travel in freezing weather

[ctim]

We are headed to Bryce Canyon, Zion & Grand Canyon in a couple of weeks. I'm a little worried because it looks like the overnight temps are in the high 20's-low 30's. We have a 2016 Thor 22E that we have only taken on short trips in moderate weather. Should we be worried about the fresh water & holding tanks?? Or anything else? I just keep hoping things will warm up so I don't have to worry.
Thanks. great forum for questions from a novice.

[whizbang]

Deb and Ed nailed it.

Dump, drain, disconnect. Pour some pink antifreeze in the tanks.

[Searching_Ut]

How cold you can go in your RV really depends on how it's built. Even with the trailers I had that had exposed underbellies etc. I could generally get by without issues when temps got down to around 28f at night. Extended periods of cold they would freeze up even at that. The worst I had happen was my gray water drain freezing and cracking when the night temperatures were getting down around 15f at night.

With the Timber ridge I had prior to my fifth wheel, and with my current bighorn I haven't had any issues with nighttime temps getting down to single digits at night. I just set the furnace to 55f or so, put a heavy comforter on the bed, and turn up the heat in the am at the same time I light the stove for the percolator. It's nice and warm inside by time the coffee is ready.

As one who camps in the areas you're looking at a lot in the shoulder seasons, I doubt you will have any issues unless you have water lines completely exposed without any protection whatsoever as long as it's only a few hours you getting down into the 20's at night. It's a combination of temperature, and exposure time to the temperature that freeze things up.

Have a great trip.

[cross21114]

We were in Bryce (Ruby's) on April 12th. Sign on the counter when we checked in was "freeze warning tonight, disconnect water hose". Got to 23 that night. No problems with RV (Cruise America rental). We slept without heat on until 5am when I got up to you know what and turned the thermo up.
Bryce is amazing.

[falconbrother]

We camped for two weeks every Christmas and a few winter dogs shows. Never had a problem with freezing anything as long as the heat was on, etc.. The only time in our RV-ing history that we had an issue was when we towed the little Prowler TT down to Myrtle Beach and it was going to be 15 degrees that night. It was a Sunday and the line from the LP tank was clogged so, we didn't have any heat (too stupid to run to Walmart for an electric heater). Everything froze solid and when it thawed water started spewing out of the water system drain. I ran to Lowes, bought the parts and fixed it (also replaced that supply line). In 30 years of RVing that's the only freeze issues we ever had. In the motorhome we camped when it was in the mid 20s many times.

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

I disagree with those who say "don't worry". Depending on the topography, one could be parked in a spot that gets considerable colder than then forecasted temps. Also, there are usually plumbing lines routinely exposed to the outside cold air: the dump valves and low-point drain valves come to mind. On our 5er with "enclosed underbelly" - there was one drain line that ran the entire width of the RV (and sported enough "leak repair tape" from freezing and cracking, to look like a Barber Pole).

When anticipating below-freezing overnight temps, we dumped the tanks and added a half-gallon of antifreeze to each tank to protect the valves. We also disconnected the water; and opened the low-point drains (and used bottled water to brush our teeth at night and make coffee in the AM)

Of course, being Michiganders, we often camped in fierce cold. We had a 3-way valved added to the front of the pump, so that we could pump antifreeze throughout the system - we could winterize the whole RV in about 10 minutes. This is probably overkill if you seldom travel in cold weather - PLUS, I think your pump might be difficult to get to? But it's certainly mandatory for those of us who leave the cold northern winters to visit warm places for a few weeks. Which is why we've ruled out several RV brands or models due to difficult winterization, as we look for a new one.

[j-d]

jerseyjim wrote:
...the toilet supply hose blew out.Like it was cut with a knife...about 2 inches long. Niagara Falls outside the trailer, bathroom carpet soaked. I guess ice formed in there...

Which is part of Why I installed a stop valve in the toilet supply line. Might not have been positioned to manage a problem like the above. But, the toilet's likely to be the leaker we can't fix quickly/easily or work around. With a stop valve, we can work on the toilet and still have use of the sink, basin, etc.

SharkBite fittings will work on our PEX tubing. Home Depot has a lot of them, and they're metal. Lowe's has a good selection of similar stuff in plastic and I decided to use that with all the other plastic around that spot in the coach.

[BobinOK]

I have a 2016 Jayco Redhawk and camped for a week in South Dakota last month (March) where the temp didn't get above freezing and one morning it was minus 2 degrees when we got up. I winterized the RV before the trip and carried gallon jugs of water. We used RV antifreeze and water for the toilet and bottled water for everything else. The only issue I had was that the black tank wouldn't dump completely until it thawed out. We had poopcicles even though I used some antifreeze. Next trip with temps this low I will use more antifreeze in the black tank. I should note that I didn't have any problems with the gray holding tank and also I did not use the heater mats to keep the tanks thawed because I was off grid for the week.

[time2roll]

Most RVs are good to about 25 while in use. Keep the propane filled.

[dave17352]

In those temps nothing should be bothered as others have said. If you worried open the cabinet doors and use your propane furnace. If you want you could put a little rv antifreeze in the holding tanks. It is heavier than water and will go down to the valves. But really for a few hours can't see any real problems. JMHO

[Photomike]

Like others have said not a problem if only cold at night. Plus you will be living in the unit so the heat will be on at night and it will warm up nicely in the day. As long as it is warming up during the day you are good even to leave the unit even unheated. I have done it many times down to -10C or 14F with no problems. The real problem only happens when it hard freezes and then not fully thawing during the day.

I like to leave the hot water pilot on (if you have one)or leave the tank on till bed then shut off and it will stay warm all night.

[PSW]

I have stayed in those same parks in May and the temps were high 20s and low 30s for a few hours at night. Never did anything and never had a problem. I have chipped a little ice in Minnesota to disconnect a water hose in September and never had a problem with the lines freezing. A fresh water tank is a lot of water as are the black and gray tanks. It would take a long time for that much liquid to freeze at temps only slightly below 32F. Pipes are mostly inside in most units and are going to retain the ambient temperatures for quite a while. You probably will be wearing short sleeves in the daytime.

Paul

[Snowman9000]

High twenties for a few hours overnight won't freeze you up. Your heat will take care of things.

[cencerrita]

Hi

Spent several nights in Arkansas last December before wanting to move when it was freezing and now thinking about what we intend to do next winter. We were on a site which is unusual for us with full hook up.
1.At night we left on a fan heater on a low setting to keep inside above freezing. We do not like it hot at night!
2. Dumped the grey water in the evening so tank and lines empty. kept a few 5 litre bottles of fresh water to use.
3.Dumped the black tank in the evening and then left on line to flow. Urine should not freeze and flush down with a good lot of bottle water for fast flow out. In the morning check the dump valve is free and give the system a good flush. (you have a risk of small amount of ice on the valve sides stopping it moving/closing.
4.Disconnect the shore water and ensure the line is empty so it does not freeze!
5. We also fitted pipe wrap around the dump lines from the tanks and put insulation between the RV side and the grey tank - pushed up polystyrene packaging we had from a parcel which stayed there even driving.
6. Try and park your RV so the sun shines on it during the day and not under trees as you may in the summer for shade. This makes big difference during he day.

We had one morning problem - the day we were leaving! The black dump valve was stuck from ice on the insides and would not move. Used some cardboard to make a surround outside and put the fan heater there for an hour whilst we had breakfast.
This winter intend fitting trace heating to the lines after the tanks and putting a heater pad on the bottom, or trying to wrap around the tanks bottom the trace heating. Want to boon dock a lot so power will be a problem.
Oh one other thought is that some sites charge extra for a second electric plug in, so you want to be able to do it on you main supply and run your cable inside to your main panel. We were lucky in December we had an all in price for a month with electric at a great rate - 275 dollars! North of Mountain View at Sylamore Creek.

[fitznj]

"overnight temps are in the high 20's-low 30's."

We've done this many times; your holding tanks will be okay; We've never had anything freeze in those temps; We do run an electric space heater to take the
chill out of the air.