To owners of a 2006 Beaver Monterey coach.  I am posting and inquiry for Robert as he is interested as a potential buyer.  Owners of a 2006 are asked to give him some assistance.  I received the following email from him and am forwarding it on to our club members.  Thanks for your help.  Mandy Canales


"Hello:

I am writing you to ask a few questions from an actual owner of a Beaver Motorhome.  I would appreciate any help you could give us before we leap into rv ownership.  We are contemplating purchasing a 2006 Beaver Monterey Motorhome with an Aqua heat system.  We are planning on living in it during the winter months at certain times during the winter.  In our opinion is this unit winter capable or are there things we should do or resources we should look into to find out if this is possible?

Best regards and thank you in advance for any assistance you can offer,

Robert"

For Robert-

Our 2006 Monterey proved itself winter-capable within weeks of our purchasing it in Bend.  We got caught in a mid-October snow and ice storm in Wyoming in 2006 when I-80 traffic was stopped for most of a day.  We ended up pulling into a Rawlins RV park after dark and in several feet of drifting snow.  The coach negotiated a snow-choked hill to get to the park, got us out of at least one dicey situation, and dealt with several drifts in our path.  We were warm and comfortable the whole time except when I had to go out in the blizzard to disconnect the car from the coach, and dig out the utility post to hook us up.  I can tell you that using frozen fingers on a frozen tow bar that's new and that you're not yet entirely familiar with... well, it's no fun.

I was sure glad to get back in that warm coach.  The HydroHot always keeps us cozy and our water hot.  On the way home from Missouri a month later, we were stopped for a week just east of Denver, again thanks to a snowstorm in the Rockies.  When the storm subsided, Monty Rae once again took us handily over the snowy roads to Utah.  We intended to spend a few days visiting family near Twin Falls before heading home, but guess what?  Another blizzard kept us parked there until after Thanksgiving.  The HydroHot kept the coach and bays warm through over a week of cold and snow, while we used the 4X4 Ford Explorer to run errands and visit scattered families and friends.  

Fearing the water hose might freeze up, I simply filled the water tank, and didn't hook up to the park faucet.  The HydroHot kept the water utilities in the bays from freezing.   I wouldn't leave the coach in constantly freezing conditions and go off somewhere for very long periods;  we set the thermostat at 55 degrees or so if we left for the day, but should for some reason the HydroHot fail while you are gone, the consequences could be bad.  I think the longest we were away from the rig was 12 hours.   You do have to watch the slideout toppers, because snow packing on top will stretch the material over time.  In Twin Falls, I had to get on the roof (carefully!) and remove ice from the toppers before we could retract the slideouts.  I should have used a ladder instead of getting on the roof.  The area between the top of the slideout and the topper would be slightly warmer, so the bottom of the snow would melt, then sometimes refreeze into ice overnight.

If you are going to be paying for a spot in an RV park, you might want to consider a small electric heater.  Should the hydronic system ever konk out on you for some reason, at least you have some sort of minimal backup;  it won't heat the whole coach in subzero weather, though, and some alternative for heating the utility bay should be available just in case.  We use ours in the front of the coach on cold nights, so as to minimize listening to the main HydroHot heaters cycling on and off all night back in the bedroom.  That is one issue many complain about - the noisy heat exchangers.  They can interfere with TV and conversations, and cycle a lot on very cold nights, making sleep difficult for some unless a small heater away from the bedroom is used instead.  There are heat exchangers available that are quieter, but switching them out is not cheap.  

Other than those issues, we've used our coach a lot in winter and stormy conditions, and it serves as a very cozy retreat.  We especially enjoy winter storms on the Oregon Coast.  When the wind gets a bit too much for my liking -45 mph or more, I may close a windward slideout or two, but Monty Rae is our buttress to the storm, and makes the adventure comfortable and enjoyable.  And what better place to be when the weather won't let us go out for a walk or ride?  

-Joel and Lee

We bought our 05 from Beaver Sales of Oregon in 06. It was 10 months old and had 11k on it. Prior to purchase we stopped or followed until they stopped every Monterey (3) we saw. Of course they were newer at the time and everyone would brag about thiers.  We live in ours full time so maintenance is important especially the Hydro hot. We have 4 slides and weigh 32,700 lbs. and 52k on mileage. Prior to Alaska this year we put FSD Koni shocks to stop the porpoising. Super Steer for better handling in headwinds. Check the maintenance records of your new purchase and have fun.  

I cant speat to the Monterey directly (great story Joel).  Our third coach is a Beaver Patriot and even that has had problems.  A good coach still needs maintenance and when it is neglected it shows.   Take some time to review the maintenance log and dont be afraid to ask questions on this forum when something seems out of line.  Allow a budget for after purchase improvements and a few months to get these done and adjusted to your new coach.  Be sure to read the thread on tires and aging as the tread depth is not the measurement fro replacement.
See you down the road and as Jim says "have fun"!

God bless
Keith

I think the original question is if a Monterey with a AquaHot is a good coach for winter living.  It does it well.  But, Richard didn’t say if he meant wintering where it will be below freezing.  

We spent three days in a surprise South Dakota blizzard.  It was 15 degrees and the wind hit 50 mph.  I-90 closed.  A picnic table rolled by the coach an stopped in a snow drift.  The HydroHot provided plenty of warmth.  About mid way into the second day the HydroHot started making an unusual noise that later turned out to be a bearing failure.  I decided I needed a backup to the diesel burner that would prevent freeze damage to the coach and keep us warm in sub 32° weather if there was a HydroHot burner failure.

I bought five small space heaters at Wal-Mart.  I store them deep in the basement in otherwise unused space.  To protect wiring I plan to run them only on “low” for about 8 amps each.  You can plug only two into the regular outlets because of a 30 amp limit on the inverter bypass and the other normal loads on that circuit.  I made an easy modification to the air conditioning circuits so that I could plug in two more heaters there.  I think one heater should go in the basement to prevent freeze damage. The electric option on the Hydro Hot will keep the unit itself from freezing and provide some heat in the front of the coach and tank bay. If it is really cold I can use the washer/dryer plug for the fifth heater.  

With the Aladdin load meters I can keep track of total loads and get up to about 50 amps worth of heat from either the Onan or shore power.  If on a 7500 Onan you have to make sure not to exceed 30 amps per leg.  The battery charger and fridge can provide some surprise loads that can cause the breaker on the genset to trip!  

I’ve tested my backup plan when I’ve felt the need to “exercise” the genset and it works.  Although I’ve had a few HydroHot failures, they were all when it was above freezing, the heat pumps provided enough heat and I had time for repairs.

After I bought the heaters and changed the wiring in the air conditioning circuits someone mentioned that an easier HydroHot backup plan would be to idle the engine like the truckers do.  I have not tested that idea.  

Tell Richard to buy the Monterey and enjoy the winters!

Now that Bill brought it up, I probably should have mentioned the air conditioners' heat pumps as an option.  But they won't work for you in freezing conditions because the outside ambient temperature has to be above a certain point, or there just isn't enough heat out there for the unit to exchange;  I don't have my book handy, but I'm thinking 40-45 degrees is the limit for heat pumps and outside temps - someone else here might know the exact number.

Idling the engine isn't an easier option, financially at least, if you've paid for a camping spot with electric power.  But it is an option in a pinch, since you can circulate hot engine antifreeze to the HydroHot for exchange.   Sitting in one spot for days however, using up diesel, drawing in cold air to the fuel tank, which has more and more airspace in it as you burn fuel -  if the ambient air is dry, not so bad;  but if the relative humidity is up there, the moisture in the air in the tank is more likely to condense out on the cold inside tank surfaces.   To limit water in your fuel , you'll have to keep the tank full, meaning regular trips to the station with the whole coach or 5 gallon container.   It's also a reason that when we've been on the road in our Beaver in inclement weather, I refuel more frequently.  Personally, I wouldn't idle my CAT for extended periods as long as I had electric options.

Using a small heater in a bay, if I absolutely had to, is something I've considered;  but, man, I'd be real careful how I placed it.  The fronts of the heaters can get darn hot - I'd set it on Low only.  And I'd certainly be sure the heater was in good condition, not an older one with questionable wiring.

-Joel

I have an '05 Monterey and the Acqua Heating system.  I have that heat when the temp was down in the low 20's and it worked fine.  However I left that area on the third day because my personal heating system doesn't like cold weather but the Acqua Heat worked well and it kept us warm and toasty.  It did run 80% of the time when the temp start down ward from the low 40's.

Denny Wagaman