Does the factory spray-on insulation really prevent freezing water lines?

[Donna D.]

Okay, I'm going to say this and please no one get upset. It's not about you... it's about me.


I wouldn't have the foam on the bottom of my trailer for one reason. IMHO it's ugly and it's visible. Not a lot, but enough...

[Steve Clark]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Okay, I'm going to say this and please no one get upset. It's not about you... it's about me.


I wouldn't have the foam on the bottom of my trailer for one reason. IMHO it's ugly and it's visible. Not a lot, but enough...

Now Donna! That just tans my hide!

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Steve Clark

Now Donna! That just tans my hide!

Yeah and I apologized in advance. I guess my warning was directed more to those that are ordering a trailer and have never seen it. If anyone is as visual as I am.. well...

[Greg A]

Donna, I have your back and not for me either. I don’t have any experience with the appearance, but I have a hot tub that has that spray on foam and it’s nasty when I have to dig out that foam to make a simple repair. Won’t ever be spray foam on my trailer, and really am not that convinced that there is a significant or necessary difference at least for our situation and environment.

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by Greg A

Donna, I have your back and not for me either. I don’t have any experience with the appearance, but I have a hot tub that has that spray on foam and it’s nasty when I have to dig out that foam to make a simple repair. Won’t ever be spray foam on my trailer, and really am not that convinced that there is a significant or necessary difference at least for our situation and environment.

Now Greg really doesn't look bad and is easy to remove if needed . It would bug me to see the bottom of the trailer dirty when it isn't new anymore . I would have to clean it too. I have seen what could of been damage to bottom of trailer from something taken pieces out of the foam that could of harmed fiberglass .
It's ok we do to our trailer what makes us happy in the end. Pat

[padlin]

Originally Posted by tdf-texas

Except for the 21'.

And the 5.0TA, at least in 2014.

The only place I recall you can see the foam is the glob around the waste gates. It is ugly but I stopped noticing it long ago.

[cpaharley2008]

Two things, I believe both the 21 and the 5.0 have exposed lines underneath, with the rear dinette there is no way to get the water over to the kitchen. In the E19 they go under the bed.
In addition the first foam was yellow, my 2012E19 had a yellow foam, my 2014E21 was now spray black.

[Allan Bornestig]

Hello Donna D.
Have to agree with you that the spray foam is ugly,Therefore I spent some time this summer to install/glue 2 inch solid foam board under neath after I painted them with black Trem clad.
Have to say it looks darn pretty.Time will tell if the floor gets warmer, have not used trailer in shoulder season since , but will head south trough the Great Basin for the desert in another month or so.The weather was quite warm when I did this job, it seems the foam glue is holding up so far.
Happy Trails to you.
Allan.

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Allan Bornestig

Hello Donna D.
Have to agree with you that the spray foam is ugly,Therefore I spent some time this summer to install/glue 2 inch solid foam board under neath after I painted them with black Trem clad.
Have to say it looks darn pretty.Time will tell if the floor gets warmer, have not used trailer in shoulder season since , but will head south trough the Great Basin for the desert in another month or so.The weather was quite warm when I did this job, it seems the foam glue is holding up so far.
Happy Trails to you.
Allan.

I bookmarked Ron in BCs thread where he also used sheet foam board.... just in case


http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f8...tion-7046.html

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Two things, I believe both the 21 and the 5.0 have exposed lines underneath, with the rear dinette there is no way to get the water over to the kitchen. In the E19 they go under the bed.
In addition the first foam was yellow, my 2012E19 had a yellow foam, my 2014E21 was now spray black.

Jim on our 2013 , 19 Escape sprayed the foam black , what you could see . Pat

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

I bookmarked Ron in BCs thread where he also used sheet foam board.... just in case


http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f8...tion-7046.html

Would also work Donna and a lot cheaper in price . Pat

[Bobbito]

Our foam was painted black and still looks good over 3 years later. Warm flooring and quieter...I would definitely get it again.
Bob K

[stratos175]

This is one of those options had I ordered a new Escape would have the same debate should I get it or not? The 2014 Escape we bought has it and have to agree with Donna it ain't pretty but you can see very little of it unless you bend down to look under the trailer. Had I ordered a new trailer I would do the foam either from the factory or the way some others have done by adding it themselves. Reason I say that is because it is one step in preventing things from getting to cold and better to be safe then sorry. Also I think if you ever sell the trailer most buyers would be OK with it having it and most I think would be glad it did. You know what it cost from the factory, maybe some of the forum members that did their own can tell you about how much that cost and the time it took to do it and then you decide.

Enjoy the journey,

Steve

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by padlin

Add your own rigid foam, its doable

True. I have also done this on a Scamp 16, but the OP asked about water lines. The Escape 19 that Ron in BC did has no water lines underneath and his method is more for floor warmth and doesn't insulate the fresh and gray tanks. If you are on city water with a heated hose then the fresh tank and pump suction line that is exposed doesn't matter anyway, but it does if you are boondocking.

As has been noted the 21 and 5.0 have hot/cold lines that cross underneath and would need to be insulated in some way when doing the rigid foam. Maybe Allan who did his 21 can weigh in on how he dealt with the lines.

Since the OP doesn't indicate his trailer type the above details may be important when deciding on model and/or deciding on the factory spray foam.

[sclifrickson]

Originally Posted by tdf-texas

Except for the 21'.

I wonder if you could fit standard plumbing insulation around the exposed lines, like this stuff, available at pretty much any hardware store

[Perry Butler]

Originally Posted by sclifrickson

I wonder if you could fit standard plumbing insulation around the exposed lines, like this stuff, available at pretty much any hardware store
Attachment 36451

Had we known, either plumbing insulation and/or heat tape would have been added to the bottom of our 5.0 and the tape around the exposed grey/black drain.

Enjoy,

Perry

[Allan Bornestig]

Rubicon 327.
I did not do any insulation on the pipes, might adopt the idea of pipe wrap,should work.
We hardly travel in the real cold, but still like to have a warmer floor.Hence the reason for going this route.We do live on the WET coast.
Cheers
Allan.

[Erik65]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

True. I have also done this on a Scamp 16, but the OP asked about water lines. The Escape 19 that Ron in BC did has no water lines underneath and his method is more for floor warmth and doesn't insulate the fresh and gray tanks. If you are on city water with a heated hose then the fresh tank and pump suction line that is exposed doesn't matter anyway, but it does if you are boondocking.

As has been noted the 21 and 5.0 have hot/cold lines that cross underneath and would need to be insulated in some way when doing the rigid foam. Maybe Allan who did his 21 can weigh in on how he dealt with the lines.

Since the OP doesn't indicate his trailer type the above details may be important when deciding on model and/or deciding on the factory spray foam.

I’ve ordered a 19 and am finalizing the build sheet options.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by sclifrickson

I wonder if you could fit standard plumbing insulation around the exposed lines...

That would slow down the freezing, but with no heat source inside the insulation, water in the lines would still eventually freeze (even with the trailer interior heated). Each line could be regularly flushed by opening a faucet, replacing the chilled water with water of whatever temperature is coming out of the source, but that's a very temporary solution.

A more complete solution would be to run heating tape on the lines, then insulate them, although that's only viable if on shore power.

[tdf-texas]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

That would slow down the freezing, but with no heat source inside the insulation, water in the lines would still eventually freeze (even with the trailer interior heated). Each line could be regularly flushed by opening a faucet, replacing the chilled water with water of whatever temperature is coming out of the source, but that's a very temporary solution.

A more complete solution would be to run heating tape on the lines, then insulate them, although that's only viable if on shore power.

If you wanted a really big mod, you could install a circulating hot water system.

https://www.amazon.com/bayite-BYT-7A...YSM9RKZ96ZB00Q

Install the pump under the sink with the pump inlet connected to a tee in the hot water supply to the faucet and run another hot water line from the pump discharge back to the hot water heater supply. Run the cold water tubing next to the hot water lines with insulation and they would be kept from freezing as well.

You get hot water from the faucet on demand and the lines don't freeze.