Community Forums

Engle · 01-06-2014, 02:56 PM

I have a 2006 Allegro Bay 34BX. It is getting down 20 degrees down on the gulf coast. I have an electric heater in the coach that should keep it quite warm ( it is now 39 outside and 70 degrees in the coach). I have also set my furnace to 50 degrees just in case the electric heater fails.
In the storage compartment with the water pump, water filter, water connections, etc, I am planning on putting a shop light with a 150 watt incandescent bulb. It gets this cold very rarely so I didn't put antifreeze in the lines. I did drain all of the water out of my fresh water tank. I also drained all of the water out of my hot water heater.
Have I done enough?

Statgeek · 01-06-2014, 02:59 PM

You could get a "blowout" adapter that has a garden hose connector on one side, and a 1/4" air hose on the other. These are under $5 at an RV shop (if they still have any), and you connect them to your water inlet, then use compressed air (I think 30PSI is the recommended max), open up your faucets one at a time, and blow the air through the water lines to push out residual water. I suppose this is the next-best thing to full winterization, though if you are mechanical enough to do this, you could also probably winterize your coach in about the same amount of time?

bailiff · 01-06-2014, 05:11 PM

Going down to 18 here tonight here in NE Fl. On nights like this, I have done 2 different things, both seem to work fine. I always put a small space heater in the MH. I then either use a 60 watt drop light in the wet bay or if you have an outdoor shower, hook up the fresh water and turn both hot an cold valves on at the shower and send a 1/4" stream of water through the system all night.

Brockx · 01-06-2014, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Engle

I have a 2006 Allegro Bay 34BX. It is getting down 20 degrees down on the gulf coast. I have an electric heater in the coach that should keep it quite warm ( it is now 39 outside and 70 degrees in the coach). I have also set my furnace to 50 degrees just in case the electric heater fails.
In the storage compartment with the water pump, water filter, water connections, etc, I am planning on putting a shop light with a 150 watt incandescent bulb. It gets this cold very rarely so I didn't put antifreeze in the lines. I did drain all of the water out of my fresh water tank. I also drained all of the water out of my hot water heater.
Have I done enough?

Just my 2 cents, but; I would set the heat to 70, and be careful with that 150 watt would melt things pretty easy.

mccsix · 01-06-2014, 05:40 PM

Do you know if your coach has ducting to the water compartment? If so your furnace will take care of water freezing.

bearaboo · 01-06-2014, 06:27 PM

A night or two below freezing will not be a problem provided the daytime temp is above freezing. In the south, you will only hit extreme cold for a few hours during early morning hours, then a warm up. Your water hose might freeze up, so trickle the water thru you faucet at night. I keep my water tank full just in case the hose does freeze. I can turn on the pump until the hose thaws.

Okiedoke · 01-06-2014, 06:54 PM

Don't know about your coach but we've gone through some low 20's and a 19 degree night this season by running the furnace periodically supplemented by a space heater. The furnace helps warm the basement. Also, I would rather have the fresh water tank full than empty under those circumstances as water contains a lot of heat energy. Also it wouldn't hurt to run some water through the faucets a few times during the night to flush out the coldest water in the smaller lines. Of course it would make a difference if the temperature didn't rise to at least the thirties the next day. I too think a 150 watt lamp in the wet bay may be overkill.

caissiel · 01-06-2014, 07:43 PM

You are right cold water at about 36f rises so more water in the tank will protect from freezing for short period of time.

buck454 · 01-06-2014, 08:19 PM

Agree more water in FW tank is best. It got down to 14 in NETX this morning and don't believe it got to thirty all day. Figure back in upper teens tonight. My MH is plugged into shore at my house with plenty of fuel to run Aqua Hot and thermostat set in 50s....and a little electric heater in living room. Fresh water tank at about 1/3, especially since compartment open to AH system. Besides I doubt it will be above freezing for another 48 hours. I felt if for some reason something failed and tank had just a small amount of water I would be in more trouble than with a larger quantity to freeze....again knowing temperature is not going to stay below 32 long in NETX (just west of Texarkana). I have placed thermometers at different places just to check. One on top of water tank stays well above freezing as it is catching the heat from A Hot unit. Only reading that bothers me a little is the one just inside water/sewage connection compartment door. It read 20 this morning early but I feel that behind the wall where water comes to compartment is above freezing. Stands to reason that thermometer just behind compartment door would be cold. Compartment right next to this one is the compartment where water tank is. I'll well keep close watch on it all. Good luck to all braving this cold snap.

Suppose to be 17 tonight but up to 45 tomorrow with rain coming for a couple of days and 60 by Friday. Below 19-20 may not be common but freezing to 60 in a couple of days is typical NETX weather. b

DAN L · 01-07-2014, 04:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Engle

I have a 2006 Allegro Bay 34BX. It is getting down 20 degrees down on the gulf coast. I have an electric heater in the coach that should keep it quite warm ( it is now 39 outside and 70 degrees in the coach). I have also set my furnace to 50 degrees just in case the electric heater fails.
In the storage compartment with the water pump, water filter, water connections, etc, I am planning on putting a shop light with a 150 watt incandescent bulb. It gets this cold very rarely so I didn't put antifreeze in the lines. I did drain all of the water out of my fresh water tank. I also drained all of the water out of my hot water heater.
Have I done enough?

i leave my atwood 10 gallon water heater full and run the electric element while hooked up or the propane burner when not hooked up.
i installed wired indoor-outdoor temperature gauges in my wet bays and discovered that the water heater keeps my fwd compartments toasty. i wish i would have used wireless gauges.
i use a 100 watt bulb in a trouble light in my water service compartment when not using my propane furnace. i mostly use 1500w ceramic heaters in the moho.
it got down to 9 degrees a week before xmas and i was ok.

wildmandmc · 01-07-2014, 04:59 AM

if u put a glass of water in your frezzer and a gal of water also, takes a while for the gal to freeze. more is best for short time of cold temps.

AFChap · 01-07-2014, 07:08 AM

Keeping inside at 70 is a waste unless you are living in it (and risky w/an electric space heater ...I don't trust them when I'm not present). The furnace set at 50 will do the job. Drop lights @ 60w in water bays should keep them in 40's or better. We also open cabinets under the sink for better air flow, and open doors in our upper slide cabinets where the outside wall sweats in very cold weather. We keft N AL yesterday, in simsboro LA this am at 12 degrees.

Engle · 01-07-2014, 08:31 AM

The outside temp went down to around 20 last night and is still 23. My coach did just fine. Inside temp went down to around 48 and my water bay just a little below that.
I did turn my ceramic heaters down a bit from what I had it at.

I just don't see you you folks up north handles this weather for weeks on end.

PS..it will get almost 70 here this weekend thank goodness!

thanks again.