November 12, 2014 (by Angela)

Here we are three nights before our first night in the camper, and an unwelcome guest has flown in for a lengthy stay. Polar Vortex, as the guest is named, has arrived, and temps in Nashville, Tennessee, have dropped significantly from the comfortable 71 of yesterday. Here’s the forecast for the next seven days.

WSMV.com weather forecast

The dilemma is that our new to us 5th wheel, which is supposed to have empty tanks, has not been winterized.  It is still at the RV dealership, and we were told that it costs about $130 for the service department to winterize the camper, which is a large expense for three days. Our salesman recommended turning the propane heat on a low setting and letting it run since filling the propane tanks will be less expensive than winterization for three days and nights. Larry, the salesman, even volunteered to turn the heat on for us before leaving this evening.

We went with Larry’s plan, so now our fingers are crossed that he did not forget to turn the heat on. I’m going to go to the dealership when they open in the morning to make sure the heat is running. While heat is needed tonight, it is absolutely necessary for Thursday and Friday night; we don’t want our first night in the trailer to be one without water.

Mr. Polar Vortex, why could you not wait until a few weeks later to make your unwelcome visit?