Don't want to winterize!

[wiredgeorge]

Our trailer has a propane only hot water heater and I really have no idea if it is supposed to be 4 season (heated innards on the bottom). If it is heated underneath, I suspect that means more propane as I think the heater is propane. I would also prefer to use a 110V small heater to keep cab temps up as we are on shore power.

Here's the deal. We have guests that stay on our property from time to time and the temps in the winter, here in the Hill Country, sometimes drop into the teens at night. I keep an incandescent light on in my pump shed and a heat temp activated heat strip around the stand pipe on my water tank. In any case, I don't really want to winterize the 5th wheel so what can I do to ensure I don't have exploding pex and fittings (and tanks)? Any suggestions? Anyone in a similar situation? I don't really want to buy rectanle shaped hay bales either as most of the hay in this part of the world is big old rolls.

[Javi]

Our trailer has a propane only hot water heater and I really have no idea if it is supposed to be 4 season (heated innards on the bottom). If it is heated underneath, I suspect that means more propane as I think the heater is propane. I would also prefer to use a 110V small heater to keep cab temps up as we are on shore power.

Here's the deal. We have guests that stay on our property from time to time and the temps in the winter, here in the Hill Country, sometimes drop into the teens at night. I keep an incandescent light on in my pump shed and a heat temp activated heat strip around the stand pipe on my water tank. In any case, I don't really want to winterize the 5th wheel so what can I do to ensure I don't have exploding pex and fittings (and tanks)? Any suggestions? Anyone in a similar situation? I don't really want to buy rectanle shaped hay bales either as most of the hay in this part of the world is big old rolls.I just drain everything and blow the lines out, then pour RV Antifreeze into the p traps. But I don't use my trailer full time.

We do camp several times during the probable freezing times... so it's just easier to do it that way... in fact I'll be doing exactly that tomorrow, since we'll be headed home and not camping again until Christmas...

Javi

[Bisjoe]

Ours does not have a heated underbelly, but they say it has “freeze proof insulation.” Still, I winterized, because if nothing else, the thin plastic low point drain extends well below anything that’s insulated, and it would surely break if it freezes with water in it.

[Eastham]

One winter we winterized it used bottle water. and flushed toilet with either RV antifreeze or winter windshield washer fluid pouring it in the bowl to flush.ran the furnace when we were in it.

[Hodgy]

One winter we winterized it used bottle water. and flushed toilet with either RV antifreeze or winter windshield washer fluid pouring it in the bowl to flush.ran the furnace when we were in it.


Now that's using your noggin !


.

[B-O-B'03]

I have something similar to this (https://www.amazon.com/Camco-36143-Brass-Quick-Connect/dp/B002XL2IEA/), that I built with parts from Home Depot, before I saw the camco version.

I use it to blow out all the water lines with my compressor, one at a time, after I drain everything.

No freeze problems so far and we are entering our third "winter", in North TX.

-Brian

[Canonman]

Our trailer has a propane only hot water heater and I really have no idea if it is supposed to be 4 season (heated innards on the bottom). If it is heated underneath, I suspect that means more propane as I think the heater is propane. I would also prefer to use a 110V small heater to keep cab temps up as we are on shore power.

Here's the deal. We have guests that stay on our property from time to time and the temps in the winter, here in the Hill Country, sometimes drop into the teens at night. I keep an incandescent light on in my pump shed and a heat temp activated heat strip around the stand pipe on my water tank. In any case, I don't really want to winterize the 5th wheel so what can I do to ensure I don't have exploding pex and fittings (and tanks)? Any suggestions? Anyone in a similar situation? I don't really want to buy rectanle shaped hay bales either as most of the hay in this part of the world is big old rolls.

If I understand you right, your trailer is kept on your property and connected to shore power.
You would like to have the trailer ready to accommodate guests as needed.
I'm going to guess you also have culinary water available to the trailer when needed as well as some way to deal with waste water.

While we don't use our Cougar in this scenario, we did own a mountain cabin that we used occasionally during the winter. I'd suggest you could treat your situation similarly.

Our "winterizing" or exit procedure when we left the cabin during the winter, started with turning off the water. (You'll probably want to disconnect the supply hose.) We then drained the water lines using the low point drains. (You could use compressed air, 40 psi, to make sure you get all the water out) We drained the water heater. We pulled and emptied the P traps. (If your waste tanks are used, you'd need to empty those as well.) We then poured some RV antifreeze in the toilet bowl and into the reinstaled P traps just in case.
We did have an electric heater with a thermostat we used but because we were concerned about possible problems with the heater while gone, we stopped using it with no real freezing issues. I'd suggest using your best judgment if you think you need to keep the interior above freezing. IMHO, no water, no problem.
Our whole process took less than an hour. When we came back the "start up" took less than 30 min. It did take a couple of hours for the cabin to warm up enough to be comfortable w/o coats:)
Hope this helps.

[wiredgeorge]

If I understand you right, your trailer is kept on your property and connected to shore power.
You would like to have the trailer ready to accommodate guests as needed.
I'm going to guess you also have culinary water available to the trailer when needed as well as some way to deal with waste water.

While we don't use our Cougar in this scenario, we did own a mountain cabin that we used occasionally during the winter. I'd suggest you could treat your situation similarly.

Our "winterizing" or exit procedure when we left the cabin during the winter, started with turning off the water. (You'll probably want to disconnect the supply hose.) We then drained the water lines using the low point drains. (You could use compressed air, 40 psi, to make sure you get all the water out) We drained the water heater. We pulled and emptied the P traps. (If your waste tanks are used, you'd need to empty those as well.) We then poured some RV antifreeze in the toilet bowl and into the reinstaled P traps just in case.
We did have an electric heater with a thermostat we used but because we were concerned about possible problems with the heater while gone, we stopped using it with no real freezing issues. I'd suggest using your best judgment if you think you need to keep the interior above freezing. IMHO, no water, no problem.
Our whole process took less than an hour. When we came back the "start up" took less than 30 min. It did take a couple of hours for the cabin to warm up enough to be comfortable w/o coats:)
Hope this helps.

That sounds like the best plan. When I went to school up north, I rented and old old Airstream (or similar) we called the Silver Bullet. Since it didn't move, the landlord had somehow plumbed it into the city sewer and the water line attached up under the trailer; never occurred to me to look. Anyway, he bought hay bails and surround the camper so the pipes wouldn't freeze. They did freeze and he fixed them after we whined enough as I recall. $70 a month doesn't buy you a suite at the Hilton...

I use wrap electrical heat wire around the stand pipe on my 3000 gallon water tank to keep it from freezing and some insulation over the standpipe and keep an incandescent light bulb burning all winter in my pump shed and these steps keep the water supply from freezing. When it is seriously cold, we let a tap run just a tad at the far end of all the plumbing as moving water doesn't freeze as quick as standing water in pipes.

[notanlines]

All good ideas above^^^^with one possible exception. "We pulled and emptied the P traps" would be overkill when you can put half a cup of anti-freeze in each and you're done. YMMV

[Canonman]

All good ideas above^^^^with one possible exception. "We pulled and emptied the P traps" would be overkill when you can put half a cup of anti-freeze in each and you're done. YMMV

Agreed this is a bit of "belt and suspenders" overkill, but we did have an occasion when one of the kids emptied their drink cup as we were loading and we had a cracked P trap the next time up. That's when we made it part of the ritual as we backed out of the cabin to antifreeze the toilet and traps. Besides, when the DW asks if I put RV antifreeze down the drains I'd better have the right answer:)

[mfifield01]

Tonight it's calling for a low around 30. I plan to winterize on Sunday, but will probably just set the furnace to lowest set point tonight.

I have reservations for the weekend at a State Park if the family feels like going. I'm getting some push back from the DW about the temps. It's supposed to get up to 56 tomorrow and 65 on Saturday. I'm fine with the daytime highs.