Temporary winterization....?

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   I live high in the mountains in Colorado.  I'm planning on taking off for California/Oregon coasts in two days, but the nights here are getting chilly.  Forecast for tonight and the next night are in the mid to high 20's, and I'm starting to worry about frozen pipes, etc.  Problem is I don't want to have to completely winterize for just a couple of days worth.  Are there any intermediary steps I can take to tide me over...?  Can I just circulate some antifreeze in the lines for now...?
Thanks in advance..!!

JC

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jcphotog Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 21 May 2016 Location: Colorado Online Status: Offline Posts: 6	Topic: Temporary winterization....? Posted: 03 Oct 2016 at 6:24pm
	I live high in the mountains in Colorado. I'm planning on taking off for California/Oregon coasts in two days, but the nights here are getting chilly. Forecast for tonight and the next night are in the mid to high 20's, and I'm starting to worry about frozen pipes, etc. Problem is I don't want to have to completely winterize for just a couple of days worth. Are there any intermediary steps I can take to tide me over...? Can I just circulate some antifreeze in the lines for now...? Thanks in advance..!! JC

Pete Brayton Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 29 Jul 2015 Location: Parker, CO Online Status: Offline Posts: 124	Posted: 03 Oct 2016 at 7:05pm
	Can you plug in a small electric heater inside overnight. That should probably keep things above freezing, being careful to keep it away from combustibles of course.
	2021 Rpod 196 2013 Ford 150 V8

jcphotog Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 21 May 2016 Location: Colorado Online Status: Offline Posts: 6	Posted: 03 Oct 2016 at 7:56pm
	Excellent idea! I plugged in the camper (it's in my driveway right now), and hooked up a space heater set to 55F. Hopefully that is sufficient.... Look forward to being in California where it's warm. We had snowflakes today....

Blue Highways Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 20 Sep 2016 Location: NC mountains Online Status: Offline Posts: 84	Posted: 03 Oct 2016 at 8:24pm
	Great question, great answer.... thought about that a lot: a temp way to hold off a full winterization. We will be in the NC mountains for awhile as temps cool, but want to run the WanderPod down to family on FL Gulf Coast for Thanksgiving, before the step of putting it into full NC hibernation for the winter.

Tars Tarkas Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 14 Jan 2013 Location: Near Nashville Online Status: Offline Posts: 1446	Posted: 03 Oct 2016 at 10:08pm
	The heater might be enough for mid 20s but a little extra insurance would be to take off the panel under the sink, exposing that plumbing to the heat, and to turn the heat on the water heater. Either electric or propane. TT
	2010 176 FJ Cruiser

Blue Highways Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 20 Sep 2016 Location: NC mountains Online Status: Offline Posts: 84	Posted: 03 Oct 2016 at 11:10pm
	Good idea, Tars. (On my 179, I would pull the three drawers out below the sink to let air circulate in there.)

techntrek Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group - pHp Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9059	Posted: 04 Oct 2016 at 12:41pm
	Bingo, open everything up, and I would go warmer than 55, and put the heater on the floor where it is cooler. Even with everything open any piping on the floor by an outer wall may be pushing the freeze zone if it gets too cold. Also dump the fresh water tank and run the pump with a valve open to clear the fresh water pickup hose.
	Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual

Our pod Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 03 Oct 2016 Location: Olympia WA Online Status: Offline Posts: 62	Posted: 04 Oct 2016 at 3:40pm
	And anything you can do to reduce the free passage of air underneath the trlr will help. Hay bales work well.
	Life is good.

jcphotog Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 21 May 2016 Location: Colorado Online Status: Offline Posts: 6	Posted: 04 Oct 2016 at 11:29pm
	Basically I ended up setting up the heater with under sink cabinet door open, as well as running some fairly diluted antifreeze through the system that I can easily flush once I get to Utah tomorrow. Hopefully that will do it...!

john in idaho Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 04 Nov 2014 Location: Eagle Idaho Online Status: Offline Posts: 611	Posted: 05 Oct 2016 at 10:56am
	We have camped several days on bottled water. We went from Idaho to Death Valley for a week in Feb. The trailer was winterized. They had a grey and black water dump there.