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Winter/ freezing operation

Yahoo Message Number: 12109
Hi all,

We have a new Inspire and are going to be using it in Park City Utah for the months of Feb, March. Can anyone offer us tips on how to avoid freeze ups. I'm sure there are some tips, that some of you have found, to avoid freezing the water lines. We would appreciate any imput that you may have.
Happy RV ing,
Tom and Judy

Re: Winter/ freezing operation

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 12111
Quote from: Judy
Hi all,

We have a new Inspire and are going to be using it in Park City

Utah

Quote
for the months of Feb, March. Can anyone offer us tips on how to > avoid freeze ups. I'm sure there are some tips, that some of you > have found, to avoid freezing the water lines. We would appreciate > any imput that you may have.
Happy RV ing,
Tom and Judy
HI Tom and Judy,

I know a couple of things and others will, I'm sure come up with others.
1. Fill your water tank and put the hose away; use the water pump.
Same with dumping black/gray water...dump and put the hose away.

2. Put the kitchen slide in at night to protect the pipes...keep the doors under the sink open. Open the doors under the bathroom sink, too.

3. Use your propane heat as it will heat the water area.

4. Put a lamp with a 60 Watt bulb in the water bay where your pump is or...there was an article in the Destinations Magazine recently that suggested a 12-Volt heater for the water pump. I don't know where to get that yet.

5. If you are going to stay someplace for a period of time, I'd suggest putting plastic around the bottom of the coach. You can do it without blocking the doors to the bays, I think, with a little creativity.

6. I'd get an Extend-A-Stay (Suburban Propane can install it for you
or you can do it yourself if you are handy) and use a small propane tank outside that you can put in the car to take down to a service station to fill. Most places I've been, the propane companies can't or won't deliver to a campground. I ran out of propane last winter in MN...luckily on the last day I was camping there.
Thats all I can think of right now. I'll try to find that article to see if there is anything else. Have fun!

Carol

'04 Inspire Genoa 51046

Fulltiming (hopefully in a warm place this winter!)

Re: Winter/ freezing operation

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 12116

Hi, Tom & Judy.
I've had my coach in as low as -14 (that's negative 14). Our coaches were not built for that kind of weather. But we survived it.
If you have an icemaker in your refrigerator, winterize it. Turn it off, turn off the water and drain all the lines. Even with the "heater" that seems to be standard in the newer models and an option in older models the lines and fittings will freeze.
In my coach the plumbing bay freeze protection could not stand up to those below zero temps. My pump froze. I warmed the bay before any permanent damage was done. I put a small electric heater in the bay next to the plumbing bay, removed the water filter access panel and installed a small fan in the opening to move heated air into the plumbing bay. Verify that the bay thermostat is set properly (mine was not).
I had condensation inside the coach which formed ice on all of the windows and inside the cabinets, closet and in the corners of the slides where the insulation is poor.
Admittedly, this was my first experience in that kind of weather in a motorhome and I may not have done everything the way that I should have but, again, I survived it.
Good luck. I will look forward to reading about your adventure.
Dick May
2002 Intrigue, #11438
"The problem with doing nothing is not knowing when you are finished."

Re: Winter/ freezing operation

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 12117
Dick, where were you when it was -14? I got a chill just reading your post.
Don

'02 Intrigue #11427

Quote
>

Hi, Tom & Judy.

I've had my coach in as low as -14 (that's negative 14). Our

coaches were
'02 Intrigue #11427

Re: Winter/ freezing operation

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 12126
From the article in the Autumn 2003/Winter 2004 of Destinations Magazine (you may be able to get a reprint), by Mark Layton who owns a Magna and who has camped in colder climes for years. Here are more ideas:

They heat taped all the water lines going into the kitchen slide and put insulation around them.

The replaced the plastic waterline going to the refrigerator with copper line and heat taped it also. They said the reason they replaced the plastic line is because it failed on them because of the heat tape.

They used 60 watt light bulbs three or four small electric heaters and recommend acquiring a good snow shovel.

Are you going to travel when the roads are bad? If so, you'll need snow chains - at least for your car if you are not moving the coach when snow chains are required.

What they did was put one of the electric heaters in the service bay and one in the bay that has the water filter.
He plugged the heaters into a 30 amp cord with the right adapter and used both the 50 and 30 amp outlets...the 50 amp for the coach and the 30 amp for the heaters in the bays.
He used two electric heaters in his coach to cut down on the cost of propane and/or diesel. (I couldn't do that in my Inspire because the whole coach is wired together and the breaker is tripped if I try to run two heaters If you don't have that problem, please let me know so I can have it fixed. LOL)

On the refrigerator, he says that the installed heater is not enough. He recommends using foam insolating tubing tht is used for water pipes. cut it to the right length and cover all but one row of the outside vents. He also put a light bulb in the area where the cooling unit is to keep it from freezing. He says he has seen many cooling unts freeze and have to be replaced.

If you use the above idea about heat taping the waterlines into the kitchen, you probably won't need to bring the slide in at night, though you may want to just to be safe.

Hope this is enough to keep you busy.

I'd like to know if anyone has a way to keep the insides of the cupboards and the windows from freezing...keep the cupboards open?

I'm still looking for a vendor for the 12-volt heater for the water pump.

Happy Travels.

Carol

'04 Inspire Genoa 51046

Re: Winter/ freezing operation

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 12131
Here is an idea for you.
If you want to run two heaters in your coach, here is what I did. I used the microwave circuit for the second heater. The plug is in the cabinet above the microwave. You can purchase a multi-outlet plug that fits into the single available outlet and thereby permits a plug-in for the microwave and the extention. I made a short extension cord to use from the convenience outlet to the front of the cubboard, made a metal bracket to hold the female end down at the front of the cubboard. Now I can use both 15 amp circuits for heat or a second appliance in the unit. You cannot use both the microwave and the new outlet at the same time. Works for us!
Dr Stan
Intrigue 2004 #11471
 

Re: Winter/ freezing operation

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 12171
I'm almost sad to say that it was at my new home.... Corning, New York. They say that it isn't usually that cold but it does (and did!) happen.
I hope to be well south of here by the time it gets that cold this winter.

Dick May

2002 Intrigue, #11438