Cold Weather Prepping Our Isata 3 Series Dynamax

It's cold here in Tennessee. Not the butt-numbing cold of the northern states, but it's cold nonetheless. Hubby and I grew up in Michigan where we met, married and raised our kids. Eleven years ago we left Michigan and moved to Middle Tennessee, which we love. For the most part our winters are relatively mild with averages in the upper 30s to mid 40s and lots of rain.

This week however, it is cold. We woke this morning to snow flurries and temps in the teens. While the sun did come out, it really didn't warm up. Tonight it's supposed to be colder still. We're ready for it.

Monday we took our beloved Isata 3 "Izzy" to Christiana, Tennessee to A & L RV Sales for some warranty work. Hubby also had the brilliant idea to top off the propane tank while we were there. Smart man.

First, they fixed the black tank issue so it doesn't dump on us. That was the major issue. Second, they replaced the seal on the back of the bed slide. No more gaps! Third, there are two window screens that don't fit right. New ones were ordered. And finally, fourth, was the piece of trim I broke which will be ordered.

One of the best things about having an RV is having a fridge and taking your lunch with you. We stopped in Lebanon, Tennessee at an outlet mall and had our lunch there and did a little shopping while we were there. Our last stop was the gas station to top off our tank in preparation for the cold weather.

One cold weather memory I have of Michigan that really sticks out is the winter somewhere in 1996 or 1997 when we had temps of -28F. Yes, that says MINUS 28 degrees Fahrenheit. We lost power, the kids had no school and by the time the power came back on it was near 50F in the house.

This year, we are prepared for power failures with our sweet little Isata 3 series by Dynamax. Our propane tank is full and the generator works great. The bed is made and it's ready for hubby, me and our dog and cat should the need arise.

The Drain Post - Isata 3

Hubby and I are trying to avoid taking a bath in waste water when it's time to dump Izzy's waste tanks. A friend and very experienced RV-er, Carol over at Reflections from the Fence, had a solution.

First, let me remind you that our sewer pipe is 10 inches back from the side of the RV. Second, we needed an extender. On measuring, it seemed that a 5 inch extension pipe and then the twist on dump valve would be ideal. 

The first picture shows what we would expect to be our ideal configuration. Except that the valve hits the bottom of the RV. Also, the cap, after being detached from the original location fit great putting it on, but in taking it off, the valve came off too!  The bottom photo is the current configuration. I have no faith in that. The problem seems the extension. I think when it gets warm again (barely above freezing here now - where are those 60 degree days when you really need it) we will attempt to remove the extender and just attach to the sewer pipe. 

Hubby still doesn't think it will remain in place when we drive.