Thank yall for all your suggestions.

First, my sewer drain here on the property needs some work. My dad installed two 90s in it so it clogs like no other.

Second, I think I have the dreaded poop pyramid. So I need to fill my black tank and add some enzymes soon.

Lastly, last night I ran both electric heaters and it was very comfortable. Dripped both sinks and nothing froze up. Tonight isn’t gonna be as bad as predicted, about like last night. I’m seriously considering pulling up stakes on Thursday when I’m off and parking it at the rental house and moving in there with the wife and kids.

That will pretty much mean giving up on cleaning up mine and my brothers properties and just getting ready for my next assignment. Which at this point may be the right decision.

I’ll definitely winterize the camper once I get the black tank free of solids and parked. With a couple gallons of antifreeze in both tanks.

As for a poster mentioning my little teardrop, I sold that, now I’m in a 36’ toy hauler. Only toy haulers can handle the weight of all my guns and reloading gear


OP: So I don’t plan well, but then again been pretty busy.

It’s gonna be below freezing 25-32 for about 8-9 hours a night for the next week.

I’m gonna leave the faucets dripping for the next couple nights as I don’t have enough time off to fully insulate anything until Thursday.

Probably gonna insulate with some skirting of some kind, as ffips has mentioned in emails. Should keep my tanks fine underneath, maybe even stick a halogen shop light underneath there on cold nights, that’s how we always kept the chickens above freezing.

Anything yall experienced rv’ers know I can do until Thursday to prevent any damage?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: OttoSig,

Otto if you have an air compressor and a way to get that into the system and blow down your lines it will help as well by displacing the water in the low points of your traps ect. if you have paths you would like to cut off
we do this with Fire equipment when it bumps the freezing mark...though we also inject RV antifreeze, you may not if you are wanting to keep potable.

I’m gonna be staying in it so I gotta keep hot water and potable going.

quote:

Originally posted by OttoSig:
I’m gonna be staying in it so I gotta keep hot water and potable going.

Are you keeping the gray/black tanks dry and bypassing those? I hear from folks up here that those freezing can be a nightmere.

quote:

Originally posted by mn_smokeater:

quote:

Originally posted by OttoSig:
I’m gonna be staying in it so I gotta keep hot water and potable going.

Are you keeping the gray/black tanks dry and bypassing those? I hear from folks up here that those freezing can be a nightmere.

I think I’ll empty then tonight and much as I can and just not use them during the night.

ETA: I can empty the black tank but I gotta leave grey open while running the faucets! Damn it. Hope nothing gets busted.

Obviously, open the under sink cabinet doors to allow warm air flow. If you can, inside, cover your ceiling vents to prevent icing, but uncover in day time.

Keep the door open under the bathroom sink, the fresh water (garden hose) where it attaches needs to be insulated good (especially if you can get to the inside). There is a check valve there that will freeze.
I'm in an insulated 17' Nash camper this week, been through a couple of 10 degree weeks at night before. Never a problem with cold water storage freezing, I'm not using it or the pump, keep the fresh water 3/4 full and no problems with it freezing. The tanks are not insulated, completely exposed. No need for skirting here in AZ but I would imagine it would be required up North.
I think you will be fine, I don't let my faucets drip, but use water at 4AM when I'm up, that seems to be the time when it freezes up, even then only for a couple hours.
Temps gonna drop here in the teens in a couple days but it's just a temporary inconvenience.

I’ve never used the fresh water tank. Always been on the well. Should I fill it or just leave it empty?

I don’t know what type of camper you have or how new it is. We had motorhome, and a fifth wheel and full timed in both. Un hook any water hoses you have running to it. Keeping your propane tanks filled and use your propane heater. The newer RVs have a water bay that’s is usually heated by the ducting from the propane heater. Do you have tank heaters? If so turn those on if you have liquid in them. You can Drain your freshwater tank or cover the drain to it with pipe insulation. If newer RVs you have pex pipes for your freshwater. Pex is pretty hardy against freezing it’s the fittings you have to worry about. Now sewer pipes if you can dump you sewer tank I would. If you are living in the RV you don’t have to drain the black tank unless needed. Heaters underneath you have to be careful I have seen where the corrugated covering underbelly has deformed or even melted. Hope this helps

Can you get a roll of plastic sheeting and wrap it around the entire trailer covering the gap from the body to the ground? With a few incandescent lights underneath the trailer and the plastics keeping the wind out should help.

quote:

Originally posted by OttoSig:
I’ve never used the fresh water tank. Always been on the well. Should I fill it or just leave it empty?

I don't know. my pump and lines and tank have water in them, never a problem, if your tank is dry I don't think it will freeze.

You could get a couple gallons of RV anti-freeze and pour them into your gray and black water tanks.

How big are your tanks?

I always filled fresh tank to help reduce rock and sway in the trailer (think of it as weight not water (8.4#/gallon)). Don't fill to 100%, and no issue if fresh tank freezes. Fill to about 75% for the benefit of weight. Dump before moving, don't pay to haul water.

As for grey and black, dump black then grey. Catch grey for a day or so before dumping black to allow for a good hose flush. OR dump black then run faucet on sink for 10-15 mins to flush grey with.

As for this week, dump your black. Dump your grey. You should be able to hold both long enough to get you through the cold snap. Drip your faucets don't run them full, they might even be anti drip, so trickle farthest one. Could even trickle hot line.

Use off site or bathhouse toilet/shower if possible.

What does the manufacturer say?

If you have electricity hook up, I would use extension cord from the pedestal end plug in a portable heater in your wet bay where your water connections are exposed. I do that all the time when RVing in the low 20s. If you can use electric heaters in your camper, use it and set to 70. It may not warm up the inside enough to make it warm enough to your liking, but it will keep temp from dropping too much. Open your cabinets where you have exposed water lines. And you already know to keep faucet just dripping slowly.

Make sure your propane tanks are full. Those furnace use a lot of propane if you use it continuously.

If you are using off the well. do NOT fill the tanks. leave the water drip / run on all faucets.
and leave all cabinets doors open. When you get a chance maybe put some bales of straw around the bottom of the camper for A Temp skirt.
I would even consider draining the hot water tank until it warms up. also get some anti-freeze in the Gray and black water tanks and do not slack on the amount. Keep it warm in Camper even when you are not there . Good luck and be SAFE

Stay warm, Otto!

Get some straw bales. Enough to surround the camper. Run your space heater if you have one, or oven if you need to. This is completely off the cuff, but it can work.

The amount of time below freezing and how warm it gets during the day makes a difference. Up north cold all day you will freeze up faster. Down yonder it will get below freezing 5 hrs or so in the early morning. If it warms up to 50 degrees or so during daytime, the retained heat will keep it from freezing sooner.
being in AZ it helps that it's a "dry" cold.

careful but but light bulbs can put off some heat. Foam insulation board could also be used to keep cold out and heat in. Good luck bud.