Camping in below freezing weather

[The Quilting Lady]

How do I keep pipes from freezing in below freezing weather? What other things should I do to prepare?

[suncoastdancers]

If you are referring to winter use, then none of the Escape models are built for sub-freezing temperatures. All have exposed tanks, pump inlet line, and dump valves. Some models have service lines that run exposed under the trailer. Even with foam insulation and heat tracing, you can still have problems.

If you are just referring to winter storage, there are videos available on the manufacture's website showing how to winterize the unit.

When I use my trailer in the winter, I keep it fully winterized and bring along a 5 gallon jug of fresh water for general use.

[sclifrickson]

Originally Posted by The Quilting Lady

How do I keep pipes from freezing in below freezing weather? What other things should I do to prepare?

It really depends on what you’re planning to do and where and when you’re planning to do it. The options range from full winterization, to normal usage of your systems. It really depends on a lot of different factors.

Will you be storing the trailer or camping? If camping, what are the expected day and night time temperatures? How long do you intend to be in freezing conditions? Do you have any additional equipment to mitigate freezing, eg foam insulation or heat pads? If this is for your 21 then there are some extra vulnerable lines outside the trailer body to take into consideration.

Fill in these blanks for tailored suggestions specific to your situation [emoji6]

[The Quilting Lady]

Originally Posted by sclifrickson

It really depends on what you’re planning to do and where and when you’re planning to do it. The options range from full winterization, to normal usage of your systems. It really depends on a lot of different factors.

Will you be storing the trailer or camping? If camping, what are the expected day and night time temperatures? How long do you intend to be in freezing conditions? Do you have any additional equipment to mitigate freezing, eg foam insulation or heat pads? If this is for your 21 then there are some extra vulnerable lines outside the trailer body to take into consideration.

Fill in these blanks for tailored suggestions specific to your situation [emoji6]

We will be in the New Mexico mountains 1 May for two weeks. We have heard sometimes it snows there. We do not have heat pads or under the trailer insulation. We did get extra insulation put in the walls of her training. We have a small portable electric heater and we also have the nice heater that comes with the trailer.

[Merlin]

Originally Posted by The Quilting Lady

We will be in the New Mexico mountains 1 May for two weeks. We have heard sometimes it snows there. We do not have heat pads or under the trailer insulation. We did get extra insulation put in the walls of her training. We have a small portable electric heater and we also have the nice heater that comes with the trailer.

In the northern parts, NM mountains get snow in May and freezing at night. I think you'd be fine. This is us in the Jemez area this past May 21st.

[yardsale]

Originally Posted by The Quilting Lady

How do I keep pipes from freezing in below freezing weather? What other things should I do to prepare?

Buy an Oliver.

[padlin]

Do you have the winterizing kit? I'd carry a gallon of antifreeze and winterize if the situation calls for it. Without the winterizing kit you can buy a pump that will do the job. If you are going to be somewhere that it'll be below freezing for more then part of the night, I'd winterize and do like suncoastdancers does and make do with a 5 gallon jug for water till you get to warmer weather.

[75thRanger]

Lots of interesting places to go and see here in South Texas and you need not worry about freezing your pipes or yourself.

Also Less expensive than many parts of the country.

[suncoastdancers]

Originally Posted by yardsale

Buy an Oliver.

The Oliver is actually smaller inside than your 17b. Then again, you will need less room to carry the cash you spent!

[yardsale]

Originally Posted by suncoastdancers

The Oliver is actually smaller inside than your 17b. Then again, you will need less room to carry the cash you spent!

We looked at a small Oliver. Perhaps half of the storage space available in our 17B. Sorry for my snarky response earlier. We dry camp in our 17 b all the time in the winter. Winterize it with either of the two recommended methods. Turn the toilet into a portapotty by sealing the bottom of the toilet. Then use these. https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Toil...83&hvpos=1o1&h

We keep a sealed 5 gallon bucket for used bags that we dispose of when we come across a dumpster. We wash dishes by carrying a 5 gallon water container to resupply a 2.5 gal container with a spigot. We use a square hospital pan for the sink and then dump dirty water outside if appropriate, or into a 2.5 gal container used for oil changes that we will dump in a toilet when we come across one. The 17B heater is adequate to 0 degrees assuming you have insulation and double pane window packages. Condensation is a manageable problem.

[suncoastdancers]

Originally Posted by yardsale

We looked at a small Oliver. Perhaps half of the storage space available in our 17B. Sorry for my snarky response earlier. We dry camp in our 17 b all the time in the winter. Winterize it with either of the two recommended methods. Turn the toilet into a portapotty by sealing the bottom of the toilet. Then use these. https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Toil...83&hvpos=1o1&h

We keep a sealed 5 gallon bucket for used bags that we dispose of when we come across a dumpster. We wash dishes by carrying a 5 gallon water container to resupply a 2.5 gal container with a spigot. We use a square hospital pan for the sink and then dump dirty water outside if appropriate, or into a 2.5 gal container used for oil changes that we will dump in a toilet when we come across one. The 17B heater is adequate to 0 degrees assuming you have insulation and double pane window packages. Condensation is a manageable problem.

Good to hear that you re getting out in the winter. Thanks for the heads-up on the potty bags.

I setup my 17b each winter on a RV pad near our ski hill and then use it for overnight stays about twice weekly. Fortunately, the RV park is located at sea level so we don't get severe freezes. At worst, 10 degrees C below freezing. I have been using a 50/50 mixture of plumbing antifreeze/H2O in the black tank, mostly to protect the exposed dump valves. All interior lines are winterized and an electric heater is left running while I am away.

I had a fully winterized RV before purchasing the Escape. Like the Oliver, the subfloor lines and tanks were heated with the propane furnace. It is not a practical solution when you could be away from the unit for a week or longer. If I had a vote, I would say that the furnace is the most unreliable appliance in any RV I have owned!


Happy camping!

[Seneca]

Dear Quilting Lady--
You won't have any trouble in New Mexico in May. But you may burn a lot of propane keeping warm. Although the Escapes aren't four season trailers, if it's getting into the 50s during the day, the fact that it drops into the 20s at night, isn't going to spoil your fun or hurt your trailer. I have been camping every week this month in northern New Mexico, it's been below freezing at night for the last three weeks, and only last week did I get around to emptying the tanks (I did pump RV antifreeze through the plumbing before our first hard freeze a couple of weeks back). I'll keep using the Escape (dry) into November locally, then around year end take a longer trip down to the Southern part of the state, de-winterize and stay at lower elevations, where the highs are in the 50s and the lows in the high 20s-30s.