Camping in Winter

If you are camping during the winter months, and the temperature gets down to freezing during the night, how do you prevent damage to your water system?

Whenever we camp in temps below freezing, we load fresh water into the tank and disconnect the hose at night, using the pump and water in the tank. This keeps the hose from freezing and can be connected again in the morning when temps are up.

We have a Bighorn so our underbelly is sealed and has heat vents. We run the furnace at night to make sure heat is getting into the belly...we've never had a problem with freezing and have had nights down into the mid-teens...works for us!

I am currently camping in easteren Ohio and it has been as low as 28. All I do is leave the heat on. Keep it around 45 to 50 is where I set mine at. I also have a water hose that has heat tape on it for the supply hose. So far has worked for me.

I have used the heat tape for a couple years now in coordination with the heater and no issues. I have had it only down to probably high teens at worst however. (North Georgia mountains)

If I leave for 2-3 days or more I turn-off the main water, disconnect all my hoses (Except fresh water) to allow them to drain. Open all drain valves then leave all faucets (Cold & Hot) open. The heat tape and the fresh water still all connected (But OFF) for a rather hasty set-up upon my return. The inside heater turned to 45 degrees. There is a ceramic electric heater I use also that I use in conjunction with the propane heater to balance $$$/heating the lower tanks with common sense.

This method has never "froze" in me.

We too have heat tape on the freshwater hose, set the thermostat at 63-68 degrees, and no issues with the water system. if it get really cold (<20) I would fill the fresh water tank and close the dump valves for the grey tanks and use the tank heaters (we ordered with the trailer) to keep the tanks all warm.

2010augusta said:

We too have heat tape on the freshwater hose, set the thermostat at 63-68 degrees, and no issues with the water system. if it get really cold (<20) I would fill the fresh water tank and close the dump valves for the grey tanks and use the tank heaters (we ordered with the trailer) to keep the tanks all warm.

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Did they install the heaters at the factory? If they were a listed option I would have got them as well.

jvblade said:

Did they install the heaters at the factory? If they were a listed option I would have got them as well.

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Yes, the tank heaters are an option on the Landmarks, I don't know about the other trailers. We have yet to use/need them. This morning it was 24 and our insulated hose was fine without the heat tape turned on.

I use our 3055RL for staying in while working out of town, winter months included. I use a self regulating heat tape on the fresh hose connecting to the unit. I have 2 layers of 4ft long pipe insulation over the hose until hose is covered fully then wraped with black ductape so it will soak up some sunlight. I have had different brands of campers and so far they have all had hose off the furnance going to the holding tanks and blowing on them. I took my bottom off and put 1 inch foil back on bottom of floor and side of frame as to increase the R- value. I also put some more fiberglass lightly up the rear bumper if you will call it. This area going to tail lights was very thin on insulation, I could stick my hand up the rear wall and feel almost no insulation. I then took the basement storage walls out to access the wiring, hot water heater I attached 1 inch foil to the walls there to as well as used fiberglass lightly under the stairs around hotwater heater. Then also I used several cans of spray foam insulationto seal up the underbelly and holes in the frame. This has worked very well for me.