Electric Heater vs Winterizing

Using a space heater is like a light bulb in the forest. The darker the forest, the smaller the light penetrates it. A heater will do the same. The colder the surrounding area, around your camper, the more it will start penetrating from the walls inward. What you are contemplating is not a good idea.

I have spent multiple months of below 21F degree days and more, everyday. Some of the nights were -10F. There are lots of steps needed to have a water system in a camper survive. It is not just your tanks that will be damaged. The faucets, toilet, water heater and water lines are in danger, as well.

Space heaters are a great supplement, but when it gets as cold as Denver, and surrounding areas (I worked outside, in Colorado, for more than 30 years) supplemental furnace MUST be used. So plan on buying more propane and switching out your tanks, frequently.

One person in your area, that uses his Lance camper for winter trips and ski excursions, blows out his system and keeps his furnace turned down. But, he does winterize between his trips when necessary, btggraphix.

If you do plan on going through with your plans, make sure you have your camper in the sun, all the time and protected from the wind (I'm from Boulder so I know wind!) and have multiple heater cubes in all areas, not just in the center of your camper. Take all items out of cabinets where the pipes are, open doors. Open all faucets and remove shower nozzle (inside and out) and sink atomizers. Pour some RV antifreeze into the bottom of your toilet and p traps. Tap the City service inlet, to break the surface tension. Get some remote/wireless temperature monitors and put the senders in areas most susceptible to freezing (service bay, Hot H20, heater, under sinks in cabinets) and put them in your home and monitor them.

Keep two gallons of RV antifreeze handy, so you don't have to run and get some when the temps fall -30F below, some night and know the procedure to get this done, quickly.

Oh yeah, remove any can goods out of any cabinets next to camper walls. Don't ask why I know this. :B

Best of luck to you.

b

Installing a winterizing kit that by passes the fresh water tank will allow you to pump RV antifreeze thru the water lines. No antifreeze in the fresh water tank.

I did go one winter without winterizing giving me the option to use the camper without having to de-winterize, re-winterize each time. I used a Thermo Cube to control an electric heater to keep things just above freezing inside. My camper doesn't have a basement so all I needed to do was keep the cabinet doors open to keep the plumbing thawed.

Vet Man wrote:
Why not winterize?

Getting the fresh water tank clean after winterizing is a pain.

Keizer, OR speaking here. I never ''winterize'' as we use the camper year round. I do keep the water tanks all drained during the winter.

I keep the camper hooked up to electric all the time at home.

If we are dipping close to freezing I set the furnace at the minimum to keep the fan blowing into the basement. I then have a space heater i set at about 55 only when its freezing at night. We freeze about 45 nights a years. A Cold streak for us is the 20s.

This way i just need to add water and we can leave.

Why not winterize?

hedgehopper wrote:

2oldman wrote:
Are you living in it?

No, but why is that relevant?

You asked about heating tanks. Heating the tanks, if the unit is unoccupied, is unnecessary.

Iwinterized my previous TT in about 15 minutes. In my MH I have W/D so takes about 25 minutes. I winterize on the road as needed. Not a big deal. I just blow out my lines.

I live in Seattle and we try and use the camper a fair amount in the winter. As such I don't winterize. I pay attention to the weather forcast. Generally I run an electric heater and a fan to push air underneath. When it gets really cold I turn on the furnace too. One if ny fall projects is to install a double throw switch so I can manual turn on the tank fan without relying on an external fan to push air underneath.

Depending on your model, you may need to run a fan to move the air into the basement area. The other factor is how often you plan to use it over the winter. If you park it and only use it once, I would probably just go ahead and winterize it.

However, down here near the coast in SC, I only have to worry about it a few times. Usually throw the furnace on at 50 on nights I know it is going below about 28. That is the temp I find the inside gets down to about 34 for a low. As soon as the cold snap is over, I turn it off. Battery is good for a couple cold snaps before I have to recharge (usually at 70-75% according to trimetric). Usually use less than a 20# tank of propane over a winter and have gotten good at watching battery useage by the furnace to know when to start checking the tank.

If it is going into the teens, I bring it home or take it to my father's place for electric so I can run a 600w fan forced electric heater. Have this connected to a baseboard thermostat so can set it at desired temp. Have a mark set for 40* to prevent freezing and 50* for sleeping at night.