|
|
11-20-2017, 02:23 PM
|
#1
|
Junior Member
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Sullivan, Ohio
Posts: 12
|
Going full-time next week and concerned about water freezing
We have a 2007 Allegro Bay 35 TSB and are leaving North Central Ohio next week for boondockig in Arizona. We will head in a southwesterly direction and are taking four days to get there. Should I fill the water tanks before we leave or just leave the coach winterized until we hit warm weather? I put foam insulation on every pipe that I could reach in the wet bay, but have the feeling that it's too risky. Advise for two rookie females? Thanks, Valerie
|
|
|
|
Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free!
iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!
|
11-20-2017, 02:39 PM
|
#2
|
Senior Member
Tiffin Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 1,912
|
With lows in the 20s, I would leave it winterized until you get farther south. Will be an easy enough job to purge the antifreeze from your lines when you have a stop preferably with a water hookup at your site. Remember also to bring some bleach to sanitize your fresh water system. Lots of written/video information on the web to guide you as needed for that job. Happy travels.
Sent from my XT1565 using iRV2 - RV Forum mobile app
__________________
Mike and Cindy
2016 Tiffin Allegro Open Road 34PA
2018 Chevy Malibu
|
|
|
11-20-2017, 02:40 PM
|
#3
|
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 3,607
|
As long as you are keeping the LP gas heat running, your pipes will not be in danger. Some of the LP heated hot air is delivered to the wet bay area and then filters into the rest of the basement area. Just don't rely on 110v plug in electric heaters, roof mounted heat pumps or dash heat.
|
|
|
11-20-2017, 03:23 PM
|
#4
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: seattle,wa USA
Posts: 1,025
|
4 days on the road to Arizona, you'll need fresh water for the toilet, doing dishes, and showers. Further, as previously stated, you propane furnace will provide heat to the wet bay. If it were me, I'd fill the fresh water tank and head SSW. Enjoy your trip and new adventure.
__________________
Gary, Maxwell and the Beanie Weenie.
2002 Newmar Kountry Star. Cummins ISB 24 valve
2017 Mazda Miata MX-5 toad on a double axle car hauling trailer
|
|
|
11-20-2017, 07:54 PM
|
#5
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Worcester Pennsylvania
Posts: 1,063
|
I'm in the camp of Pigman1 & tizzyfit, if it were me I would flush out the the water system and fill the tank & live it up. But,,, keep in mind to do that, you will burn the entire propane tank in 4 days. But,, not a big deal to stop after 3 days and top it off.
You can also use 2 oil filled electric heaters to help out while plugged in. But you want that propane furnace running like every hour too to pick up the wet bay heat. I have burned a 11 gallon tank in 2 days, keep an eye on it.
Have done it both ways, but prefer the latter. Maybe a 1/4 cup of bleach to full tank flush. Then 1 cup of baking soda on 2nd flush to knock the odors out.
All the best.
PS, I also take a 2, 1/2 gallon water bottle with faucet for coffee, when the coach is running keep the dash heat on kill/floor
__________________
2006 Fleetwood Bounder 35E Trek pure Trike, electric, 50 mile range, 7000 ,miles the get everything runner. To be toad list Done, Ford E450 toad. Stay & Play active brakes.
Full-time since 2018. LG 4.5 cu ft washer/dryer.
|
|
|
11-20-2017, 11:09 PM
|
#6
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: seattle,wa USA
Posts: 1,025
|
Just checked the National Temp map for the United States. Assuming you two plan on heading out within a week or so, you shouldn't hit any freezing temps unless your plan is to head west through North Dakota and Montana. Heading south through Nashville, Dallas, El Paso, and on to Tucson, you won't see any freezing temps and fuel prices should be lower than what your paying in northern Ohio. Hopefully, you aren't waiting to leave until the Browns win a football game or it might delay your trip for another decade.
__________________
Gary, Maxwell and the Beanie Weenie.
2002 Newmar Kountry Star. Cummins ISB 24 valve
2017 Mazda Miata MX-5 toad on a double axle car hauling trailer
|
|
|
11-21-2017, 04:16 AM
|
#7
|
Junior Member
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Sullivan, Ohio
Posts: 12
|
Thank you all for your wisdom. The forecast does look promising, but I think it is probably better to wait rather than risk any chance of any costly damage.Filling up on the way is probably a safe bet and yes, we do carry water for coffee! I considered waiting for the Browns to win but that is likely to be years from now!
__________________
Valerie and Jen
|
|
|
11-21-2017, 06:08 AM
|
#8
|
Senior Member
Damon Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 24,024
|
When leaving Detroit on Jan-2 I carried 10 gallons INSIDE the RV (Tanks and lines dry)( till I got far enough SOUTH to keep it liquid.
And That is what I recommend
Today as a Full Timer I winterize by the S Method, which I consider to be the Best method.. THat's Upstate S.Carolina lowlands where temps almost never dip below 10 (i can and have survived 10)
__________________
Home is where I park it!
|
|
|
11-21-2017, 06:31 AM
|
#9
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Grasonville, MD -- Golden, CO
Posts: 6,222
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by val51
We have a 2007 Allegro Bay 35 TSB and are leaving North Central Ohio next week for boondockig in Arizona. We will head in a southwesterly direction and are taking four days to get there. Should I fill the water tanks before we leave or just leave the coach winterized until we hit warm weather? I put foam insulation on every pipe that I could reach in the wet bay, but have the feeling that it's too risky. Advise for two rookie females? Thanks, Valerie
|
Look over "Gone with the Wynn's" good blog for first timers, not just winterization but should also help you fill in many of the "fill in the blanks" as you move forward.
How To Prepare Your RV for a Winter Adventure
Wind Map is Helpful - Wind Map
Another Blog or two -
RVcruzer.com - Home Page
RV TechMag - RV Tech Magazine
Wal*Mart locations is always helpful -
https://www.allstays.com/c/wal-mart-locations.htm
Weather temps -
https://weather.com/maps/ustemperaturemap
As you are in the learning stage just grab a few gallons of water for the kitchen bath - don't be afraid to use the toilet - as long as you keep the heat on in the Coach you will be fine - Remember to fill the Propane as if you are running the heater in the cold it will run out quickly. (Depending on the level of use as quickly as three or four days - Fill it if in doubt)
Don't be afraid to USE the Generator - will last longer if used and it can help with the heat.
Sounds like the beginning of a Great Adventure -
Best of luck, hope this helps,
__________________
Busskipper
Location - Grasonville, Maryland - and/or - Superior, Colorado
2005 Travel Supreme 42DS04 - GX470 Toad
|
|
|
11-21-2017, 07:24 AM
|
#10
|
Junior Member
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Sullivan, Ohio
Posts: 12
|
Thanks all! Really have done a lot of reading on this subject and there's a lot of good information online,but my gut feeling is just wait until the weather maps show a bit of warmer weather. We can survive a couple of days easily with bottled water, some antifreeze in the black tank and a jug or two for flushing. Why risk it if we don't need to. I'm sure that the longer we do this, the more comfortable we will get with our coaches abilities! Thanks again everyone!
__________________
Valerie and Jen
|
|
|
11-21-2017, 07:42 AM
|
#11
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Port Orchard, WA
Posts: 4,215
|
You didn't mention if you have heating pads for your water tanks. Generally the switches are located in the bathroom area. They use 110v power, generally with a 1 to 2 amp power draw. If your coach has an inverter, which I assume it does, does the inverter supply, or can it be made to supply power to the tank heating? If so, you can run it while traveling down the road, with the inverter getting power from the 12 volt batteries, and the engine alternator keeping the 12 volt batteries charged.
It it were me, I would fill the fresh water tank, try and keep at least 1/4 tank in the grey and black, turn on the heaters, and drive on. Dump the grey as needed, the black should more than last a week or so, fill the fresh water as necessary. The latent heat in the tanks will easily carry you overnight with the tank heaters off except in the coldest of weather (5 or 10 degrees F or so).
If you run the generator at all, make sure that the tank heaters are on when doing so, also, we keep a small electric space heater in the water bay, plugged into a thermo cube.
https://www.amazon.com/Farm-Innovato.../dp/B0006U2HD2
It's a small plug in adapter you plug into a 110v outlet, preset to allow power to a 15amp appliance (heater) when the temp drops to 35 degrees, then turns off when the temp rises to 45 degrees. Note: You need to either be plugged in to shore power, run the generator, or be using an inverter to have 110v power available.
Good luck in your travels and enjoy!
__________________
Scot & Laura Kellersberger, U.S. Army (ret)
Newmar 4 wheel drive Dutch Star 3891, SOLD
Now RV'ing on the water in a Trawler!
|
|
|
11-21-2017, 08:54 AM
|
#12
|
Junior Member
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Sullivan, Ohio
Posts: 12
|
No heat pads that I am aware of. We only had a converter unil we installed 750 watts of solar, a pure sine Magnam converter/inverter, and four Crown CR 260's! ***smile *** Maybe in the future we can look into the heating pads!
__________________
Valerie and Jen
|
|
|
11-21-2017, 02:52 PM
|
#13
|
Senior Member
Tiffin Owners Club Winnebago Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner iRV2 No Limits Club
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Ohio
Posts: 1,119
|
Our coach was winterized and We made the same trip last Dec when going to SoCal. I70 to I71, I65 south to I40 west to I 30 south then the I635? bypass around Dallas/Ft Worth to I20 West then I 10 West to AZ and CA. We had 20 degree temp and snow flurries all the way to TN. After TN we didn't need to worry about below freezing temps. We carried 6 gallons of water for coffee. Stopped at rest areas for us and the dogs to use the facilities. Used the dash heat nothing else. We used the furnace and electric heaters when we stopped at campgrounds for the night. Big concern is finding an open campground cause its off season.
Took us 4 days of travel. Only problem was cold air leaking under the dash. I needed a blanket over my legs to keep from freezing. When in NM it was warm enough to fix the cold air leak under the dash. Dewinterized when we got to CA.
__________________
Mike and Debbie: USAF Msgt Ret, DoD Civ Ret
DAV and Good Sam Lifetime Members
2014 Allegro Open Road 36LA/2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee/2018 Cherokee Trailhawk
|
|
|
11-22-2017, 08:34 PM
|
#14
|
Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 98
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by flywithcoop
Our coach was winterized and We made the same trip last Dec when going to SoCal. I70 to I71, I65 south to I40 west to I 30 south then the I635? bypass around Dallas/Ft Worth to I20 West then I 10 West to AZ and CA. We had 20 degree temp and snow flurries all the way to TN. After TN we didn't need to worry about below freezing temps. We carried 6 gallons of water for coffee. Stopped at rest areas for us and the dogs to use the facilities. Used the dash heat nothing else. We used the furnace and electric heaters when we stopped at campgrounds for the night. Big concern is finding an open campground cause its off season.
Took us 4 days of travel. Only problem was cold air leaking under the dash. I needed a blanket over my legs to keep from freezing. When in NM it was warm enough to fix the cold air leak under the dash. Dewinterized when we got to CA.
|
Had similar significant cold air coming in under the dash and found a number of unsealed holes/gaps in the firewall that had to be sealed. Seam all the way across the top of the firewall was the biggest gap, which Tiffin sent me their sealant foam to spray since still under warranty. Also got the windshield sealed from the engine compartment under the front of the dash/windshield by the dealer due to air entering at the windshield.
Found other holes in the firewall using a really bright flashlight shined on the firewall by my wife while I laid on the floor finding the gaps/holes and then inserted white cable ties to seal the holes the next day.
|
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|