I'm in the Rio Grande Valley (South Texas) and we are forecast for about 2 days of freezing temps Monday and Tuesday. The low right now is expected to be around 26 degrees. We are in a motor home with no skirting outside. I will keep the house temp at least 70 degrees through the night and I plan to keep the cabinets open and drip the faucets. Am I safe from frozen pipes or do I need to shut off the water and drain the pipes during the nights? Have you actually been camping through similar temps?

I'm seeing a lot of posts on the topic from folks in Texas right now (we're Texans but not in Texas at the moment). If you run the main furnace rather than space heaters, it should keep the basement from freezing. We're in a fifth wheel rather than a motorhome, but we've weathered temps as low as 10 - 11F with high winds and survived. Rob

Disconnect and drain hose after filling fresh water tank. Operate off fresh water tank while freezing. Open cabinet doors to allow heat to get to pipes. Run water heater to heat water in tank. Make sure propane tank is full. Run small electric heater to supplement coach heater. Pull slides in if possible to use coach while in. Empty black and grey tanks. Camped as low as 12 degrees Fahrenheit.26 is not really that cold but you never know , it is expected to be 15 here.

If you have an enclosed underbelly, disconnect the hose going to the rig, let the furnace run overnight (60s ok) and don't worry about it. Even without the furnace upper 20s for a few hours won't penetrate. JK

Thanks bgum. I plan to do most of that.

DallasSteve wrote:I'm in the Rio Grande Valley (South Texas) and we are forecast for about 2 days of freezing temps Monday and Tuesday. The low right now is expected to be around 26 degrees. We are in a motor home with no skirting outside. I will keep the house temp at least 70 degrees through the night and I plan to keep the cabinets open and drip the faucets. Am I safe from frozen pipes or do I need to shut off the water and drain the pipes during the nights? Have you actually been camping through similar temps?Well for someone that is use to camping above freezing the world doesn’t end a 32 degrees. We go down to mid 20’s high teens with an insulated heated water hose and running the furnace to heat the belly. In your case fill water tank, and disconnect water hose, keep furnace over night. Our furnace is either gas or electric and run electric most of the time. It is currently 33 degrees outside, and our basement at the outside wall is 50 degrees.

Short Term Freezing Weather Tips? | Good Sam Community

Grit_dog
Navigator
Feb 13, 2021
If it’s getting above freezing during the day, which you stated it will be, then don’t worry about anything except your water hose freezing. Turn off your city water source so it can drain back.
Retired_JSO
Explorer
Feb 12, 2021
If you will have full hookups or where you can discharge grey water, let the kitchen faucet run a small stream which will keep the water and drainline from freezing. We’ve done that many times down to 14 degrees. An electric heater will assist the furnace keeping the belly area warm or just put a 40 watt light in the belly. Should be fine down to high 20’s.
rhagfo
Explorer III
Feb 12, 2021
DallasSteve wrote:
I'm in the Rio Grande Valley (South Texas) and we are forecast for about 2 days of freezing temps Monday and Tuesday. The low right now is expected to be around 26 degrees. We are in a motor home with no skirting outside. I will keep the house temp at least 70 degrees through the night and I plan to keep the cabinets open and drip the faucets. Am I safe from frozen pipes or do I need to shut off the water and drain the pipes during the nights? Have you actually been camping through similar temps?

Well for someone that is use to camping above freezing the world doesn’t end a 32 degrees. We go down to mid 20’s high teens with an insulated heated water hose and running the furnace to heat the belly.
In your case fill water tank, and disconnect water hose, keep furnace over night. Our furnace is either gas or electric and run electric most of the time. It is currently 33 degrees outside, and our basement at the outside wall is 50 degrees.
DallasSteve
Nomad
Feb 12, 2021
Thanks bgum. I plan to do most of that.
JKJavelin
Explorer III
Feb 12, 2021
If you have an enclosed underbelly, disconnect the hose going to the rig, let the furnace run overnight (60s ok) and don't worry about it. Even without the furnace upper 20s for a few hours won't penetrate.
JK
bgum
Explorer
Feb 12, 2021
Disconnect and drain hose after filling fresh water tank. Operate off fresh water tank while freezing. Open cabinet doors to allow heat to get to pipes. Run water heater to heat water in tank. Make sure propane tank is full. Run small electric heater to supplement coach heater. Pull slides in if possible to use coach while in. Empty black and grey tanks. Camped as low as 12 degrees Fahrenheit.

26 is not really that cold but you never know , it is expected to be 15 here.
Second_Chance
Explorer II
Feb 12, 2021
I'm seeing a lot of posts on the topic from folks in Texas right now (we're Texans but not in Texas at the moment). If you run the main furnace rather than space heaters, it should keep the basement from freezing. We're in a fifth wheel rather than a motorhome, but we've weathered temps as low as 10 - 11F with high winds and survived.

Rob

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