Question on Freezing Pipes/Tanks

El Camino Man · 02-23-2014, 10:22 PM

Hey guys. Im going to take my camper out for our first camping trip this year this weekend. Temperatures are... iffy. Mid to high 30s during the day and low to mid 20s at night. That's pretty chilly, but of course the heat will be going inside the camper. Should I just forget about using water or will it be ok as long as the insides warm?

rracer5 · 02-23-2014, 11:39 PM

1 - Is your underbelly enclosed?
If so, you should be OK with heat on. Maybe leave a faucet trickling.

If not, disconnect and drain hoses and lines (low point drains) until morning (turn off water heater if you drain everything)
Keep RV antifreeze in your tanks so they don't freeze

2 - Will you have full hook-ups?
Is so, see above and leave grey tank valve open so your tank doesn't fill up over night
If no sewer hook-up, see above

3 - Enjoy your weekend

Vacationman · 02-24-2014, 12:01 AM

Leave your water off. Unless you have a artic setup. You can use your toilet just flush with anti freeze. If you chance it you would have to leave all cabinet doors open to expose pipe to get heat.
use the showers at the place you camp. take extra bottle water with you.

kz08h5 · 02-24-2014, 12:57 AM

If the low temps are going to be below freezing make sure you disconnect your water supply hose. Things in the trailer will be ok with the heat going. If you don't disconnect the water hose you risk it freezing which can damage your trailer plumbing and the RV parks plumbing. I speak from past experience on this. If you have tank heaters turn them on when you set up. You don't want the tank valves freezing. It makes emptying the tanks problematic, which was another past experience.

Have fun.

El Camino Man · 02-24-2014, 09:48 AM

My biggest problem is the park doesn't officially open til march. The showers and faucets are locked so I have to fill my water before I leave and shower in the camper. The only hook up they offer is electricity and have a waste dump as you leave.

I havent actually been under my camper but Im fairly sure its all covered underneath

MacDR · 02-24-2014, 03:30 PM

Hey Everybody,
I have a Columbus 340RK and will be leaving Wisconsin for Florida in a couple of week's and will de-winterise down South, I have Anitfreese in both Gray Tanks, waterlines and Blackwater tank.. Can I turn my Tankheaters on to warm everything up on the first day down to help thaw everything out?

El Camino Man · 02-24-2014, 04:42 PM

To answer your question, it shouldn't be frozen if you have antifreeze in it. But if you have tank warmers, then it wouldn't hurt to turn em on and warm it up

And I checked out my camper: it doesn't have an underbelly... I can see all 3 tanks. Now Im thinking I should take some cardboard and make an underpinning and put a space heater under it just to be sure

MacDR · 02-24-2014, 05:02 PM

Thanks for the thought.. I've warmed up the unbelly on an older unit with a space heater before.. I would use something other than cardboard for the pinning...

El Camino Man · 02-25-2014, 04:37 PM

I think I may have screwed up... I think I was told by the RV dealership that there needs to be water in the hot water heater before you plug the camper in or else itll burn up the heating element... I totally forgot about this and plugged in my camper. Is this true? Did I probably burn up my heating element?

Old Bones · 02-25-2014, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by El Camino Man

I think I may have screwed up... I think I was told by the RV dealership that there needs to be water in the hot water heater before you plug the camper in or else itll burn up the heating element... I totally forgot about this and plugged in my camper. Is this true? Did I probably burn up my heating element?

On our TT just plugging in the trailer doesn't turn on the water heater. There is a switch at the water heater that has to be turned on as well.

If that switch isn't turned on you should be okay. But yes there needs to be water in the water heater before turning on the power switch.

rracer5 · 02-25-2014, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phil_J

On our TT just plugging in the trailer doesn't turn on the water heater. There is a switch at the water heater that has to be turned on as well.

If that switch isn't turned on you should be okay. But yes there needs to be water in the water heater before turning on the power switch.

X2. If you have a Suburban heater there is a switch outside on the heater itself as well as a switch somewhere inside, usually with a red light next to it and there is probably a breaker in the power center for it also.
If it's an Atwood heater, there is no outside switch but, the other 2 inside should be the same.

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