/snacks that I thought I might like. You could always take them off when you get home. We really enjoyed those snacks and did not have as much left over as one would have thought. Did I mention, coffee? I think this is essential. LOL
11. I did get a shoe tray for putting the shoes in upon entering. first I would brush any snow off with a brush kept at the entrance. I also put a rug with rubber base at entry and between the driver and passenger to protect the carpet in the area. The idea of removing the boots was to prevent wet=cold feet. We wore warm socks in the FT.I think as long as your are driving, and keeping the furnace on, you should be fine.

Re: New Member Introduction and First Question

Reply #7 – February 15, 2013, 07:00:53 pm

I sent the respone above in little sooner than I intended, but feel free to ask more if needed.
These Foretravel are nice digs even in inclement weather. I stayed comfortable pretty much all of the time. Welcome to the club. I did have my toad window washer pump freeze and need replacement. I forgot about the window washer solution in it.
Charles

Re: New Member Introduction and First Question

Reply #8 – February 15, 2013, 07:13:18 pm

Welcome to the forum. I drive out to Washington state all the time. The coach will handle snow well but try not go drive in it. The temps are not an issue either. Set your furnace above 60 degrees and it will handle temps to the 20s. Lower than that you might consider a bit of supplemental heat down below. The 320 and Aquahot can go down to single digits without help. Do not use chains. They will not fit with the airbags. You might get cables to fit. Look for a weather window and drive hard thru the mountains. I have gotten up at three am to get a few hundred miles done and to lose a couple thousand feet. Fill your propane and water tanks. If you are careful it will last you all the way home even if you have to sit a couple days. Also when you arrive buy a snow shovel and scraper and put them underneath. If you sit out a storm the plows will leave a bunch of snow you will have to cross. Also a hair dryer helps clear the front window. It will fog up and it can freeze up on the inside if the temps get to single digits and your engine will not put out enough heat sitting still to clear it off easily. Have a great trip.

Re: New Member Introduction and First Question

Reply #9 – February 15, 2013, 07:37:23 pm

Another silly tip for cold weather.
Use the squeegee from the shower to clear condensation off the windshield in the morning, be sure to get the soap scum off of the squeegee first.
Gary B

Re: New Member Introduction and First Question

Reply #10 – February 15, 2013, 08:36:32 pm

Thanks everybody. There's some great tips here. It's good to hear that driving when it's in the 20s should not be a big problem. It was in the 20s and 30s most of the way from Washington to Ohio today so we may get lucky and just breeze on home.

Rich

Re: New Member Introduction and First Question

Reply #11 – February 15, 2013, 08:58:11 pm

With out knowing when the fuel tank was last filled ,you may wont to add some diesel fuel anti gel and lube additive. Gam

Re: New Member Introduction and First Question

Reply #12 – February 15, 2013, 11:08:32 pm

The suggestions above are all good. The U270 will likely have one propane furnace. If temperatures are below freezing, leave it on for comfort and to protect the bays. Be sure it runs some while you are moving. Often our front furnace doesn't run much when we use dash heat. Our rear furnace does keep running and it provides heat to the bays.

When temps are below freezing, we leave the block heater on all night. Our engine starts easily down to 0F if the block heater has been on overnight. It is difficult to start below 30F if the block heater has not been running.

It can be challenging to find campgrounds that are open in the winter. We have found places, but it requires some searching and verification. We use the "Allstays RV and Camp" application on the iPhone to search for rest areas and campgrounds. We also use RV Park Reviews :: Home and Overnight RV Parking. If temperatures are below freezing, we prefer to stay in a campground with electric hookups so we can run a ceramic heater in the salon, the block heater, and the 200W ceramic heaters in the bays with water lines.

The last three years, we have traveled from southeast Texas to Kansas City, MO, to Billings, MT, and back to Texas during December and January. We take Interstate highways most of the time. They are the first to be patrolled and cleared. We pick routes and travel days based on weather forecasts from Weather Forecast & Reports - Long Range & Local | Wunderground | Weather. We have traveled across South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas, on the three trips because of weather conditions at the time we were moving. If you keep your supply levels up, the Foretravel has resources that allow you to hunker down and wait for safe conditions.

Try to get your roadside assistance plan in place before you roll. We use Coach-Net. We have never required roadside service, but have received help from them a few times. Their help for us has been excellent. Other folk have used other plans with success. There are some discussions on this forum regarding roadside assistance.

Re: New Member Introduction and First Question

Reply #13 – February 15, 2013, 11:14:51 pm

I have had two unexpected winter trips in which I got caught in bad snow storms.

First we were traveling to KY from TX for Xmas. Got caught in a blinding ice and snow storm in AR. Two trucks were going up a hill, got sideways, had an accident and blocked the highway for 12 hours before tow truck could move them. We slept with furnaces on, police came around and woke everyone up, we went on our way to KY only to get on the Bluegrass Pkwy. Somehow, the Parkway got closed right behind us and we were the only ones on the road. Seriously we were going 15mph for 100 miles....absoutely miserable, but we made it in time by only a couple of hours for Xmas dinner!!

Second adventure me and a friend were driving back from Monterey, CA and decided to take Hwy 50 through NV. Since is is the "Lonliness Hwy in America", 2 lane straight hightway with no turns at all I decided to let him drive. He had never driven a RV and knew nothing about it, so why not learn on this hwy. Well, we drove, went throuth Austin,NV and started to go up, up and up. Got into rain, sleet, ice then a blinding snow storm with my friend with no experience at the wheel!! WOW!! Made it to the top, then the worst part is we had to decend now.....WORST!! Took us half a day, and I never want to do it again!!

Advice.....if you know a snow storm is coming, better yet...watch the weather forecast and don't get in a snow storm if it can be avoided. The FT preformed great but I do not care to find that out again. I really did not know what to expect so I had apprehensions anyway....and should have. Now I have the experience behind me, good, but not worth it again!

Re: New Member Introduction and First Question

Reply #14 – February 16, 2013, 10:36:01 am

Welcome to the Forum---great resource for FT issues and fixes.

Re: New Member Introduction and First Question

Reply #15 – February 16, 2013, 11:45:52 am

Good Morning,

I am a former otr driver and MY recommendation would be to drop down to the 80 or even down to the 40 .Late spring storms could delay your return trip longer then a day longer to head south .Indeed the Hydro hot will keep the bays warm .
Just a little food for thought .
Safe travels.I agree with your decision as we are currently looking at a 320 out of Motorhomes of Texas....Appears to be a sweet rig and the pricing is within out limits.Flying out to test drive and make the deal next week.Although I loved my Newmar ,the Foretravel has always been my dream coach .
Lets all enjoy the upcoming season....Have a great day ....

Re: New Member Introduction and First Question

Reply #16 – February 16, 2013, 01:02:00 pm

Thanks for the inputs.

I think I only have a single furnace but will keep it running to keep the bays warm.

I do plan to take I-82/I-80 to get home. I-90 is much too far north for my comfort zone this time of year. I have been watching the internet weather sites and today would be a good day to be traveling. Temps above freezing along most of the route. Having driven the 5th-wheel after dark, I try not to do that if at all possible so this will help keep me traveling during the warmer parts of the day.

I'll check out the heaters for the bays when we hit our first WalMart.

The coach has 1/2 a tank of fuel so plan to stop in the first 200 miles and fill up both diesel and propane. I do plan to find 50A hookups each night to have all the heat and power I need.

Rich

Re: New Member Introduction and First Question

Reply #17 – February 16, 2013, 01:18:26 pm

That maybe hard to find. Most parks are closed. The genset will do fine though. Also get some additive and add it to the tank. You may have summer blend fuel in there right now.

Re: New Member Introduction and First Question

Reply #18 – February 16, 2013, 06:52:31 pm

To follow up on John's post, if you do have summer blend diesel (or don't know for sure that it is winter blend, what you want is an "anti-gel". Walmart carries PS brand.

Re: New Member Introduction and First Question

Reply #19 – February 16, 2013, 07:25:01 pm

Thanks for the suggestion on the anti-gel.

I expect to put in at least 3/4 of a tank of fresh fuel in during the first 200 miles of driving (before my first night spent in below freezing temps) and to run most of that through the system in the next two days of driving. I'll also plan to get a gallon of the PS winter blend and use it.

Rich

Re: New Member Introduction and First Question

Reply #20 – February 16, 2013, 10:46:57 pm

I'm guessing that you will be driving I 84 (not I 82) out of the Portland area, hooking up with I 80 eastbound on the north side of Salt Lake City(?) Just want to give you a heads-up about I 84 south out of Pendleton OR. Most of your route south/east from there to Ontario OR will be along the higher elevations of the Blue Mts. It's a long continuous winding grade up from the valley floor to Meacham, OR, the highest elevation you will reach in the Blues. It's this stretch of road, up the ascent and through Meacham, that will want to give very close attention on the Oregon DOT road/weather conditions site. If you don't like what you see, wait. At the base of the ascent, visible on the east side of the freeway, is Wild Horse Casino - campground with 50amp pull throughs, and also spacious free parking lot dry camping, are both available there.

I would give similar close attention to the section of I 80 from Salt Lake City to Evanston, WY. Evanston is also a good place to fuel up - several truck stops, and usually the best prices on your route to this point. You can check fuel prices at major vendors at DieselBoss.com for the whole trip.

Another thought. I have occassionally had the inside of the windshield fog up quite quickly when inside was warm and humid with furnace (and generator) running on a cold day and outside temp falling as altitude was increasing. What works for me is to aim a small 9v adjustable fan, plugged in to dash and clipped to cornice above dash, right at the windshield. Start before you actually need it, and it will give you significant help.

BTW, my FT is a twin to yours. It's a wonderful coach, and I hope you enjoy yours as much as we have enjoyed ours.

Bob Mulder

Re: New Member Introduction and First Question

Reply #21 – February 17, 2013, 02:51:32 am

Bob,

You're right, it is I-84. We've driven the route before with the 5th-wheel and lived (met) in Cheyenne, Wy for 4 years so we are familiar with the route home. My first night stop is planned to be at the casino (we've stayed there before--love the golf course). I have checked and they are open. I also have been checking the OR road conditions website and yesterday would have been great conditions for crossing the mountains. We'll just have to see what next week brings.

Thanks for the tip on the fan. We'll see what we can find.

Rich

Re: New Member Introduction and First Question

Reply #22 – February 17, 2013, 05:48:10 am

Do you have the valve to turn off engine coolant to the hot water heater ? If you do you can get more heat at the dash heater. Gam

Re: New Member Introduction and First Question

Reply #23 – February 17, 2013, 08:26:50 am

Gam,

Not a clue. Where would the valve be?

Rich

Re: New Member Introduction and First Question

Reply #24 – February 17, 2013, 09:21:29 am

Also, a Great Big Welcome. The fun is just begging.

I don't know how much experience you have with diesels. I had none when I bought my first Foretravel. So I will emphasize what I have learned the hard way. All of the above are great suggestions but the most important is to make sure the furnaces are running properly and you have plenty of propane. This can carry you through even life threatening cold situations. Next is make sure that the engine block heater is working. These things are very hard to start at very low temperatures. The switch for the block heater should be on the pedistal for the bed if the coach is so equipped. My guess is that the valve GAM mentioned to direct all engine heat to the dash heater is under the refrigerator. It should be marked with a tag explaining its use.

I would stop at Walmart and get the 200 watt heaters, don't forget extension cords, and the Anti-Gel for the fuel before leaving town. If your fuel gels you don't have a generator or an engine. It could make for a very poor start to your adventure.

We have been in our coach down to 7 degrees using only the furnace for bay heat and have had no problem with freezing pump or pipes. I have however cut pieces of styrofoam board to the size of the wet bay openings and stuck it inside of the doors as added insulation but I am confident that things would have been OK without it. And don't overlook blocking off any air intrusion through the sewer line door where you run the electric cord to the outlet. As suggested use sponge or rags or anything to keep the cold air out.

Good luck and have fun. You make a great decision to buy a Foretravel.

Affiliate Notice