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I suggest you go ahead an winterize, even if you are in a heated barn. We live near Anderson and have been to Florida over Christmas week 2 years in a row now. And this year, in March again, and planning another Florida trip this December again.
We do not park in a barn, so have to winterize October-November time frame.
Running with the furnace on not would depend upon how fast you can get out of the snow belt. When we make the trip, we plan the first night somewhere in Tennessee, Georgia, or Northern Alabama. We usually get a motel the first night as we are still in the freeze zone. The second night we are finally far enough South, we stay in a campground with full hook-up and dewinterize then. The third night we are at our destination.
Coming back, if we decide to drive straight through, we'll winterize again in Florida. If we take 2 days coming back, we plan a stop before hitting the snow range again. Basically, if a campground is open and water is available, you are safe to winterize, unwinterize at that location.
I would not trust the on-board furnace to keep your water lines and tanks from freezing up when driving. Anything could cause the furnace to go out and you'd never know it. The last thing you want is your trip ruined having to replace pipes.
At least, blow your lines out, if nothing else.
Another thing to consider is Indiana weather. You live here, you know what the winters are like. In February, we could have 3 feet of snow on the ground, and we could have 60 degree weather! The risk in planning a trip FROM Indiana is not knowing if you'll be snowed IN and can't even get out your drive way! Not to mention what the conditions of the roads may be.
A few years ago, we planned a trip to Norfolk, Virgina in March. The morning we planned on leaving, Indiana got hit with a blizzard! We left anyway, and the blizzard followed us all the way to the top of the Smokey Mountains. Once we crested the top, we got out of the snow. We could drive only about 25 mph the whole trip. It was the LONGEST trip we ever made. But we did it. My daughter was getting married. She was stationed at Norfolk, so we HAD to get there, no matter what it took. Yes, we towed the trailer. It was no fun.
All I'm suggesting to you is, winterize your camper and don't depend upon heat. It cost so very little to winterize, and blowing lines costs nothing, and the prevention could save a LOT of headache and aggravation and misery fixing frozen pipes or tanks on your camper.
If your camper has the "Artic Package" on it, from all I heard and read about them, that is basically worthless. The furnace may be blowing heat between the under belly and the floor of your camper, but that heat is escaping as fast as it blows in.
Contrary to popular belief, once insulation get's cold, it's just as cold on both side of it. All it does is slow the process of heat transferring from one side to the other. If heat stops on one side of the insulation, eventually cold will penetrate. It only slows the process down, and only if there is a constant heat source on the other side of the insulation. So, when traveling, if the furnace goes out, it's still just a matter of time till the cold get's to everything. You can only hope to get to warmer weather before it happens. For me, that's just too risky.
Here again, winterize, or at least blow out the lines. Then you REALLY have nothing to worry about, furnace or not!
