Alternatives to winterizing?

[FatChance]

If you use a space heater, get one with mechanical controls. A space heater with digital controls will not turn back on by itself if there is any kind of power interruption, even for a second, especially if you rely on a Thermocube. Whatever kind of heater you use, turn it on, unplug it and plug it back in to verify it comes back on without having to push an "on" button.

[MO Fred]

I never winterize our coach because we use it too often. It got down below zero several times last winter and all we have is a 15 amp cord going to the coach which is covered with sidewalls protecting it against the wind but it is open on both ends. It is a well insulated coach and the basement is heated which contains the fresh water and waste tanks. Here’s what I do.... plug in an infrared heater and place it in the center of the coach, drain all water including waste tanks, put antifreeze in the p-traps, open up refrigerator doors and cabinet doors to expose any plumbing, and set the aqua hot for 45 degrees. Never had a problem in 6 years.... knock on wood.

[charliej]

I never liked the idea of having heat on in storage. Just seems too nice in cozy for mice looking for a winter home. Just blow out the lines and drain the tanks, add antifreeze to the traps, and a little to the waist tanks.

[NCC-1701A]

Originally Posted by Frank Miller

The way we deal with it is to not de-winterize for short winter trips (couple of days) but only for longer trips. For shorter trips we also make more use of roadside rest areas, keep several gallon bottles of tap water in the bathroom for the potty, and shower in the campgrounds.

Same thing we do. To get hot water, we just heat it over the stove. We use some small "tubs" that fit in the sinks to do dishes. One can sponge bathe and wash hair over the little "tubs"...we've even used an old ice cream pail sitting in the toilet for #1 at night if we don't want to use the black tank.

[RRR]

If you want one more opinion, here is mine.

Your weather temps for the location is only a few degrees colder than mine. I have ours stored in a pole barn so I basically covered on three sides. 15 amp available but owner ask that we not use. If I need it I'll shoot him an e-mail and say I'll send a few extra $$ on the payment and he is happy, We try to use ours every two to three weeks. I watch the forecast closely. If the days aren't going to get above freezing for awhile I do a blow out.

I'll drain the FW tank, run the pump dry, hook my air compressor up and set to about 40 PSI. Open the low point drain and blow out hot water tank. Start going around faucets hot then cold till I get air. Do them all then repeat. Cycle the ice maker. Do the same with the toilet valve then prop open. Open all faucets both hot and cold. Put 60 watt drop light in the washer.

No need for pink stuff and here is my reason. Air can compress, water can't. If the P-traps freeze so what, there is air on either side of the water. Same with waste tanks, there is air above with plenty of head space. Water heater same as all valves are open, plenty of head space, so what if a pint of water freezes. Any remaining water in the lines will simply freeze as the valves are open. As long as the remaining water has someplace to expand to everything is fine.

Come time to go, close everything up add water, load the groceries and boogie.

I'm sure I'll get a lot of flack on this but done the same on two class C's and the current one.

[ThePowells]

Last year, I was in your shoes. We bought ours last week of February 2017 and our first trip in mid-March had me waiting to come home due to snow fall that Sunday. Every time it got below freezing, I was worried about the coach freezing up and bursting lines. After copious amounts of reading and researching, especially with the many, many threads on the subject.
Last winter I went into it with much more confidence. Since our coach is plugged in to 30 Amp shore power and has a feed from our home LP tank, I felt that we were fine unless we had a worst case scenario. Now, I know that we will be fine.
I left the slide in, placed a 1500 watt oil filled heater in the coach set to 55, set the coach furnace on as low as it would go, placed a very heavy blanket over the pass through from the cab to coach, opened the bathroom door and cabinet, and drained the black / gray tanks. Nothing in the fresh water system was drained or blown.
Later came the final exam. We got really cold for a week. We had over 140 straight hours below freezing with three mornings in single digits and one was -3. My only change then was to add ½ gallon of anti freeze to each tank and turn on the tank heaters. I went and bought a thermos cube and light, but then found out that I don’t have room in the wet bay for the light. When we got to the really cold part, I was working nights and checking on the coach coming and leaving. The coldest morning the outer skin was -5, exposed wheel temps were -11, inside wall was about 10, counter 43, under sink was 50 (near hot water heater), water lines in bathroom cabinet were about 40, and the only line that concerned me was the lines to the outside shower. They did get down to freezing at the faucet connection. I had disconnected the shower hose. When I checked the tanks, with the heaters on, the bottom of the tanks at the heater was 35-38, but the gate valves were at ambient temps, so I cut the tank heaters off since the valves were my concern.
Now I know what my coach will do and what to expect. We went to Elkhart last January without a worry. Since I have the weekend off, I am going to do my regular cleaning from our two week trip, and the only cold weather prep I will do is top off the coach LP tank and hook up the LP tether to the house. We have a 4 day trip the week before Thanksgiving and then a trip to the Tampa RV Show in January. The only thing I have planned to do to the coach is sanitize the water system, then D/C the water hose and external filter.
Your Tiffin with better insulation will fare just fine with only a little more attention to the wet bay.

[JMLifecation]

The best recommendation we can give you. Do as we are doing, go South for the winter.
We plan on NEVER being in a place we need to winterize again.


Sorry - Just could not resist.

[Cat320]

I have very reliable 20 amp power. I drain the fresh water, then put two each of WalMart's cheapest drop lights by everything that can freeze...washer, refer, water pump, dump T handles, etc. Then I put pink A/F in the toilets and P traps.

[TMan59]

We put a space heater in the coach and leave the hydro hot on.
No wintering needed.

[samsolong]

Originally Posted by ascdds

We will soon spend our first winter owning a motorhome. When not camping, we store her in a covered, outdoor storage with 15A electrical service. We will still be camping 1 or 2 weekends a month, so I'm not real excited about winterizing then dewinterizing every 2 or 3 weeks. A friend suggested to keep the propane furnace set to 50 degrees but I'm not real jazzed about using up propane for that either just because I'm cheap. Are there any other alternatives, such as space heaters in the kitchen, bathrooms, and water bay which will use the storage place's electricity. If you use space heaters what kind do you use that would do the trick safely? Or are there any other alternatives I haven't thought of? Or should I just get off my lazy butt and winterize/dewinterize every time?

We are owning a popup for the first time and I have been debating about winterizing or NOT? I drained all the water from the water heater and to my knowledge the only water is in the toilet traps and possibly the sink trap. The pipes are pex, their in no pressure in the system, why winterize ? I feel it is unnecessary, before calling me names for not doing what everyone else is doing, enlighten me and sure you can call me lazy, I already know it Actually my reasoning was that I was going to go down south and dint want to de-winterize ?

[Busskipper]

Originally Posted by samsolong

We are owning a popup for the first time and I have been debating about winterizing or NOT? I drained all the water from the water heater and to my knowledge the only water is in the toilet traps and possibly the sink trap. The pipes are pex, their in no pressure in the system, why winterize ? I feel it is unnecessary, before calling me names for not doing what everyone else is doing, enlighten me and sure you can call me lazy, I already know it Actually my reasoning was that I was going to go down south and dint want to de-winterize ?

Just blow it out and you should be fine.

[Persistent]

Originally Posted by samsolong

We are owning a popup for the first time and I have been debating about winterizing or NOT? I drained all the water from the water heater and to my knowledge the only water is in the toilet traps and possibly the sink trap. The pipes are pex, their in no pressure in the system, why winterize ? I feel it is unnecessary, before calling me names for not doing what everyone else is doing, enlighten me and sure you can call me lazy, I already know it Actually my reasoning was that I was going to go down south and dint want to de-winterize ?

What you do with your POP top is totally up to you. However, the laws of physics are not political and they do apply to everyone and everything.

Many years ago I bought van camper with a water system. It was my first RV water system. After the first winter the water pump didn't work and the water tank fittings all leaked.

PEC tubing can withstand water freezing inside it. PECs fittings and valves generally cannot. It is annoying to infuse antifreeze and even more annoying to flush it out. The blow out method does not have the flush out problem.

However you do it, you will be happier next year if you get ALL the water out. Don't forget you must also winterize when you come north again.

The laws of physics apply. Pressure will be generated when water freezes. Even leaving the valves open will not relieve freezing pressure.

[samsolong]

Originally Posted by Persistent

What you do with your POP top is totally up to you. However, the laws of physics are not political and they do apply to everyone and everything.

Many years ago I bought van camper with a water system. It was my first RV water system. After the first winter the water pump didn't work and the water tank fittings all leaked.

PEC tubing can withstand water freezing inside it. PECs fittings and valves generally cannot. It is annoying to infuse antifreeze and even more annoying to flush it out. The blow out method does not have the flush out problem.

However you do it, you will be happier next year if you get ALL the water out. Don't forget you must also winterize when you come north again.

The laws of physics apply. Pressure will be generated when water freezes. Even leaving the valves open will not relieve freezing pressure.

I respect physics, did not think pex fittings were the weak link in the equation. I suspect this winter is going to be harsh from all the forecast i have seen, perhaps its not too late, going to winterize this weekend!

[Busskipper]

Originally Posted by ascdds

We will soon spend our first winter owning a motorhome.

Congratulations on the Coach.

When not camping, we store her in a covered, outdoor storage with 15A electrical service.

Enclosed?

We will still be camping 1 or 2 weekends a month, so I'm not real excited about winterizing then dewinterizing every 2 or 3 weeks.

Great time to use the Coach - just weekend? or is a good trip in the future, longer warmer?

A friend suggested to keep the propane furnace set to 50 degrees but I'm not real jazzed about using up propane for that either just because I'm cheap.

Easy but it will use a lot of that $$$$ Propane. if it is Really - Really COLD then maybe a little propane

Are there any other alternatives, such as space heaters in the kitchen, bathrooms, and water bay which will use the storage place electricity.

Sure - Reflexit in the windows and the Vents/skylights - a 250 watt light in the Basement and a 500 watt light in the coach - Use the blow out method (Easy once you get the hang of it) and then just a little pink in the drains. Now after all that a High Low thermometer to know how it is working.

If you use space heaters what kind do you use that would do the trick safely?

With 15 amp service - you are really not going to get that much - sort of why I would suggest the two lights - Quartz Halogen - they put off a lot of heat, so they have served me well for the last 20 years.

Or are there any other alternatives I haven't thought of?

The last and easiest way to avoid Winterization is to continue heading South till you only needs Shorts and Flip Flops

Or should I just get off my lazy butt and winterize/dewinterize every time?

The blow out with air method Works and is Easy

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f258/fyi-...on-413395.html

Hope this helps, has served me well,



Opps - second time I replied - ------