Surviving a Winter

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

Yvan Lacroix wrote an article about keeping warm in his bus for Bus Conversion Magazine in this months issue.  He lives in Quebec so he knows a bit about cold weather.  You can click on this link to read his article about how he stays warm in the cold weather up north in his 1973 GMC 4905A Buffalo.  https://www.busconversionmagazine.com/september-issue-2018-sd/

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[thomasinnv]

All my tanks are located in one bay and no plumbing in any of the other bays. My webasto buffer tank is also in the same bay so if i am in danger of falling below freezing there is more than enough heat dissapating from the webasto system to keep the tank bay warm. The hydronic system operates on diesel or electric, i have heat pumps on the roof which have worked well into the teens, and I also have propane heaters. No danger of getting cold for me.

[luvrbus]

All my tanks are located in one bay and no plumbing in any of the other bays. My webasto buffer tank is also in the same bay so if i am in danger of falling below freezing there is more than enough heat dissapating from the webasto system to keep the tank bay warm. The hydronic system operates on diesel or electric, i have heat pumps on the roof which have worked well into the teens, and I also have propane heaters. No danger of getting cold for me.

LOL and this guy lives in AZ,but we do wear jackets when it is 70 degrees 

[DoubleEagle]

Depending on the part of Minnesota he is in, it could easily get to 20-40 degrees F below zero. Serious insulation and heat sources will be needed. Perhaps it would be best to find a heated garage to park it in. Now, that would be a luxury. 

[luvrbus]

Moorhead MN can get cold I know for sure
 

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

Back when I was young and foolish and parked my bus in NH for the winter at my folks house, all I used in my water bays was a 60W light bulb which I left on 24/7 and my tanks never froze.  This in most cases is sufficient.  Of course if you are away for a while, or in a much colder climate, it may be better to use two bulbs just in case one blows out.  Also, you should use a rough service bulb as they are much more rugged and are less like to blow out it they get knocked with something.

[DoubleEagle]

Back when I was young and foolish and parked my bus in NH for the winter at my folks house, all I used in my water bays was a 60W light bulb which I left on 24/7 and my tanks never froze.  This in most cases is sufficient.  Of course if you are away for a while, or in a much colder climate, it may be better to use two bulbs just in case one blows out.  Also, you should use a rough service bulb as they are much more rugged and are less like to blow out it they get knocked with something.

Ho ho, Gary, you must have been in Southern New Hampshire to get away with that. I was up North past the Franconia Notch where it got down to 40 below, and we kept loaders running all the time so that we could use them. After a few weeks of below zero, it took a long time for things to recover. I miss the firewood stoves in the garages, it sure made it cozy (within a few feet of the stove). 

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

Ho ho, Gary, you must have been in Southern New Hampshire to get away with that. I was up North past the Franconia Notch where it got down to 40 below, and we kept loaders running all the time so that we could use them. After a few weeks of below zero, it took a long time for things to recover. I miss the firewood stoves in the garages, it sure made it cozy (within a few feet of the stove). 

Yes, it was near Keene, in southern NH.  It didn't get much below 20F there.  But for the most part, a light bulb will generally heat a bay enuf to keep water from freezing unless you get in the very cold temps, then an electric heater will generally do it. However my propane regulator kept freezing up and I had to have Methanol in the Propane to keep it working.

[windtrader]

You are a strange duck Don lol 8)I have saw those type ducks

Christ, yeah - this duck flies upside down. No wonder we are always too cold or too hot. South for warm, north for cool. Guess I drank to much last nite. LOL

Gumpy - What a brilliant way to dump the tanks. Never thought about lifting a manhole cover and dumping away. Just need one of those cover lifting tools. Thanks!

[buswarrior]

And the advice you get from those who don't know the cold won't work up north...

Light bulbs won't do $#!% at steady -20... C or F!

Notice the amount of advice that is at the build/design level?

My bias is towards diesel fired hydronic heaters, heat exchangers where needed, radiant in bays, fan forced upstairs as necessary. It is hard to get enough mileage of radiator upstairs, what with all the other stuff we put in the way down the walls...

When it gets this cold, either the power pole or the generator must be in play, so no worries about availability of power for pumps and fans.

Dickinson, the marine people, make some neat appliances for keeping boats warm, some of them masquerade as "cooking stoves". Zero power consumption, if you figure out where to stash a gravity feed tank up in a cupboard...

As for returning the coach to winter storage after use, again, it's in the design... install the fittings to readily inject plumbing anti-freeze, better yet, is the system laid out so that it will all drain downhill and anti-freeze only needed for the pesky fixtures???

Design and build for the winter, summer takes care of itself...

In summer, a busnut is trying to cool 20-40 F degrees. In winter, a busnut is trying to heat 40-100 F degrees...

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

[Sebulba]

Unless your like me would try to find winter because I hate summers.

Seb

hum.... One reason for owning a fuel sucking rolling back of scrap metal is to drive it to where you don't have to ask this question. Our mission is if it's hot head south, if it's cold head north until you feel just right. LOL

[Jim Blackwood]

Winter can easily kill you. Summer... yeah but not so much. Nirvana is to follow the pleasant weather. Still chasing that dream.

Jim

[luvrbus]

My bays were insulated a light bulb did good at -20.a 60 watt bulb will be at 240 degrees if you don't believe that s*** touch one   

[thomasinnv]

LOL and this guy lives in AZ,but we do wear jackets when it is 70 degrees 

Yes but you never know what the future may hold so I prefer to be ready to handle most any situation.

[chessie4905]

We used a light bulb in the water bay in the 4104 down in the teens with no problems. Used a rough service one or one rated at 130 volts. 60 to 75 watts. Just don't try it with an led.