This subject isn't just some idle conversation filler for me. The weather is a bigger concern for me now than when I lived in a more permanent residence. Hot summer days turn the bus into a commercial grade pizza oven, rainy days transform it into a slippery, muddy mess on the inside and the bitter cold creates a whole litany of issues. Much of what I discussed in great detail last winter, particularly last February, in my
posts.
Here is the reason weather is on my mind now. The latest weather report.
Yes, I have already seen significant snow, twice, this year. But what alarms me is the succession of cold nights in the teens. And what differs from last year is that I am not plugged in (ie. no endless supply of electric heat). Although I only have a small, modest space heater, that most people only use to keep their tootsies warm at their office desk, it can make a drastic change in the land submarine where I reside.
I prided myself on surviving, quiet comfortably, the temperature drop into the negative teens last winter. But that was only a short time. A week or so. It was also the coldest part of winter. I am just about to enter December and this has me troubled. It isn't just about comfort. It is about mobility. Right now, I have to move the bus everyday to a new camping spot. That has been nothing more than an inconvenient truth thus far. The crippling cold puts a hurtin' on my diesel bus engine. Gelling the fuel and giving my oil the consistency of molasses. Making it difficult, and sometimes, impossible to crank the bus. Leaving me stranded. Some of the places I camp won't appreciate me making an extended stay. Last year, I had places I could hole up and weather the storm, with unlimited electricity, for a long period of time.
Now I have to rely on my Mr Heater propane heating system. It has some pros and cons. The pros (actually pro, since there is really only one) are that it has the ability to put out 18,000 BTU's of heat. More than enough for comfort. The cons- It is consumes a good deal of propane. At the highest setting, Mr Heater can gobble up one of those 1lb camping propane bottles in an hour. At $2.50 a pop, it would be costly and changing them would be mildly inconvenient. Fortunately, I converted it to use the 20lb 'grilling' propane tanks. I have two barrels under the bus, making propane consumption slightly cheaper. Another con, is that I don't use it while I sleep. I don't want to be a tragic RV death from carbon monoxide. Mr Heater is rated to be safe for indoor use and I have a carbon monoxide detector, I still don't trust it while I sleep. The biggest con in my book however is that the heater is temperamental. It will work like a champ for several hours and then sputter out. No amount of effort to restart it works. This led me to begin speculating as to the cause last year. Empty propane tank? High Altitude? Broken Heater (clogged venturi valves)? The heater will restart and work for another several hours after an extended rest. This rest may be 2 hours to 18 hrs. My current theory is that one of two things...Either there is condensation, dirt or other impediment blocking or disrupting the flow of propane between the tanks below and the heater. Somewhere along the twelve foot section of hose connecting the two. The other theory is that as the propane is released into the hose it cools the tank itself to such a degree the propane changes properties in such a way that the heater can't burn it. I know the tank is affected and does get cooler as it expels propane. Similar to how those keyboard cleaning cans of mystical spray will become colder when you are using it. I am not sure how this affects the propane's flammable characteristics. I also don't know how to test if either theory is correct. So I concentrate on the work around. Which is to use the heater when it will be most beneficial, when I am about to go to bed or get up, to thaw out the frozen bus when I re-enter after some time away. With the fluctuating temperatures, this hasn't been an issue until now. I could always count on a warm day around the corner. Now I am looking at a string of ultra cold days. If it was just me I would stay indoors until bed time and then cover myself with a mountain of blankets. But my pets have to endure the bitter cold in my absence. When the temperature reaches the teens it does funny stuff on my bus...the water in the pets bowl freezes solid, my olive oil takes on the consistency of Crisco in the can, canned soups get icy.
I look at it as a new challenge, one that I make more challenging each year I am on the bus. How do I make this work efficiently and effectively? I have no doubt I will solve this problem. I am posting this in case some people think that I have gotten soft after seeing pictures of me going to masquerade parties and other social events. I still live the tough life. And I still love it. I am a little surprised because my research prior to arriving here led me to believe that Denver was cold but only moderately so. I may have glossed over some of the stats.
So now my mission is to find a convenient, long term parking space for my 30ft bus, an alternative heating source (or plug in) and a diesel engine warmer (there are a variety of options but they all seem to require a steady stream of electricity). I look forward to being able to post my solutions.
