So it got down to 5 last night here in Cincinnati. Wind chill was -6. We are full timing in our 28' Grey wolf TT and are able to keep it over 70 with just a space heater and the furnace only kicking in a few times overnight. When it gets really cold like this I make sure to use the furnace at least part of the time to keep the storage under the kitchen sink and under the back bed from getting too cold. This morning my wife got up and started to make coffee and no water came out the hot water side in the kitchen. Cold water works fine. I checked the bathroom sink and shower and they work fine too. I immediately traced the lines. My main lines run down the driver's side. The low drain point is just forward of the axles and that is also where the T comes in to cross over to the kitchen sink. After some exploration I found that the factory didn't bother to run these lines "in" the floor but ran them under it exposed to the outside except for a little weather wrap. Come to think of it I'm not even sure my floor is insulated. Seems to be just 5/8 plywood. I haven't seen any damage so far and I won't be able to tell if there's any leaks until I get it thawed out. When I insulated and heat-taped my fresh water supply I should've gone ahead and put insulation on the lines across to the kitchen as well. Needless to say that will be completed today. We're looking at a high of 16 and a low of 6 tonight. We're facing lows in the teens all this week. So far this is the first problem we've had with the cold this winter.
When the weather gets that cold after we de-winterize in preparation for the trip to Florida, I open all cabinet doors and use a fan to blow room heat into the spaces that don't normally get heat. I have been lucky so far.
Hopefully there are no cracks and just a frozen blockage.
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Lou & Freya the wonder dog
2008 GMC Sierra 3000HD Allison Duramax
2019 Flagstaff 8529FL
After it warmed up to a wonderful 16 degrees I got under the trailer to investigate further. The factory installed the cold and hot water lines that run from the low point drain over to the kitchen sink OUTSIDE the insulation under the floor. The only thing protecting them was the paper thin black vapor barrier under the trailer. I cut the barrier along the pipes, used the DW's hair drier to thaw the pipe, checked VERY carefully for leaks, then put some insulation tubing around the exposed section and sealed everything back up inside the vapor barrier. Pex tubing saved the day. If it were normal pvc with the needed fittings and elbows through that section it would've caused a lot of damage.
Thanks Herk, That's how I prepared last night. Had all the cabinets open and made sure the furnace would kick on throughout the night. The ductwork runs under the kitchen sink and under my back bed. Kept both compartments above freezing. I also opened the overhead cabinets above our bed and ran a fan in there. Kept everything nice and dry. Thankfully it looks like all I had was a frozen blockage. Can't find any damage or leaks so far.
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