Hallmark in freezing temps

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Bellbear

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I'm going elk hunting next week. Sunday night low of 7 degrees. I filled Cutura with water now wondering if I should winterize it. I sure would like water though. I do have a full take of propane so if I just leave furnace at 50 degrees will I have enough propane to make it 4 days?
 
Your fresh water tank is inside so it should be okay as long as you have heat. Your dump tanks are not heated so put RV antifreeze or windshield washer solution in them to keep them from freezing or better still try not to use them. If your dump valves freeze, which is certainly possible it is not too hard to thaw them with a hair dryer.

Are you bringing a gennie to keep your batteries charged? Furnaces are power pigs in comparison to other systems. Make sure you go in with a full tank of propane. A partial tank with not have enough wet area on the tank wall to gasify. Low at night and coming up during the day to what? I think you will find your furnace runs almost constantly at 7 degrees. If your Cuchura is like our Ute I think you are going to see plenty of condensation on your vinyl. I know we do we do even with our ceiling vent open.
 
Hallmarks really are not 4 season campers. 7 degrees is pretty cold. It may be that you have even colder temps during your hunt...

I camped in mine a few times in temps that cold... the furnace will run off and on all night. battery charge will drop continuously if you don't have a good way to recharge it...

The furnace blower is loud enough you're gonna hear it each and every time it comes on...

I don't think tanks are too much of an issue, you can use af in some, and the bulk tank is inside.

I think the larger problem may be the small diameter waterlines in the walls, perhaps to an outside shower or under the sink. It takes a lot less to freeze those...

I think I'd get the the water I need from a few jugs inside the camper. I'd avoid the issue of keeping things from freezing by winterizing before you go...

By winterizing first you avoid the effort to maintain liquid water and you perhaps avoid a expensive and time consuming repair should you freeze something up...

Your elk hunt will be more focused on the quarry and you're going to have a better time without the worry.

Get a good bull!
 
Yep,

Drain and blow out the system as described by Hallmark they have a video at their site. Carry water in jugs or a big water container. I winter camp in my hallmark and use a 5 Gal water container sitting on the counter when set up.

trout
 
To add a differing opinion, we have an Outfitter Juno, so not identical but pretty similar camper. We've been out single digits several times, with a wind chill well in to the negative teens. We always travel with water tanks full and have never had an issue. We're able to keep the camper around 62 at all times (warm I know but the wife and kid were in there). I don't remember ever using more than one tank of propane in 3nights/4 days, and we were even taking warm showers and cooking in there.

Not sure if Hallmark does this but we have a heated basement and the cold air return comes from inside the basement so our furnace might not have to work as hard as yours.

Edit: I forgot to mention we have 300 watts of solar. If I were you the battery would be my biggest concern.
 
It got down to 9 last night. Camper was flawless. Stayed warm. Ran the lights. Fridge! Got back today from hunting solar charged everything back up!!
 
We are about to order our Hallmark - new - and the Truma Combi Plus is, by all accounts, going to be a game changer.

It is super efficient, and also super quiet - and it is ducted so the heat goes not only into the Hallmark main compartment, but they duct the cabinets so the batteries dont freeze, and the 30 gallon water tank does not freeze... (if you havent winterized.... depending if it only dips down into freezing at night - which is when you'd be running the hot air....

so we are excited to do winter camping with it.

If it was going to get REALLY cold... then i'd blow out the water out of the hot water tank, but even then the Truma Combi Eco Plus can still make hot air on either propane or 120v... so we can try camp but still be very comfortable..... just no hot showers 'till it gets a little warmer and we put water back into the system.

I *hate* the super loud old fashioned RV furnaces so for me the Truma Combi eco Plus is worth the added expense.

Game changer.

J.
 
We were just out in ours, in Yellowstone, down to near zero overnight. No problems, but I did leave cupboard doors open an night to assist in keeping the little water lines warmer.

I have noticed that the digital thermostat seems to run the furnace for shorter bursts, more frequently, and is less obtrusive. In any regard, the furnace kept up and it was a great trip. Biggest issue was keeping the snow off the solar panels so they would recharge the batteries during the daylight.
 
I have the Hallmark Milner with the eco Truma Combi plus and have used it in below freezing temps, but not as cold as described here. It is so quiet and efficient. I have gone for 3 nights using it at ~ 60 degrees and only using 25% of my battery. The ducting runs next to the fw tank and under the sink. There is a vent to the lithium battery so it stays at room temp and performs exeptionally. I do crack the cabinet under the sink for good measure, but don't think it's needed. If worried about the water in the combi as along as the heater is on you'll be fine. However if the heater will be off, then it's best to drain the water from the combi. Here's a writeup I just put together on the Milner: https://www.surfandsnowcountryimages.com/Photo-Essays/Outdoor-Gear/Hallmark-Milner-fldr/Hallmark-Milner-page



LosAngeles said:
We are about to order our Hallmark - new - and the Truma Combi Plus is, by all accounts, going to be a game changer.

It is super efficient, and also super quiet - and it is ducted so the heat goes not only into the Hallmark main compartment, but they duct the cabinets so the batteries dont freeze, and the 30 gallon water tank does not freeze... (if you havent winterized.... depending if it only dips down into freezing at night - which is when you'd be running the hot air....

so we are excited to do winter camping with it.

If it was going to get REALLY cold... then i'd blow out the water out of the hot water tank, but even then the Truma Combi Eco Plus can still make hot air on either propane or 120v... so we can try camp but still be very comfortable..... just no hot showers 'till it gets a little warmer and we put water back into the system.

I *hate* the super loud old fashioned RV furnaces so for me the Truma Combi eco Plus is worth the added expense.

Game changer.

J.
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