The best strategy for a surprise overnight freeze?

_JB_

After a great weather forecast for the next week, just spent the weekend de-winterizing and getting our 400 ready for camping this coming weekend and wouldn't ya know it - forecast got a major update this morning and they are calling for snow and a low of 25 on Friday. LOL - that's Colorado for you (we live in Monument at about 7100ft)

My question for you is this - what is is your favorite method for dealing with a surprise cold snap? Do you re-winterize, or do you do something else? Would love to learn from your experience in the thread below, and thanks for sharing your wisdom and perspective!

Grumpy_G

Unless it's an extended freeze I don't worry about temps in the 20s, especially if the trailer is in use. If it's sitting and you have power turn on the heat, maybe drain the fresh water tank and run the pump with open faucets until it's mostly air coming out. A little water left doesn't matter as long as it has room to expand if it turns into ice. 

N7SHG_Ham

Drain tanks for sure, if you have an air compressor you can blow out lines too. How low and how long is the question that needs an answer. Weather is obviously going to freeze at 32f, but if it is a quick dip below freezing you might be ok, of course you pay for repairs not me if it causes damage. I recently went though similar and after draining tanks I left Alde running, this keeps plumping inside the heated space from freezing, BUT does nothing for plumbing outside heated space. The outside bite are all three tanks and lines to those. With them drained I hoped for best, but it is always a gamble to not have some anti freeze in especially the waste water tanks.

_JB_

Thanks for your insight here. Right now, they think it will dip below freezing around 9pm Friday and hit the low in the mid twenties by 1am, and won't warm up until around 9am Sat when the temps rise above freezing. I plan on bringing the camper to my home for staging this weekend, so we will be plugged in etc. I do have some antifreeze here, so obviously I could just re-winterize again, but thought I would ask about what you all do. I haven't tried the blow-out method, but I'm not sure I have the right tools for that job - I only have a battery operated pump. I would need to research that a bit. 

Of course, it's going to be 81 on Thursday...

Any other thoughts?

bergger

I would not be too concerned but follow the suggestions others posted.  I live in Leadville so I have not even de-winterized our 400! I usually wait until June 1 and that's not always safe.  Friday will be snow and 17 degrees here.  But living up here I always keep some antifreeze at the house at all times for occasions like you describe.  I will turn on the Alde heat and hot water so the trailer and hot water lines are warm.  I drain my tanks and usually pour a little antifreeze down the drain so I can get some into the dump valve to protect that.  That seems to be one of the more fragile valves from what I've heard.  Sometimes I'll put some insulation into the Nautilus compartment too.  I've never had any problems doing this procedure. A few times I've not been home to do anything and the trailer was fine with a quick cold snap overnight.  If it is forecast to get really cold, like it is this friday night, I would just do a quick winterization on the trailer.  Takes just a few minutes to do.  

AnOldUR

We left from NJ on March 7th on a cross country trip. Headed south before going west in an attempt to beat the cold. Mother nature didn't cooperate and we hit temps in the low 20's. My solution (along with cranking up the Alde) was to duct tape a 12V electric blanket to the underside. Don't know for sure if it helped, but the dogs water bowl was frozen in the morning, but we had no problems with our 320S.

_JB_

That's some creativity right there!

dragonsdofly

@AnOldUR ingenious!