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Old 12-07-2017, 07:46 AM   #1
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Cold Front Coming --Can I Safely do This?

It's going to hit the mid 20s tonight and I haven't winterized the coach because we're going to use it over Christmas. In all probability, it'll only be below freezing for a few hours between 3 and 8 am.

I'm connected to shore power and have a full propane tank so I'm thinking I can turn the heater on in the coach and set the thermostat to about 60, turn on the refrigerator and water heater and place an electric heater on low in the utility compartment in the basement. The only thing I'm worried about is the ice maker feed line. It runs up the back of the fridge and is pretty exposed to the elements behind the outside refrigerator vent.

Is this a good idea?
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Old 12-07-2017, 07:53 AM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by barmcd View Post
It's going to hit the mid 20s tonight and I haven't winterized the coach because we're going to use it over Christmas. In all probability, it'll only be below freezing for a few hours between 3 and 8 am.
I'm connected to shore power and have a full propane tank so I'm thinking I can turn the heater on in the coach and set the thermostat to about 60, turn on the refrigerator and water heater and place an electric heater on low in the utility compartment in the basement. The only thing I'm worried about is the ice maker feed line. It runs up the back of the fridge and is pretty exposed to the elements behind the outside refrigerator vent.
Is this a good idea?
Dennis, I did just that last year when the temps hit 16-20 for a few nights. I did put some insulation behind the fridge access panel and turned the fridge on. The warmth from the compressor running a bit helped. I had a remote thermometer behind the fridge and the temperature never dropped below 40. The furnace should also dump some heat into the wet bay, depending on the design of your coach. I plan on doing the same thing again tonight and I have remote thermometers in place again.
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Old 12-07-2017, 08:58 AM   #3
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I don't know about yours, but my icemaker line has a heat wire that wraps around it and the water fill solenoid. I do slip in a piece of reflectix at the vent opening to hold in some of the heat. I don't completely cover the vent area though. Made it through last winter without winterizing at all, and will probably do the same this year using the method you described that you plan to use. It does get cold here in WNC and can stay that way for a few days.
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Old 12-07-2017, 09:26 AM   #4
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I am doing this same thing and temps are around 17 at night. I have it in an enclosed garage that is not very well insulated but it has power. I leave water heater on, refrigerator on and have an oil filled heater inside that keeps temps around 55 and everything works perfectly. My water line is also wrapped with small heat wire behind fridge to keep that warm. May never winterize at this rate since we head out in a month to warmer areas.
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Old 12-07-2017, 09:51 AM   #5
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Thanks for the reassurance guys.
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Old 12-07-2017, 12:24 PM   #6
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Dennis, I never winterize just west of Austin. On the few nights it gets below freezing, I turn on the diesel burner and set the thermostat to 42 - 48. The heating element in the basement keeps it nice. I often check it to make sure it is working. I would think your basement would be heated on your Dynasty also.
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Old 12-07-2017, 12:37 PM   #7
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I turned the AquaHot burner on and set the temp for all zones at 45° last winter. I have three remote thermometers, one outside, one on the litchen counter and one in the wet bay so I can monitor the temps from the stick house. Worked great and will do the dame this winter.
This morning the outside therm. read 26°, and the ones inside the MH were in the mid 40's without any heat on at all.
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Old 12-07-2017, 01:21 PM   #8
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D&K,

We took delivery of our coach first week of last March. Then as it would happen, we had our second coldest snap of the season First weekend woke up to snow on Sunday morning. Just having sanitized the coach, and not knowing all that I do now, I was freaking out on pins and needles. The nights that I had to work, I was turning the heat up a little when I would leave, then back down when I got home in the mornings, and running water each time. Plus we were only connected to 15 amps.

Now, with this much time and experience, I am not freaking out. This weekend, we are looking at lows potentially into the low teens. Here is the sum total of my deep winterization.
A) Placed a blanket across the opening to the front of the coach to the cab area.
B) Emptied, cleaned, and completely drained the dirty tanks. We have tank heaters, but empty tanks save energy.
C) Pulled in slide (less cubic feet to heat, better sealing)
D) Opened bathroom door
E) Plugged in oil filled electric heater and set at 65 (Lowest setting).
F) Set furnace in coach at 55 (lowest setting). The coach is connected to the 250 gallon house LP tank.
G) Closed the door.

Now, Should we want to go to the lake for the weekend, we can be out of here in an hour and since there won't be a line at the dump station, I can clean the tanks there and spend maybe 10 minutes more getting ready for cold weather.
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Old 12-07-2017, 04:02 PM   #9
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I have 10 trouble lights around areas that might freeze...two each in the refer, AH, water pump, washer, etc and put antifreeze in the P traps and toilets.
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Old 12-07-2017, 04:21 PM   #10
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I turned the AquaHot burner on and set the temp for all zones at 45° last winter. I have three remote thermometers, one outside, one on the litchen counter and one in the wet bay so I can monitor the temps from the stick house. Worked great and will do the dame this winter.
This morning the outside therm. read 26°, and the ones inside the MH were in the mid 40's without any heat on at all.
Too much information Mr. D

We don't winterize as we don't know when we will get the urge to use the coach. Small heater in the wet bay plugged into a thermo cube with freeze control. Small heater in the coach set on low. Fridge on, closets and doors under sinks left open. Never had a problem yet.
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Old 12-07-2017, 05:41 PM   #11
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We have enclosed storage, not insulated, with 15 amp power. We are headed south the 28th or the winter so I didn’t want to winterize. Yesterday I put a light bulb on both sides of the wet bay, a light bulb in the washer, and turned a space heater on low in the wet zones inside the coach. All cabinet doors are open, vents covered, shades down.
It went down to 7 last night, and only up to 34 today. When I checked it this afternoon the wet bay was at 50, inside the coach was 44. Forecast tonight 17.... keeping my fingers crossed.
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Old 12-07-2017, 06:14 PM   #12
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The only thing I'm worried about is the ice maker feed line. It runs up the back of the fridge and is pretty exposed to the elements behind the outside refrigerator vent.

Is this a good idea?
Every ice maker I've seen has a 12 volt heater wire running with the ice maker water tube. Now if it's a residential type ice maker then maybe not but the RV type refers should have the heat wire. Take a look at the feed tube and if it's wrapped in a foil like tape that's most likely the heat wire. I suspect the refer must be turned on for the heater to work.

Most RV wet bays and tanks are heated via the furnace. If it's on you should be ok. Folks sometimes get in trouble by using portable electric heat in the RV and then no furnace heat makes it to the wet bay since the furnace never comes on.
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Old 12-07-2017, 07:07 PM   #13
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Dennis, I never winterize just west of Austin. On the few nights it gets below freezing, I turn on the diesel burner and set the thermostat to 42 - 48. The heating element in the basement keeps it nice. I often check it to make sure it is working. I would think your basement would be heated on your Dynasty also.
Scotty, I don't have an aquahot so my basement isn't heated. I put a small heater in it.
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Old 12-07-2017, 09:21 PM   #14
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On our 2013 Phaeton 40QBH plugged into 20 amp shore power we turn winter switch on at the on-demand water heater, propane tank open and hot water panel switch on, 100 watt light bulb in wet bay, electric heated supply water hose and rear central gas heater set at lowest setting i.e. 50. Last January in New Mexico two days at 11 degrees with no problems. Good luck!
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