I have to remove the camper from the truck, and I will have 110VAC plug in available.But I'm worried about my 12 gal tank of water freezing. I know the Daytime temps will be low 40s, but after about 5 pm it will be below 32 degrees for sure. Most of the time it gets down around 20 degrees at night, when I wake up its still 25 or so...Will my water tank freeze ? What can I do ? What about my pump inside the camper and its attached water lines, I can't leave the water running, right ? I can run a electric radiant heater INSIDE the camper, but I like to sleep in the cold with a TON of blankets. Running the darn Propane furnace is too loud.I don't think I will have water hookups, only 115VAC power.My camper is a Pastime 8.5' model, 2009. I won't be using the toilet inside the camper. I do have an extra 5 gal tank of propane.

I have used my camper down into the low teens without trouble. I keep the temperature at 65 degrees and the inside compartment doors open so warmer air can circulate around the waterlines. I don't think your Pastime has a basement so all your tanks, fresh, gray, black, are somewhat more exposed to the inside air than my basement tanks to keep them from freezing. My camper sits on 1" of foam board and also hasit attached to the sides of the camper tub.

It is amazing how much insulation the truck bed provides for the camper, but it can be easily used in the temps you are describing, especially if there isn't much wind.Get a fan forced electric heater, like a little $15 unit from walmart which has a 600 or 750 watt setting. Open up the cabinet and bathroom doors. If the water tank is under the step, you may also want to remove it.Try to keep the camper up to at least 50* at night. If you still want the cab-over colder, just add a curtain across the opening.Lastly, if it is going to be for more than a week, I would spend the money on two sheets of 3/4" foam board and temporarily secure it to the bottom and sides of the camper. The floor and knee walls are the worst insulated of any camper.Last thing you can do is get a remote thermostat and put it down in the corner by the tank. This will give you an idea of how cold the tank area is getting.

Portland probably will not be getting all that cold this winter.Last winter, the only 'cold' days where in December, where it reached 15F for a couple of nights, and then got warmer. It was only icy on the roads and snowed on a Thursday, Friday, and by Monday the roads where clear. But that one weekend was covered with ice. I work at a retirement center in Lake Oswego, and keep track of the temperatures, as I fix the heaters and cooling systems. I also need to shovel snow, if it happens. But this winter, while we did have a couple of days below 30, it was sunny and very clear at night, no rain those days.If you keep the electric heater on, I don't think you will have a problem with freezing. You might want to 'warm up' the RV with the furnace before leaving for the day, as it will help keep the water warm. Yet as long as the electric heater is keeping it above 55F, you do not need to worry about the water tank freezing. As for heating, when I lived in my 30' Bounder in the winter of 2007/8, I had 3 electric heaters, and ran the furnace when I would get home for only a short time. It is less expensive to run the electric heaters, even when I was paying $0.10 per KW for power.It takes 22 KW to make 80,000 Btu's. This cost $2.20 at the RV park I was in. Or you can burn 1 gallon of propane (95,000 Btu's) and lose a little heat through the heat exchanger, and still get 80,000 Btu's. 1 gallon cost about $2.99 the last time I checked. It is easier to get the electric back to the RV too!I only froze my water pump once. I was driving from Battle Ground to Portland, and the air was 26F. Because the cold air goes right into the basement while driving, it froze everything. I was able to quickly thaw out the pump without any damage, by using a 800 watt heater near the water tank/ pump area. I left that heater set at 55F for a couple of months, to keep the tank warm, and heat the basement too. I never had any other problems that winter. My furnace has a heat duct to the basement, and it is designed to not freeze, and I never had a problem camping at 19F when out in the desert dry camping, because I like to keep my RV around 65F. I have a larger solar system to keep the battery full while camping.I did buy Reflex insulation - mainly to block out light, but also for it's insulation quality. It has a R-4 insulation rating, and I can cover all my windows, and especially the front windshield. It is 12' long and 40" tall! Some was left over to put under my mattress, where I store the window size pieces while traveling. I guess it helps insulate the bed from the cold below it.Good luck!Fred.

Use an electric heater to keep the interior above freezing.

I helped out my OFF-ROAD POPUP Trailer cold weather camping situation by installing those 2-inch plastic vents between all of my interior cabinets etc that are connected. At one end I installed a 6-inch DC axial fan and a vent on the other end. This helped out big time circulating the interior heat throughout all of the closed interior cabinets. My fresh water tank is mounted on the bottom of my off-road popup and it does not have any underbelly membrane utilized. I just bite the bullet and drain the fresh water tank if I am going to be in freeze temps for long extended time. I carry a couple of 5-gallon fresh water totes with me and usually can go find water the next day somewhere close by. We also use the blow out method using my 12VDC compressor and add pink stuff to the sink p-traps. Can do this is a quick 5-minutes time. I like this as you can just add water again the next day and continue on...I'm starting to think of adding a couple of heat zones doing the HYDRONIC method using my on-board 6-gallon hot water heater to circulate hot water around these areas. Being a closed loop the propane or electric anodes from an inverter will cycle on and off maintaining water temperature.This Hydronic heat concept should work wonders in our small trailer footprint floorplans.We do some camping in the high country here on the East side with temps down to the 30s and lower. When it gets in the 20s and teens starts getting your attention. Found out real quick the on-board propane heater fan really eats up batteries real quick. We also run a two zone electric blanket off our inverter setup and run on low. Just the right touch sometimes being just under the outer blanket.Everything is planned out to not drop our battery bank below 12.0VDC by 8AM the next morning where we can run our 2KW generator when allowed to recharge our batteries back up to their 90% charge state using smart mode charging.We have pretty good success surviving the cold weather around the mtns here in the late camping season.Roy Ken

Using the Cabover in Freezing weather | Good Sam Community

mkirsch
Nomad II
Jan 23, 2015
prginocx wrote:
mkirsch wrote:
If it's only going to get down around 20, I would put a small electric ceramic heater in the water tank compartment on low.

In my camper the water tank compartment opens up to the sink compartment and then over to the water heater. With all the cabinet doors closed an electric heater should keep it nice and toasty in there without warming the whole camper.

Unfortunately, my tank is hanging outside very exposed, especially with the camper off the truck.

What the heck kind of camper do you have that's like that?

If your water tank is outside, forget it. You're screwed if you try to use it without heat, and there is no practical way to keep it warm. Insulation only slows the transfer of heat, it doesn't stop it. If you leave a tank of water out in <32 degree weather long enough, it doesn't matter if it has 3 feet of fiberglass insulation, it will eventually freeze unless it has a source of heat inside the insulated space.

Winterize it and live out of gallon jugs.
time2roll
Nomad
Jan 23, 2015
prginocx wrote:
smkettner wrote:
If you have access to the tank just put a heater on it.
www.ultraheat.com

I have been considering an idea similar to these pads. On a job in the midwest, I found standard 115VAC "strip / rope" heaters in many of the hardware stores. They come in 15, 25, 50' lengths and have a built in thermostat so they turn ON when it dips below 32, and enough hysterisis so they turn off when it rises above 40. I thought of wrapping spiral one of these around my exterior tank.
Just read the warnings about overlapping the heat tape to prevent burn out. Heat transfer to the tank will be far better with the self stick heat pad.
prginocx
Explorer
Jan 23, 2015
mkirsch wrote:
If it's only going to get down around 20, I would put a small electric ceramic heater in the water tank compartment on low.

In my camper the water tank compartment opens up to the sink compartment and then over to the water heater. With all the cabinet doors closed an electric heater should keep it nice and toasty in there without warming the whole camper.

Unfortunately, my tank is hanging outside very exposed, especially with the camper off the truck.
prginocx
Explorer
Jan 23, 2015
smkettner wrote:
If you have access to the tank just put a heater on it.
www.ultraheat.com

I have been considering an idea similar to these pads. On a job in the midwest, I found standard 115VAC "strip / rope" heaters in many of the hardware stores. They come in 15, 25, 50' lengths and have a built in thermostat so they turn ON when it dips below 32, and enough hysterisis so they turn off when it rises above 40. I thought of wrapping spiral one of these around my exterior tank.
prginocx
Explorer
Jan 23, 2015
kohldad wrote:
It is amazing how much insulation the truck bed provides for the camper, but it can be easily used in the temps you are describing, especially if there isn't much wind.

Get a fan forced electric heater, like a little $15 unit from walmart which has a 600 or 750 watt setting. Open up the cabinet and bathroom doors. If the water tank is under the step, you may also want to remove it.

Try to keep the camper up to at least 50* at night. If you still want the cab-over colder, just add a curtain across the opening.

Lastly, if it is going to be for more than a week, I would spend the money on two sheets of 3/4" foam board and temporarily secure it to the bottom and sides of the camper. The floor and knee walls are the worst insulated of any camper.

Last thing you can do is get a remote thermostat and put it down in the corner by the tank. This will give you an idea of how cold the tank area is getting.

My tank hangs above where the Driver's side rear wheel would be if the camper were on the truck. I MUST camp with the camper OFF and LOWERED, 'cause I need to truck during the day to drive 4X4. The tank is completely exposed and outside the camper. In fact, its right beside the little door ( Front L Corner ) where you plug into the truck.
prginocx
Explorer
Jan 23, 2015
Golden_HVAC wrote:
Portland probably will not be getting all that cold this winter.

Last winter, the only 'cold' days where in December, where it reached 15F for a couple of nights, and then got warmer. It was only icy on the roads and snowed on a Thursday, Friday, and by Monday the roads where clear. But that one weekend was covered with ice.

I work at a retirement center in Lake Oswego, and keep track of the temperatures, as I fix the heaters and cooling systems. I also need to shovel snow, if it happens. But this winter, while we did have a couple of days below 30, it was sunny and very clear at night, no rain those days.

If you keep the electric heater on, I don't think you will have a problem with freezing. You might want to 'warm up' the RV with the furnace before leaving for the day, as it will help keep the water warm. Yet as long as the electric heater is keeping it above 55F, you do not need to worry about the water tank freezing.

As for heating, when I lived in my 30' Bounder in the winter of 2007/8, I had 3 electric heaters, and ran the furnace when I would get home for only a short time. It is less expensive to run the electric heaters, even when I was paying $0.10 per KW for power.

It takes 22 KW to make 80,000 Btu's. This cost $2.20 at the RV park I was in. Or you can burn 1 gallon of propane (95,000 Btu's) and lose a little heat through the heat exchanger, and still get 80,000 Btu's. 1 gallon cost about $2.99 the last time I checked. It is easier to get the electric back to the RV too!

I only froze my water pump once. I was driving from Battle Ground to Portland, and the air was 26F. Because the cold air goes right into the basement while driving, it froze everything. I was able to quickly thaw out the pump without any damage, by using a 800 watt heater near the water tank/ pump area. I left that heater set at 55F for a couple of months, to keep the tank warm, and heat the basement too.

I never had any other problems that winter. My furnace has a heat duct to the basement, and it is designed to not freeze, and I never had a problem camping at 19F when out in the desert dry camping, because I like to keep my RV around 65F. I have a larger solar system to keep the battery full while camping.

I did buy Reflex insulation - mainly to block out light, but also for it's insulation quality. It has a R-4 insulation rating, and I can cover all my windows, and especially the front windshield. It is 12' long and 40" tall! Some was left over to put under my mattress, where I store the window size pieces while traveling. I guess it helps insulate the bed from the cold below it.

Good luck!

Fred.

I probably should have made it clear, I LIVE in Portland. I'm going camping in Central and Eastern Oregon and Central, WA. I won't be going when the temps are really cold, but I do want to camp out in the temp ranges I quoted.

Long ago, I tried to tent camp near Baker City when it was 7 degrees IN THE SUNNY AFTERNOON. Its amazing how fast a 5 gal jug of water will freeze solid. One reason I have a cabover now...
Stars101
Explorer
Jan 23, 2015
I have often wondered if a small electric aquarium or reptile heater pad would work on a small water tank.... just enough gentle heat to keep above freezing when you have shore power. Plus very small footprint.

From what I have been able to research they probably don't get warm enough to really help. But they are cheap and I've always wanted to try one to see if it kept the compartment above freezing.
Eric_Lisa
Explorer II
Jan 23, 2015
Golden_HVAC wrote:
Portland probably will not be getting all that cold this winter.

Last winter, the only 'cold' days where in December, where it reached 15F for a couple of nights, and then got warmer. It was only icy on the roads and snowed on a Thursday, Friday, and by Monday the roads where clear. But that one weekend was covered with ice.

I work at a retirement center in Lake Oswego, and keep track of the temperatures, as I fix the heaters and cooling systems. I also need to shovel snow, if it happens. But this winter, while we did have a couple of days below 30, it was sunny and very clear at night, no rain those days.

Hehehe, you are forgetting the big snow slam we got the 2nd week of February. It came in from the south and hit the Willamette valley pretty hard.
mkirsch
Nomad II
Jan 22, 2015
If it's only going to get down around 20, I would put a small electric ceramic heater in the water tank compartment on low.

In my camper the water tank compartment opens up to the sink compartment and then over to the water heater. With all the cabinet doors closed an electric heater should keep it nice and toasty in there without warming the whole camper.
time2roll
Nomad
Jan 22, 2015
I used 120v heaters for my fully exposed waste system. Tank pads (4) from Ultraheat and self regulating heat tape from Morelectric for the drain pipes. Wrapped or coiled the heat tape with about 2" spacing around the pipes. Then wrapped with self stick foam insulation tape from Home Depot. I used 120v as in that kind of cold I will be plugged in and the 12v load seemed fairly high. Just the fresh water tank got a 12v/120v combo for more heat and to run while in transit.

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Using the Cabover in Freezing weather

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