How cold is too cold?

[Nbomar]

I'm camping this weekend outside of Memphis to see some family in my Road Warrior 415. Tomorrow night shows a forecasted low of 28. Is there anything I need to do to make sure I don't have any issues with frozen pipes or something similar? My guess is it won't be below freezing except for a few hours, but being that I've never camped when it was anywhere near this temperature, I wanted to check and see what people suggested. Usually I'm worried about the AC keeping up. Haha

Thanks,
Nick.


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[danemayer]

Keep the furnace running to heat the underbelly.

Add water to the fresh tank and empty your hose so it doesn't freeze.

If you have a residential refrigerator, there are exterior components of the water feed line that must be evacuated. The poly line will freeze and be damaged as soon as temps go below freezing. See the Residential Refrigerator Guide for info on how to protect the line.

 

[klindgren]

Keep the furnace running to heat the underbelly.

Add water to the fresh tank and empty your hose so it doesn't freeze.

If you have a residential refrigerator, there are exterior components of the water feed line that must be evacuated. The poly line will freeze and be damaged as soon as temps go below freezing. See the Residential Refrigerator Guide for info on how to protect the line.

Good point Dan. I was wondering what people do, who have the ice maker residential refer. I notice a lot of folks camp in the winter months. Do they disconnect their ice makers and drain the lines, then use store bought ice??

 

[Diamondjim]

Our Dometic has ice cube trays - just sayin. They seem to freeze up all the time.
Oh wait, that's what they're supposed to do.

Sorry, my mind runs crazy too much, anymore.

 

[danemayer]

Good point Dan. I was wondering what people do, who have the ice maker residential refer. I notice a lot of folks camp in the winter months. Do they disconnect their ice makers and drain the lines, then use store bought ice??

We have the Dometic RM1350 with the water feed line routed under the slide. A couple of years ago we went to a Spring rally west of Ft. Worth, TX. Temps were supposed to be in the 60s and 70s. Temps never got above 50 that whole week. The last 2 nights went below freezing. I had just de-winterized the refrigerator water feed line before the rally, and had to re-winterize it before temps dropped. Since then I've just left it winterized.

A few people have added an air fitting after the water feed line cutoff so they can more easily evacuate just the refrigerator line in case temps drop.

I'd guess a lot of people are just hoping for the best. Given all the posts about leaking poly lines, I'm not sure that's a good idea.

 

[Dean-Pam]

Our Dometic has ice cube trays - just sayin. They seem to freeze up all the time.
Oh wait, that's what they're supposed to do.

Sorry, my mind runs crazy too much, anymore.

Haha...

 

[JohnD]

A lot of people have been using counter top ice makers purchased at Lowe's, Home Depot and Camping World.

 

[Nbomar]

I have a counter top ice machine. RV fridge. So just keep my furnace going and use tank water instead of a hose?


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[danemayer]

I have a counter top ice machine. RV fridge. So just keep my furnace going and use tank water instead of a hose?


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Yes - but many RV fridges have ice makers and a water feed line that's routed under the slide. If you have this and don't evacuate the water from that line and close the cutoff valve, you could end up with a water leak. If you're lucky, the water will leak outside. If not lucky you could have a more serious problem.

The cutoff valve location will vary by model and floor plan. Sometimes it's under a kitchen counter. Sometimes it's behind the Universal Docking Center (UDC).

 

[Nbomar]

No ice maker in my fridge. I have trays I fill with water.


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[wdk450]

I just went through about 3 freezing nights (26 degrees) here in Northern California at at an altitude of only about 700 feet. My shore water hose froze up all 3 nights, but I was able to meet my minimal water needs with water from my tank with the pump all 3 mornings. The shore water started flowing again about midmorning. I could not leave a faucet trickling overnight to prevent external hose freeze-up due to the fact that my site has no sewer connection, and I worried about overflowing my holding tanks. The trickle method HAS worked for me in the past in 15 degree overnight conditions.

 

[JohnD]

At our last campout back in October west of Gunnison, Colorado (altitude around 8000 feet above sea level) we had freezing temps every night.

I unhooked the hose from both the trailer and the water spicket and blew out the hose at night and used the fresh water tank for those 'midnight runs'!

 

[wdk450]

At our last campout back in October west of Gunnison, Colorado (altitude around 8000 feet above sea level) we had freezing temps every night.

I unhooked the hose from both the trailer and the water spicket and blew out the hose at night and used the fresh water tank for those 'midnight runs'!

John:
Do you use a water filter outside? I think it would be hard to blow out all of that volume.

Actually, the first night of the freezing nights siege, I went outside at about 10 o'clock when it was near freezing and disconnected the shore water hose from the trailer. I then let the hose trickle to the ground overnight (I have a shutoff valve at the trailer connection end of the shore hose that I could turn down to just a trickle). The shore hose did not freeze up that night, and I think the low temp was 28.

BTW, I am in a 30 amp space, and was able to stay cozy with just my electric heaters (and my electric blanket) without using any propane.

 

[Nbomar]

Well, here we go... Picked the trailer up and it appears the battery is shot. Sucks, I keep it plugged in on a surge protector while at storage. 3rd battery in 2 years.


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[danemayer]

Do you check the battery water level monthly? If the water is boiling off, and the level gets below the top of the plates, the battery can be ruined. Normally water doesn't boil off that quickly, but if you have a problem with the Power Converter, it could.

 

[JohnD]

John:
Do you use a water filter outside? I think it would be hard to blow out all of that volume.

Yes . . . I disconnected it from the spicket and placed it in a pale so the water could run out, then put it in the basement out of the cold.

 

[Birchwood]

Four degrees below freezing and as you say only for a few hours.Just let your tap drip all night because you don't want slush in your hose for coffee the next morning.
No hard freeze ,furnace on some in the night and you will be fine.The only thing you need to worry about is if the temps drop below freezing at 2100 hours and continue.

 

[Nbomar]

Got the bathroom faucet dripping a bit and leaving the electric water heater on also to help keep some water warm. Generator is running with the furnace going. We are dry camping so don't want to run too much into the tanks.


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[Nbomar]

Do you check the battery water level monthly? If the water is boiling off, and the level gets below the top of the plates, the battery can be ruined. Normally water doesn't boil off that quickly, but if you have a problem with the Power Converter, it could.

Never thought to check it. After I saw your message I went and it was bone dry. I popped all the caps and filled all the cells. Got it up and running on genset with the battery a few hours later. Good call! Thanks!


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[beck-mark]

we camp in winter months in Carolinas all the time and for 28 degrees I normally don't do anything special. if expecting mid 20s I use a tarp or sometimes just leaves to cover my water line. if low 20s or below then I unhook water line like said above. one day im going to get one of those fancy heated water lines.