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Wet bays are heated - question?

December 17, 2019, 10:57:25 pm

99 U270, wet bays are heated which is good! Question is what do you all do when it's cold and you want to leave your coach plugged in, shove a rag into the access space where the panel drops down under the dump valve? It has to remain open for the 50 amp cable.
Have some of you fashioned a removable cover?
This does appear to have been a big lack of thought by FT when they were designing the coach, piping etc there is so exposed.

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Re: Wet bays are heated - question?

Reply #1 – December 17, 2019, 11:02:10 pm

Some people had fashioned a foam "plate" to fit the opening with a notch for the cord.

I just go places that stay warm for the winter, so I don't worry about freezing temperatures.

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Re: Wet bays are heated - question?

Reply #2 – December 17, 2019, 11:05:07 pm

What I thought, got foam somewhere- saved for something like this
Thanks

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Re: Wet bays are heated - question?

Reply #3 – December 17, 2019, 11:06:45 pm

Dave  I cut a piece of plywood and put flanges on top to hold it in  place then a lip on front edge with notch for cord then I use stainless steel pot scrubber around wire to deter mouse entry
Chris

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Re: Wet bays are heated - question?

Reply #4 – December 18, 2019, 06:28:24 am

Yes to wire wool, I already have it around the sewer pipe where it comes through the wall and the small gap up the side of the fresh water tank,
This area is definitely the easiest place for mice to enter

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Re: Wet bays are heated - question?

Reply #5 – December 18, 2019, 08:33:13 am

I have the 3rd valve attached to the dump fitting in the wet bay. I had to do some modification to my cover, I used a piece of aluminum sheet cut larger than opening so that it fits over the opening and supports it from falling through the hole then I cut 3/4 Styrofoam the size of the opening along with a piece of 1/2 inch plywood and bolted the Styrofoam between the two. I notched out for the power cable and the TV coax will fit in the hole also. I also drilled a hole for the water hose to fit through and put a cover over it in case I don't want the water hooked up. If anyone saw it in the bin they would never figure out what it was, but it fits tight in the opening and also keeps mice and other animals out.
Ron 

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Re: Wet bays are heated - question?

Reply #6 – December 18, 2019, 08:44:24 am

Our coach has a foam cover with cutouts for the cord. In addition I use a long strip of stainless steel wool to wrap around everything to deter mouse entry.

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Re: Wet bays are heated - question?

Reply #7 – December 18, 2019, 10:34:25 am

I tried to copy a wet bay plug that Dave C built. Mine came out different, it comes in from the bottom and is held in place by two little homemade aluminum clips that tight with wing nuts. Made from scrap pieces of plywood and dense foam packing material. You can't tell, but my version has plywood on bottom also, just covered with aluminum tape that I used for covering edges of foam. This is version 1.0. A coming version will use the foam board like Dave. I stuff steel wool around the cord opening to discourage mice.

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Re: Wet bays are heated - question?

Reply #8 – December 18, 2019, 10:49:32 am

Great photos McCoy , I like where you can open or close your water hose hole, I have enough scraps in my workshop to make one
Thanks
David

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Re: Wet bays are heated - question?

Reply #9 – December 18, 2019, 10:55:12 am

Someone mentioned this above but here is a pic of the foam plug that I use to seal my utility bay while parked.  I got this idea from John Haygarth but I think his is made of wood.  The foam material is some packaging stuff I found in the trash, but it works.

George

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Re: Wet bays are heated - question?

Reply #10 – December 18, 2019, 12:13:53 pm

Glad McCoy thought to post and share photos of mine.  I put it together in a rush, as a temporary solution to a sudden Jan. trip to Kansas City way back in 2014.  My plug has a larger top plywood part, to form and cover the whole area.  Then the insulation and the bottom plywood are the size of the coach opening. 
Guess I should have upgraded and made a better one, but after all the daily use, it is still working.  I do put the satellite cable thru now, just goes in first, then the block, with or without the water hose.

As a side note, we all enjoyed sharing this and other ideas at the un-rally held at Gone Fishing RV last Oct.  Cameras were out, ideas exchanged, lots of things shared and learned. 

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Re: Wet bays are heated - question?

Reply #11 – December 18, 2019, 12:55:53 pm

If stored in really cold weather and the heat is turned down in the coach, enough heat may not reach the lower compartment to prevent freezing of water lines and tanks.  Some owners use small electrical heaters in the wet bays.  What happens if there is an electrical failure, maybe best to winterize if you can not keep an eye on the coach.

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Re: Wet bays are heated - question?

Reply #12 – December 18, 2019, 10:55:23 pm

I have remote temperature sensors in wet bay and by manifold block. I spent a week in freezing temperature and monitored the temperature differential between inside and bays. Seem to remember about a 5° to 10 differential, with Bay's being cooler than coach of course. I was running the inside at 60° to 65° with a 10 Amp service supplemented by Solar, so could not use the small electric heaters in bays and supplemental electric heat in bedroom. with the single propane furnace in my 36 foot U270, I was awakened at times during the night by the roar of the furnace. I would shut the bathroom door to reduce the noise. If doing a lot of cold-weather camping there's something to be said for aqua hot, but the old propane suburban furnace is rather simple. I did one night completely on battery. It took about 90 amp hours to run the furnace overnight. It pulled about 10 A while running.

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