Any Class C *WITH* ducted heated holding tanks?

[Boondock Saint]

Hi Folks!

Thanks in advance for your kindness and considerations. I've been lurking and shopping the past few months and trying to collect all mfr offerings with ducted heated water tanks. I can always add pads to a ducted area along with additional insulation, but I doubt I can add forced air heat without a lot of modification.

If you own a Class C and know that you have ducted holding compartments, please let me know the model and year so I can target in my searches. Especially ones that have the "winter package" option!

Much appreciated!

[Bob Denman]

Welcome to the forum!
My RV has them.,,


... But it's a Tiffin Wayfarer...

[Boondock Saint]

SWEET! Those are nice.


I'm looking for a Class C so I can lift it and 4x4, winching bumpers, big tires and generally PIMP MY RV. Get'R dun.

[RVflorida4@verizon.net]

Originally Posted by Boondock Saint

Hi Folks!

Thanks in advance for your kindness and considerations. I've been lurking and shopping the past few months and trying to collect all mfr offerings with ducted heated water tanks. I can always add pads to a ducted area along with additional insulation, but I doubt I can add forced air heat without a lot of modification.

If you own a Class C and know that you have ducted holding compartments, please let me know the model and year so I can target in my searches. Especially ones that have the "winter package" option!

Much appreciated!

My 2020 Thor Four Winds 31W has heated tanks. Excellent class C motor coach.
All the best looking for your best RV!

[JamieGeek]

Originally Posted by Bob Denman

Welcome to the forum!
My RV has them.,,


... But it's a Tiffin Wayfarer...

Bzzt nope you'rs is a B, not a C.

[JamieGeek]

Originally Posted by Boondock Saint

SWEET! Those are nice.


I'm looking for a Class C so I can lift it and 4x4, winching bumpers, big tires and generally PIMP MY RV. Get'R dun.

You might want to take a look at ducksface's Axis--he did the 4x4 thing to it and the holding tanks aren't ducted (and yes: it is NOT a class C either, but a Class C in A's clothing).

I guess technically its a 4x6...

Note the Warn hub on his front wheel:

[nosticks]

Originally Posted by RVflorida4@verizon.net

My 2020 Thor Four Winds 31W has heated tanks. Excellent class C motor coach.
All the best looking for your best RV!

I think you have the anemic electric heating pads on your tanks, not the ducted heating the OP is seeking.

[Boondock Saint]

Thanks for the info! I wasn't too familiar with the AXIS, but I get what you mean.

So a little disclosure here:

FIRSTLY -

I chose a class C because I want to jack the %$@! up in the air all red-necky and possibly go 4x4 on it. If not 4x4, then I might just add lockers so I'm not in a limited slip diff setup. I mean after all, the chances of getting stuck with FOUR 35" rear tires isn't too great. And I'm not taking it to Moab, just camping. Obviously I won't try to go up and down the same paths I do in my Wrangler, but I want to get back in a few roads worth and primitive camp, that's how I role.

I don't want to push the boundaries on forums rules and I'm not trying to promote any company in any way. There are two companies I'm look at to mod a Class C which involved shipping their materials up to WA state and then having folks wrench on it for me. The first is Ujoint Offroad in NC and the second is WeldTec Designs out of CA. I've had many many conversations and emails with both outfits. They supply the lifts, suspensions and 4x4 conversions for the Ford E350 and E450 frames, and WeldTec has a Chevy option.

If one were to search the tube for the offerings from these companies whereas they converted Class C motorhomes it would reveal the level of lift and beefy suspension I'm looking for spend the big bucks on. Get'r dun.

SECONDLY -

I plan to boondock in this rig until I retire then sell the heavily modified and capable overlanding setup and flee to another country where the tacos and cervesas are a lot cheaper. It isn't sub-freezing much up here in WA state but having a rig to mitigate those extra cold days just seems like a great idea.

So that's my deal, find the right sized rig, slightly depreciated. Make the most immediate mods to the rig, and get out of apartment living. Then continue to turn the rig in to a Mad Max mean machine with security cameras, alarms, theft deterrents and so on.






.

[Bob Denman]

Nope... It's a C.

[Boondock Saint]

Thx *cough* for your opinion. I think that if I find one that HAS the duct work I won't have as difficult a time DIY. If this thread is so beneath you, maybe you can just sit this one out.

[RWF]

Ok, time for me to grumble about ducted tank heating.
We have a Tuscany 36MQ, the book says that the tank area is heated if you run the propane heat. Ok, so in late December we were heading South and overnighted in Jackpot NV, that is on the North border with ID. We kept the heat on as noted in the manual during the night, and in the morning at 17 degrees F we were frozen up tight. We blew out of there and were in Las Vegas before it thawed out. Most of that leg it was above freezing.
My point is that you might not necessarily believe the book if it says the tanks are heated.
We spent a month in AZ and during that time I wired in a heat lamp in the likely frozen area. It didn't freeze on the way back so don't know if my mod works, but it can't hurt............

[RWF]

By the way, if Boondock Saint were my neighbor (maybe he is) I suspect we would be friends.

[Boondock Saint]

Obviously not all mfrs designs and builds are going to be the same, mileage will vary. If there is any enclosure for the tanks at all, the better. If there is any warm air circulation through these areas the better. The more more air that can be utilized the less current draw on the batteries from heat pads. We don't need tanks to be a balmy temp, just not froze-assed solid.

I've used a lot of that Touch-n-Foam spray in my life, and found that you can spray this in to a plastic bag or garbage bag and let it expand into a cavity without it sticking to the surfaces. Then if you need to cut it out and remove it one day, viola not stuck. So yeah, I could strictly run heating pads and add insulation all around the tanks, the pipes and valves and the electric pads might always do just fine.

A couple of years ago I went snow camping for the first week of January an hour North of Sandpoint, ID. That's the fluffy snow you see on the jeep commercials, not this heavy compact crap you get stuck in here in WA state.

The high was 6 degrees and the low was -20something depending on whos vehicle temp you believed. My 2 gl fresh water in the cab of my jeep froze solid after the first day.

I have no intentions of subjecting a motorhome to that brutality, but even if the temps were in the teens and twenties here for days straight, I need to not have to deal with it after the fact or do repairs.

[Carlmatt]

2000 Four Winds Chateau 32W-

[Yosemitebob]

Hey Boondock, all I can say is go for it. I really want to see your finished product with the "C". I've dreamed of doing that, but the cost is out of my ballfield. Please keep us updated in the process. I'll live it through your process.

[Carlmatt]

We camped at an electric only site at -5F, the water tank was under the bed, the furnace ran a lot, I connected an electric heater that helped the furnace out a lot, get a propane “T” with a hose to connect to a 20# ( BBQ Bottle ). All of the tanks and pipes are enclosed. We have a 2014 Thor Chateau 31W and it has electric heating pads and they are “Crap” at keeping the tanks unfrozen. It was also advertised as a 4 Seasons model.

[Boondock Saint]

Thanks all for the additional feedback and kind commentaries.


I'm shopping like there's no tomorrow. I even found a couple of models that didn't have slides. My lease is up in this apt end of March so I'm supposed to get them my notice to move out and of THIS month. I shudder to think if living here another 6 months. I might have to just sign a lease and stay here till I can get a rig and if I do, bite the bullet on the rent for that time being.