Below freezing

[G-town]

We are traveling from South Texas to Yuma next week. Our first stopover will be 27degrees at night. Do we hook up and keep water running in the rig?

or
Do we fill up the fresh water tank and use that instead of hooking up?

Advice is appreciated?

 

[travelin2]

Use from your FW tank. Make sure your furnace runs periodically during the night and you'll be fine.
Issues arise from prolonged exposure to below freezing temps.


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[JohnD]

I generally only keep about 1/3 tank of fresh water in the tank and unhook the hose from both the trailer and the spicket if the temp is going to get below 35 degrees.

 

[Lynn1130]

Unless you are able to wrap the hose from the bib to your UDC and you have heat tape should it go lower than 27 you are probably better off to fill the tanks and work from them. 4 or 5 hours of 27 might cause an issue. Short periods probably will not be but the tank is better below freezing.

 

[G-town]

Thanks!

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Thanks so much.

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Hi Lyle,
Guess we should keep the cabinets open under the sinks at night?

 

[travelin2]

Thanks!

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Thanks so much.

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Hi Lyle,
Guess we should keep the cabinets open under the sinks at night?

No reason to open cabinets at 25* for an overnight stop!!! Others have been at it longer the us, but we've had our share of nights below freezing, with several back to back, no problems. I only mentioned making sure your furnace runs to keep some heat in the underbelly. Some folks only run the fireplace or electric heaters because electricity is part of the overnight fee, but that doesn't keep the underbelly above freezing.
Food for thought, a cold stiff northerly wind at 28-30* would be more of a concern than 20* on a calm clear night... Just sayin!

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[rxbristol]

I now keep a wireless thermometer in the belly, near the UDC and water pump, to monitor temperature. What has surprised me is how much warmer it is now that I've taped, foamed, and chalked all frame openings. We've had nights in the mid-twenties, and the lowest belly temperature was 53 degrees...that's with the propane running, of course. I have an infrared light in the belly just in case the temperature goes into the teens.

 

[RoadJunkie]

Remember that the forecast is what they expect...weather is what you get. It won't hurt to plan for a little colder than forecast. Don't leave your valves open, probably unnecessary advise but just in case.

 

[TravelTiger]

We are currently in New Mexico, where nightly temps are in the 20s. Most parks will not allow you to be hooked to water if temp is below freezing, so we are running off the fresh tank.

I have never left cabinets open. The interior of the RV is usually not a problem. It's the lines in the underbelly and behind the basement wall. If you are just dipping into freezing temps at night, I think as mentioned, run furnace periodically overnight should do fine.


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[travelin2]

We are currently in New Mexico, where nightly temps are in the 20s. Most parks will not allow you to be hooked to water if temp is below freezing, so we are running off the fresh tank.



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Yep. Been too in parks that have said "fill your water tank. Turning the water off tonight because temps are dropping below freezing".




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[danemayer]

We are traveling from South Texas to Yuma next week. Our first stopover will be 27degrees at night. Do we hook up and keep water running in the rig?

or
Do we fill up the fresh water tank and use that instead of hooking up?

Advice is appreciated?

Temperature at your campsite could vary quite a bit from the forecast temperature. Here's a picture of our temps this morning. Note the significant difference between the "official" reading in town versus the reading closest to us.
Temp near us is 7 (F). Official temp in town is -8 (F). 15 degree difference over a distance of 5 miles.

 

[CaptnJohn]

WoW!! and I'm cranky as we will see highs in the 50s and lows in the upper 30s next week from 76 today (52 overnight). Leaving the SE coast of NC for Florida for a month after New Years.

Temperature at your campsite could vary quite a bit from the forecast temperature. Here's a picture of our temps this morning. Note the significant difference between the "official" reading in town versus the reading closest to us.
Temp near us is 7 (F). Official temp in town is -8 (F). 15 degree difference over a distance of 5 miles.

View attachment 42125

 

[justafordguy]

I have a question for you guys that see way colder temps than I do here in Florida. I know If I'm using electric heaters to keep the inside warm and save propane that the underbelly area doesn't get heated. My question is, what if I was to run the furnace fan on low with the thermostat set lower that the inside temp so the heat doesn't turn on, would the belly get some heat from the inside of the trailer through the furnace return vent?

 

[danemayer]

I have a question for you guys that see way colder temps than I do here in Florida. I know If I'm using electric heaters to keep the inside warm and save propane that the underbelly area doesn't get heated. My question is, what if I was to run the furnace fan on low with the thermostat set lower that the inside temp so the heat doesn't turn on, would the belly get some heat from the inside of the trailer through the furnace return vent?

The thermostat FAN setting doesn't affect the furnace. If you do set the thermostat FAN to LOW, the air conditioner fans will run. If the thermostat set point is lower than the ambient temperature at the thermostat, the furnace will not get the signal to start and it won't run and won't circulate any air to the underbelly. The air conditioner fans will not move any air into the underbelly.

 

[justafordguy]

The thermostat FAN setting doesn't affect the furnace. If you do set the thermostat FAN to LOW, the air conditioner fans will run. If the thermostat set point is lower than the ambient temperature at the thermostat, the furnace will not get the signal to start and it won't run and won't circulate any air to the underbelly. The air conditioner fans will not move any air into the underbelly.

Thanks Dan, that's to bad. Looks like I need to wire in a switch to the furnace fan to manually turn it on.

 

[danemayer]

Thanks Dan, that's to bad. Looks like I need to wire in a switch to the furnace fan to manually turn it on.

I doubt that'll work. It's not a closed system where the blower will recirculate just the air from inside the coach. You'll probably end up pushing cold air into both the coach and the underbelly. Also, a wiring modification might be more difficult than you imagine.

 

[Bones]

I don't know what your thermostats look like but don't you have a option to have the fan just run and not on auto. The heater fan.

 

[JohnD]

I don't know what your thermostats look like but don't you have a option to have the fan just run and not on auto. The heater fan.

I know that on our 2015 Heartland Prowler that when we put the thermostadt on high or low that it runs the air conditioner . . .

While that doesn't make sense . . . it is what it is!

You have to learn the system and use it as is!