freeze thaw

[CrazyCain]

So DW, little dog and I have been at the trailer since Monday and will be leaving on wednesday afternoon, then coming back on friday until New years day. I plan on leaving our 2 small heaters running while we are gone keeping it around 45-50 inside. My wonder is after a week of the trailer being warm inside, with some melting of snow on the roof, some icicles running down the side, ( even though it has been below 12 during the day and minus at night, how does the freeze thaw, warm back to freezing deal effect everything (roof, inside and stuff like that after i shut down when we leave next Monday..... :confused: :hide: :popcorn::popcorn: :(

[ken56]

Good question. I would keep a close eye out for leaks....expansion/contraction on the roof seams and siding. Keep the unit tilted nose high or low for drainage run off. I don't think there is much else you can do.

[CrazyCain]

Good question. I would keep a close eye out for leaks....expansion/contraction on the roof seams and siding. Keep the unit tilted nose high or low for drainage run off. I don't think there is much else you can do.


that's what i will do, hoping the extreme cold will keep the thaw part to a minimum...about 4 inches on the roof...........Thanks Ken

[travelin texans]

I would leave the furnace set at 45-50 to keep lines in the floor from freezing, it should have a furnace duct running into underbelly.

[JRTJH]

Since the plumbing is all winterized and you're not using it, there's no need to keep the RV heated to protect anything. So, using electric heat or the furnace is strictly for "creature comfort" 3 days from now when you get back to the trailer, hoping it won't take hours to rewarm from a "frozen state".... So, the problem (question) that I think you're asking is: "How much ice accumulation can I expect on the roof, how big will the ice grow along the sides of the roof and will that cause any damage to the stuff on the roof or the moldings along the edge?

First, snow typically has 1" of water per 12" of snow. That's for "dry, fluffy stuff" and probably isn't what is on the roof. So, you'll find more water in the snow that's on the roof. The amount will vary depending on what has melted and stayed on the roof vs what dry, fluffy stuff is on top of it. Keeping the interior temp at 45-60 shouldn't cause excessive freezing/thawing on the roof, but there will be some. Typically a waterproof seal will remain waterproof and not allow ice to form in "non-existent cracks". That said, if there is ice formation that pushes the molding away from the surface, you could have some seepage into the crack that may freeze and push things further apart. The "good result" of that is that it will be minimal seepage, so there won't be a continuous leak of water, rather a little bit that freezes and acts as a dam to prevent further leaks. The "problem" comes in the spring. As long as you check your roof once all the ice/snow has melted, reseal anything questionable, I don't think you'll have any significant problems develop from keeping the trailer in an "above freezing temp range" for a few days while you're not there.

In short, I wouldn't worry about it, enjoy the trailer, keep it relatively warm while you're gone for a couple of days, drag the snow off the corners when you get back and hopefully it'll be warm in an hour or so rather than in 5 or 6....

[CrazyCain]

Since the plumbing is all winterized and you're not using it, there's no need to keep the RV heated to protect anything. So, using electric heat or the furnace is strictly for "creature comfort" 3 days from now when you get back to the trailer, hoping it won't take hours to rewarm from a "frozen state".... So, the problem (question) that I think you're asking is: "How much ice accumulation can I expect on the roof, how big will the ice grow along the sides of the roof and will that cause any damage to the stuff on the roof or the moldings along the edge?

First, snow typically has 1" of water per 12" of snow. That's for "dry, fluffy stuff" and probably isn't what is on the roof. So, you'll find more water in the snow that's on the roof. The amount will vary depending on what has melted and stayed on the roof vs what dry, fluffy stuff is on top of it. Keeping the interior temp at 45-60 shouldn't cause excessive freezing/thawing on the roof, but there will be some. Typically a waterproof seal will remain waterproof and not allow ice to form in "non-existent cracks". That said, if there is ice formation that pushes the molding away from the surface, you could have some seepage into the crack that may freeze and push things further apart. The "good result" of that is that it will be minimal seepage, so there won't be a continuous leak of water, rather a little bit that freezes and acts as a dam to prevent further leaks. The "problem" comes in the spring. As long as you check your roof once all the ice/snow has melted, reseal anything questionable, I don't think you'll have any significant problems develop from keeping the trailer in an "above freezing temp range" for a few days while you're not there.

In short, I wouldn't worry about it, enjoy the trailer, keep it relatively warm while you're gone for a couple of days, drag the snow off the corners when you get back and hopefully it'll be warm in an hour or so rather than in 5 or 6....


Thank you John, that is what i wanted to hear. The only reason we did the electric heat thing is so we do have a relatively warm trailer whe we return in 2 days, makes me a bit nervous leaving electric things running while i am 3 hours away..... 1st time doing that...Thanks for the advice on dragging the snow off the corners, there probably is 3+ on the roof. More snow back home here that "Up North" :cool:

[CaptnJohn]

Just be happy not in Erie Pa. They had 34" in 12 hours, 55" in 24 hours and in 2 days 64". That would require work. So glad I moved to "no mo sno" and can leave to where it is even warmer.

[bobbecky]

We had almost a foot of snow a little over two years ago, and we live in the rig full time, and had the icicles and all that, and had no issues or damage. I did get the ladder out and used a plastic snow shovel to remove as much snow as I could reach the week before we had to travel, so the rest could thaw and we could get the slides in.

[sourdough]

Back when, I used a trailer to work out of. I lived in it full time while on the road and spent lots of time in very cold/winter/snowy weather. It was a painl I might be able to full time in a trailer, maybe, but never in cold, snowy weather.