Freezing weather question

[jamesfamilytx]

This is our first year to own a travel trailer, and we currently have it parked at a full hook-up site in a state park in Texas. We are not there full time, and we're going to have a freeze (upper 20s) during a few days when we're not staying there. It will warm up into the 40s during the days. Is it best to leave the furnace on? Leave water on or disconnect? Drain all tanks? Don't want to take a chance of pipes freezing and just not sure what needs to be done! Thanks.

Beth and Dennis James
2013 Keystone Bullet 248RKS
Austin, TX

[Festus2]

Beth & Dennis -

If you really don't want to take any chances of your water lines and pump freezing, then you might consider doing a complete winterization of your RV. This would mean draining all of the water lines, pumping in RV antifreeze (or blowing the lines out with air) and follow the other usual steps of winterizing.

You might get by if you were to run the furnace or have some space heaters running. If you are there and using space heater(s), I'd have one directed at the water pump and the nearby water lines. One placed in a storage compartment where water lines are visible might be something to consider but you need to ensure that it is not placed near anything inflammable. Opening bottom cupboard doors/drawers or removing panels might help in exposing some water lines to the heated interior and the warmer air.

If you don't do a complete winterization, I'd be concerned about the tank valves and other check-type valves in the city water inlet and the black tank flush system. There isn't much you can do about getting any "heat" to the tank valves and I certainly wouldn't place any trust whatsoever in Keystone's "heated underbelly" claim, Arctic/Polar gimmicky, misleading labels or in the insulation - or lack of - that they place in that area.

Frozen water lines aren't something you want to experience. It can be an expensive fix.
You might be okay or you should be alright without doing a complete winterization. However, you will be okay if you do.

[BulletOwner1]

We just returned from Fernley NV where the temps went to close to zero a couple of nights so we have some experience. My suggestion would be to leave water in your system, disconnect the city water supply, turn your water pump off, leave your water heater off, leave your furnace turned on but maybe turned down to 50/55. This presupposes that you have the "Thermal Package" on your TT which provides some, but not much, protection. You will need the furnace on to provide heat to not only the TT but the underbelly. If your Thermal package is like on my Bullet you have a covered underbelly, a larger furnace and some ducted heat to your tanks. For low's in the upper 20's this (here's this word again) should be sufficient. I would leave the pump and WH off because in case a pipe did freeze and rupture you wouldn't burn up either the water heater or pump. I don't run an electric space heater when not in the trailer. First it decreases the time the furnace runs so less heat to the underbelly and space heaters can fail with bad consequences.

[jamesfamilytx]

Thanks, friends! Don't want to take chances but also hate to do a complete weatherization because realistically it's only going to be in the upper 20s for a few hours on one or two nights. And we are out there several nights a week, so the trailer is not sitting empty for any length of time.

[therink]

If you are going to leave water innthese system and furnace running, leave all inside lower cabinet doors openso that they receive as much heat from the heated cabin air as possible.

[hankaye]

jamesfamilytx, Howdy;

At a minimum I'd disconnect the City water supply hose, open the water
taps (prevents any freezing from creating the pressure to burst a waterline),
in addition to opening cabinets and drawers I'd also open any access panels
that gain access to the water system (allows more cabin air in to warm
water lines). If you are leaving the furnace on to warm the RV, I'd leave the
Hot Water tank on using the propane (it won't use that much), to prevent the
water in it from freezing.
I would NOT use an electric space heater in my RV unless I'm there ... to many
Murphys on the face of this Planet.
A few basic common sense ideas, think it through, and you should be fine.

hankaye

[Javi]

Being someone who lives around the area I'd suggest that you get a small air compressor and just disconnect the city water, empty the fresh water and other holding tanks including the hot water heater and then blow the lines out and dump the low point drains. It'll take about 30 minutes and then you'll be safe even if it gets down a little lower.

[BulletOwner1]

Originally Posted by Javi

Being someone who lives around the area I'd suggest that you get a small air compressor and just disconnect the city water, empty the fresh water and other holding tanks including the hot water heater and then blow the lines out and dump the low point drains. It'll take about 30 minutes and then you'll be safe even if it gets down a little lower.

If you're going to go that far put some antifreeze in the traps also......

[jamesfamilytx]

We will get the hang of it and hope for few freezes the rest of the winter. Everything's disconnected/drained tonight and furnace is on. We'll be out there for next weekend's predicted cold snap so I won't be so worried about it!

Thanks again,
Beth and The Gang

[mikell]

Cupboard doors open oil filled heater on low you should be fine

[jamesfamilytx]

Update...trailer did fine in the upper and mid 20s. We were not staying there and had drained everything and left hear on low. Back out there to stay the next two nights. First night, low 20s, wrapped outside pipes, let faucets drip (cold water) toasty inside with furnace on, cabinets open. Woke up to no hot water in bathroom (shower or faucet). Cold was fine. Put electric heater under the trailer. Quickly thawed. Next night, same routine only left cold AND hot dripping. Temps in upper teens that night, and same thing happened--lines to hot water in bathroom froze. Easily and quickly thawed with electric heater underneath and nothing leaking, thank goodness, but it sure scared us! Not too impressed with Keystone's "thermal package." Thankfully, it rarely gets that cold here. Will winterize and dry camp if it drops so low again, even if just for one night! 80 degrees today, glad to be out in my kayak.

Beth and Dennis James
Austin, TX
Hanging out at Palmetto State Park
2013 Bullet 248RKS

[B&T]

Similar in our Passport, two nights in low 20's, dripped water both nights but the hot water in bathroom sink & shower froze up both nights. Turned up TT furnace and ran heater in bathroom, thawed within 10 minutes.

[FullTimer]

Originally Posted by jamesfamilytx

Update...trailer did fine in the upper and mid 20s. We were not staying there and had drained everything and left hear on low. Back out there to stay the next two nights. First night, low 20s, wrapped outside pipes, let faucets drip (cold water) toasty inside with furnace on, cabinets open. Woke up to no hot water in bathroom (shower or faucet). Cold was fine. Put electric heater under the trailer. Quickly thawed. Next night, same routine only left cold AND hot dripping. Temps in upper teens that night, and same thing happened--lines to hot water in bathroom froze. Easily and quickly thawed with electric heater underneath and nothing leaking, thank goodness, but it sure scared us! Not too impressed with Keystone's "thermal package." Thankfully, it rarely gets that cold here. Will winterize and dry camp if it drops so low again, even if just for one night! 80 degrees today, glad to be out in my kayak.

Beth and Dennis James
Austin, TX
Hanging out at Palmetto State Park
2013 Bullet 248RKS

Is the bathroom on the rear end of the trailer? Just curious thanks.

On my 2002 Sprinter, I found a weakness in the way the lines were run on the rear bathroom. The difference between three and four season. Tracing from the right rear corner of the trailer, also an outside shower there, the piping (cold and hot) drops under the trailer, then snakes back up to the vanity, along the back wall, where the city water also ties in to T's there, then drops back below the floor, to the bathtub, coming back up through the floor again. I found the lines were run along the bottom back edge of the back wall, a narrow void or chase, held up with only some fabric tape. NO chance of surviving an extreme cold weather event, especially with hard winds, without running water.

I ended up taking insulation and stuffing up into the void, to help protect the lines for now. But the real solution would be to rerun the lines inside and seal the holes in the floor. Which eventually will happen in mine. Running exposed bare water lines along an external wall, or even touching it, is the absolute worse thing to do.

OMG lol, I just saw you guys are at Palmetto State Park, my absolute favorite camping ground!!!! MANY many camping trips there!!!! We would go watch the races at the circle track on Saturday nights (now closed) and then head back to the camping grounds. One of the best kept secret camping grounds in Austin!!! WOW! My son and the grandkids went camping there last year, told me it brought back awesome memories lol. Sorry about going off topic lol.

[jamesfamilytx]

The bathroom is not on an end. It has an outside wall but is between the bathroom and the dinette. Makes sense that the pipes would freeze if our lines are run the way you describe! Dennis is going to stuff some insulation. We rarely camp in really cold weather but the recent cold snap taught us a valuable lesson of "better safe than sorry." Palmetto is still as gorgeous as ever. It's our favorite nearby getaway and close enough that we can commute from there to work. Come out and visit if you're ever back in the area!

[Dave fromRockcliffeTheSea]

Leaving the furnace on (60 deg) any idea how low the temperature can go before things freeze?? anybody ever tow in sub freezing weather with water on board?