FROZE UP

[exdesertdweller]

I overstayed my time in Oregon and now I'm in big trouble. A snow storm blew in a couple of weeks ago stranding us in our 34ft 5th wheel, and we were not equipped for sub-zero weather. Our gray water tank froze up first then we blew a hose somewhere around our hot water tank. So now we have no running water, our sinks are stopped up, and I'm pretty sure our black water tank is on it's way to freezing or already is frozen. The weather has calmed down a bit but not enough for a thaw out. Temps in the day are 10-25 degrees with cloudy or partly sunny skies. Our pipes are on the opposite side of the trailer that gets sun so staying cold.
ANY HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRICIATED. Please no jokes or sour comments. We couldn't leave before the storm because some drunk in a class A hit us head on while we were stopped waiting for traffic to clear. Truck was in the shop getting fixed for 3 weeks. We are in a small town so things move slowly. We're not stupid we were just trapped here.
Signed Hopeful but frozen.

[Charlie_D_]

smkettner wrote:
I do not see an insurance claim for freezing up.
Op had the option to winterize and prevent damage.

You may be right but if the OP had not been damaged by another driver we would not be having this discussion. Insurance claims can be tricky.

[time2roll]

I do not see an insurance claim for freezing up.
Op had the option to winterize and prevent damage.

[John_Joey]

laknox wrote:
...
The OP needs to call =his= agent and get =his= insurance company to pay the immediate OOP expenses, including basic repairs to the RV to be able to get back on the road, then go after the other guy's insurance to get reimbursed...

DING, DING, we got a winner. OP's insurance will then go after the other guy insurance to get reimbursed. Don't go anywhere near the other person, or their insurance company.

Call YOUR agent and see what they will do/pay. If it was me, I would give the local RV place a call (slow time of year I bet) and have them put it in their garage over night. Have the insurance pay for your hotel stay. Get the RV place to then fix then winterize the rig, while sitting in the hot tub. Don't forget to keep the receipts for your meals also.

[cpaulsen]

rr2254545 wrote:
Head west we spent a enjoyable winter on the coast - you can get thawed out and repaired there

No freezing temps in Lincoln City for the next 5 days

Like this poster said....head west if possible.....Eugene...Salem...Portland....and if you cannot do that....try to get to Bend....some great RV repair shops there and you could probably find some indoor storage if they cannot get you inside.

[colliehauler]

Agree with find a heated repair facility and have them repair the damage. The pipes could be broke in several places. If the water heater was not on it could be ruined as well.

I know it's a little late now but you could have come to this site before this happened on tips for cold weather camping.

I hope things work out for you.

[laknox]

Tom_Diane wrote:
I have to agree, hit up the guys insurance!
You were put in a situation where you needed your RV while repairs to your TV were made as a result of the drunk driver they covered!
At this point you have nothing to lose.
You shouldn't worry about anyone thinking your stupid for being in the position you are in! Many others would have made t he stay just as you did and I always figure I should be good for one day below freezing as long as I'm using things!
Maybe you can go to the guy that hit you and tell him you plan to get it fixed on his dime even if a lawyer has to get involved and he may have to pay the attorney fee also and it would serve him well to pay out a little on the side!
Yeah its a shakedown but if he was driving drunk then he is the stupid one and needs to step up and take responsibility! Maybe next time he wont drink and drive and in particular his Class A !

NO!!! NEVER talk to the other guy directly. Will cause you more trouble than you need, and can cause you to lose =any= coverage. Our family attorney would sh!t himself if I ever did anything like that, and that's just on business matters.

A friend, who's a retired criminal defense attorney, did a very reasonable thing when his son (33 y.o. with 1 y.o. twins at the time), was run over by a 17 y.o. driving his dad's boat, and severed his son's leg. Asked for, and got, the policy limit. Basically said, "give us the policy and we won't ask for anything more. Any arguments and you'll have a dog fight on your hands and the payout goes =way= up." Guess what? They got the policy.

The OP needs to call =his= agent and get =his= insurance company to pay the immediate OOP expenses, including basic repairs to the RV to be able to get back on the road, then go after the other guy's insurance to get reimbursed. Major damages get fixed once he gets home. Were it me, I might even push to have the FW flat-bedded home as it just may not be safe to tow. Who knows if the frame was damaged to the point where it would be unsafe to tow and why should he have to leave it there and not have his local shop do the repairs?

Lyle

[Tom_Diane]

I have to agree, hit up the guys insurance!
You were put in a situation where you needed your RV while repairs to your TV were made as a result of the drunk driver they covered!
At this point you have nothing to lose.
You shouldn't worry about anyone thinking your stupid for being in the position you are in! Many others would have made t he stay just as you did and I always figure I should be good for one day below freezing as long as I'm using things!
Maybe you can go to the guy that hit you and tell him you plan to get it fixed on his dime even if a lawyer has to get involved and he may have to pay the attorney fee also and it would serve him well to pay out a little on the side!
Yeah its a shakedown but if he was driving drunk then he is the stupid one and needs to step up and take responsibility! Maybe next time he wont drink and drive and in particular his Class A !

[time2roll]

Done is done, time to roll. I assume you were headed to a warmer place already so make some headway tomorrow.

Frozen tank is not usually an issue. Turn the pump off just in case you have a leak when it thaws out. You might be eating out for a bit and using the camp facility when possible. Limited use of the black tank at night should be fine.

Are you coming down Coast Highway? Should thaw out along the coast. Coos Bay is above freezing for at least a week. Can't speak for where to camp or where to have the plumbing checked out.

Good luck.

[Bob_Shaw]

Or, assuming you have heat in the trailer, you could get some hay bales to put around the perimeter of your trailer and put some electric heaters under there to warm things up. But, beware, you may have more broken pipes than you think. Also, your water pump is probably ruined.

[John_Joey]

Spent my whole life in cold country. From what I read, your best option is to park inside and thaw out. Best to go shake the insurance company tree and see what falls down.

[RVcrazy]

Where are you stuck in Oregon? Definitely, get the insurance companies on board ASAP.

[bexparza]

I'd contact both insurance companies and request help getting put up where it's warm and dry, about getting truck repaired, and damage to fifth wheel repaired and fifth wheel thawed out.

[ken_burke]

rr2254545 wrote:
Head west we spent a enjoyable winter on the coast - you can get thawed out and repaired there

No freezing temps in Lincoln City for the next 5 days

Good idea. Can you hire a truck to pull your 5th wheel to somewhere where it is warmer (like a diesel repair shop or to a warmer campground)?
It will be expensive, but maybe covered by the 5th wheel insurance or truck insurance.

[FLY_4_FUN]

For sure indoor heated storage for a day is about all you can do now, but perhaps a few gallons of rv antifreeze poured into sinks, toilet etc may limit any further damage to the up top plumbing and grey/black tanks. I might even dump antifreeze into the fresh tank to limit the risk of it freezing solid if you have water in it now and it wont drain.