Winter without winterizing

[ORbiker]

I recently bought a 2016 380TH. I had a pickup camper before the toyhauler.

I live in Oregon, in the Willamette Valley. It gets down to the 30's sometimes or colder during a cold snap. In the camper, it was pretty easy to keep the plumbing and tanks warm with a little cube heater in the basement set on 750w and 35*.

The toyhauler has tank heaters. Where else do I need heat?

Am I going to have to set the furnace on 35*? Or is there a better way?

Thanks, KEN

[weathershak]

Man, I need to move to Oregon. The last 2 winters on Delmarva were brutal at times with lows in the teens and a few nights below 0. I would be concerned if you have an outside shower and if your low point drains stick out below the floor exposed to the elements.

[paulcardoza]

If temps will reach the mid-upper 20's for any length of time, you need to take measures to prevent the plumbing from freezing up. If you set the furnace to say 45+-, you should be OK. Relying on an electric heater inside is a ****-shoot, as it may not provide enough heat to all areas where there is plumbing. e.g.does your TH have a rear bathroom?

Last concern is that if the RV is unattended, what happens if power goes out and the temps drop? Murphy's Law is always lurking..........


I can winterize my Cyclone in 45min. That includes the rear bathroom, washer, water heater, main bath and kitchen areas. I'd say if there's a chance of damage, it's worth the minimal effort to winterize.

[bvereshagen]

If there is any chance at all that your internal plumbing could freeze I would definitely winterize it. Some of the lines might run places where an internal heater will not keep them warm. I would drain all of the tanks including the hot water tank and run plumbing antifreeze through the lines or have them blown out. Don't forget to shut the hot water tank bypass valve before you do this. I would also remove the battery as a last step and keep it charged over the winter. Plumbing antifreeze is cheap and all of this should take less than an hour which is a tiny investment in money and time compared to what ruptured lines will cost.