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Old 09-26-2013, 04:05 AM   #1
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Enclosed underbelley with insulation: good or bad idea? Does it work?

I'm looking to purchase a new Jayco and am wondering if the enclosed (insulated) underbelly is the way to go. We live in the North East and generally don't camp beyond October, but have considered taking our Jayco to visit relatives in Maine for the Thanksgiving Holiday. I know we can dry camp, but was wondering how much protection the enclosed underbelly would provide against freezing should we decide to run the sink or toilet. Certainly I don't expect to do this in the dead of winter, but also don't want to put too much faith in this added protection. The dealer can order me a new model with this option, or I can take the one that's on his lot now. According to the Dealer, a down side to adding this feature is that squirrels could make a nest in underbelly insulation and access to any of the underbody parts (such as slide motor) require removal of cover... He makes some good points but not sure if he's conveniently leading me to buy what's available now vs. taking the time to order the better product...
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Old 09-26-2013, 08:16 AM   #2
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I would get the one with the heated and enclosed underbelly. It keeps junk, salt etc. off of the underside of the RV. You need to run the propane heater to keep the plumbing from freezing in the event that you encounter freezing temperatures. We we were camping over Thanksgiving weekend and a snow storm came in and temperatures dropped below freezing. We had a 4 wheel drive truck and were able to get out however there were a lot of people who were stuck. Those people were not able to blow out their lines or put antifreeze into the lines and tanks and they were in for a lot of damage due to freezing. I was very grateful to have an enclosed underbelly. In addition, on the drive home on compact snow and ice it kept the underside clean. It is very difficult to clean off all of the nooks and crevices under a open belly. That is an invitation to problems if you ever use your coach after salt has been put onto the roads. It does make it somewhat more difficult to service however I have never had any problems in the 9 years I owned the JayFlight 29BHS getting service. My new coach is a Greyhawk that has a completely open belly and it is very difficult to keep clean. I've only used it twice this summer and it is already caked with gunk that I have to crawl under and clean off.
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Old 09-26-2013, 09:21 AM   #3
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Probably a personal preference and how you will use the rig the majority of the time.
Personally, I like to be able to see the underframe and mechanics for inspection regularly and preventative maintenance.
I think for the majority of the time, the inside heater will keep things from freezing and you can always dump anti-freeze in the tanks if needed.
Simple is easier for me to maintain and fix :-)

You'll be a happy camper either way.

Enjoy,
Doug
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