How cold is too cold?

LeBout wrote:

GordonThree wrote:
In other words, it's not really how cold, but how long. A few hours before sunrise, no problem. If it's in the 30s when you go to bed at 11pm and expected to bottom out in the 20s by sunrise, then you might want to worry.

Excellent advice.

If the weather ever sneaks up on you and drops unexpectedly before you've had a chance to winterize, don't waste any time turning on your TT's heater. Better to spend a little propane than to risk your pipes.

A simple but probably not often used solution. Thanks

I think that what the wind chill effect supporters are saying is that, with temperatures below freezing but no wind, by the time the cold penetrates the unit the sun is already up the next morning and temperatures are now no longer below freezing.

With winds, the heat loss is accelerated and freezing just might occur before the next sunup.

If wind did not draw heat away from inanimate objects then automobile engines would not have fans to go with their radiators.

BUT, I think everyone agrees that if the temp never gets quite below freezing, then the water will never freeze no mater how hard the wind blows.

GordonThree wrote:
In other words, it's not really how cold, but how long. A few hours before sunrise, no problem. If it's in the 30s when you go to bed at 11pm and expected to bottom out in the 20s by sunrise, then you might want to worry.

Excellent advice.

If the weather ever sneaks up on you and drops unexpectedly before you've had a chance to winterize, don't waste any time turning on your TT's heater. Better to spend a little propane than to risk your pipes.

Here in West TN we don't usually winterize until Thanksgiving weekend or the one before. However, we do get some low temps later in Oct and early Nov. When in doubt, we set up an electric/ceramic heater - oscillating preferably - and have it on overnight. Open the cabinet doors or anywhere water lines are run. Agree that wind does effect the temps, no matter what you'll hear to the contrary.

Not likely to be an issue at those daytime temps with an insulated unit, but if you are concerned just drain and blow out your lines. As an alternative, if you have shore power available, you could put an electric heater in the camper set on low.

Steve

BarneyS wrote:

The wind will have no effect on the RV. Inanimate objects cannot feel wind factor and it has no effect on them like it does a human or other animal. There is no such thing as a " wind chill" for a RV. The temperature is what it is regardless of the wind.
Barney

You are correct wind chill does not effect inanimate objects However the wind will decrease the time it takes water to freeze. If the temperature is 25F and with the wind chill it is 20F nothing will ever reach that 20F temperature it will however get to 25 more quickly. That's why when you press the quick freeze button on your freezer the fan stays on. The same principle works in convection ovens reducing cooking time by moving air.

BarneyS wrote:
The wind will have no effect on the RV. Inanimate objects cannot feel wind factor and it has no effect on them like it does a human or other animal. There is no such thing as a " wind chill" for a RV. The temperature is what it is regardless of the wind.
Barney

Driving winds speed the penetration of colder air into places like the crawlspace / underbelly.

Always a good idea to keep track of weather info. Not only for freezing conditions but storms in the area etc. There is a free app "Radar Express - NOAA Weather" that gives freeze warnings and other storm warnings. I guess living in rural WY it is so common we think every one keeps close watch on the wx conditions. I have a wx radio in my tractor, in my MH, and in the house. Plus every traveler should be aware of the 511 wx phone # offered by every state in this country.

Now people tell me wind chill only effects people. So tell me why I have to build wind protectors around my heated cattle water tanks? I can tell you it ain't to make the cows happy. It is a fact of life, no matter what the experts say, heated water tanks freeze when the wind is blowing across them. So in WY we build wind protection around our heated water tanks. :B

NanciL wrote:
It is not just the temperature.

You have to factor in the wind.

I live in the high country in NC at elev 3200 feet, and we get many nights where it is below zero.
My experience is if it is mild during the day and gets down to around 26 during the night, as long as there is no wind, I won't have any problems, but with the same temperature and a 15MPH wind, I can get in trouble, and with that temperature and a 20 or 25 MPH wind, any unprotected pipes will freeze in a heart beat.
I have learned from experience.

We are heading south at the end of November, but I will be winterizing here in about two weeks.

Jack L

The wind will have no effect on the RV. Inanimate objects cannot feel wind factor and it has no effect on them like it does a human or other animal. There is no such thing as a " wind chill" for a RV. The temperature is what it is regardless of the wind.
Barney

In the conditions you describe, the most common source of freezing is only your supply line. In those situations a person leaves the water running a trickle to prevent freezing in the hose and spigot. But this is NOT your situation.

Your situation is while in storage and not connected to any utilities.

I definitely would not winterize with antifreeze.

But being a compulsive person myself, I do think I would drain out all of the fresh water using the low point valves and the fresh water tank drain.

That should take care of the lines. Even if there is a little water left in the fresh water tank it will not matter because there is all kinds of room in there for the ice to expand harmlessly.