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Old 08-27-2018, 09:56 AM   #1
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Freezing Temp At Campground

We are staying at West Yellowstone KOA and they are expecting the temp to go down to 32 starting 5am-8am tomorrow morning. Should I disconnect water and drain the pips? Should I leave the water heater alone since it will keep water in it warm? We are from Florida and never ever winterized the TT before.
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Old 08-27-2018, 10:01 AM   #2
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Just down to 32 degrees, don't worry about it. Takes more then a couple hours to freeze. Use your propane heater. You can turn off the outside water, but not really needed. We have camped in out unit down to 16 degrees. Then I disconnected the water and brought in the hose. I did use the propane on board heater.
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Old 08-27-2018, 10:02 AM   #3
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I would think a couple hours of 32 degrees is not going to cause problems. If your that concerned then leave the water dripping in sinks and tub. Or just unhook water supply hose for those few hours and use your fresh water holding tank.
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Old 08-27-2018, 10:16 AM   #4
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Been in areas that had "32 degree" temps forecast, and actually got lower than that, into the 20's for 2-3 hours.
From one who knows...just disconnect the water hose at the water inlet of your rig. I didn't one time and the inlet connection froze and ruined inlet valve. Luckily I had a spare and replaced at our next, warmer stop.
No need to drain your rig's interior lines, they'll be fine.
Also so water in hose dosen't freeze, disconnect from spigot and drain it.
Takes all of 30 seconds to remove hose...better to be safe than an "oh sh-t"
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Old 08-27-2018, 10:17 AM   #5
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You have nothing to worry about, enjoy your stay.
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Old 08-27-2018, 10:24 AM   #6
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Originally Posted by Papahoosh View Post
We are staying at West Yellowstone KOA and they are expecting the temp to go down to 32 starting 5am-8am tomorrow morning. Should I disconnect water and drain the pips? Should I leave the water heater alone since it will keep water in it warm? We are from Florida and never ever winterized the TT before.

No problems . if it makes you feel good you can disconnect water at night . but that would be all required . i am at the holiday yellowstone on hebgen lake . and i won't do anything . though it is getting close to time to put my heated hose back on
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Old 08-27-2018, 10:29 AM   #7
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Just down to 32 degrees, don't worry about it. Takes more then a couple hours to freeze. Use your propane heater. You can turn off the outside water, but not really needed. We have camped in out unit down to 16 degrees. Then I disconnected the water and brought in the hose. I did use the propane on board heater.
We normally use space heater to keep inside TT warm. Are you suggesting using our propane heater because it keeps the underneath warm?
The TT has a lining that covers entire underneath.
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Old 08-27-2018, 10:30 AM   #8
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Thanks everyone.
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Old 08-27-2018, 10:36 AM   #9
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You probably would need to be more concerned with your outside water hose, if you are going to be hooked up to a spigot - it will always freeze first. A water hose is not easily thawed out, either, once it happens.
I would say that it would take many hours at BELOW freezing temps to come close to having any freezing of water lines in your RV - hence, really cold weather for a long, long time.

Remove outside water hose, drain, and store. Use your water tank and water pump overnight, if it makes you feel better, just to be safe.


and no, you won't 'winterize' your RV just because it's freezing - that's only when you are storing it.... while you are camping, you provide heat, monitor the temps, and take measures to remove water from where it would possibly freeze first(the water hose). Using the water pump to move water thru the lines every several hours is a good idea, and certainly keeping the water heater on is your first line of defense.

Don't fret it.
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Old 08-27-2018, 10:40 AM   #10
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We normally use space heater to keep inside TT warm. Are you suggesting using our propane heater because it keeps the underneath warm?
The TT has a lining that covers entire underneath.
If you have electricity, use the space heater. I think people assumed you didn't have electric.
Three hours of freezing temps isn't going to freeze your water lines. If you're concerned, do what we do in Texas when a light freeze is forecast... open the cabinet doors under the sinks to let warm air in. Running water doesn't freeze, so don't be afraid to flush the toilet, wash hands and do the dishes. That will get that cold water running.
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Old 08-27-2018, 11:16 AM   #11
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Yes. Mine has a heat duct in the wet bay area. Keeps it warm.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Papahoosh View Post
We normally use space heater to keep inside TT warm. Are you suggesting using our propane heater because it keeps the underneath warm?
The TT has a lining that covers entire underneath.
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Old 08-27-2018, 11:18 AM   #12
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I'm planning a trip in October that will no doubt find me waking up to temps in the 20's. I'll just be filling the water tank the night before and then disconnecting the city water hose. My water tank and holding tanks have heaters and the underside of my trailer is sealed. Since daytime temps where I'm traveling are expected to rise to the mid 50's and low 60's everything on the trailer will be soaking up some heat that will have to dissipate before any damaging freezing will occur. In the past I made it a habit of dumping my holding tanks well before they approached full so I didn't get caught with frozen tanks on an extra cold day. My old trailer didn't have tank heaters so that could be more of a problem than with my new one.
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Old 08-27-2018, 11:30 AM   #13
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I would say that it would take many hours at BELOW freezing temps to come close to having any freezing of water lines in your RV - hence, really cold weather for a long, long time.
I "Wintered" in Denver for 6 months in a 1995 27' Terry while my house was being built. This trailer had no special cold climate treatment. I just kept my furnace on with no extra heaters. No water lines froze with the exception of my holding tank dump valves. One morning I woke up and found the outside temp at -15 degrees. Trailer was coated in a sheet of ice where snow on the roof had melted and trickled down the sides. I did have to have the LPG distributor place a 250 gallon tank in front of my trailer to make sure I didn't run out of fuel but surprisingly, nothing of consequence froze.

Later in the week the daytime temps rose when the sun came out and my dump valves thawed. Dumped tanks and settled in for the rest of the winter.

BTW, I burned less than $50 of propane per month during that October to March stay in the trailer.
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Old 08-27-2018, 12:24 PM   #14
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Like other posters commented, the first to freeze should be your hose. You could drain it, but I have often just coiled it up (some of it drains then) connected the ends together, toss it in the basement. My basement is heated, but not my tanks. That is a near future mod now that i am retired.
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Old 08-27-2018, 01:03 PM   #15
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Us in West Yellowstone KOA on 6-1-2012:



We just put a 60 watt droplight in the wet bay overnight. No problems.
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Old 08-27-2018, 02:16 PM   #16
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Don't make my boneheaded mistake. Left water dripping in TT so the spicot would not freeze.. forgot to open gray tank valve, so about three in the morning we woke up to a flooded TT. LUCKY it was clean water.
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Old 08-27-2018, 03:14 PM   #17
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Don't make my boneheaded mistake. Left water dripping in TT so the spicot would not freeze.. forgot to open gray tank valve, so about three in the morning we woke up to a flooded TT. LUCKY it was clean water.
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Old 08-27-2018, 07:41 PM   #18
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Don’t worry! My wife and I stayed at Grizzly Rv two years ago now and the temps got down a few times between 25-32°. If you have tank heaters flip them on for peace of mind. Short drops like you mentioned aren’t a big deal. Have fun and stay warm!!!
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Old 08-28-2018, 10:43 AM   #19
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I have Forest River 23 ft motor home and my experience in temperatures below freezing was a little different from others.
I had one night, dry camping, at the range, when the temperature dropped to around 25F
I had my reservoir partially filled so I could flush, make coffee and wash in the AM.
I found the low temperature inside froze and broke the toilet coupling.
The bathroom door was closed and I was not heating the unit at night.
I have good sleeping bags so I only turn on the noisy generator and furnace when I'm awake and in the cabin.
I now put antifreeze in the system earlier and use bottled water, even flushing with antifreeze if needed.
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Old 08-28-2018, 10:50 AM   #20
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I had one night, dry camping, at the range, when the temperature dropped to around 25F.
I found the low temperature inside froze and broke the toilet coupling.
Around here (Texas) 25 F is considered a 'hard freeze' which means pipe busting temperatures.
That's a whole different animal then 32 F for a few hours. Winterizing if you are off grid and not heating the coach are necessary in 25 F weather.
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