brrr cold weather is coming! What to do

BixbyCamper · 08-25-2015, 06:55 AM

Windjammer 3006 wk, cold weather is coming but i like to use the camper year round. am i safe running the furnace and tank heaters when the temp drops below freezing?

Black · 08-25-2015, 07:04 AM

What area ?
And how cold is cold ?
Here it is a complete no, no, anyway most campgrounds are closed after Oct. 31

BixbyCamper · 08-25-2015, 09:21 AM

great questions. We live in Oklahoma and winter camping takes place in Oklahoma and Arkansas. As a rule not frigid temps, but winter temps can get down into 20's and 30's. If a super cold snap is on the way, I'd probably winterize it. just didn't want to winterize it multiple times...

SuicideSaints · 08-25-2015, 09:39 AM

Id say you are pretty safe going that route. On cold nights just unhook the fresh water hose from the faucet (the line may freeze if you dont), turn on the heater and tanks heaters like you said. In addition winterizing is not that bad at all. I just use the winterization port and fill direct from the bottle. The whole process takes only a few minutes and 2-3 gallons of antifreeze is cheap. Then you just flush it out. The only thing that takes a little more time is draining and bypassing the water heater but that only adds in 5 minutes. I had to do an emergency winterize here in Utah earlier this spring. it was in the 50 and all of the sudden a flash freeze came in and dumped 7 inches of snow. The whole thing took me 20 minutes.

Black · 08-25-2015, 12:27 PM

In temperature like that, I prefer to see my unit park in the shed and winterize.
IMO they're just not meant for cold weather user (like freezing or really close)

RubberNail · 08-25-2015, 12:43 PM

I live in North Louisiana, right at the Arkansas border. I do NOT winterize. Leave unit plugged in. Put a 100w bulb in a worklight in the cargo hole on a thermocube switch that turns on at 35 degrees, off at 45 degrees. Put two electric heaters in the (50Amp service) coach, set at about 55 and 60 degrees. Leave furnace on set at lowest setting, about 50 degrees (hardly ever comes on). Only problem I've had over the 20+ years of this rigging is the freezing and rupture of the water filter canister, after which I relocated the 100w fixture to that side of the coach. That's on a separate service and runs about $50/mo including a yard night light and shop fridge.

kandl · 08-25-2015, 01:15 PM

WE have no choice but to winterize in our neck of the woods. Typically a minimum of five months. That said, we've spent many nights camping on the fringes of that long period of freezing hell, which has included many at or below the freeze point. Contents of the TT are usually fine in those instances and we ensure that we have water available via the fresh water tank as the external city water connection will usually be the first to freeze up.

DreiHunde · 08-25-2015, 01:17 PM

What to do? Go campin! LOL! In fact I'm planning our New Years Eve trip now....headed out to the Smokies this year.

We went south (Myrtle Beach) last year....too many people!

BamaBob · 08-25-2015, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BixbyCamper

great questions. We live in Oklahoma and winter camping takes place in Oklahoma and Arkansas. As a rule not frigid temps, but winter temps can get down into 20's and 30's. If a super cold snap is on the way, I'd probably winterize it. just didn't want to winterize it multiple times...

Get yourself one or two of these babies:

http://www.amazon.com/DeLonghi-EW7707CB-Safeheat-ComforTemp-Oil-Filled/dp/B002PLQ4T8/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1440527568&sr=8-4&keywords=oil+heater

We use them in the camper to keep things from freezing and again as "free" heat when we camp in the winter

Grampa Jim · 08-25-2015, 01:58 PM

You can get heater strips from Home Depot for your water hose so it won't freeze. About $30 depending on length. Then you don't have to disconnect the water hose. Turn your tank heaters on and use the house furnace so the ductwork will help keep things toastie underneath. We're full timers,,,,,had no problems with our Windjammer last spring and summer up near Telluride, Colorado. No problem this last winter in central Texas with the winters here. Next spring we're going to be working in the Blue Ridge Mountains at an RV park at upper elevations. So just do those simple things, and since you aren't going to be up in Alberta with Keith and Lori, you should be ok. But if you're going to vacate,,,,WINTERIZE!!

merrykalia · 08-25-2015, 02:04 PM

We have a duraflame powerheat infrared quartz heater from Sam's years ago. We use it in the 5'er from March or until it gets warm. Then, in the fall, we use it on cool evenings/mornings until we winterize after Christmas.

It may get below freezing and snow in Oct, Nov or Dec, but unless we have a constant below freezing for more than 24 hrs, we have never had a problem. As long as it warms above freezing during the day and the interior warms above 50, we don't winterize. This heater is set on it's lowest setting and we open the cabinets that house our water lines (kitchen sink, bathroom sink and door to the toilet. We had a lightbulb that we burned in the storage, but it burned out and we just have not replaced it. We may do that this fall, but we will see how cold it gets.

We usually do a week-long trip around Christmas and before we return, wherever that may be, we will winterize.

Our 5'er is winterized for 3-4 months, according to when Easter falls and we have spring break.

rkmavis · 08-25-2015, 03:52 PM

We have a 2010 2304s with murphy bed. Bought a different mattress right away after one night feeling like I'm sleeping on a hard surface - yep I'm like princess and the pea. Anyway we utilized this idea we found on youtube. Works great.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjL-MU0dalE

elind · 08-25-2015, 04:41 PM

We used our Wildcat last January on the way to Arizona from Upper Michigan in freezing nights. We turned on our electric fireplace, a small electric heater in the bedroom, and kept the furnace at 65. The key was to keep the furnace running so that heat is blowing in the belly of the RV to keep the pipes from freezing. As far as the outside hose disconnect it & drain it, or let your water trickle if you are on a full hook up site, or get a heated hose. DW doesn't like get up and finding out there no water for her shower.

Dabmeb · 08-25-2015, 07:15 PM

CW sells a heated water hose for city water as long as the hydrant doesn't freeze up. You can buy all sorts of 12 volt heat pads for almost any pipe and joint in the water and waste water system as well as a heated sewer hose. Winter camping is a blast.

elchilero53 · 08-25-2015, 07:38 PM

We have camped year around in a Rockwood Ultalite 2602. Nothing was insulated, so I built insulated and heated hoses (water and blackwater), insulated the exposed gray water and blackwater tanks and put heat tapes under the insulation, and insulated the connections with heat tape and foam tubing. No trouble down to -15 degrees F. But the Rockwood was NOT something you wanted to live in during bitterly cold weather. Still, the makeshift winterization worked very well and we took it apart when we rigged down and returned to Texas. We were in Golden CO hard by the mountain from. The sun went down REAL early in that place.

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