Camping in winter

Kathjaro

If wanting to camp in winter do you need to winterize and if so, how do you use the water system,while camping? I’m confused or do you just not use water?

jgram2

Happy New Years! And welcome to the forum! If you live in a winter climate, you must already be winterized. Yes? Regardless, search on the phrase "winter camping" and see what many hearty folks do (hint: no water in your T@B tanks or lines).

dragonsdofly

@Kathjaro, depends on where you're camping. If in the Florida keys, or southern Arizona, no winterizing is necessary, but for most other areas of the country, whether camping or not, get winterized. To cold weather camp, the alde heating system functions without water (it uses glycol), so you stay warm. In freezing temps you cannot use water, so you bring fresh  to drink or cook with. You can bring additional for washing (sponge bath type) yourself. To use the toilet, double dooty bags, or another brand can be employed, or Verna's DIY version, 2 kitchen garbage bags, one inside the other and some non-clumping cat litter (inside the double bags) placed inside the commode under the seat will work. To wash yourself, warm the water on the stove as you can't use the alde or fresh water tank. Don't run any water down the sink or shower as it will freeze. This method is called dry camping. Weekend trips are not bad in this fashion. There are other ways to handle the cold temps, but this is easiest. Good luck and enjoy.

Kathjaro

I'm in Central Texas! Not prepared for 20 degree weather.  Thank you for your info.  Now I understand.  Might be in trouble because we were using water before the big freeze hit.  Will just have to wait until it warms up in a few days to see if we caused any damage.  But Now I know what OR NOT to do when we camp in below freezing weather (which shouldn't be very often).  Thanks again!

dragonsdofly

@Kathjaro, if you don't have the alde running to keep the interior warm, you can plug it in and turn on the heat. Open the cabinet doors on the interior, keep the bathroom door open too. You are trying to keep the interior plumbing lines and fittings from splitting and causing interior water damage. If you can't plug it in, run it on propane, but this will discharge your battery in several days, as you need some electrical power to run the alde. If your black and gray tanks have room, pour as much pink rv antifreeze in them through the sink, shower and toilet as you can without overflowing them. This will give your tanks and traps some degree of freeze protection. Do as much as you can now as broken plumbing and fittings can cost a lot to repair. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention.... and that pound of cure can run into $$$. Good luck.

foxden

@Kathjaro I feel your pain re the cold!  I used the simpler method of blowing out the pipes with a compressor and using antifreeze in the traps early last week and feel like that should take care of it until things warm back up.  I have had family here the past several days and some have stayed in my T@B.  No water but they have been toasty warm.  And when the weather warms back up this next week, the T@B is ready to go without flushing out the fresh water lines.  

dragonsdofly

@foxden, I agree with your choice of winterizing method. I recommended getting the pjnk rv antifreeze into the traps, black and gray tanks in this freeze emergency to give some level of protection. I did not say anything about putting the pink stuff in the fresh tank or lines, although freezing temps of several days in the 20's may have already caused damage. @Kathjaro has stated that the tanks have water in them already and it has been below freezing for several days. My suggestions were as an emergency measure to prevent further damage to a non-winterized trailer already in freezing temps, not as a formal procedure. In any case, @Kathjaro, here's hoping there is no downside to getting caught unprepared in freezing temps.

Ratkity

@Kathjaro Just to let you know and maybe make you feel better, not only do the pex lines flex a bit, so does the fresh water tank. I've over filled the tank and had it spit out a couple quarts back at me as well as wet my shoe (my 2015 overflow tube was near the water inlet under the trailer).

Any damage may be to the Pex splitter plastic connectors or plastic valves. Since you had the heat on, I think your inside valves should be ok. Like V said. The Pex lines run up the outside wall to the wet bath and sink (can't rem if you said you had a wet bath). Be patient and don't push the pump by turning it on. Open the pump door as well as the cabinets.

At the end of the freeze check the outside valve to your fresh water tank, but don't force it. Let the fresh water tank totally unfreeze.

Hope this makes you feel better. Your black and gray are most likely not full and liquids that expand won't hurt anything. Also, don't force the gate valves outside.

dragonsdofly

@Ratkity, thanks so much for the additional information and how to's. @Kathjaro did not specify if she had the heat on. I hope so. But, we don't know. 

foxden

@dragonsdofly Sorry.  I was just responding to the post from Kathjaro and didn't read your post just before mine.  Good advice for emergency measures!  Things change so fast around here that you have to be really on top of the weather and sometimes get caught by surprise.  This is my first winter in the trailer and my first time to temporarily winterize.  Just hoping I did everything right!!