Mild freeze for full timers

[bsnider]

I am looking for some advice and comments on dealing with freezing temperatures while living in the RV. For very cold weather, we will move south to get away from it, but, below freezing at night, towing in freezing weather and an occasional dusting of snow is something we expect to experience.​

Can we safely tow with the furnace on? What about that hose under the RV that is used to dump the fresh water. I would like to keep my fresh water, but I can see it freezing while towing, damaging the valve and then when the temperature climbs above freezing, I lose all my fresh water.

Any comments from those with experience will be appreciated.

 

[HappyKayakers]

We're stationary in freezing weather so our situation is obviously different. I'm not sure your freshwater would actually freeze on the road since the water would mostly be sloshing around.

 

[Midastouch]

I have concerns also ...

I am also stationary and wondered/worried about some of the water issues. I have been in 32 degree or so for a few nights so far but know that it can/will get into the teens a few nights here. I'd be interested in knowing about the same issues which may help me also.

 

[Goldenwingers]

First off, we're not Heartland owner's yet, our current 5vr isn't even underpinned and we have no heated tanks. In mid October we got caught in an early snow and freeze in Michigan. We woke up the morning we were to leave with two inches of snow and 29 degrees. The only thing frozen was the CG's faucet and our water hose. We used the blow dryer to thaw them and packed and were out of there about 11:00 AM. We then drove in freezing weather and snow for approximately four hours, in temps down to 26 degrees. We sufferd no freezing problems in our unit. All was well when we pulled into Elkhart, IN that afternoon. Hope this will help to alleviate some of your fears.

 

[Midastouch]

The only concern I had was the water hose and its exposure from the faucet to the coach. I put some of that foam tubing along with some wrap from the faucet to the ground where the hose is coiled up. I temporarily covered the hose on the ground with a blanket (the cat loves it and adds to keeping the hose warm!) and placed some more foam on the other end going into the coach. I assume the water manifold compartment stays warm enough with a vent on the cold water side that is heated by the furnace ( I could be wrong) I could always fill the fresh water tank and turn the heating pads for the holding tanks. I am just concerned about having water in the AM to shower for work, etc.... I'm very comfortable with the furnace capability and keeping me comfy when the cold gets here. It's the water coming into the coach I am concerned about and it looks like I will find out this weekend with 27 degrees forecasted for a few mornings!

I have already appreciated the decision I made to get the fireplace, as it has kept the chill off several nights and mornings already. I also use a small ceramic heater with a thermostat and have been able to keep the furnace/propane use to a minimum.

 

[HappyKayakers]

The only concern I had was the water hose and its exposure from the faucet to the coach. I put some of that foam tubing along with some wrap from the faucet to the ground where the hose is coiled up. I temporarily covered the hose on the ground with a blanket (the cat loves it and adds to keeping the hose warm!) and placed some more foam on the other end going into the coach. I assume the water manifold compartment stays warm enough with a vent on the cold water side that is heated by the furnace ( I could be wrong) I could always fill the fresh water tank and turn the heating pads for the holding tanks. I am just concerned about having water in the AM to shower for work, etc.... I'm very comfortable with the furnace capability and keeping me comfy when the cold gets here. It's the water coming into the coach I am concerned about and it looks like I will find out this weekend with 27 degrees forecasted

I'm not sure how low the foam padding will protect to. We bought a shorter hose just for the winter, applied heat tape and insulation. Works great when I remember to plug in the heat tape
Just finished wrapping the whole house filter in R-13 insulation so hopefully that won't crack. We also use the ceramic heater in the bedroom, keeps it nice and toasty in there.

 

[Midastouch]

I use the heater on my kitchen island and have found that the bedroom stays the warmest as the heat rises and travels up into the bedroom. We thought the placement of the thermostat for the coach was in a strange place, on the wall at the top of the bedroom steps .... the temperature up there is very different than the temp in the living room area and if I slide the bedroom door shut the thermostat obviously registers the bedroom temp. I'm still trying to figure out how to make adjustments (heat and air) in order to keep the coach comfortable. I have 2 heat pump units in the coach and when I run the bedroom unit, (heat or air) it sure effects the thermostat reading for the main unit, so .....

 

[tdharley]

If all else fails you could leave one of the inside faucets "trickling " water.

Remember, running water cannot freeze.

 

[Midastouch]

I thought about that too ... it would trickle down into the tank and them flow through my macerator pump, through the bypass hose and into the septic tank that I'm piped out to underground .... I think I will be ok ... looks like I will find out tomorrow!

 

[SmokeyBare]

Ruth Ann,

We are staying in Atlanta GA area until early January and we've done this before in our older Fifthwheel. Most days are mild but the nights at times drop below freezing. Those nights I disconect the hose at the faucet as well as at the RV. I then drain most of the water from the hose by walking along it lifting as I go which empties most of the water. This makes easier to hook up again with out lce blocking the flow. I too have my hose covered with a foam insulation tube. I have a heat tape also but have not attached it to the hose. It won't take long to stretch and tape it along the hose.

I never leave our gray water valves open. I drain all tanks together. I feel that a larger volumn of waste water in the tanks will takes longer to freeze than just a thin layer of water in the bottom of the tanks.

We use two electric heaters when it gets real cold but most times just one does the job. When the temperatures drop below freezing I will set the furnace so it will come on when the electric heater just can't quite keep up. So far... No problems.

Should I get worried.... I then open the cabinet doors to the plumbing , allowing more heat to enter those areas.... and I have the furnace cycle more often. Remember if you allow the blower on the furnace to run... it takes warmer air into the basement which helps warm the holding tanks area as well. I also have two pillows I slip into the ceiling vents to help better insulate those areas.

Our New BigHorn is far better insulated than our old rig.... Thank You Heartland !

 

[Jay Pearsall]

In our old travel trailer, Jay used to run a rope light (the kind people use at Christmas or for kitchen lighting) under the foam insulation tube over the hose. In inexpensive heat source that worked great. The outdoor hose never froze again.

 

[radman1420]

I set my fiancee up in Harrisburg Pa last Oct - Dec and she had several freezing mornings. I wrapped the hose with heat tape and then wrapped the long pipe foam insulation and then sealed with duct tape. She would plug it in when temps were even borderline freezing and she never had a single problem. The problem she did have was the sewer drain pipe. I didnt even consider that freezing but it did! This year I will probably get a gutter section and run heat tape in the bottom and then lay the sewer hose on that? Who knows we will see how it works.

Brad

 

[Dharma]

Thought I'd chime in as we have had some experience with living in our 5th wheel in extreme cold temps. We lived in our 2007 Landmark GC from December 2006 until September 2007. We had lows of -40 C living in nortern Alberta, Canada. All we did to prepare was wrap the water hose with insulted form and heat tape and we skirted around the unit with insulted foil and placed a ceramic heater under the belly. We experience no freezing of pipes and we were warm and comfortable all winter long. We used our fireplace often just because it added such a warm feeling. These units are really well insulated. We were certainly pleased.

 

[spankyandbrandysniffer]

more questions on protecting our pipes from cold

We are fulltiming in south Tx right now but need to go back up north Tx to finish up emptying our house and getting it on the market. We will be away from our 5er for a few days and are worried about the freezing temps at night and our pipes. It will still be plugged in at the RV park and the heater going but we're concerned what might happen if the propane runs out before we get back. Our propane has been lasting us around 3 days in this kind of weather but not sure if we'll be gone longer than that. Has anybody had this issue come up? Should we disconnect the water completely at the faucet and drain the pipes and tanks as well as possible before leaving just in case?

 

[jpmorgan37]

Brandy;
Turn the thermostat as low as possible, put a lamp with a 25 watt bulb in the basement and another in the udc, disconnect the water hose, open you cabinet doors under sinks and you should be just fine.
John

 

[Goldenwingers]

Might also put a small electric heater in the trailer. At the least it will make the propane last longer. We run one in ours in Alabama and the 40 lb. tank last a month this past December with temps down in the teens for a few nights.

Don

 

[spankyandbrandysniffer]

Thanks JP and Golden. Those sound like really good ideas. We've got both here so we'll try that.

 

[kakampers]

We too are very pleased with the insulation in our Bighorn...much better than our previous Holiday Rambler.

We are in Ft. Worth right now, and the nights have been getting down into the thirties. We are using the fireplace and small electric heater to supplement the furnace, and it is really stretching our propane usuage quite alot. We are expecting the temps to get into the twenties starting tomorrow night. To prepare we've loaded the fresh water tank and will disconnect the water hose before dark and drain it. By keeping the furnace at 62, and adding the heaters when necessary, we will be able to keep the belly warm and protect the tanks and water lines. Have done this in the past and it works quite well. Would use the foam insulation and heat tape if we we're going to have cold temps for a long period, however. Since it's only a couple of nights this system works great!

Can't say enough about how comfortable this rig is...these temps in the HR and I'd be wrapped in a blanket and freezing to death, even with the fireplace and heater! Man I love this Bighorn!