What if?

[JBM3M]

Say you are traveling and using the RV but the weather pooped on you and now you have a 4 hour drive thru sub freezing temps.


Do you turn on your heater for this? Keep the hot water heater going?

[flybouy]

One thing to check on your trailer, can you run the furnace with the slides in. On many units the slides cover the floor registers and that can cause the furnace to overheat while running. I wouldn't worry about the water heater as that would be the last thing to freeze. Personally I'd open the low point drains and then drive on.

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by JBM3M

Say you are traveling and using the RV but the weather pooped on you and now you have a 4 hour drive thru sub freezing temps.


Do you turn on your heater for this? Keep the hot water heater going?

I have ran the furnace several times while traveling, didn't worry about the water heater.
As mentioned check that the floor registers aren't covered by the slides, rugs or furniture while the slides are in.

[dutchmensport]

If there is any chance of traveling through freezing conditions, the camper is winterized. If it's approaching that time of year and we are traveling, I always make sure I have on hand, 4-6 gallons of RV anti-freeze. It takes very little effort to winterize the water lines, drain the fresh water tank, and pull the drain plug on the water heater. And the assurance the camper is now freeze proof is worth everything.

We have winterized and unwinterrized as many as 6 times between Dec 1 and April 1 a few times traveling from the Northern states to the Southern states and back again, several times over the course of those months over the last 25 years of RV ownership.

Take care of your camper and it will take care of you. Don't cheap out on maintenance or get lazy or think you can skate by. In the end, it will catch you and bite you in the arse ... every time!

[rhagfo]

Well I would run the furnace, if really worried you could open the low point drains and blow the lines, but no antifreeze. We use to only blow the lines, because many of our winter sites didn't have full hookups, so no where to flush the antifreeze out.

[fjr vfr]

Originally Posted by JBM3M

Say you are traveling and using the RV but the weather pooped on you and now you have a 4 hour drive thru sub freezing temps.


Do you turn on your heater for this? Keep the hot water heater going?

Personally 4 hours isn't even worth worrying about. That is unless you're talking about sub zero temps. I've driven through areas for hours at about 20 deg's and never did anything with no issues.
We've overnighted with nighttime temps in the twenties and maybe a slight dip into the teens without issue. Now that doesn't apply to continues day after day long below freezing temps. We are talking up to 12 hours or so you shouldn't have any problems. It takes a while for things to freeze up especially if your trailer has an enclosed belly.

[travelin texans]

If by chance your rv claims to be 4 Seasons, Artic, Polar or some other gimmicky name supposedly good in all 4 seasons, just know it's a sales gimmick.
Yes they are good in 4 seasons in Florida, Arizona or the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. Any further north you need some serious winterizing or expect frozen pipes & needing LOTS of propane to stay warm.
Traveling on the highway for a few hours you should be fine, but wouldn't recommend towing on snow or icy roads, it's dangerous enough not towing in those conditions.