RV anti-freezing temperature switch

[Peter Nachtwey]

I just got the temperature relay that g.mccormick suggested. It was below freezing last night and it will be below freezing tonight. I still have the camper's propane heater set to turn on at 32 degrees as backup.
However, the Willhi programmable temperature relay seems to work. I put the probe in ice water and watched the indicated temperature go to about 32.9 deg F. That is close enough. I didn't wait for the ice to melt. When the temperature dropped to 35.0 deg F the heater outlet turned on. When I took the temperature probe out of the water the heater outlet turned off at 40 deg F. There is a 2.4 degree temperature difference between the indicated temperatures from the relay and my camper's thermostat. The relay reads 2.4 deg lower so it should turn on first. I will check my camper early tomorrow morning.
Hopefully the small heater will keep my camper in the 35-40 deg F range so I don't use up my propane.

Most people around here winterized their campers and stay warm in their home during the winter. There are hunters that camp in the sticks. Last Sunday I saw two families tent camping with little kids and it was freezing. There was no water or electricity. They had to build fires or use heaters inside their tents to stay warm.

I wish the Thermo Cube worked. It is a much simpler and compact solution.
Also, I got a dehumidifier. The desiccant didn't seem to be doing that well.

 

[Aabeck]

Last Sunday I saw two families tent camping with little kids and it was freezing. There was no water or electricity. They had to build fires or use heaters inside their tents to stay warm.

Come to Michigan!

I went camping around Lake Superior in mid-July and woke up to 32°F. Since it was July we didn't take any heater or winter clothes. Had to run out and start the van and we sat in it for an hour, with 2 kids 8 & 2 years old)

As for the OP I have put line voltage thermostats set at 35° on all pipe heat-tapes I have had in crawlspaces since the 80's. More reliable than the thermal switch in the heat tape and don't have to not-insulate that section of tape, and the heat tape switches are usually set for 40-45° so it used less electricity unless it was mid-winter.

 

[V0N_hydro]

A friend uses these in his boat https://www.amazon.com/DampRid-Hanging-Fresh-16-Ounce-3-Pack/dp/B072LN492H to keep the cabin dry. He has a heater with a fan on very low mostly to move air around since mold growth is accelerated with heat. I think he also leaves a light on, not sure if it is UV or not.



The other school of thought is not to seal up the space and remove the humidity but to keep fresh air moving through it so the inside temperature is the same as the outside temperature and there is no opportunity for condensation to build up. I think that falls apart when it gets below freezing.