We're visiting friends and our Lance model 880 sitting on our 1-ton Ford in the driveway, overnight temps will drop to the mid 20's. No one inside, only the refrigerator on, and NO AC Hookup - Battery only. Do not want to winterize the water system with anti-freeze for a 4-day layover.Suggestions on how to keep the inside warm enough to prevent pipes freezing, but not drain down the batteries too much? Or is it hopeless?Ideas I have: Open all taps with pump off; leave water heater on (plenty of propane); leave inside cupboard doors open for pipesContrary or additional suggestions?- Dave in Bend Oregon

Leaving cupboard doors open only works to provide inside heated air to the pipes. If you don't have a furnace/heater running, this probably won't help much.

With furnace on and interior temp at 60 degrees, cupboards open our MH would be okay. Except for the drain pipe running sise to side at the very bottom of the floor with only the metal under skin "insulating" it. If you have a pipe like that put $2 worth of antifreeze down the sink.Low point drains and the like also tend to freeze up on our rig at -10 C, 15 F. A sock or glove over the valve stops that.

Leave all the faucets open and put pink stuff in drains . or you could leave a faucet with a slight drip when going to bed so that the pump comes on once in a while. Check to see if pump still work in the morning. If it freezes use a hair dryer to thaw. Remember it takes hours of below 32 for the water to freeze. SO if daytime is above freezing you could be ok

You are playing with fire! :B IMO. My son did something like this in Sep 2012 and ended up having to replace the plastic water valve on the commode.

Several years ago I was using my RV occasionally during the winter and did not want to completely winterize after each trip using the pink antifreeze because of the hassle. What I did do was blow out the water lines using an air compressor (40 psi) after every trip. My rationale was that the lines could not freeze if there was no water in them. I did put antifreeze in the P-traps though. It worked then and never did crack a line. I know it got cold enough because the copper water pipes in my cabin cracked in several spots during the freeze.

Camper Parked; Freezing Overnight; No One Inside

Harvard
Explorer
Oct 23, 2013
You are playing with fire! :B IMO. My son did something like this in Sep 2012 and ended up having to replace the plastic water valve on the commode.
fischer
Explorer
Oct 23, 2013
Leave all the faucets open and put pink stuff in drains . or you could leave a faucet with a slight drip when going to bed so that the pump comes on once in a while. Check to see if pump still work in the morning. If it freezes use a hair dryer to thaw. Remember it takes hours of below 32 for the water to freeze. SO if daytime is above freezing you could be ok
Harvey51
Explorer
Oct 23, 2013
With furnace on and interior temp at 60 degrees, cupboards open our MH would be okay. Except for the drain pipe running sise to side at the very bottom of the floor with only the metal under skin "insulating" it. If you have a pipe like that put $2 worth of antifreeze down the sink.

Low point drains and the like also tend to freeze up on our rig at -10 C, 15 F. A sock or glove over the valve stops that.
HappyKayakers
Explorer III
Oct 23, 2013
Leaving cupboard doors open only works to provide inside heated air to the pipes. If you don't have a furnace/heater running, this probably won't help much.

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