Water hose tanks and propane

[Veronica]

Hi all.
We only stay in the RV on the weekends. When it begins to get colder this winter what should we do to keep the tanks and water hose from our 450 gal water tank from freezing when we are not there. We will be putting foam board insulation skirting around the RV and we are connected to shore power.
Thank you
Veronica

[wiredgeorge]

Originally Posted by Veronica

Hi all.
We only stay in the RV on the weekends. When it begins to get colder this winter what should we do to keep the tanks and water hose from our 450 gal water tank from freezing when we are not there. We will be putting foam board insulation skirting around the RV and we are connected to shore power.
Thank you
Veronica

First step is to put together a signature and fill out your profile. Year/make and model of the camper. Upper left every page UserCP. Make sure you save it.

I did look up your town name and it appears you are in W. Va. If so, it gets cold compared to Texas where I am. If you have a water hose connected to the 450 gallon tank, disconnect. How long is your hose from tank to camper? If not too far, get a heated water hose and connect when you are at the trailer. Don't leave the water supply connected when not there. If there is a leak, etc. you don't want to fix a frozen flood. As far as the tanks go, do you have the bottom of your camper closed or is it open? If closed, the camper may have tank heaters but since I don't know what type camper, I can't guess.... You can block the wind and that will help some but if it is 15F, am guessing more aggressive things will need to be done to keep the tanks and plumbing from freezing.

[Veronica]

We are in Summersville Missouri. We have a 2021 keystone sprinter campfire. There is an underbelly on our rig but we are unsure if there are tank heaters in place. Should I leave the heater on at about 60 degrees while we are gone during the week?
Thank you

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by Veronica

We are in Summersville Missouri. We have a 2021 keystone sprinter campfire. There is an underbelly on our rig but we are unsure if there are tank heaters in place. Should I leave the heater on at about 60 degrees while we are gone during the week?
Thank you

If you leave the furnace on while the trailer is not being used and is unattended for a week at a time, you may well find that your furnace can use the 60 pounds of propane, then the trailer will freeze when the propane "runs out". in extremely cold weather, you can anticipate that a 30 pound propane tank may only last 2 or 3 days. That's 4-6 days for two tanks. And, if there is a snowstorm that blows in on Thursday or Friday, preventing you from going to the trailer that weekend, it may be 2 weeks or even more before you can refill them.... That's a "sure fire way to run out of propane and return to a frozen trailer with damaged plumbing.

The solution: Look into getting a large propane tank. Most propane distribution centers have 50 or 100 gallon "ground set permanent tanks" that they will service on a regular basis, assuring a constant supply of propane.


As for the city water hose and that 450 gallon water tank, disconnect, drain and store the hose, upon departure. If you leave the hose connected with an electric heat tape to keep it from freezing, and then there's a power outage, the hose will freeze anyway, so.....

I'd protect the tank similar to the way other trailer owners in that area protect their water supply. ALWAYS drain all the holding tanks upon departure... Even with an endless upply of propane, there's no assurance the furnace won't fail to light and go into "lockout" during your absence.

Then, it's up to you how much risk you're willing to take with the trailer plumbing during your extended absences. Some people would recommend blowing the lines and even adding antifreeze at every departure. The other end of that spectrum, others might go so far as to recommend that you "risk it all and rely on the furnace and the weather to cooperate with your plans"...

I'm just not that comfortable with the investment risk to return to a flooded and frozen trailer with 450 gallons of ice laying on the trailer floor, the furnace not functioning and my "return on investment" relying on an insurance payout.... YMMV

[Veronica]

Hello all
We have a 2021 keystone sprinter campfire
We are only in the RV on the weekends for now.
Has anyone used the xtreme heat unit to hello
keep your tanks warm. Is it best to put it
underneath the unit or in the storage area?
Thank you

[NH_Bulldog]

I would be wary of adding a space heater in an enclosed area and leaving it unattended for a week at a time. There are bigger concerns than the tanks; what about all the fresh water lines, water pump, water heater, toilet, p-traps, outdoor shower, etc?