2006 Fleetwood Tioga 26Q 4 season capability?

[Brokenrocks]

A 50 yr old female friend of mine has decided she needs to travel the country in a (new to her) 2006 Fleetwood 26Q and she is taking off in a few days for her trip. She pretty much has no clue about the "winter-ability" of her Class C and I was wondering if anyone on this forum can give her advice on how to deal with living in one of those during the winter months. The rig is in really good shape, but she doesn't know if the tanks are insulated/heated etc. She is planning on going where it can freeze during the days and nights. She is taking off clueless, and since I know nothing about her camper I cannot help her out. Any advice?

[Brokenrocks]

Thanks for all the replies.... I have forwarded them on to her as she is starting her journey.

[bukhrn]

Dusty R wrote:
Spend the winter months in the southern states where it does not freeze hard, and northern states in the summer.

X-2, best answer.

[IAMICHABOD]

Having a 2006 Tioga 26Q I may be of some help.On mine the tanks are not heated or insulated.
Having had it in cold weather,20 Degree/40 Degree days it was a chore to keep it warm,it is not insulated well at all. I had no freezing of water lines for the days that I was there.

One thing nice is the 2 6 volt batteries located under the step did get me thru the night with the heater running.

One thing about the heater is that the vent closest to the heater is in the bathroom,I had to put an adjustable register there to cut it down some and put more hot air to the rear bedroom. Having the fresh water tank located under the dinette seat,inside the cabin where it was kept warm is a plus in cold weather.

Anything else I can be of help regarding this RV just ask,send a PM or
ask here I would be happy to help.

[bobndot]

In general from taking apart a lot of rvs , Im not too sure if a 2006 rv would be very 4 season capable. 4 season thinking came more into play in later years.

If you have a slide- out, i hope you have a floor-plan to be able to close it at night. Less volume to heat as well as keeping a tighter seal.
Slides have thinner walls and do not have too much insulation in them. They use a lot of propane in cold temps. You would also need to climb up to clear its roof from snow and ice to be able to close it. Non slide rvs or slide floorplans that allow full interior use work much better in cold temps.

Keep a roof vent cracked open to prevent condensation and use insulated interior covers on the others. Single pane windows do not work well in cold temps when the interior is heated.

A cheap fix … Storm windows can be fabricated by using heat shrink plastic sandwiched between two pieces of DOW insulation board . You can cut out a hole in the center of the boards to see out of. The clear heat shrink acts as your window.
They are held in place by trimming the insulation so it fits snug to the windows frame , held in place by pressure.
This system worked very well for me for many years.
I also added an electric blanket for sleeping and lowering the thermostat and added a winter drape to cover the inside of the rv entrance door. That’s a major cold air leak source. Keeping the slide retracted at night and doing those mods cut my propane use in half.

Im not sure if a 2006 rv used Pex water lines or not but even though Pex would be a good thing it’s the plastic valves, petcocks and water line connectors that crack and leak from the cold.

*Learn how to change and swap out fittings and make sure you have the correct tool to do so.
Keep in mind during winter rv living , if the water pump constantly cycles or pulses on its own, that’s an indication that a plastic fitting has cracked or a water leak is present somewhere.

*The water feed to toilets were a common freeze point. A small elec cube heater in the bathroom helped.

In winter, i had to use a winter water spigot to fill my freshwater tank then use my pump to prevent freezing a feed line as well as the campground's hydrant.

If possible pre- test the rv in cold temps to see if the furnace ducts are routed in a way to really do a good job of heating.
As a test : When i used my rvs for snowmobiling, i placed small water bottles or thermometers under the sink cabinets and in various compartments that housed water lines. Make sure those areas get enough heat. If the bottles don't freeze the water lines and fittings should not freeze either.
Sometimes small 12v computer fans need to be installed to move warm air into cold areas of a cabinet.


As common sense already suggested , following the weather would be the smart way to spend a year in an rv traveling the U.S.

What does 4 season really mean ? Winter in North Carolina is not the same as winter in Manitoba. :B

It would be a big plus if the shower water lines and valves were located on an interior heated wall opposed to an outside colder wall. Those designs in earlier years did freeze at times.

[Dusty_R]

Spend the winter months in the southern states where it does not freeze hard, and northern states in the summer.

[MDKMDK]

Best answers are with the manufacturer, the Fleetwood owners community, and in the Owner's Manual. Look under winterization procedures in the manual, and/or join a Fleetwood specific forum and ask on there. Or, call Fleetwood and ask them what it can and cannot do in freezing temps.

[rjstractor]

Having access to a 110V hookup will make her life much easier when it gets cold at night. A propane RV furnace will keep it warm enough in most winter conditions, but the typical single house battery won't survive the night running the furnace blower. She'll blow through the propane as well. Plugged in, running a ceramic heater or oil filled radiator will keep her warmer. Boondocking in the winter is possible, but to do it well she would need some battery upgrades.