I’m utilizing a backup plan for today. I’m currently in a Super 8 Hotel, enjoying the luxuries of thermostatically controlled heat, unlimited electricity and unlimited hot running water.
Propane heat has a side effect: Moisture. Normally, one is told to “crack a window or two” to help mitigate the moisture issue and for proper ventilation. In my case though, with a virtually uninsulated trailer, I had to run the heat on full blast, all the time to try to keep it warm enough. Doing so created a lot of moisture build-up. So much so that it was actually dripping off of the ceiling vents, the windows, and any other exposed metal parts, even with two windows partially opened. If I partially opened a vent as well, that helped reduce the humidity levels a bit, but the temperature quickly dropped and the heater was no longer able to keep up.
There was no winning this fight today. My choices were to either be almost warm enough (and very wet) tonight with the heat on, or shut the heat off and be in a possibly dangerously-cold situation (the predicted low temperature tonight is 14°F), or throw in the towel and get a hotel for tonight. The towel has been thrown.
My trailer, even when it’s completed, is not designed for or intended to be used in such cold temperatures. That’s not its purpose. I intend on following nice weather where minimal heating or cooling is required. But, leaving MN on January 1st isn’t exactly conducive to those ideals.
Super 8 got almost $80 out of me (including taxes), and I got refuge for the night. Tomorrow will be a new day.
I am living vicariously by reading your daily journals. You do a great job describing all your travails – hope you hit warmer climes soon – this morning it was – 11 degrees with a wind chill of -30, brrrrr! Needless to say, we don’t go outside to frolic in the snow. Good luck, G’ma.