If you have a diesel you need to add some anti-gel so that your fuel doesn't gel up on you. A lot of places if you came from the south don't put any anti-gel in their fuel and even some places up north that should have anti-gel don't put it in. So if you have diesel and you know you will be in a cold environment put some antigel in everytime you fill up
It'll probably take at least 8 hours or more... for the engine block warm enough to start. My sister forgot to plug her 2011 F350 (temps below freezing day and night) ... and it took all day for her truck to finally start 🥴 whew ... Keep your faucets dripping over night.
Chad just a little advise from old Indiana farmer and diesel truck owner. You should run anti gel in your fuel in cold climates and periodically year round that will help get rid of any moisture in your fuel. You and Tara have a very Merry Christmas, just remember you will survive.
Chad, you have a 5kw generator on the 5th wheel. Ex military. My military training says I can wire my generator in to my main house. I just use a few tools that I know we all carry. Power cord from the 5 the wheel in the the dryer or stove outlet. Shut down all breakers in the main panel. Then turn on the stove or dryer you can backfeed the house. Remember only turn on the breaker you need the main breaker must remain turned off. Or you could kill a power company lineman. Put a light bulb in the pump house. Winterize fuel additive for diesel truck. Safe travels and roads Brian and Cindy, "xtreambydesign with passion". Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Yup if there is a onboard in the Rv you can wire right to your panel. Obviously you need to know a little about what you are doing or you could hurt you or a lineman. RVs are more then just a travel trailer 😀👍🏼
Be sure to say a prayer for all the lineman out there restoring power lines. I know your house was uncomfortable but imagine being outside working in it. Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas, Chad, Tara & Miss Daisy. As others have said, put a 100 watt lightbulb in your pumphouse to keep it from freezing (most of them in my area have a bulb in them year round just because). Diesel 911 is your friend - if you think your fuel has gelled up, you can dump in a bottle of it and it does an amazing job of returning your fuel to a liquid state. We just got done with a -12 degree cold front that I'm sure has some people questioning their choices!
Come on up to MT and experience -55 with the wind chill in your RV! We made it through in our keystone montana but our water did freeze even with the heat tape on it. Always expect something to go wrong when it goes below -20. Everything does great until -21. It's been an interesting Christmas this year to say the least! Hang in there guys!
Looking for comments like this! I love it. We’re on Tug Hill Plateau, NY. Stayed in our old camper (2004 30 Terry) while building camp. Saw -45F and 70mph wind gusts 40 sustained one day. Snowshoeing has a different sound on days like those! Like shattering fine china! 🍻Merry Christmas/ 🕎
Nice, we visited Biltmore in November but did not stay late enough to see it at night with the luminaries turned on. Inside was incredible. My daughter-in-law was blown away with the extent of those decorations!
Welcome to winter in western NC! WE used to live in those mountains (in a house) and had lots of adventures and misadventures over the years. We now live on the coast of NC and continue to have both adventures and misadventures in the house and the Airstream. We can't wait to head south in the next few days.
Chad - get you a lamp with a 60w incandescent light bulb for your pump house. Its an old school cheap solution to keep your well house from freezing - as long as you have power...lol
So sorry for all the troubles. I have lived in the SW Missouri area for the past 28 years. On a farm, you live and learn when temperatures drop below zero. Glad it's all back to normal.
You may need some winter diesel with anti gel additive or find out what you need to add to your tank. Standard stuff up here in Canada. Not so good if you buy your fuel in Florida.
Merry Christmas you guys. Cold Weather tip as i live in Canada and just lived through a week of -40. in your pump house, Hang a 100w incandescent light it will keep it warm enough not to freeze.
Old house and living in the north east, when the forecast calls for single digits and wind chill the extra heaters and engine blocks get plugged up. It never lasts more that a few days, but now you’ll kick into cold weather mode and it won’t be a big deal. Glad it all worked out and you enjoyed the holidays!
Merry Christmas guys! Jesus, the reason for the season! Christine laughed pretty hard about the mouse in the pump house. I drive a diesel car for many years. Power Service in the white jug is what you want to add in the winter. It works really well. Definitely no fun when you diesel fuel gels.
Welcome to the Country Ya'll!!!! You've learned alot of lessons to prepare for next year!! Only thing out of your control is the power....butttt you can always install a natural gas powered generator!! I hope the rest of the winter is kind to ya'll and you don't experience any more issues!!!!
Hi Tara, Chad and Daisy, I am glad you made it through the Siberian Winter we had. We keep an incandescent lightbulb (or two) in our well house when the weather gets too freezy, and w/ the insulation, it works! I loved the tour you showed at the Biltmore house. My Mom was born in Vanderbilt, Texas. Very tiny farming community. The homes, school, churches, honky tonk and Cotton Gin could all fit in that mansion. I loved your tree dance.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!! As I start to chant to myself when everything goes to he!! In a hand basket..”everything is data”. Love the humanizing vids that show its not all happy go lucky fun times. Love the Biltmore & that entire area ❤
Hi Chad and Tara. We met at Glacier. We were in the Pinnacle behind you. We moved from Holmes Beach to McCall, ID and it is COLD! All the other commenters are correct. A couple thoughts to add… keep your fuel tank full to minimize condensation and after starting turn on exhaust brake. As far as keeping your trailer warm try a product called “Cheap Heat”. Allows you to run your furnace on propane or electricity. We have it in our new trailer and it saves a lot of hassle. Safe travels!
I feel bad for you guys having a couple hard days at the school of hard knocks. Lots of first-time experiences but at least now you know. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas! Can't wait to see what 23 brings for yall.
My daughter, grandson and I went to the Biltmore this past July it was close to 100 the day we were there. Love the gardens and conservatory. Happy New Year.
Hi Chad, I've been driving trucks in New England area for 40yrs. Cold weather driving. You need to put anti gel additive in your fuel tank BEFORE you get into the cold stuff. It needs to circulate thru the hole system. Also. you should be prepared to change your fuel filters. It gels there and plugs up. The block heater should be plugged in all night. Make sure you unplug before you start truck as it could damage the block heater. WPH
Hope you still had a Merry Christmas. Diesel #1 is a must, and I know the gas stations down there are probably stocked with Diesel #2. (that's an interesting problem to solve) Propane, they make electric blankets that will go around your bottles. (spendy, but well worth it) A small generator or two is a must. I've been in -40 where nothing wants to work, generator, propane, etc. Then you are down to a white fuel stove (Coleman 1 burner, etc.) and a tarp to heat things up, and get things running. Many RV'ers up here will run in dry camp mode in winter.(Just heat). My point is when the cold weather is imminent, and prior to, it only takes a few minutes to throw RV anti-freeze in the water lines.These events are good reminders to be prepared. I learned these things by experience. (or the hard way) Thanks for sharing, so others can be prepared.
Some advice from a retired northern trucker, use anti gel in the fuel, use the block heater, as far as the pump house you need to use a heat lamp or at least a 100 watt light bulb in the house, this will prevent freezing and you won't have to be turning it on when a timer runs out, Most people use a whole house generator to power their house when the power go out.
For more than 40 years I have owned diesel power tractors, pickups, over the road trucks and always use fuel additives in the fuel tanks when the weather gets below 40 degrees. My 2017 Ford dually will start at -10 without pluging in the heater. I also carry extra fuel filters just in case I got dirty fuel or gelled up.
In your spare time(lol) run wires to a heater in the pump house. One that can be controlled from the cabin. When you know the night will be below 32, flip the switch and stay warm inside the cabin while the heater keeps the pump house warm. I use one of those radiator type heaters that has multiple settings with thermostat. That was my solution, no charge.🙂
Great video Glad nothing got damaged I live in Durham, NC and it only got down to 10 here. I have been to Biltmore twice both times at Christmas in 54 years I have never been any other time. Any time in the winter you are going to need a old fashion 100-watt light bulb in the pump house it should put off enough heat to keep the pipes from freezing A LED light want to do it. Suppose to get warmer every day this week so you should be OK now. We are supposed to be pushing 60 next weekend
In Canada where I am from we had minus 30 degree celcius with wind chill minus 40! If you have any lines out exposed we use heat tapes and hope that power stays on! Our motorhome is parked for the season! Batteries from the back are in our garage and the chassis battery has a battery minder on! Always plug your truck in! Easier on the motor whether it is gas or diesel! Stay warm!
You always put a positive spin on issues that come up. Your cabin is cozy and beautiful. Your parents are adorable. Thank you for letting everyone spend part of your Christmas and join you at the Biltmore Estates. I hope to get there one day. By the way happy anniversary to your folks!
Also at our place on Northern Wisconsin. We use a thermostat wired to 2-100 watt lightbulbs in our pump house. When the temp gets down below freezing the thermostat kicks on the light bulbs to keep the pump house warm.
Servival is part of the fun. We live in Eastern Washington below 10 degrees is not unusual. Block heaters work and will help your glow plugs. Fuel treatments really help. In our pump house we use a milkhouse heater. The light bulb works but has to be incandescent of course and they do burn out. We also have a freeze sensor and water sensor as part of our alarm, I know you like gagets. Transfer switch and a generator is a great investment as well.
Welcome to the club, Chad. Our F 350 wouldn't start either. So we are going out today to get diesel additive for the fuel & diesel 911, so when it is really bad, you put the 911 in the fuel tank. Add the additive when you need to then drive the truck around so it mixes in with the fuel, and then you should be good to go. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year and a safe and healthy one, too.
Merry Christmas! What a beautiful estate. Thanks for showing us the ups and downs of the lifestyle. Propane issues, water issues, truck not starting…. Thanks
The tailgate strap to hold the propane tanks upright is genius. Thank you for that. I always have them laying down and of coarse they always roll around. Great video as always and Merry Christmas.
Laying propane tanks on their side is nuts, let along loose to roll around.. I use plastic milk cartons strapped to the pickup to hold them vertical and fixed so they don't move around.
If your truck is a diesel your fuel gelled up from the cold. Always plug your truck in in cold climates and put the adative in your tank. Hope you 3 had a Merry Christmas and stayed warm. I live in Nebraska and we had -50° windchills Thursday and Friday.
We took our parents to Biltmore for their 50th also! It was several years ago and my Dad has since passed but those are treasured memories. I grew up where Chad's parents live and my Mom still lives there. Her pump switch froze yesterday too but it's working now. Thanks for the great content!
Great video. I had to laugh when you explained your issues. I too lost power on Christmas Eve for about 10 minutes and I went crazy! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Safe travels in 2023!
Propane wall heater and generator are a must! Has saved me several times. Not sure if that's an upgrade or not for your RV (ventless), but I put one in my sisters 5th wheel. We got part of that 0 weather to. As for your water....good luck and or some heat tape and tube insulation.
It's little problems (and a few big ones) like these that truly add perspective to help appreciate all that's good in life. I've always said that "rainy days make sunny days sunnier." I'll amend it for the cold weather we're all experiencing this holiday season by saying, "cold days make the warm days warmer." Merry Christmas to Chad, Tara, Daisy, and everyone else out there in our RV community.
Glad you got it sorted out. We are based in the mid-atlantic I always carry extra 30# bottle or two to keep things going in the colder months. Also keep a bottle of Power Service diesel fuel supplement+cetane booster around. It's good for the injectors and when you have cold like this that will cause some gelling just add it to the tank. Also you should look into adding a small permanent 500w pump house heater to future proof that issue.
Merry Christmas! We live in SW Washington state and we keep a heat lamp (like for chickens) in our well house, 24/7/365. Yours looks well insulated which is a good first step. We also have a thermometer in the the well house and a remote in the house to read the temperature in there. We don't get as cold as some of your followers do, but we also plug in our diesel truck. Also, a whole house generator is one's best friend in a power outage. Surely you have a portable generator? Best of life to you and good health! Give Daisy a hug from Roman (standard poodle).
Thanks for sharing. We really enjoy your experiences! Merry Christmas and happy new year from another Combat Vet! We live in Wisconsin and in the process of building our home base, barndiminium. We use our small toy hauler when traveling. We are enjoying life but cannot be away from the grand babies to long. Everyday is an adventure!
Merry Christmas from Missouri. 6 years in a Solitude 369RL . Yes it freezes and thaws with no breaks. We was in Quartsite last year. Show Me RV Adventures. Clayton&Denise.
I was glad to hear you had more than one heat source. I was raised on the canadian border (where it's cold) and lived in the south for forty years with hurricanes and weird unexpected weather. What we did was open cupboard doors under the sink for more heat on pipes and I bought collapsible water bags for water, two ten gallon and two six gallons. I threw them in the shower just in case pipes froze. We also have a sixty gallon bladder in the bed of our truck when we're boondocking. Hope next time goes better.
If you can run power to it and install a cheap light assembly in the water pump house, you can put a 60w light bulb and leave it on throughout the winter, it will generate enough heat to keep the inside of the pump house above freezing. Keep thermometer in the to monitor it. Your goal is to maintain it to above 40°. If the 60w doesn’t do the trick, bump to 75w or even 100w. I have a pump house a bit bigger than yours and 60w does fine (incandescent bulbs is what I’m referencing)
You can protect your pump house with biomass so it won't freeze. In the late fall have five or six yards of beauty bark dumped over it. In the spring spread the bark in the gardens.
Hey Chad. When it’s cold and your truck won’t start, try run the glow plugs a few times before starting, that will help. I have a 6.7 diesel at -22 and it starts every time not plugged in, also the limp mode is probably because you have summer fuel that will gel, add some anti gel and you should be good to go.
Merry Christmas Chad, Tara, and little Daisy. What a mess for sure. We aren't that far away from you guys (Maryville, TN) and yes, the cold was brutal. We had rolling Blackouts here both Fri (a couple of them) and Sat (four of them), but fortunately they only lasted about 30 minutes each. I've decided that I'm going to sell my Yamaha 6300 generator and buy one that is big enough to basically run the whole house. Something like that might be a good option for you guys too...at the cabin. Happy New year and safe travels.
Totally unprepared for the cold lol. You always learn the first cold run! Never again after that lol. This year we didn't skirt and our tanks froze... won't forget to skirt again! haha. Our truck also isn't starting... says something like battery saving... still wont start. Think our batteries are dead dead now.
I would hope no one would mind your video quality after what you all went through. Glad you are up and running again. Looks like your getting some solid advice, I will remember the anti gel treatment advice for sure! Take care and Happy, Merry belated Christmas !! Oh yeah, its pretty cold here in Florida too.
I feel your pain, you two! After living in Key West for 5 years, my dad's next duty station, (he was NAVY), was in Pennsylvania. He found a great place to rent on a 300+ acre truck farm, across Delaware bay in New Jersey, for us to live in. It was great, but so cold. So cold in fact that the moving van with all of our winter clothes was delayed, so all we had for clothes was what we wore up from Key West. The lake just below the house froze over, overnight, to a total of 8" of ice across most of the lake. Talk about weather shock!! So, you are not alone. And we did not have an RV backup living space!
Merry Christmas guys, some tips for the truck. Since you now live in the cold mountains Chad add some diesel fuel additive that has anti-gel in it, and one thing I do is I have a outdoor timer for my block heater, so the truck block is already heated up when I am ready to leave the house. Safe travels and be warm
Merry Christmas to ya'll and Daisy. You made it through, all survived, quality lessons learned -- even if it was the hard way. You'll never forget these lessons. Wish you all a happy safe and warmer New Year. Thank ya'll for allowing us to share your journeys and your life's experiences. Looking forward to what the future holds and the new adventures. God bless ya'll and your family and have a blessed day my friends.
Chad...No. 1 heating oil {for furnaces} is winter grade diesel up north. Might add that to your tanks if you have room to help with the gelling. Winter diesel is not usually sold in the South as you seldom need it.
Merry Christmas. When the storm rolled through, wind was unbelievable, temperature dropped to -4 and power went out at 10pm for 12 hours. Lucky or not, we were in our sticks and brinks and the wood fireplace was very nice to have. Go Navy
I certainly can feel for you about having the multiple issues all at same time. We also had -8 actual, -35 wind chill here in northern Indiana, too. Things just don't work the same. Glad things are better now.
Well done! We live in our GD where we work in SC. headed to get propane again this morning. Costco is out so it’s gonna be $$. Our power was out for 18 hours but we have a gennie. I know how much work it is to put out a video which is why we don’t do it anymore. -retired ITCS.
Thanks for the effort of filming while going thru all that. Now add a foot of snow to the issues. That's our world in Erie Pa. And we are in our TT. Visiting family Brrrr God Bless Y'all
When the weather gets cold diesel will gell add some treatment, when i had my diesel i added it to every tank full up north diesel is blended differently down south not so much. One morning on the way to work at 4 am while getting off the freeway the engine just stopped i had to be towed in and warm the truck up to add treatment but it was -17 that morning.. Enjoy the new rig
I honestly didn't have an issue with the quality of the video. I wouldnt even have known if you didn't say anything. Merry Christmas guys! Long time follower.
The diesel is gelling up in the fuel lines. Pour a can of SeaFoam in your fuel tank. You can also pour Diesel Kleen in there if you don’t have SeaFoam. It’s in the low 20’s here in North Florida. I use the SeaFoam in my truck and don’t have any issues
We feel your pain (and cold). Spending Christmas in Asheville visiting family. Kitchen water froze up but, the rest is still running. Discovered I have a block heater in my truck, too, when it wouldn't start. Left the deck out the whole time, but space heater kept the garage at 42 even when it was 0 outside. Our new home base is in Murphy NC so, hopefully, we can catch up with you guys some (warmer) time and go on some motorcycle rides together.
In know NC had very cold temps but even down in Ga we had single and low double digit temps. We warned all our friends to run taps to keep the water moving. Lots of friends had water freeze pipes burst hopefully we made it through. Glad you guys stayed warm and had the resources to make it through. Heres wish a great year for Tara and you. Glad you were able to be with your parents for their special day.
DEF freezes Thank goodness there was no ice with this Polar Vortex. In SW MO we had a severe ice storm in 2009. Power was out for 2 weeks. Ran 2 generators - one in barn for water and one in house. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger and smarter......
I'm watching this video 6 months later. I know how frustrating it is when the water freezes and you have no water in the house. We do not have city water-we have a well/pump house. We keep a light bulb in ours to keep it warm in the winter time. I also watch the weather and look for freezing temps during the night. When the weatherman says its going to be freezing temps I'll leave the water in the bathrooms and kitchen on so the pipes don't freeze. God Bless from SC!!
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If you have a diesel you need to add some anti-gel so that your fuel doesn't gel up on you. A lot of places if you came from the south don't put any anti-gel in their fuel and even some places up north that should have anti-gel don't put it in. So if you have diesel and you know you will be in a cold environment put some antigel in everytime you fill up
someone told us if diesel is green out of the pumps they have anti-gel in it. I'm not an expert but would like to know.
Pretty much consistent temperatures under 30°F and if you are not driving the vehicle sloshing the diesel around can cause your fuel to gel up.
@@dtnlivinglife6731 always use Antigel in the Winter, here in the US they use Biofuel all Winter which really makes it Gel faster
It'll probably take at least 8 hours or more... for the engine block warm enough to start. My sister forgot to plug her 2011 F350 (temps below freezing day and night) ... and it took all day for her truck to finally start 🥴 whew ... Keep your faucets dripping over night.
If you can find #1 diesel put one gallon of that in your truck or anti gel
Chad just a little advise from old Indiana farmer and diesel truck owner. You should run anti gel in your fuel in cold climates and periodically year round that will help get rid of any moisture in your fuel. You and Tara have a very Merry Christmas, just remember you will survive.
Chad, you have a 5kw generator on the 5th wheel. Ex military. My military training says I can wire my generator in to my main house.
I just use a few tools that I know we all carry.
Power cord from the 5 the wheel in the the dryer or stove outlet. Shut down all breakers in the main panel. Then turn on the stove or dryer you can backfeed the house. Remember only turn on the breaker you need the main breaker must remain turned off.
Or you could kill a power company lineman.
Put a light bulb in the pump house. Winterize fuel additive for diesel truck.
Safe travels and roads Brian and Cindy, "xtreambydesign with passion". Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Yup if there is a onboard in the Rv you can wire right to your panel.
Obviously you need to know a little about what you are doing or you could hurt you or a lineman.
RVs are more then just a travel trailer 😀👍🏼
We appreciate all the hard work it takes to film and release all in the same day. !!! MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!
Be sure to say a prayer for all the lineman out there restoring power lines. I know your house was uncomfortable but imagine being outside working in it. Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas, Chad, Tara & Miss Daisy. As others have said, put a 100 watt lightbulb in your pumphouse to keep it from freezing (most of them in my area have a bulb in them year round just because). Diesel 911 is your friend - if you think your fuel has gelled up, you can dump in a bottle of it and it does an amazing job of returning your fuel to a liquid state. We just got done with a -12 degree cold front that I'm sure has some people questioning their choices!
Power Service in the white jug as a preventative.
That 100 watt lightbulb needs to be incandescent... not flourescent or LED.
Come on up to MT and experience -55 with the wind chill in your RV! We made it through in our keystone montana but our water did freeze even with the heat tape on it. Always expect something to go wrong when it goes below -20. Everything does great until -21. It's been an interesting Christmas this year to say the least! Hang in there guys!
Yep, been balmy hasnt it. Just north of you in Alberta and when the Fahrenheit and Celsius come together, its cold.
Looking for comments like this! I love it. We’re on Tug Hill Plateau, NY. Stayed in our old camper (2004 30 Terry) while building camp. Saw -45F and 70mph wind gusts 40 sustained one day. Snowshoeing has a different sound on days like those! Like shattering fine china! 🍻Merry Christmas/ 🕎
Nice, we visited Biltmore in November but did not stay late enough to see it at night with the luminaries turned on. Inside was incredible. My daughter-in-law was blown away with the extent of those decorations!
Welcome to winter in western NC! WE used to live in those mountains (in a house) and had lots of adventures and misadventures over the years. We now live on the coast of NC and continue to have both adventures and misadventures in the house and the Airstream. We can't wait to head south in the next few days.
Chad - get you a lamp with a 60w incandescent light bulb for your pump house. Its an old school cheap solution to keep your well house from freezing - as long as you have power...lol
So sorry for all the troubles. I have lived in the SW Missouri area for the past 28 years. On a farm, you live and learn when temperatures drop below zero. Glad it's all back to normal.
I loved the "She's A beaut Clark" ornament. Love that movie!
I use a diesel additive in my diesel fuel. Otherwise, the diesel turns to a gell, hence the low fuel pressure.
You may need some winter diesel with anti gel additive or find out what you need to add to your tank. Standard stuff up here in Canada. Not so good if you buy your fuel in Florida.
Merry Christmas you guys. Cold Weather tip as i live in Canada and just lived through a week of -40. in your pump house, Hang a 100w incandescent light it will keep it warm enough not to freeze.
Old house and living in the north east, when the forecast calls for single digits and wind chill the extra heaters and engine blocks get plugged up. It never lasts more that a few days, but now you’ll kick into cold weather mode and it won’t be a big deal. Glad it all worked out and you enjoyed the holidays!
Merry Christmas guys! Jesus, the reason for the season!
Christine laughed pretty hard about the mouse in the pump house. I drive a diesel car for many years. Power Service in the white jug is what you want to add in the winter. It works really well. Definitely no fun when you diesel fuel gels.
You three were just chill and positive throughout the experience. I learned a few things about winterizing and staying positive. Merry Christmas!
Welcome to the Country Ya'll!!!! You've learned alot of lessons to prepare for next year!! Only thing out of your control is the power....butttt you can always install a natural gas powered generator!! I hope the rest of the winter is kind to ya'll and you don't experience any more issues!!!!
Hi Tara, Chad and Daisy, I am glad you made it through the Siberian Winter we had. We keep an incandescent lightbulb (or two) in our well house when the weather gets too freezy, and w/ the insulation, it works! I loved the tour you showed at the Biltmore house. My Mom was born in Vanderbilt, Texas. Very tiny farming community. The homes, school, churches, honky tonk and Cotton Gin could all fit in that mansion. I loved your tree dance.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!! As I start to chant to myself when everything goes to he!! In a hand basket..”everything is data”. Love the humanizing vids that show its not all happy go lucky fun times. Love the Biltmore & that entire area ❤
Hi Chad and Tara. We met at Glacier. We were in the Pinnacle behind you. We moved from Holmes Beach to McCall, ID and it is COLD! All the other commenters are correct. A couple thoughts to add… keep your fuel tank full to minimize condensation and after starting turn on exhaust brake. As far as keeping your trailer warm try a product called “Cheap Heat”. Allows you to run your furnace on propane or electricity. We have it in our new trailer and it saves a lot of hassle. Safe travels!
I feel bad for you guys having a couple hard days at the school of hard knocks. Lots of first-time experiences but at least now you know. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas! Can't wait to see what 23 brings for yall.
My daughter, grandson and I went to the Biltmore this past July it was close to 100 the day we were there. Love the gardens and conservatory. Happy New Year.
Hi Chad, I've been driving trucks in New England area for 40yrs. Cold weather driving. You need to put anti gel additive in your fuel tank BEFORE you get into the cold stuff. It needs to circulate thru the hole system. Also. you should be prepared to change your fuel filters. It gels there and plugs up. The block heater should be plugged in all night. Make sure you unplug before you start truck as it could damage the block heater. WPH
Hope you still had a Merry Christmas. Diesel #1 is a must, and I know the gas stations down there are probably stocked with Diesel #2. (that's an interesting problem to solve) Propane, they make electric blankets that will go around your bottles. (spendy, but well worth it) A small generator or two is a must. I've been in -40 where nothing wants to work, generator, propane, etc. Then you are down to a white fuel stove (Coleman 1 burner, etc.) and a tarp to heat things up, and get things running. Many RV'ers up here will run in dry camp mode in winter.(Just heat). My point is when the cold weather is imminent, and prior to, it only takes a few minutes to throw RV anti-freeze in the water lines.These events are good reminders to be prepared. I learned these things by experience. (or the hard way) Thanks for sharing, so others can be prepared.
Some advice from a retired northern trucker, use anti gel in the fuel, use the block heater, as far as the pump house you need to use a heat lamp or at least a 100 watt light bulb in the house, this will prevent freezing and you won't have to be turning it on when a timer runs out,
Most people use a whole house generator to power their house when the power go out.
For more than 40 years I have owned diesel power tractors, pickups, over the road trucks and always use fuel additives in the fuel tanks when the weather gets below 40 degrees. My 2017 Ford dually will start at -10 without pluging in the heater. I also carry extra fuel filters just in case I got dirty fuel or gelled up.
I love the calmness all 3 of you exude ! Happy Holidays 🇨🇦👀🖖🙌
In your spare time(lol) run wires to a heater in the pump house. One that can be controlled from the cabin. When you know the night will be below 32, flip the switch and stay warm inside the cabin while the heater keeps the pump house warm. I use one of those radiator type heaters that has multiple settings with thermostat. That was my solution, no charge.🙂
Great video Glad nothing got damaged I live in Durham, NC and it only got down to 10 here. I have been to Biltmore twice both times at Christmas in 54 years I have never been any other time. Any time in the winter you are going to need a old fashion 100-watt light bulb in the pump house it should put off enough heat to keep the pipes from freezing A LED light want to do it. Suppose to get warmer every day this week so you should be OK now. We are supposed to be pushing 60 next weekend
In Canada where I am from we had minus 30 degree celcius with wind chill minus 40! If you have any lines out exposed we use heat tapes and hope that power stays on! Our motorhome is parked for the season! Batteries from the back are in our garage and the chassis battery has a battery minder on! Always plug your truck in! Easier on the motor whether it is gas or diesel! Stay warm!
You always put a positive spin on issues that come up. Your cabin is cozy and beautiful. Your parents are adorable. Thank you for letting everyone spend part of your Christmas and join you at the Biltmore Estates. I hope to get there one day. By the way happy anniversary to your folks!
Also at our place on Northern Wisconsin. We use a thermostat wired to 2-100 watt lightbulbs in our pump house. When the temp gets down below freezing the thermostat kicks on the light bulbs to keep the pump house warm.
Servival is part of the fun. We live in Eastern Washington below 10 degrees is not unusual. Block heaters work and will help your glow plugs. Fuel treatments really help. In our pump house we use a milkhouse heater. The light bulb works but has to be incandescent of course and they do burn out. We also have a freeze sensor and water sensor as part of our alarm, I know you like gagets. Transfer switch and a generator is a great investment as well.
Welcome to the club, Chad. Our F 350 wouldn't start either. So we are going out today to get diesel additive for the fuel & diesel 911, so when it is really bad, you put the 911 in the fuel tank. Add the additive when you need to then drive the truck around so it mixes in with the fuel, and then you should be good to go. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year and a safe and healthy one, too.
Merry Christmas. Learning from mistakes is a great way to prevent repeating them. We all could use constant reminders. Thanks 😊
Merry Christmas! What a beautiful estate. Thanks for showing us the ups and downs of the lifestyle. Propane issues, water issues, truck not starting….
Thanks
Merry Christmas. The best video you have ever produced!
In Mississippi I always kept a regular light bulb on in the pump house to keep it warm, the Dyson is certainly an upgrade.
The tailgate strap to hold the propane tanks upright is genius. Thank you for that. I always have them laying down and of coarse they always roll around. Great video as always and Merry Christmas.
Laying propane tanks on their side is nuts, let along loose to roll around.. I use plastic milk cartons strapped to the pickup to hold them vertical and fixed so they don't move around.
If your truck is a diesel your fuel gelled up from the cold. Always plug your truck in in cold climates and put the adative in your tank. Hope you 3 had a Merry Christmas and stayed warm. I live in Nebraska and we had -50° windchills Thursday and Friday.
Omg ! Our pipes froze sat as well! Went from 58 to 11 in one day! I look forward to seeing you guys go somewhere warm !
We took our parents to Biltmore for their 50th also! It was several years ago and my Dad has since passed but those are treasured memories. I grew up where Chad's parents live and my Mom still lives there. Her pump switch froze yesterday too but it's working now. Thanks for the great content!
Great video. I had to laugh when you explained your issues. I too lost power on Christmas Eve for about 10 minutes and I went crazy! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Safe travels in 2023!
Merry Christmas. Glad all worked out and had great family time. stay warm
Propane wall heater and generator are a must! Has saved me several times. Not sure if that's an upgrade or not for your RV (ventless), but I put one in my sisters 5th wheel. We got part of that 0 weather to. As for your water....good luck and or some heat tape and tube insulation.
Merry Christmas to You too - That Sweater and Light up Hat is Epic ! - Have a Happy New Year.
Glad everything worked out. Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas and can’t wait to see where you roam in 2023!!🎉
It's little problems (and a few big ones) like these that truly add perspective to help appreciate all that's good in life. I've always said that "rainy days make sunny days sunnier." I'll amend it for the cold weather we're all experiencing this holiday season by saying, "cold days make the warm days warmer." Merry Christmas to Chad, Tara, Daisy, and everyone else out there in our RV community.
Cute ending ! Merry Christmas
Glad you got it sorted out. We are based in the mid-atlantic I always carry extra 30# bottle or two to keep things going in the colder months. Also keep a bottle of Power Service diesel fuel supplement+cetane booster around. It's good for the injectors and when you have cold like this that will cause some gelling just add it to the tank. Also you should look into adding a small permanent 500w pump house heater to future proof that issue.
Suffering brings resolve. Learning is the best time to bond with each other. It's an adventure. Love you guys
Merry Christmas! We live in SW Washington state and we keep a heat lamp (like for chickens) in our well house, 24/7/365. Yours looks well insulated which is a good first step. We also have a thermometer in the the well house and a remote in the house to read the temperature in there. We don't get as cold as some of your followers do, but we also plug in our diesel truck. Also, a whole house generator is one's best friend in a power outage. Surely you have a portable generator? Best of life to you and good health! Give Daisy a hug from Roman (standard poodle).
Glad all is well now. Merry CHRISTmas and a Happy, Healthy, Prosperous New Year. Keep making those memories.2022 will stay with you awhile.LOL
Thanks for sharing. We really enjoy your experiences! Merry Christmas and happy new year from another Combat Vet! We live in Wisconsin and in the process of building our home base, barndiminium. We use our small toy hauler when traveling. We are enjoying life but cannot be away from the grand babies to long.
Everyday is an adventure!
Love your stone fireplace. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to the 3 of you
Merry Christmas from Missouri. 6 years in a Solitude 369RL . Yes it freezes and thaws with no breaks. We was in Quartsite last year. Show Me RV Adventures. Clayton&Denise.
My husband took me to the Biltmore in May for our Anniversary and I loved it!!!!
I was glad to hear you had more than one heat source. I was raised on the canadian border (where it's cold) and lived in the south for forty years with hurricanes and weird unexpected weather. What we did was open cupboard doors under the sink for more heat on pipes and I bought collapsible water bags for water, two ten gallon and two six gallons. I threw them in the shower just in case pipes froze. We also have a sixty gallon bladder in the bed of our truck when we're boondocking. Hope next time goes better.
If you can run power to it and install a cheap light assembly in the water pump house, you can put a 60w light bulb and leave it on throughout the winter, it will generate enough heat to keep the inside of the pump house above freezing. Keep thermometer in the to monitor it. Your goal is to maintain it to above 40°. If the 60w doesn’t do the trick, bump to 75w or even 100w. I have a pump house a bit bigger than yours and 60w does fine (incandescent bulbs is what I’m referencing)
You can protect your pump house with biomass so it won't freeze. In the late fall have five or six yards of beauty bark dumped over it. In the spring spread the bark in the gardens.
Hey Chad. When it’s cold and your truck won’t start, try run the glow plugs a few times before starting, that will help. I have a 6.7 diesel at -22 and it starts every time not plugged in, also the limp mode is probably because you have summer fuel that will gel, add some anti gel and you should be good to go.
Merry Christmas Chad, Tara, and little Daisy. What a mess for sure. We aren't that far away from you guys (Maryville, TN) and yes, the cold was brutal. We had rolling Blackouts here both Fri (a couple of them) and Sat (four of them), but fortunately they only lasted about 30 minutes each. I've decided that I'm going to sell my Yamaha 6300 generator and buy one that is big enough to basically run the whole house. Something like that might be a good option for you guys too...at the cabin. Happy New year and safe travels.
We keep a small butane stove for days when power is out. Can be used in doors, great for cooking and heating water for hot drinks !!
Thanks Guys. Merry Christmas. Love the go with the flow.
Totally unprepared for the cold lol. You always learn the first cold run! Never again after that lol. This year we didn't skirt and our tanks froze... won't forget to skirt again! haha. Our truck also isn't starting... says something like battery saving... still wont start. Think our batteries are dead dead now.
I would hope no one would mind your video quality after what you all went through. Glad you are up and running again. Looks like your getting some solid advice, I will remember the anti gel treatment advice for sure! Take care and Happy, Merry belated Christmas !! Oh yeah, its pretty cold here in Florida too.
We just went through a spell of -45C for about a week here in Alberta Canada.
Merry Christmas Guys, love your vids.
Cheers
Love your sweaters.Have a merry and blessed Christmas and new year.
I feel your pain, you two!
After living in Key West for 5 years, my dad's next duty station, (he was NAVY), was in Pennsylvania. He found a great place to rent on a 300+ acre truck farm, across Delaware bay in New Jersey, for us to live in. It was great, but so cold. So cold in fact that the moving van with all of our winter clothes was delayed, so all we had for clothes was what we wore up from Key West. The lake just below the house froze over, overnight, to a total of 8" of ice across most of the lake. Talk about weather shock!!
So, you are not alone. And we did not have an RV backup living space!
That was great now you can say you are real homesteaders. Merry Christmas and have a great 2023.
Merry Christmas guys, some tips for the truck. Since you now live in the cold mountains Chad add some diesel fuel additive that has anti-gel in it, and one thing I do is I have a outdoor timer for my block heater, so the truck block is already heated up when I am ready to leave the house. Safe travels and be warm
Fuel gelling up, work some additive to the fuel, diesel 911, white bottle for maintenance, red bottle for emergent.
Glad it all worked out and that you had a Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas to ya'll and Daisy.
You made it through, all survived, quality lessons learned -- even if it was the hard way. You'll never forget these lessons.
Wish you all a happy safe and warmer New Year.
Thank ya'll for allowing us to share your journeys and your life's experiences.
Looking forward to what the future holds and the new adventures.
God bless ya'll and your family and have a blessed day my friends.
Thank you for doing a Christmas vid for us. Merry Christmas. Hugs.
So sorry to hear all your trials at Christmas no less. We always kept a light on in our pump house to keep things warm.
Chad...No. 1 heating oil {for furnaces} is winter grade diesel up north. Might add that to your tanks if you have room to help with the gelling. Winter diesel is not usually sold in the South as you seldom need it.
Merry Christmas. When the storm rolled through, wind was unbelievable, temperature dropped to -4 and power went out at 10pm for 12 hours. Lucky or not, we were in our sticks and brinks and the wood fireplace was very nice to have.
Go Navy
Sorry for all your troubles. Have a blessed New Year.
I certainly can feel for you about having the multiple issues all at same time. We also had -8 actual, -35 wind chill here in northern Indiana, too. Things just don't work the same. Glad things are better now.
Well done! We live in our GD where we work in SC. headed to get propane again this morning. Costco is out so it’s gonna be $$. Our power was out for 18 hours but we have a gennie. I know how much work it is to put out a video which is why we don’t do it anymore. -retired ITCS.
Love your videos ! Just a cold weather hint; leave your water dripping and the pipes won't freeze. Just like a drip a second or so.
Thanks for the effort of filming while going thru all that.
Now add a foot of snow to the issues. That's our world in Erie Pa. And we are in our TT. Visiting family Brrrr
God Bless Y'all
Merry Christmas. This definitely one that we will never forget. I’m in Buffalo, NY & it’s such a disaster here. Stay safe everyone.
When the weather gets cold diesel will gell add some treatment, when i had my diesel i added it to every tank full up north diesel is blended differently down south not so much. One morning on the way to work at 4 am while getting off the freeway the engine just stopped i had to be towed in and warm the truck up to add treatment but it was -17 that morning.. Enjoy the new rig
I honestly didn't have an issue with the quality of the video. I wouldnt even have known if you didn't say anything. Merry Christmas guys! Long time follower.
13:12 Happy Holidays to everyone
The diesel is gelling up in the fuel lines. Pour a can of SeaFoam in your fuel tank. You can also pour Diesel Kleen in there if you don’t have SeaFoam. It’s in the low 20’s here in North Florida. I use the SeaFoam in my truck and don’t have any issues
Diesel gels in really cold, add supplent to fuel.
Happy Holidays and safe New Year.
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, & to your parents, Happy 50th Anniversary. I loved seeing the decorations at Biltmore Estates.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!
We feel your pain (and cold).
Spending Christmas in Asheville visiting family.
Kitchen water froze up but, the rest is still running.
Discovered I have a block heater in my truck, too, when it wouldn't start.
Left the deck out the whole time, but space heater kept the garage at 42 even when it was 0 outside.
Our new home base is in Murphy NC so, hopefully, we can catch up with you guys some (warmer) time and go on some motorcycle rides together.
In know NC had very cold temps but even down in Ga we had single and low double digit temps. We warned all our friends to run taps to keep the water moving. Lots of friends had water freeze pipes burst hopefully we made it through. Glad you guys stayed warm and had the resources to make it through. Heres wish a great year for Tara and you. Glad you were able to be with your parents for their special day.
DEF freezes
Thank goodness there was no ice with this Polar Vortex. In SW MO we had a severe ice storm in 2009. Power was out for 2 weeks. Ran 2 generators - one in barn for water and one in house.
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger and smarter......
Merry Christmas 🎅 🎄. Happy New Year
I'm watching this video 6 months later. I know how frustrating it is when the water freezes and you have no water in the house. We do not have city water-we have a well/pump house. We keep a light bulb in ours to keep it warm in the winter time. I also watch the weather and look for freezing temps during the night. When the weatherman says its going to be freezing temps I'll leave the water in the bathrooms and kitchen on so the pipes don't freeze. God Bless from SC!!