Skirting for the winter?


onthecoach

Senior Member
HI All!!

We are now comfortably ensconced in Golden, CO! It is beautiful out here!

We have been getting some estimates to have the coach skirted for the winter...helps keep the coach warm underneath. The estimates we have been getting are in the $1600 to $1800 range...that just seems exhorbitantly expensive!

What do you all think? I appreciate your thoughts!


Thanks!

Lynn
 

DL Rupper

Senior Member
RE: Skirting for the winter?

You are only going to need the skirting for 3 to 4 mos max(Dec/Jan/Feb/Mar). How much will you save in propane? Your coach probably has enclosed holding tanks. I would buy one electric space heater and run it full time to assist your propane furnace and tough it out. Can't believe you would save $1800 in heating bills, unless your coach doesn't have adequate insulation. :( Most upscale RV's are fairly well equiped for cold weather.
 

s.harrington

Senior Member
Re: Skirting for the winter?

You can go to a mobile home supply store and get vinyl skirting and do it yourself. the easiest requires a few screws to hold the upper track in place and a few long nails to hold the lower track to the ground (if parked in grass or gravel) and a circular saw to trim the vinyl panels. I have a 4" 18 volt saw that I use.
 

onthecoach

Senior Member
Re: Skirting for the winter?

Thanks fellas! This was what I thought, too! Seems like a LOT of $$$ to spend for just a few months! And, propane doesn't seem to be as outrageously expensive here as I thought it might be. $1800 is a LOT OF PROPANE!

We've got an external propane tank hooked up and the CG will re-fill for us anytime we need it....so I think I will keep the $1800 in my pocket! ;) BTW-none of the other coaches have skirting on them here.

PS. We woke up to a snow storm this morning....predicting 6-16 inches by them time it ends late today. :eek: It was 71 degrees here yesterday and they are talking about 65-70 degrees again for the weekend! This is WILD weather for a girl for Washington, DC!!!
 

DL Rupper

Senior Member
Re: Skirting for the winter?

Good luck. Saw the snow storm on the news today. looks like fun. Glad I'm not there right now.
 

Kirk

Senior Member
Re: Skirting for the winter?

While I think that you will want some kind of wind break for the under side of the motorhome, I would not pay that price but build one yourself. Get materials at Home Depot, Lowe's or some other store. I would use the foil wrapped foam-board that builders use as sheeting on houses. You could drive stakes into the ground to hold the sections up. It would not have to be completely air tight to make a big difference. If you don't skirt you will probably have more difficulty in keeping the water lines from freezing as well as having cold floors. We have friends who winter in Kansas and they have found that their Bounder pusher does tend to get frozen water lines if they do not put up skirting. But they do not spend even close to that amount on it. I think that they spent more like $100 for their supplies. You can save that amount in propane very quickly.
 

onthecoach

Senior Member
Re: Skirting for the winter?

HI!

Well, yes....we did get about 10" of snow yesterday! Today, the temps were in the low 60's and everything is melting nicely. What we have learned is this: As long as we leave the water dripping at night, we are having no problems. We did go out and buy a 6 x 8 area rug and an oil filled heater for the living area. Total: $94.00....whole LOT less than $1800 for skirting.

Interesting note: none of the other coaches here in Golden have any skirting or insulation around the bottom....most are here for the winter, and all seem to feel it is not necessary.

I'll keep you posted as we progress through the winter.
 

thatsmystyle

New Member
RE: Skirting for the winter?

:) Oh my I am sooooo HAPPY to have found this forum...what a wealth of info...we are kinda new to this full-timing 5th wheel stuff...we live in N. Cali and our temps have been as low as 8 already this winter...we are in a park with a concrete pad...we have 2006 Grand Junction, but still find that though we are enclosed, those little pipes for the hot water going to the bathroom sink and tub keep freezing up...as the days warms it doesn't take long for them to thaw...however, hubby goes to work at 5am, so he has to go to park showers which is a complete inconvenience...we were told by a local that if you skirt with foam board, you can use duct tape, or any heavy tape I suppose, to put the boards together....then put a heat lamp in the enclosed area, that the problem would be solved...our 5th wheel is 40' long and it only cost us $225 for everything, and a day to put it up...what a blessing it has been...our 5th wheel is always toasty warm now...we are using half the amount of propane...our floors are warm as well as our slides...no more electric heaters running up electric bills, not to mention taking up space...the dog wasn't happy about sharing her floor space... ;) ...well, GL....and STAY WARM!
 

onthecoach

Senior Member
Re: Skirting for the winter?

Hi Thatsmystyle: What you need to do is let a tiny stream of water run thru the kitchen faucet all night....warm water! That way your pipes have running water thru them all the time and can't freeze. I am assuming you have heated hoses, right?!?!

When you run WARM water, you keep the water heater from freezing, too!!!

Good Luck! We just had 40" of snow here in Golden and we are expecting more this week!!!
 

youngbill

New Member
Re: Skirting for the winter?

My wife and I have been fulltiming for 6 years. For the past 3 years I have been doing contract work in Ontario Canada. We made skirting out of nylon uphostery material form a fabric store. Cost $5.00 a yard 56 inches wide. We split the material down the middle. We attached the material to the bottom of the coach with C clamps and stapled 2X4 s to the bottom to hold it down. Worked great. Saw temps in the -28 degree F range. Make sure you have your water heat taped and also a work light with a 75 to 100 watt bulb in the bay helps.

We also had a Bounder 39 diesel until last Nov when we purchased a 40 ft Safari Panther 425.

Bill and Kathy Young
 

RV Skirting

New Member
RE: Skirting for the winter?

It is probably us that make that expensive skirting, here are reasons and some help tips. We custom make skirting heavy vinyl that comes in pieces, also is usable for wheel covers when not in use as skirting, and we make a lot of ways to get into your motor home storage doors, hood, generator and all, no excuses for our prices, we also have skirting as low as $7.oo a foot for the do it yourselfers. We are always happy to help out a do it yourselfer, after all we cannot skirt the world!
Hints:
If you do not want to put holes in your RV Buy the thicker foam 2" insulation and cut it to fit for under your rv and "wedge" it in a bit, not only does this help from blowing away but it will help stabilize your rv from moving. It is easy to cut with a heat knife and there is no mess at all. It is also easy to cover with black landscape cloth so it is quite un-noticeable under your RV. Make a smaller height door for access to areas under and use the good old Duct Tape as a hinge. Duct tape also comes in colors nowadays.

When covering the foam for looks you can do this with the rough aluminum nails and it will help from letting it come loose. or long staples, also try to cover it in one part, less areas for the wind to get into it.

Skirting is also great for summer, it doesn't let the ground or asphalt heat up under you, much like a basement in a home.

If you plan to use screws to hold on skirting on the outside of your rv use the area where the molding is... most times you can pull off the covering if it has it or jut remove the screws, get longer screws of the same style and use these to hold any wood or tarps onto your RV, keep the original screws in a baggie and keep them close.

Using wood next to your RV, home depot sell one side sticky insulation tape for windows, put the sticky side on your wood where it may touch the RV, this will keep from having any rub marks, all rv's move a bit and I've seen a lot of rubs on them.

The Foam tape also helps for making a skirt of wood and having it under your rv but not touching it, put a thick layer of this to touch the RV on top of the wood and it stops the air and helps hold t in place.

Tarps are ok, just get all the same color (looks) put sand bags or wood on the bottom (For Cement or Asphalt) use long nails and large washers for dirt, roll the tarp at the bottom and nail through it. Tarps can also be used in motorhome doors, open put it in and close, then open again (marked now) and cut around the lock mechanism, support the area with a bit of Duct tape, Wire ties also help a lot with tarps for making "pleats" around bumpers and such or over wheels.

We've made awesome looking skirts from tarps for customers that could not afford it, had all the materials and were alone and froze up with 4 small children at home (dad was shipped to Iraq).

Suggestions: we have our website… rvskirting.com we are open to ideas and plan to make an area for do it yourselfers, have hints pics and more so as you have any additional ideas or info please pass it on, we are rebuilding our site after all the info was lost (hint for me… back up often)
Good luck to all enjoy this Colorado weather and love the state!

Curt
 
G

Guest

Guest
RE: Skirting for the winter?

here we go again :eek: :( :( :( :( :dead: :dead: :dead:
 

bcubed7

New Member
RE: Skirting for the winter?

Ok I am getting ready to go through the winter again. This time in Michigan, last time was in North Dakota. If you are looking for something cheap and really easy to install for skirting, straw bales work great (If the park will allow it). Here is a note and don't ask how I know but if you leave your water drip you will take the chance of the sewer line freazing and waking up to a flood in the morning. Needless to say I heat tape and insulate my sewer line now. I did just have straw covering it but that did not stop it from freezing. It all depends how cold your going. My water line alone I heat tape, put foam insulation around it, then wrap batt insulation around, then shrink wrap it. TRIAL AND ERROR!!!!!!! I need to call those guys at RV Skirting. There stuff looks astatically pleasing as well as it being fitted I can take it down and put it up wherever I go. I have a 38' Select Suites with 4 slides. Wonder if they have something that is prefitted and I could attach it myself to save a little money anyway.
 

Kirk

Senior Member
Re: Skirting for the winter?

bcubed7,

While straw will work, if it reaches high enough to block the opening, it is also a problem in that it can be a major fire hazard and it will attract bugs, mice, and assorted other pests.
 

try2findus

Senior Member
Re: Skirting for the winter?

RV Skirting, while we always appreciate good advice from "well meaning" folks, your product would be much more appealing if you were a PAYING advertiser.

BTW...where's our "Oh Boy"?? :eek:
 

LEN

Senior Member
Re: Skirting for the winter?

I thought winter skirting was a Kilt, insulated of course!!!

LEN
 

TexasClodhopper

Senior Member
Re: Skirting for the winter?

Well, I wasn't sure this gentleman was spamming us, or if he was a paid advertiser.

I thought the forum moderator eliminated the spam by checking everyone out, so why would someone be on here spamming? His profile clearly says that he is advertising, but there's no way to know if he's allowed to do that.

So, I've withheld my usual comment. :clown:
 

SnowbirdInFlight

Senior Member
Re: Skirting for the winter?



TexasClodhopper - 12/20/2010 7:02 AM Well, I wasn't sure this gentleman was spamming us, or if he was a paid advertiser. I thought the forum moderator eliminated the spam by checking everyone out, so why would someone be on here spamming? His profile clearly says that he is advertising, but there's no way to know if he's allowed to do that. So, I've withheld my usual comment. :clown:

I did check the main page at the bottom for this person and it was no where to be found, so it is spam. That is why I reported it and let people know it had been reported.

Although I must admit I did check his site out and looks like he does a real good job. It's just WAY TOO expensive. I found a site that sells all the hardware and you could do it yourself for less than half of what he charges. :bleh: :evil: :clown:
 
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