Insulating fresh water tube on 17B

[thoer]

Mary and I are heading up to Sleeping Giant Provincial Park tomorrow and as I was getting Blue ready I decided to experiment.

I was looking underneath and trying to figure out what would freeze up first if we run into a night or two slightly below freezing. To me, it looked like the most obvious place to freeze first is the outlet tube from the fresh water tank. So I covered it with some of the neoprene type pipe wrap and while I was at it did the low point drain tube and the freshwater drain spigot. It seems like with the mass of water in the fresh water tank it should take a while to freeze the tank itself and since we have the extra insulation package, anything inside the trailer should be relatively safe. I also used some thin packing foam sheets folded over several times to make an insulated piece I can close in the water door.

The black water tank should be safe inside the bathroom. The grey water weak spot should be the trap, so I figure to pour some antifreeze into it if the weather is predicted to get too cold. But I would think that it would have space to expand up the pipe rather than break since is a drain.

Any thoughts about what I might have missed or am forgetting/overlooking/figuring just plan wrong?

Eric

[Geo]

We have had our 19' out in about 4 or 5 below at night for a couple of days.
No insulation, everythings was fine. I understand that three nights is different than a week below zero. Day time temp was about 7 or 8.
PS We have been to Sleeping gaint in Ont. several times. Lots of great spots in the Thunderbay area.
The climb to the top of the gaint was fun but steep.
Enjoy George

[Garand]

Of course, the most certain fix is to drain all the tanks, blow out the system, use bottled water, and hike to the latrine and showers. No worries about anything freezing except your tuchus.

Dave

[thoer]

Originally Posted by Garand

Of course, the most certain fix is to drain all the tanks, blow out the system, use bottled water, and hike to the latrine and showers. No worries about anything freezing except your tuchus.

Dave

I was thinking about that, and it seems like you could still use the toilet, just by using carried in water to flush with. The black water tank is inside the trailer and should be fairly slow to freeze up. Anyone tried this? [Being in my 60's now, I see the value of not having to make those out of trailer visits in the middle of cold nights.]

Eric

[Garand]

Originally Posted by Eric T

I was thinking about that, and it seems like you could still use the toilet, just by using carried in water to flush with. The black water tank is inside the trailer and should be fairly slow to freeze up. Anyone tried this? [Being in my 60's now, I see the value of not having to make those out of trailer visits in the middle of cold nights.]

Eric

Eric, I'll be 65 in March and I understand completely.

Unless I am missing something, both the black and gray water tanks should be fine in freezing weather, as long as they are not full. Water expands as it freezes and, as long as there is room for expansion, the tanks should be safe. All the tubing/hoses/lines are at risk, of course, but both the tanks should be okay. Draining the tanks (if frozen) could be a bit more complicated.

Dave

[Yukon Escape]

I just came back from a moose hunting trip, (130K on the north canol road into Macmillan Pass from Ross River) and the temps were below freezing. I was out for five days, four nights. Google Sheldon lake in the Yukon.
I used both the gray water and black water tanks, I flushed the black water tank with anti freeze, as well at night I poured some anti freeze into the grey water, mainly for the trap.

All went well and drained on my arrivall home
as an aside the sloshing around from the rough road, cleared the level probes so they now read empty. Road is basicaly a trail and friends were supprised I dragged the 19 up there.

We also got two small moose, one before puberty, and the other a small one with a forty inch rack. In the Yukon an 86 inch rack is considered big

Doug