De-winterizing and cold Temperatures

VaTechMan · 03-24-2015, 08:07 AM

I live in Maryland, and currently we are still seeing temperatures at night dropping down into the 30's and sometimes 20's. I was looking at de-winterizing my TT, but my question is this:

Should I worry about the occasional nightly temperatures below the freezing mark damaging things or will that not really have any impact, it is more of the sustained low temperatures that have issues.

Related, I have the 21ikss, and it has a heating pad for the water tank (I think I am understanding that correctly), do people just use that when they are dry camping and just want to help prevent the water from being too cold or is it something that I should be using related to my above question?

Thank you for any thoughts and experience that you might have on this.

camper1999 · 03-24-2015, 08:16 AM

I have this same situation and often do. We have our first trip planned in 4 days and I de-winterized a week age. Last night we got 5 inches of snow and the Temps went down to 23 a night in Chicago. I usually just make sure I drain the water out of the tanks, hot water heater, and open the low point drains. I usually run a small electric heater on those nights as an extra precaution and never had a problem. I am more concerned about the 5 inches of snow on top of the trailer...lol

mark0224 · 03-24-2015, 08:32 AM

Instead of total de-winterizing do everything except the waterlines and use the compressor to blow as much antifreeze as you can out. Don't open the bypass until you get a little warmer and can add water. Will be safe then.

**Flybob** · 03-24-2015, 08:53 AM

I plan to dewinterize this weekend, flush, sanitize everything then blow out the lines. We are expecting lows in mid 20's at night, but high 40's during the day. Looks like below freezing temps will only be a few hours and should have enough water out of lines to prevent damage.

KMP44 · 03-24-2015, 09:30 AM

You can probably de-winterize without an issue. Flush and sanitize the system. The tank heaters aren't really going to help that much - it's the pipes that will freeze first.

What I have done in those types of temps when the Roo isn't winterized is to open the two low point drains and the faucets (incl the outdoor shower) to drain most of the water from the lines. The tanks won't freeze in one night in the 20's. You can also unscrew the WH anode if you want to drain it, but again, a few hours in the 20's over night shouldn't be enough to freeze it. And whether you drain the WH or even just drain the lines be sure you have purged all the air out before using the water heater on electric do you don't damage the element.

3 degrees here this morning, so not ready de-winterize ours yet....

NYDP77 · 03-24-2015, 12:44 PM

I wouldn't risk it. I would wait until temps are above freezing. You may want to put some water in a plastic glass outside to simulate what happening in the pipes.

awellis3 · 03-24-2015, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NYDP77

You may want to put some water in a plastic glass outside to simulate what happening in the pipes.

Plastic glass?? What's next? Plastic silverware?

MrJoe · 03-24-2015, 02:44 PM

We dewinterized last weekend. I have a small electric heater running on low out there. We have had a few hours of upper twenties and nothing froze. I kept the cabinets and bathroom doors open. The little heater is keeping it 15 degrees warmer inside compared to out. I'm hoping our hard freezes are over here in Southern Maryland. Heading to Tennessee for our first trip on Friday.. YES!!!!

SULTINI · 03-24-2015, 03:55 PM

I went out last month to FL. from PA 5" of snow here and freezing. I left everything winterized and just filled the water tank half full. Went I got down the road a couple hours started using the water pump from the tank water. No problem. Got to the campground half way there for the night and DE winterized everything while the steaks were on the grill. Took antifreeze and hoses with me to winterize, got half way home and stopped at a rest area and winterized in about 15 minute's and headed into the freeze zone. No problem

TGR · 03-24-2015, 04:13 PM

I've never used the tank heaters while dry camping. I rely on the furnace to keep the living spaces, tanks and pipes warm. I use my tank heaters when plugged in to shore power without the furnace being on and while traveling in cold weather where my truck keeps the trailer battery charged.

This January, I filled my fresh water tank but kept the antifreeze in the lines until I made it to warmer weather. I traveled with the tank heaters on as I headed south. When I stopped the first night to dry camp, I flushed my lines into my holding tanks and kept the furnace on all night. The next day I turned the tank heaters back on for travel and made it out of sub-freezing weather toward our winter vacation in Florida. The second night, I turned my water heater bypass off, reinstalled the water heater plug and sacrificial element and used the water heater. I had no problems at all.

The tank heaters won't operate when the furnace keeps things above 40 degrees in the sub-floor areas and basement. Anyway, I think they draw too much current to stay on battery overnight while camping unless you connect to shore power or run a generator.

VaTechMan · 03-25-2015, 09:53 AM

Thanks you all for your comments and suggestions.

I guess this does still have me scratching my head, what is the intended purpose of the tank heater? I know that it is not for hot water, but is it to help in cold temperatures or what? Since this feature was included, I just want to make sure I take advantage of it, if I need to.

Thank you all again.

DK-in-SC · 03-25-2015, 11:50 AM

It is my understanding that the tank heaters would be used if you were camping somewhere and the temps were expected to fall below freezing. Since you'd have heaters on inside the camper to keep yourself warm, the interior plumbing would be fine, but since the tanks are exposed to the outside temps, the tank heating pads keep them from freezing. If you were in this situation, you would probably want to also disconnect the water hose from the side of your camper to keep it from freezing and causing any issues.
When you put the camper away in storage, and it will be sitting unheated for a period of time, that is when you'd want to winterize it to prevent the interior plumbing from freezing.
Hope this helps to explain.

**bikendan** · 03-25-2015, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VaTechMan

Thanks you all for your comments and suggestions.

I guess this does still have me scratching my head, what is the intended purpose of the tank heater? I know that it is not for hot water, but is it to help in cold temperatures or what? Since this feature was included, I just want to make sure I take advantage of it, if I need to.

Thank you all again.

as was previously said, it's to keep your tanks warm during cold weather camping. and they aren't a good idea to use while dry camping, since they'll deplete the battery, which will already be depleted from using the furnace.
unless you have a two battery setup and a generator or solar system.

tank heaters are NOT included, they are an option. you either chose it when you ordered it or if you bought from dealer stock, they ordered it with it.

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