Shoot!!...gettin COLD tomorrow night!...got to winterize!

ontheroad101 wrote:
On a lighter side to this topic, we go south to winterize. SORRY just couldn't resist.

I'm with ya but unfortunately this year won't be able to do that until after the 1st of the year. Once we do head out it will be for 3+ months.

We are at 4,400' here in Reno and there is already a little snow up in the Sierra's so we have the 'pink stuff' in hand to do the inevitable but still will get out locally for as long as possible.

My urine probably freezes in the low 20°s to the high teens. :E

mowermech wrote:

mockturtle wrote:

mowermech wrote:
Also, keep in mind that contaminated water freezes at a much lower temperature than relatively pure water. The dirty water in your waste tanks may become slushy at upper 20s temps, but it will not freeze hard enough to damage anything.

And, depending on osmolality, urine freezes at a lower temperature than water.

Actually, urine is 95% (+ or -) water.
"Normal" urine freezes at 28 - 30 degrees F.
But, again, at temperatures in the mid 20s, it will not freeze hard enough to damage anything.

mockturtle wrote:

mowermech wrote:
Also, keep in mind that contaminated water freezes at a much lower temperature than relatively pure water. The dirty water in your waste tanks may become slushy at upper 20s temps, but it will not freeze hard enough to damage anything.

And, depending on osmolality, urine freezes at a lower temperature than water.

Actually, urine is 95% (+ or -) water.
"Normal" urine freezes at 28 - 30 degrees F.
But, again, at temperatures in the mid 20s, it will not freeze hard enough to damage anything.

RV daytrader wrote:
My worry is the 3" and 1.5" drain lines under the RV...and the fresh water drain line is exposed underneath also...I may just dump the tanks and not worry about the inside stuff. May leave heat on lowest setting as someone posted.

No way is 27 degrees going to freeze a 3" line or even a 1.5" line. With temps like that the only danger would be the real small lines but even then there is no issue. In California 27 is about as low as we get all winter and I never winterize and never have a problem. About every 10 years or so we'll get a real cold front come through where temps get down to maybe 15 for a long period, then lots of people have problems because nobody winterizes anything here.

mowermech wrote:
Also, keep in mind that contaminated water freezes at a much lower temperature than relatively pure water. The dirty water in your waste tanks may become slushy at upper 20s temps, but it will not freeze hard enough to damage anything.

And, depending on osmolality, urine freezes at a lower temperature than water.

Also, keep in mind that contaminated water freezes at a much lower temperature than relatively pure water. The dirty water in your waste tanks may become slushy at upper 20s temps, but it will not freeze hard enough to damage anything.

On a lighter side to this topic, we go south to winterize. SORRY just couldn't resist.

The easiest way to combat cold in your situation is to go to Lowes or Home Depot, get some foam board insulation 1" thick. Then cut a box out of it that goes from the ground up to the bottom of the trailer making sure the outlets and line are inside the box. The heat from the ground and the trailer will protect the lines for a week or two of 20 degree weather. Nice thing is you can use this so you don't need to run antifreeze until you put the unit away - some time in November, huh? I use this trick even though I full time. We stayed in some 0 to 10 degree weather for a month and it kept me from having to move to warmer climes until we wanted to. I measured the temp inside the box at 10 degrees outside and it stayed at 50. Granted the trailer was heated to 70 inside so the carry over to the inside of the box kept it warm but you will get enough form the earth to keep above freezing.

It has been down to 30 degrees and slightly under here in WI already and we did not winterize as during the day everything warms up again. We aren't quite ready to put our rig away for the winter. It takes more than one night after a warm day to freeze the lines, etc. If you are worried though, drain them and get a good nights rest.

I had 28° the other night and no head in the MH - no problem.