Cougar 32RBK Travel Trailer

[rjkalv11870]

I purchased a Cougar 32RBK travel Trailer last August. This trailer has an outside camp kitchen with a sink, stove top and refrigerator. I live in Lower Michigan. I am a newbie and was told I could use the trailer in the sping and fall because it has the polar package. While camping in Mid-April of this year it fell below 32 degrees during the night 2 days in a row. The outside camp sink faucet froze, cracked and leaked. I was told by Keystone, sorry the warranty won't cover this because it is freeze damage. The only asnwer they would give me as to what I could do to avoid this during spring and fall was "winterize it" That is not practical while camping, I get winterizing it in the winter, but not fall and spring when I was told it could be used. My questions are...has anyone else had this issue and have they been able to modify the sink with a shut off of some sort or am I stuck not being able to ever camp if it might get cold...Thanks

[6_7_tow_rig]

No way I would put a heater in my outdoor kitchen with the door closed. Its only 16" deep. That's a fire for sure. We only camp in the fall winter and spring because we hate the heat and crowds. When really cold we close the outdoor kitchen hatch at night and leave the light on to give a little heat. I don't know about yours but we also have a refrigerator that puts out some heat as well. Never had anything freeze and we have camped in temps down to 15 degrees.

[Horse_Doctor]

If you can find the hot and cold supply lines in an area where you can access them, install valves and fittings to blow the lines out with compressed air. You can then "winterize" the outside faucet/sink and use the rest of the trailer during times when a freeze might occur.

[rjkalv11870]

The outside sink is tied to the entire water system. The pipes run down into the underbelly of the tt and into the water system I am not sure where as I have not attempted to get into the underbelly as it looks very difficult to do.

[Doug33]

We like to camp in late October and early November, so this has been a concern of mine in the past. Although I do not have an outdoor kitchen. Is this plumbing tied to the rest of the TT, or a separate system with it's own water source?

[dadmomh]

Well, that's a bummer. Sounds like a salesman's idea!

But it does make sense, actually even moreso than the plumbing that's inside the camper that it stay winterized. The rule, as I understand it is, if it has water involved in any part of whatever it is, it needs winterizing and to stay that way until you're sure you're past the freeze temps. If you want to use the camper before the warmer temps are here to stay, you're going to need to rewinterize after each trip....and if it's going way down overnight when you are camping, probably then, too. If you have an electric heater and a receptacle in the outdoor kitchen area, you might try plugging it in and closing everything up.....but not at all sure just how safe that is. If it were me, think I'd just hold off until the temps came up a bit and be safe and not have to replace the faucet. Darn!