How quick can you shut down and go?

[cougarkid]

How quick can you shut down and go? And then set up again.

Hi all,

We are more-or-less set up for the winter. Parked next to a storage building. Basement storage is stuffed with insulation. 1/2" blue styrofoam insulation inside the front windows and widshield. Plywood shirting around the exposed 3 sides of the RV. Shore power, water and drain connected.

Well, Tuesday morning at 5:30 am (my wife drives a school bus) she informed me that we were out of propane. Outside temp was about 34 and inside temp was about 59. She got ready and left. I shaved, washed up and dressed. Ready to get going at 6:00 am.

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I disconnected the power, drain and water lines.
Packed up the bathroom.
Put the kitchen counter stuff in the sink.
Cleaned the table off and slid he stuff into a box.
Pulled the flat screen off the stand and put it on the bed.
Started the RV to warm it up.
Took all the insulation off the windows.
Cleaned off both front seats (boxes and totes) and spun them around to face the front.
Removed the 48' of plywood skirting.
Jacked the corner up and removed a jack stand (leveling - no leveling jacks).
Played musical cars with 2 vehicles.
Adjusted the right side mirror (3 times) by myself.
Pulled out in the RV at 7:10 am, drove it 12 miles to work and made it, on time, at 7:25 am.

Not too bad, a unscheduled complete shut down and go in 1 hour.

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Went out at noon time and picked my wife up at the bus lot.
Went to the RV dealer.
Got the tank filled (25.5 gal).
Dumped and rinsed the black tank while we were there.
Drove back out the the "homestead".
Backed the RV back into it's spot and up onto the blocks to level it (first shot).
Hooked the power, water and drain back up.
Put the 48' of skirting back up.
Put the insulation up in the windows.
Spun the seats around and sat the boxes back in them.
Put the bathroom back together.
Put the kitchen stuff back out.
TV back on the stand.
Mde sure furnaces and water heater were on.
Drove my wife back to the lot.
Back at work - 1 1/2 hours total.

Pretty quick, again.

Man, I wish they would deliver propane to RVs.

 

[C Nash]

Re: How quick can you shut down and go?

Mike & Carla, send me some $$$ and I'll show you how fast we can go :laugh:

 

[TexasClodhopper]

Re: How quick can you shut down and go?

Mike, don't do it! Nash's wife talks about "as fast as cold molasses!" :clown:

Nicely detailed ... I do believe the stress level was up a bit on that day.

 

[utmtman]

Re: How quick can you shut down and go?

Hey Mike I rented a tank and they come out and refill it monthly. If you talk to a local propane company they might rent you one and refill it as well. I rent a 90 gallon tank, paid 45 dollars for a years rent even though we will only be here 6 months, they only rent by the year. I have to pay the going rate on the propane refill. And I had to pay a 100 dollar deposit which is refundable when we give the tank back. When in an area I cant do that, I have put a second propane line into the main line and I can hook up a small propane take to it. I have three five gallon tanks I always carry with me to refill without moving the rv. I only refill main tank when traveling. Have never had to move my rv to refill tank.

 

[C Nash]

Re: How quick can you shut down and go?

Send money Tex and watch that molasses heat up :laugh:

 

[SnowbirdInFlight]

RE: How quick can you shut down and go?

Mike, what do you use for skirting around your RV?

 

[cougarkid]

Re: How quick can you shut down and go?

Since we are only in this spot temporarily, I used 1/2" plywood.

4' x 8' sheets, cut length ways into 2' x 8' pieces.
Used some 2x4's on the back side to screw them together.
2x4's for the braces.
Plumbers strap to hold the ends to the bumpers.
3 drywall screws at each joint.
Drilled hole for tail pipe and used a clamp on it to help hole the skirting in place.
Unscrew to take it apart.
NO holes in the RV.

I can take a single panel out to do repairs/service. Have done it several times (21 year old RV)

When I do it next year, I might go with vertical wood siding sheets. Would mean a few more joints to screw together, but would look nicer. A 2x4 length ways across the top edge would finish it off, too.

I am a shade-tree inventor. I make things to do what I wantand how I want. The trick it to add/modify/enhance without damaging the original.

I took a piece of siding off of the warehouse/office we are parked next to so I could run my water/sewer in. Replaced it with a piece of plywood so I could drill holes. Siding goes back in when we leave - no damage.

 

[SnowbirdInFlight]

Re: How quick can you shut down and go?

cougarkid - 1/22/2010 9:50 AM Since we are only in this spot temporarily, I used 1/2" plywood. 4' x 8' sheets, cut length ways into 2' x 8' pieces. Used some 2x4's on the back side to screw them together. 2x4's for the braces. Plumbers strap to hold the ends to the bumpers. 3 drywall screws at each joint. Drilled hole for tail pipe and used a clamp on it to help hole the skirting in place. Unscrew to take it apart. NO holes in the RV. I can take a single panel out to do repairs/service. Have done it several times (21 year old RV) When I do it next year, I might go with vertical wood siding sheets. Would mean a few more joints to screw together, but would look nicer. A 2x4 length ways across the top edge would finish it off, too. I am a shade-tree inventor. I make things to do what I wantand how I want. The trick it to add/modify/enhance without damaging the original. I took a piece of siding off of the warehouse/office we are parked next to so I could run my water/sewer in. Replaced it with a piece of plywood so I could drill holes. Siding goes back in when we leave - no damage.

Thanks! I wondered how you could take down the underpinning so fast. Our problem is that our travel trailer is a lot higher off the ground than your Motor Home. It would take more than two feet to cover most of the trailer bottom. Then we have no way to attach it to the trailer. We are have 'rigged' up some insulation under the holding tanks and made good use of plenty of heat tape so we still have fresh water and are able to drain our holding tanks. But, I know we would be better off to have the underpinning. We weren't expecting to have to ride out the winter at our home base, but oh well, that's life. I'm planning on taking a trip north this summer to make up for it, lol.

 

[cougarkid]

Re: How quick can you shut down and go?

Janeen,

Sorry for the long post!

I was just looking to stop the wind from howling under the RV. Insulation is in the basement storage compartments. Air-tightness was not required. Doesn't do a lot of good to insulate the skirting when the ground/concrete under the RV/trailer is frozen anyway.

I originally planned to only connect to the RV at the bumbers with a strap, since I was only doing 3 sides. The tail pipe through the plywood was a happy accident, so I used it.

The whole idea was to sit the skirting on the ground and brace up it to the RV. If I had gone all the way around the RV, I wouldn't have made any attachments to the RV, period. The braces would hold it up/in place and I could sit concrete blocks on the braces to hold them in place, if needed.

The screws make for easy assembly and removal. I can remove only 1 panel if needed the access storage, water heater, furnace, etc.

I am all about modification without alteration - Do it, but leave no signs after it is gone.

I went down and dirty on the skirting (it was cold, windy and getting worse) and used plain 1/2" plywood. Treated plywood or wood siding would have been better.

We have had a LOT of wet snow and rain lately, and a few pieces are beginning to warp a bit. I have pulled the warped ones and screwed 2x4's to the edges to straighten them out and then reinstalled them. It works okay.

With the taller trailer, you would have to cut the pieces to the correct height. If over 2' tall, you would not be able to get two 8' pieces from one sheet of plywood, thus a bit more in cost.

Although air-tightness is not a big concern, Some 1" thick stick-on foam insulation along the top edge of the wood would help seal better and protect against damage to the RV/trailer, too.

Another option would be to use vertical metal siding (like on a storage buiding) with 2x3's or 2x4's top and bottom. Cleaner look and a lot less bulky if you want to remove and store fot next winter.

Yes, I put a lot of thought into this before I did mine. Down and dirty won out in the end. Next time I will do it differently.

Still looks better than hay bales!

There are pictures in the Album section.

http://www.rvusa.com/forum/mbbs22/photos/photo-thumbnails.asp?albumid=77

Mike