Question about camping in the winter

[EydieG]

Although we have had our RV a year, we didn't use it last winter so we are still learning. We have plans to go to Nashville, TN at the end of December/beginning of January for about a week. I'm thinking low temps will be in the 20's at night. At a campground in the North Georgia mountains last month a neighbor told us we should unhook our water hose every night so it won't freeze. Is there anything else we need to be aware of? Our heat works really well so our coach stays warm. Thanks for any advice! 🙂

[dougford]

Roy&Lynne wrote:
...feign sleep until your spouse gets up and makes the coffee and heats up the place.

Now I see why I need a spouse....

[bsinmich]

You probably have around 80+ gal of fresh water capability. If you are using only the heat pumps you can turn on the blower switch on the water panel that will help keep the tanks from freezing. The heat pumps won't do much below 40F so you will need the propane. Your Newmar is better equipped for cold weather than 90% of the other coaches out there.

[cherrykiss3]

I am full timing in my 5th wheel in north east TX. It gets down to the 20's at night.

I set my furnace on 60 at night just to come on to keep the belly warmish. I have a water hose with heat tape and wrapped in insulation. It has yet to freeze up. I have not had any pipes freeze.

I keep the electric fireplace on and a small electric heater on at night. When I get up in the AM I turn up the heat to finish taking the chill off. I keep using the little heater and fireplace during the day. It stays plenty warm in here doing that.

I have an electric blanket which I have used a couple of times. I stay plenty warm in my 5th wheel doing all of this.

I would think if you are going to spend a week at Nashville and you put heat tape and that black hose insulation from Home Depot on it as well as having a small electric heater you will be just fine.

Cherry

[B_s_Bunch]

EydieG wrote:
Thanks Larry! By onboard tank, are you talking about the fresh water tank?

Sorry for not getting back sooner but you may well have tank heaters as well. Look for a switch in the bath area. May be a lighted switch as it lites up when on. Yes I meant the fresh water tank. Fill it every day or as much as you need to. I keep ours full when freezing. Have had the camp spigot freeze before. Same with the sewer hose. Do not keep it hooked up and be sure to close the opening where you install it. Cold air entering this access can freeze pipes. We have stayed in much colder weather and with a little precaution have had no problems with freezing. Have fun and enjoy your trip. Larry

[Salty_Dog]

We have camped in weather below 10F. Fill your fresh water tank and use that as your water supply. Take your fresh water hose out to refill the tank as needed and then bring back inside. Connect your sewer when you dump and then disconnect when finished and stow away. Run your furnace as primary heat when below 32F to protect your pipes and tanks from freezing. When outside temp is above 32, use which ever your want. Keep an eye on your propane tank level - you don't want to run out at 2 in the morning. Last thing - enjoy your time there! Winter camping can be a blast!

[Ole_Man_Dan]

When we camp in freezing weather, I don't hook up the 'Slinky' till we are ready to dump. Fill the Fresh Water Tank, disconnect the City Water hose when it's nearing freezing...
AND... I run an extra 10 amp power cord thru the access hole under the couch. I use a large electric heater that heats the entire trailer. Open the doors where the drains are located for extra protection. Nothing like heating on the campgrounds dime.
We also mostly use bottled water in the winter, shower at the bath houses ect...

[Opie431]

If anyone gets up at night and just before you go to bed run the water in all faucets if the low will be below freezing. Probably below 27 would be OK but better to not take a chance.

[JimM68]

The heat pumps are built into the air conditioners, and the warm air comes out the cieling vents.

To keep your basement and tanks warm, you have to run the propane heaters, they go thru the floor ducting, and will have at least 1 or 2 air vents down in the basement tanks areas.

If yours is like our monaco,it will have a "system heat"switch on the main panel, which turns on a thermostat controlled 300 watt 12volt heater in the wet bay. Check for this, and make sure yours works. It will keep most of your plumbing from freezing.

Also check your fridge. I used one of those one into three plugs, and a plug socket to light bulb screw to put a 100 watt light buld behind the fridge, tied into the same power as the icemaker. So far so good, the fridge line is frozen, but it hasn't burst. It will get near freezing (up from single digits) this weekend, so I'm hoping to get the icemaker / fridge door water line unfroze...

they say to block the upper 2 of the 3 fridge air intakes with duct tape, so I did that too. So far so good, except for the frozen water line.

[pianotuna]

Hi wa8yxm,

How many watts were you running and how much did you have to "bump up"? Thanks in advance.

wa8yxm wrote:
I have added electric heat in the wet bay... Still, when I was up in MI (I could not leave till Thanksgiving, Doctor's orders) I had some lines freeze. No damage, Just had to add more basement heat.

[pianotuna]

Hi EydieG,

If the electricity is included in the site rental, then I'd always use the heat pump. Propane is always an out of pocket expense--and is some times awkward to acquire.

I would check the level on the propane tank--and make sure it is full.

[EydieG]

Thank so much everyone. Several people have mentioned the furnace which runs on propane. We recently got our tank filled so we should be good on that, but our heat pump runs on electricity and it works great too. Is there any reason to choose the furnace over the heat pump? I'm hopeful that daytime temps will be in 40's and just below freezing at night. This is sad that we have had our RV for a year and still have so much to learn. Which isn't to say we haven't already learned a lot because we are first time RV owners and went into this knowing nothing so we have come a long way and we are loving it! 🙂

[wa8yxm]

A lot depends on the RV.. Many Class A's have enclosed tanks in a heated compartment.. Most of those are rated for temps down to 20 degrees with the furnace running as the only heat. They do tell you to open cabnet doors and drawers but.. Know where your pipes are (you don't need to open EVERYTHING, Just the ones that have pipes behind them).

Many trailers have exposed pipes. I worry about those at low temps.

I am in upstate SC. the weather here is slightly warmer than Nashville but come end of Jan, 20s are likely.

I fill the on-board water tank, Unhook and if it's going to freeze DRAIN the water hose and pressure regulator..

I also have a string of incandescent rope lights. ducttaped to the hose (Fancy Duct Tape, the kind with patterns to look good) with excess rope wraped around the regulator.

But it is safer still to drain the hose.

I have added electric heat in the wet bay... Still, when I was up in MI (I could not leave till Thanksgiving, Doctor's orders) I had some lines freeze. No damage, Just had to add more basement heat.

They make peal and stick tank heaters.. I used a string of C-9 Christmas tree bulbs (Around 24 lamps as I recall) these are 9 watt incandescent lamps. so that's 216 watts, plus a 100 watt rough service "Trouble lamp" and I added a 150 watt "Space heater" when it froze... 2 hours later it was flowing again.

There is a problem I need to shoot but .. Well, got to leave SOMETHING for next week. (I arrived down here black Friday and every day it's not raining, and some times even if it is. I have something minor to fix.. yesterday it was some sewing and adding a ground wire to a lamp, today it was laundry, Tomorrow more sewing (it was in the dirty lalundry basket) Sat is's choir practice, Sunday church and change campground.. Monday I may get to the light string, I suspect a broken lamp.

[opnspaces]

Yes, the suggestion is to fill your fresh water tank and then disconnect and store the fresh water hose. Then use your water pump to supply water and only connect the fresh water hose long enough to refill the tank.

[Roy_Lynne]

Get an electric heater for nights as that tin box gets really cold. Plenty of blankets will help also, and feign sleep until your spouse gets up and makes the coffee and heats up the place.