Heated hose

md_procouple wrote:
We just use a regular hose... Hubby uses "Heat Strip / Tape" then covers it with foam pipe insulation. Our neighbor uses hollow pool noodles as insulation. Happy Camping !!

I have done the same, our heat tape is about 4' longer than the water hose. about 6" sticks out at the trailer end and wraps around the brass inlet elbow. The bib end has enough to deal with the bib.

OP: FWIW, someone on the Open Range forum just put one up for sale, for $50 plus shipping. Used once. I don't know them.
JK

I live full-time (since July of last year) in my 2000 Wanderer Wagon 32-foot 5th in Eagar, AZ. Last winter the coldest night we had was 9 degrees/f. It can get colder here as it is a bit above 7000 feet, but last winter was warm one I was told, lol. We also get snow.

Everyone told me (before winter got cold) to put heat tape and insulation on my fresh-water hose, ground piping, and faucet. I did but it froze anyway and also broke the faucet! Fortunately, the park's owner replaced it at no charge. I was asked if I let a faucet inside the trailer drip. I said no and they said that is why it all froze up at 18 degrees/f despite the heat tape! So, I left the kitchen faucet drip at night and no more freezes! BTW, they also said to leave the gray tank valve open else your tank may fill up.

I've never heard of anyone having their slinky hose freeze up due to a faucet drip. The piping inside my rv is in the same enclosed space as my heater so no frozen hoses inside. The hose from my fresh tank is mostly outside the enclosed space and it did freeze on the two occasions I needed it---- one was the problem mentioned above and the other was when I ran out of propane in the middle of a 14 degree/f night--- it was not fun getting out of a warm bed in a 40 degree/f trailer!

Heated hose or not if the campground shut down the water and the water pump don't work is terrible.Today is the third day in this situation.Happy camping.

TXiceman wrote:
We are north of Houston during this horrible weather. One of our idiot neighbors with a heated hose totally missed on the common sense. He has his heated hose on and plugged in. He carefully wrapped the faucet with an old towel and taped it in place. Problem is there is about 30" of exposed PVC pipe coming up from the ground that he totally ignored and did not insulate or heat trace. Guess what?....that pipe froze and he complains that the heated hose does not work.

Ken

Many don't understand how a frost proof hydrant works. The actual valve is below frost line. When water is shut off at that valve, it also drains the part above. When a hose is hooked up, vacuum will not let the water drain. The fact the hose is heated does not change anything.
If RVers had to dig in their pockets for damage, digging up that hydrant to replace, most would hook up hose, fill tank, then disconnect hose.

We are north of Houston during this horrible weather. One of our idiot neighbors with a heated hose totally missed on the common sense. He has his heated hose on and plugged in. He carefully wrapped the faucet with an old towel and taped it in place. Problem is there is about 30" of exposed PVC pipe coming up from the ground that he totally ignored and did not insulate or heat trace. Guess what?....that pipe froze and he complains that the heated hose does not work.

Ken

Have been using Campco heated for years with never a problem

Hi SDcampowneroperator,

King's Acres in Regina, Sk has a few "plumbed in place" long term campers. I don't know how they manage to keep the lines unfrozen. It must be a real chore.

They have a dumpsite which is a "direct drop". So far it has always worked. I do admit that I tried to reduce my waste by washing dishes (approved by the management) in the laundry room--and using the toilets and showers that they provided.

This is the only thing I don't miss now that I'm no longer full time.

My waste tanks are enclosed but some one at the factory goofed so there is no heat. I solved that by installing a 600 watt fan based heater and a mechanical thermostat. It cuts in at 41 f. It didn't run a lot and while traveling I would power it from the inverter.

pianotuna wrote:
TXiceman,

I've boondocked at -37 c (-34 f). I did not feel the need to drain my tanks.

Think he means waste tanks. I also heat traced my waste tanks and valves so they wouldnt freeze so I could 100 gal. batch dump as needed. A camp we wintered over in Whitecourt, Ab. had shallow sewer lines,( only 4') so they could freeze up underground if water did not rush through in a batch.
It isnt just the 3" slinky, it could be underground.
Saw that in another camp ( No. Dak.) where the oil workers had also heat traced and insulated their slinkys. The slow trickle of water through the underground pipes froze solid, then the sewage flowed out on top of the ground.

TXiceman,

I've boondocked at -37 c (-34 f). I did not feel the need to drain my tanks.