# Camping In The Cold Without Winterizing, What Can Go Wrong?



## CamperFred (Mar 22, 2009)

Hi,

We're heading to Cedar City UT for a couple of nights tonight. The temperature is going to be 34/16F. Being from CA, we don't know anything about winterizing. I read about putting pink stuff in the tanks and blowing the water lines. But for only a couple of nights I like to avoid doing it if possible. Is it gonna do harm to the TT? What can we do to prevent damage during these two nights?

These past two nights we were at St George, the weather was just below 32F at night. The 1st morning I found the water frozen in the water hose outside, so naturally no water to cook or flush the toilet. Last night I turned on the water heater and let the faucet drip a little overnight with hot water. Luckily that stopped the freezing the 2nd night. But I figure tonight with colder weather, this method may not work. Am I doing anything bad to the TT already?

Any advice is appreciated to help us get through the next 2 nights 

-Fred


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## H2oSprayer (Aug 5, 2006)

If you keep the furnace turned on (not just a space heater, but the furnace) you will keep your tanks and interior water lines from freezing. As far as fresh water in the morning, I would suggest that you fill your fresh water tank to capacity and disconnect the city water line. You may want to have a portable air compressor or a few gallons of the pink stuff along for when you disconnect and are preparing to head home. Have a fun trip.


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## Y-Guy (Jan 30, 2004)

Hose will freeze unless you wrap it, your water tank is enclosed and fill as Chris suggested (full not half), running the furnace will keep the air between the bottom and the plastic barrier warm enough it shouldn't freeze, at the expense of your batteries (hope you have full power) and LP.

Also, don't leave your waste house out, dump when you are ready and hopefully when it warms up so you don't have a block of er humm "ice". Besides keeping your water lines from freezing make sure that your toilet and sprayer as well as your water pump won't freeze. Most water pumps are close enough to living spaces, but if they are near an opening to the outside its something to keep an eye on.

Space heaters will keep you warm but will also cause the LP furnace not to kick on, run the spacer heater on low. Try keeping the cabinet doors under the sink open too.


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## CamperFred (Mar 22, 2009)

H2oSprayer said:


> If you keep the furnace turned on (not just a space heater, but the furnace) you will keep your tanks and interior water lines from freezing. As far as fresh water in the morning, I would suggest that you fill your fresh water tank to capacity and disconnect the city water line. You may want to have a portable air compressor or a few gallons of the pink stuff along for when you disconnect and are preparing to head home. Have a fun trip.


thanks for the quick response.

One question. What is a space heater? Do I have one in my 26kbrs? I have been getting heat from the floor vents, using the remote control to set the interior temperature. It is using the furnace right?

Btw we'll be getting water from the campground club house and limit the bathroom usage. We'll dump whenever it's warmer and do the rest of the cleanup when we go to Vegas.

Thanks for your advice.

-Fred


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## ftwildernessguy (Oct 12, 2009)

Most campers will use a small ceramic heater running off shore power instead of the furnace to conserve LP. It is not standard issue with TT's, but you can pick them up cheaply enough at Lowes, Home Depot, Wally World, etc.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

ftwildernessguy said:


> Most campers will use a small ceramic heater running off shore power instead of the furnace to conserve LP. It is not standard issue with TT's, but you can pick them up cheaply enough at Lowes, Home Depot, Wally World, etc.


..or you can install a fireplace. 
http://www.outbackers.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=28701&st=0


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## JerseyGirl86 (Mar 30, 2009)

SHOW OFF!!


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## CamperFred (Mar 22, 2009)

ftwildernessguy said:


> Most campers will use a small ceramic heater running off shore power instead of the furnace to conserve LP. It is not standard issue with TT's, but you can pick them up cheaply enough at Lowes, Home Depot, Wally World, etc.


I see. Pardon my ignorance. Here in CA we mostly run the A/C. It's our 1st time using the furnace  I do notice the LP runs out much quicker with the heater on. Oh well, guess that's better than frozen pipes.

Thanks for all your help.

Cheers,

-Fred


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

CamperFred said:


> Most campers will use a small ceramic heater running off shore power instead of the furnace to conserve LP. It is not standard issue with TT's, but you can pick them up cheaply enough at Lowes, Home Depot, Wally World, etc.


I see. Pardon my ignorance. Here in CA we mostly run the A/C. It's our 1st time using the furnace  I do notice the LP runs out much quicker with the heater on. Oh well, guess that's better than frozen pipes.

Thanks for all your help.

Cheers,

-Fred
[/quote]
Don't run out in the middle of the night!!!


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## mrw3gr (Feb 19, 2006)

If you're not doing it already, make sure both your propane tanks are turned on so the automatic switch over valve will work when one tank runs dry. Sure beats going out in the middle of the night to turn the other one on or frying a circuit board!


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

CamperFred said:


> Most campers will use a small ceramic heater running off shore power instead of the furnace to conserve LP. It is not standard issue with TT's, but you can pick them up cheaply enough at Lowes, Home Depot, Wally World, etc.


I do notice the LP runs out much quicker with the heater on. Oh well, guess that's better than frozen pipes.

[/quote]

Furnace use is about 1.5 pounds per *hour*, it does not matter what temperature it is set on it matters how long it runs


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