How Cold is too cold?

[frankos72]

Thinking of heading south for a long weekend with our new trailer. But we need to try it at home first. We are in Oklahoma so right now I can't even try to tell you what the temps will be next week.

 

So, how cold can we stay in our trailer, with water and not worry about the lines/pump freezing?

 

Our city water will likely have to run 30-40' on the ground to get to the inlet. Should I disconnect it before sleeping?

[HamRad]

Your rig should be OK regarding freezing down to the freezing point and a bit below. We've never had our tank water or lines freeze but we have had our house supply hose freeze. We also run our furnace at at night set on about 66-68 degrees so that keeps the rig pretty warm. I just checked Paradise, TX where my brother lives and temps are relatively "high". However I realize there are weather changes in that part of the country every 15 minutes! <LOL> Just last week his temps were well below freezing! Good luck. Dennis

[teacher's pet]

Have seen 5'-6' hoses freeze "solid" at 28° with a brisk breeze in Demming NM. Do you have a heated wet bay? As a rule for us it's been: a chance of a freeze, hoses rolled up and put away.

[Al F]

Thinking of heading south for a long weekend with our new trailer. But we need to try it at home first. We are in Oklahoma so right now I can't even try to tell you what the temps will be next week.

 

So, how cold can we stay in our trailer, with water and not worry about the lines/pump freezing?

 

Our city water will likely have to run 30-40' on the ground to get to the inlet. Should I disconnect it before sleeping?

It depends on your trailer and where your water lines are inside the trailer and where your black and gray water dump valves and connections are.

 

Some trailers have the black and gray water dump connections and valves exposed to the the weather.

 

Your trailer may have water lines and tanks in unheated areas so with temps down well below freezing for enough time to freeze those lines you will have a serious problem.

 

A well designed trailer with heated compartments and operating the propane forced air furnace to keep the inside temp at about 55* or higher you will be fine down to probably 10*. Even in a well designed trailer, if you were to be in below freezing weather for 4-12 hours or more, open up the cabinet doors by any sinks or where there may be water lines running so the warm area from the living area will get into the cabinets.

[remoandiris]

Had the fresh water hose freeze in the N. Ga. mtns last month. Thawing them out was a PITA and it dorked up the water pressure regulator gauge. I closed the park's valve, but failed to drain the hose. I think not draining the hose was my big mistake.

 

I should have either disconnected or let the water trickle overnight with the gray tank open.

 

To thaw everything out, I disconnected the hose and placed it on top of my truck's black tonneau cover. The tonneau was in the sun and warmer than the surrounding ground. Used a hair dryer to thaw the regulator and hose connectors on the park's supply connection.

 

The wife used the park's shower. I waited for everything to thaw.

[Kirk W]

Not knowing what RV you have makes it impossible to give accurate information, but in general a well constructed and designed RV which has all water lines inside of the living area will do fine as long as you keep the inside temperatures at a comfortable level. If it is one of those with fresh water lines that run under the floor and outside between the frame rails, like many vacation models do, then it may very well freeze if the temperatures drop more than a few degrees below 32. Even then it isn't likely to do any damage with the expected temperatures in the current forecast. It takes temperatures into the low 20's to damage most RV plumbing.

So, how cold can we stay in our trailer, with water and not worry about the lines/pump freezing?

 

Our city water will likely have to run 30-40' on the ground to get to the inlet. Should I disconnect it before sleeping?

The first answer is that if you have all water lines internal, then it should be fine as long as the heat can reach all areas with plumbing, regardless of the outside temperature. Since Oklahoma city isn't expected to have any low temperatures below freezing for the next week, I'd guess that all of this will be fine, but if in doubt, put water into the fresh water tank, use the water pump, and disconnect the hose and store it inside where it won't be in danger of freezing.

 

EDIT: I just discovered your other thread tells us that you have a Chapparal 30RLS, which according to the website is rated to 0° F, so there should be no problems at all in using the RV for a night or two in the predicted weather.

[Sculptor]

You might already have this advice. I'm m just adding my 2 cents.

 

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Pipe+insulation+1%22&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3APipe+insulation+1%22

 

https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Heat-ADKS-500-100-Foot-Icing/dp/B0000DGAKL/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1482598583&sr=8-8&keywords=Wire+heater

 

I used these two items from January thru March in North Carolina one mild winter. They worked well! I used the cheapest foam tube I could find. I think my water hose was 1" diameter so don't buy the smallest.

I have read it's better to dump grey/black water all at once. Don't leave the valves open.

 

I hope this helps.

[bruce t]

Irrelevant information here but!!!!!

We once stored our Country Coach motorhome south of Fort Worth. One hard freeze and our internal lines froze up and split.

(long story but someone forgot to winterise!!!)

My point is that don't under estimate mother natures ability 'play' with your systems.

 

Merry Christmas

[Second Chance]

We are in the Aberdeen/Baltimore, MD, area for holidays with the grandkids. The week before this last one we had a cold front come through with nighttime temps in the lower teens, daytime highs around 22, and 35 - 40 MPH winds (this was at Aberdeen Proving Grounds). Our Grand Design Reflection fifth wheel has an enclosed and heated underbelly with the water manifold, water heater, water pump, and lines to the bathroom in the front basement compartment that stays at almost the same temp as the interior of the RV. As I usually do, I had filled up the fresh water tank, disconnected and drained our heated fresh water hose and pressure regulator (didn't want to take any chances).

 

Everything was fine until, on the second morning of these conditions, we woke up to find no water to the kitchen island. I crawled under the trailer and cut a flap in the Coroplast to check it out. I found the bare Pex kitchen water lines laying on top of the Coroplast with only a thin vapor barrier between them. In addition, the 3" heating duct that was supposed to keep the area above freezing was pinched closed at the end because it was caught between the Coroplast and a frame member when the Coroplast was installed. I fixed the heater duct and put some foam "noodle" insulation on the water lines. I then cut a sheet of "bubble foil" insulation to cover the area above the Coroplast before repairing the Coroplast underbelly. The Pex lines were fine. We haven't had conditions that severe since then, but so far, so good. I think if you take the advice above, disconnect and drain your water hose, and keep the heater going, you'll be OK unless you have a situation like our kitchen lines. FWIW - we used 30# of propane in 3 - 4 days during that really cold snap. Since then (temps in the upper 20s at night and upper 30s to low 40s during the day), we're using 30# of propane in five or six days.

 

Rob

[Vladimir]

On my tent trailer with fairly exposed water lines they would always freeze up at 25 degrees.

 

With the Carriage 5th wheel....the outside water line to the trailer would freeze up around 28 degrees even if wrapped in foam.

 

The internal lines in the 5th wheel have never frozen up, but once it get down to 28 degrees I put heat in the compartments where the water lines run. Don't want to find out the freezing point on the 5th wheel. I do get up in the middle of the night to run a bit of water through the faucets on those nights.

 

We came real close to a major disaster when in cold weather in a campground I left the faucet dripping all night. Unfortunately, I forget to open the gray water valve. In the morning the gray water was just starting to come up through the shower drain!!

 

The best solution is be somewhere where the temperatures are above freezing!!

[LFDR3116]

Can't you fill your water tank and use your pump instead of having a supply line out in the cold?

[Second Chance]

Can't you fill your water tank and use your pump instead of having a supply line out in the cold?

 

Yes - but you still may have issues with lines freezing between the pump and a faucet like we did (above) depending on how your rig is built. Filling the fresh tank and disconnecting/draining is SOP for us for short cold spells, anyway.

 

Rob

[Vladimir]

I almost always disconnect the fresh water line if the temperature is forecasted to be below freezing.

 

The other issue is how long the temperature remains below freezing. It is dips and bounces back above freezing many times it is no big deal. But if it stays below freezing during the day....

[Smitty77_7]

How cold is too cold?

 

Well, now that many great posts have responded. Let me do my tongue and cheek response:

 

"For us. When we no longer need ice for our scotch - it's too cold!"

 

Best to all,

Smitty

[Jimalberta]

Anything below 50 degrees is too cold....just sayin...

[Dennis M]

If Kirk is right about your unit you will be fine, but ALWAYS disconnect the city water line if temps are expected below 32 degrees.

 

Our unit has a cold weather package and a few years ago we survived one night at 18 below and a week with temps below zero every night and highs around 10. We ran both furnaces at 65 degrees around the clock to keep the belly warm. Too hot for us during the night, but the pipes were more important.

[bruce t]

When you forget to plug in the engine block heater and the engine wont crank in the morning, that's too cold. Yup done that!

 

regards

[wildmandmc]

Well since living in fla for past 13 yrs. only thing i ask is that when is it too hot. But back in the day when i lived up north. Cold temps can be one pain in the butt. In Florida we are now in a building boom. Wonder Why?

[sandsys]

We've spent time where it was in the 20s at night but in the 40s during they day. That daytime thaw is probably what kept us from having problems.

 

Linda Sand

[kayakbob]

Teachers Pet said that he has seen hoses freeze in 28 degrees with a slight breeze , I do not believe that a breeze would make any difference to an inanimate object . Only creatures that perspire would be subject to a breeze ! What do you think ,I am just curious !

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

Teachers Pet said that he has seen hoses freeze in 28 degrees with a slight breeze , I do not believe that a breeze would make any difference to an inanimate object . Only creatures that perspire would be subject to a breeze ! What do you think ,I am just curious !

Any breeze/wind will remove heat faster, letting hose freeze. I've had a hose freeze at 32* in a 20mph constant wind. It only took an hour or 2 after the water was turned off.

[Pat & Pete]

Inanimate objects sweat . Watch a propane tank sometime .

 

And , anytime a breeze is present , any heat will be blown away more quickly . Why do you blow on hot food before you put it in your mouth ?