Left Texas

[traveler44]

We left San Antonio yesterday and stopped at Ardmore Ok. for the night. The guy running the place said what we need is a heated hose or we could let the water drip all night. When we got up this morning the water wasn't dripping anymore and it was froze up outside. I went to the office and told them that I thought I froze their water up and the lady working there loaned me her hair dryer. I thawed the spigot out and was able to thaw the hoses enough to get them loose. I took them in and left them in the shower to thaw out on the way to Springfield Missouri today. We got settled here about 5:00 P.M. and ran by Home Depot -Ace Hardware and Walmart and got some heat tape and a hair dryer. I made up a shorter hose to fit the heat tape and we plan on letting the water drip again tonight. I have a small heater behind the basement wall by the water pump and when I plugged the truck engine heater in last night I tripped the 15 amp breaker. Most of the outside receptacles and the ones in the front basement are all on the same circuit. I was able to reset the breaker and plug the extension cord for the truck engine heater into the power post for about an hour before we got on the road this morning. Hoping we are set up better tonight because it is going to be colder yet. I have everything plugged in now and the breakers aren't tripping anyway. Tom

 

[Phatkd]

Man you guys are getting SLAMMED with crazy weather down there. We were +9c here today (48f) in Edmonton Alberta.

 

[Wharton]

We use our tanks for water during the cold weather. All we hook up when on the road is electricity, if we are camping for an extended I would get the heat tape but still keep my tanks full. Rather than the heater we use a light bulb behind the UDC(regular bulb) and it works great. Also provides light, if needed, when working behind the UDC.

 

[traveler44]

I propped a wireless thermometer up against the bottom of the wall in the UDC this morning and it is reading 38* so it looks like I'm getting some heat in there. The water that I left dripping is still dripping this morning and I plan on buying some bigger diameter foam pipe insulators later today. I have the 3/4" sized insulators and they don't close all the way around the hose and the heat tape. We normally leave the Bighorn winterized when we are just going to be in the cold for a few days and drink bottled water and flush the toilet with antifreeze but we plan on being here for a couple of weeks at the least. I need to get the winter grade oil in the truck and set up the engine heater on a timer so it just warms it up for a couple of hours in the morning. If we are here very long we will be real winter campers. Tom

 

[danemayer]

Hang a 100-150W flood lamp with reflector over the water pump and add a 60W droplight in the UDC.

 

[olcoon]

Are you still in Springfield? We'll be heading down there Fri. to visit with MIL, then heading to TX Monday.

 

[traveler44]

Hi. Roy yes we plan on being here in site #73 if you can catch us at home come over and say Hi. I don't know if my p.m.s are getting sent or not because it doesn't show a confirmation that they are. Tom