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rstiphout's avatar
rstiphout
Explorer
Jan 23, 2014

Creekside Outdoors RV owners - freezing temps

Own a 2013 Creekside 26BKS; would like to know if anyone with similar rig has camped in temps in the teens or twenties (Fahrenheit)with full water tanks and done OK? The Creekside has covered insulated bottom and heater blows air below the floor to keep it warm; but no heating pads on the tanks. If I keep the thermostat inside at 60 deg F, can I expect the water tanks and pipes to stay liquid?

Feedback much appreciated from folks who have actually tried it ...

Rick
  • My weekender is not nearly as nice as your creekside and I do a 10 day elk hunt where oftent the highs are just above freezing. Mine has done ok, the only issue was the first year I had left the bathroom door clsed and the line got a bit of ice in it where if feeds the toilet. By the tiem we had arrived back form the morning hunt witht he thermostat left at 50 and the door open it was free flowing again. I think you would be fine as long as you were not parking it and leavig for a week or two with no heat inside.
  • We've been caught in some cold temps ( had to disconnect water lines) in West Yellowstone. What I vividly remember was listening to the furnace go on & off all the time. Wasn't pleasant....
  • I don't have a unit like your and I don't get to go camping in cold temps. But, on here I have read some people having condensation problems on the windows when it gets cold. Do a search on this website for solutions people have come up with.
  • Many thanks to all of you for taking the time to respond. This is very helpful - I think we will go ahead and try some cold weather camping and not worry too much about using the fresh water tank down to the teens.

    Will consider all the very thoughful points you have made... Especially, the rate of use of propane (we have double tanks with auto switchover)!

    Regards to all, and enjoy RV'ing

    Rick
  • Old-Biscuit wrote:

    ...
    At night we would set t-stat for 58*F and open all kitchen/bathroom cabinet doors. Then come morning we'd crank the heat up to 68*F and close up cabinet doors.
    Only thing.......went thru 30# propane cylinder every other day.
    BUT you need to use that RV Furnace to get that warm air where needed.


    This is pretty much what we did with our Outdoors RV Timber Ridge when boondocking. But we also have a heat pad when on 110V which is nice.

    And also like Old-Biscuit says, find out where the pump is and open that area up too. Ours was enclosed but easy to access for winterizing.

    This summer I want to open up the belly and see just where they have the water lines running underneath.
  • I've never camped quite that cold but it did get down into the teens here last month and so far my Creekside has not been affected by it. If you're using the water and keeping the furnace on it should be fine. By the way it's good to see another Creekside owner on here.
  • Not a Creek side but our 5th wheel has an enclosed underbelly with bubble sheet type insulation and heat duck blowing into waste tanks/fresh water tank---valve area.

    Spent a week in -14*F temps......only problem we had was suction line to on-board pump frozen until I opened access door to that area from inside rig. Then all was well.

    At night we would set t-stat for 58*F and open all kitchen/bathroom cabinet doors. Then come morning we'd crank the heat up to 68*F and close up cabinet doors.
    Only thing.......went thru 30# propane cylinder every other day.
    BUT you need to use that RV Furnace to get that warm air where needed.
  • I have a similar setup without insulation between the cover and tank. Never had a problem until last year, froze it up and luckily it was not full. 20 degrees and above isn't bad but getting below say 15 degrees or so requires some extra thought into keeping it from freezing.

    If your staying in it is one thing and if your just leaving it unattended is another.

    Mine freezes at the pump,which is enclosed next to the bed and under the bathroom sink and with that in mind, I can live in it down to about 15 degrees without freezing, below that, we blow out the lines and use a porta-potti and water jugs to well below zero. Each trailer is different when it comes to really cold temps.

    Good luck.