Cold Weather is coming to our area. What do we need to do to prepare our RV?

[BeyondBoundariesRV]

We're brand new Full timers and aren't sure what we need to do to prepare for the New Years Eve cold coming to Louisiana.

We're in an older RV, so it doesn't have the best insulation. I just filled up on propane, but the heat is on constantly.

The temperature is going to 18 degrees here and I'm not sure if the pipes will freeze or what to expect it to be in the RV. Anyone have any suggestions to survive the winter storm of next week?

[GaryMaryanne]

The first question is what type of RV do you have? Sound like you might have to do a winterization of your plumbing at that cold, ie drain all the lines and tanks putting in RV anti-freeze and use water out of a portable container on the counter. I would say to get a backup to your propane for heat, because you know Murphy’s Law.

[BeyondBoundariesRV]

Originally Posted by GaryMaryanne

The first question is what type of RV do you have? Sound like you might have to do a winterization of your plumbing at that cold, ie drain all the lines and tanks putting in RV anti-freeze and use water out of a portable container on the counter. I would say to get a backup to your propane for heat, because you know Murphy’s Law.

I have a 1994 Fleetwood Flair

[tbos1958]

Drain your waste tanks before it gets below freezing. Disconnect your hose from city water and the RV. Let it drain too. Use your internal tank and run your heater and tank heaters if you have them. If your not sure if you have heat going into the areas in the basement where pipes run you may need to blow the lines out. If you can safely put an incandescent lamp in the basement storage that could keep that area above freezing. With your heat on keep cabinets open so warm air gets in there and hope for the best. Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

[saddlesore]

We have a '93 Flair out at the ranch... get you some of those "blue" tarps @ Wally World,the longer the better width not so much and several rolls of GOOD duct tape or similar (Gorilla tape?) fold length wise to about 4' wide and make a "skirt" around the bottom of your coach, tape the skirt to the sides of the coach and use boards/bricks/whatever to hold the bottom to the ground. That way whatever heat leakage you have out the bottom of your coach will be contained and will help keep everything thawed out.( A couple of "heat lamps" on a heavy drop cord would help keep the underneath a bit above freezing if positioned near your plumbing & shower.
Dump your black & gray tanks and FILL your fresh water tank. (remember the heat lamp?)
Drain your sewer line and unhook and drain your fresh water hose

[BeyondBoundariesRV]

Originally Posted by tbos1958

Drain your waste tanks before it gets below freezing. Disconnect your hose from city water and the RV. Let it drain too. Use your internal tank and run your heater and tank heaters if you have them. If your not sure if you have heat going into the areas in the basement where pipes run you may need to blow the lines out. If you can safely put an incandescent lamp in the basement storage that could keep that area above freezing. With your heat on keep cabinets open so warm air gets in there and hope for the best. Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

Thanks

[BeyondBoundariesRV]

Originally Posted by saddlesore

We have a '93 Flair out at the ranch... get you some of those "blue" tarps @ Wally World,the longer the better width not so much and several rolls of GOOD duct tape or similar (Gorilla tape?) fold length wise to about 4' wide and make a "skirt" around the bottom of your coach, tape the skirt to the sides of the coach and use boards/bricks/whatever to hold the bottom to the ground. That way whatever heat leakage you have out the bottom of your coach will be contained and will help keep everything thawed out.( A couple of "heat lamps" on a heavy drop cord would help keep the underneath a bit above freezing if positioned near your plumbing & shower.
Dump your black & gray tanks and FILL your fresh water tank. (remember the heat lamp?)
Drain your sewer line and unhook and drain your fresh water hose

Looks like a trip to Wally World! Thanks

[Cooperhawk]

Something else, we bought a small radiant heater with a fan. Not more than ten inches high. It sets in the wet bay and is plugged into what ever power post we're by. I have found that with the bay closed up that little heater does a fine job keeping it warm.

[BeyondBoundariesRV]

Originally Posted by Cooperhawk

Something else, we bought a small radiant heater with a fan. Not more than ten inches high. It sets in the wet bay and is plugged into what ever power post we're by. I have found that with the bay closed up that little heater does a fine job keeping it warm.

We do have a little heater with a fan. I'll try that too.

[saddlesore]

Originally Posted by Cooperhawk

Something else, we bought a small radiant heater with a fan. Not more than ten inches high. It sets in the wet bay and is plugged into what ever power post we're by. I have found that with the bay closed up that little heater does a fine job keeping it warm.

I don't think that the older Flairs had a "wet bay". Outside water hookup and sewer is exposed as well... IF I remember right.

[affreeman]

For how long do you expect the temperature to be below freezing?

[BeyondBoundariesRV]

Originally Posted by saddlesore

I don't think that the older Flairs had a "wet bay". Outside water hookup and sewer is exposed as well... IF I remember right.

Yup everything is outside.

[BeyondBoundariesRV]

Originally Posted by affreeman

For how long do you expect the temperature to be below freezing?

Just a few hours over night; for 2 nights in a row.

[1bigmess]

Insulate the windows. Reflectix (brand name) can be bought at Home Depot and Lowes, so can foam sheets that can be cut to fit into the windows sills.

There are "pillows" that are made to fit in the hole where the ceiling vents are. They pay for themselves IMO. I got mine on sale at Camping World for $10 each.

If you will be dealing with a lot of sub-freezing weather, a heated fresh water hose is a good investment.

With a family in an RV, you will have condensation problems. There is no way to stop this as you have to breathe, so you can only try to remove the humidity with a dehumidifier. I'm not talking about a bucket of Damp-Rid from Walmart. Wait to see how bad the condensation gets before you think about making this purchase, and in the case of a dehumidifier, bigger is usually better. You may find that you decide you aren't worried about it though.

In Idaho Falls last winter, I had ice frosting the windows inside and out. I had an electric heated fresh water hose. I ran the furnace for heat. I still froze up the plumbing a half dozen times on the nights that dipped below zero, and hat to apply a heat gun directly to the knife valves to dump sewage twice.

Since you didn't say where you were, more specific advice that might better match your situation could be given to help you get through winter better might not be given, and some of this advice might be overkill.