Protection from freezing

[Phedley]

I have a 2006 Winnebago Navion, I was wanting to travel Williams Arizona in December. My question is if I keep the inside warm and the holding tanks heaters on would my plumbing freeze? What are your thoughts?

[Lwiddis]

If your tank heaters are 12 volt they’ll consume a bunch of battery amps.

[pianotuna]

MDKMDK,

Any idea of the watts they draw?

[MDKMDK]

bobndot wrote:
My tank heaters run off 110v. Do all Navions run off 12v ?

Also carry a hair dryer to use in cold temps. Sometimes dump valves freeze .

Mine are DC only, with AC support/replenishment. Manual (Plumbing Section 7-14) states don't use them unless you're plugged in to shore/generator, or running the chassis engine while driving, or they'll deplete the batteries very quickly. I've got lithium, so I might get away with a bit longer standalone run time, but I'm not likely to test that theory any time soon.
If you've got tank heaters, they'll keep the dump valves operational, if the liquids behind them are warmed. Keeping the water heater "on" also helps prevent freezing of some of the adjacent lines/plumbing. I haven't got enough hair left to warrant carrying a blow dryer. :B

[bobndot]

My tank heaters run off 110v. Do all Navions run off 12v ?

Also carry a hair dryer to use in cold temps. Sometimes dump valves freeze .

[MDKMDK]

Phedley wrote:
We just bought this unit so there’s going to be a learning curve. That’s what I thought but I wanted to get more input. We will be plugging in but sure if holding tank heater will work. Thank You

The tank heaters will work fine as a safeguard, but they need a little DC "electrical boost". One of the weaknesses of the average class C is the tanks are usually exposed underneath the coach. As such, cold temps may affect them negatively. No definitive answer there, it depends on a few other factors, too.

[Phedley]

We just bought this unit so there’s going to be a learning curve. That’s what I thought but I wanted to get more input. We will be plugging in but sure if holding tank heater will work. Thank You

[MDKMDK]

Phedley wrote:
I have a 2006 Winnebago Avion, I was wanting to travel Williams Arizona in December. My question is if I keep the inside warm and the holding tanks heaters on would my plumbing freeze? What are your thoughts?

Assume you have a Navion, not an Avion?
Texas to Arizona in December? You should be fine, just run the furnace as required to keep the interior warm overnight, if the outside temperature dips below freezing.
As far as the tank heaters, mine are DC powered, so unless you have a huge battery bank, I would avoid using them, unless you also run your generator or are plugged in to shore power, overnight. They'll suck your batteries dry in a few hours if yours are like mine.

[pianotuna]

Hi,

I initially had freeze up problems because the furnace would not run in my class C when I was driving. I solved that by adding a twin window fan to replace the cold air return grill. The fans draw a scant 27 watts (they are 110 volt). I do have them on a mechanical thermostat.

A side issue is the fridge--I use a thermocube and a 60 watt bulb.

[time2roll]

How cold is cold? Should be good to 25f while in use.

[Dutch_12078]

Where are you driving from and what are the lowest temps you expect to encounter? Our Class A has managed ok in temps as low as -4 deg.F heading south in January.