Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks: freezing temps

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freezing temps

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Forum Name: Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
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Topic: freezing temps

Posted By: EchoGale
Subject: freezing temps
Date Posted: 20 Sep 2020 at 10:44am

Greetings:

I live in Florida and haven't winterized my camper before. We do, occasionally in Jacksonville get below freezing temps. And I am, right now, still in Maine from the summer and planning to leave before freezes settle in.

So I'm trying to sort out how low (and for how long) I can push things without risking damage. Clearly at 31 degrees for an hour over night isn't going to ruin stuff, but what will? Most winters we have a few nights that drop to 28 in Jacksonville. I can have the tanks empty (or low enough that expansion won't break them) so I think the most worrisome point is the pump, no?

Any thoughts on how cold it has to be and for how long to cause damage? What if I turn on the heat? Or I have a small electric blanket I could lay on the floor (and the camper has 20 amp service here in Maine).

I'm not looking to stay for the winter and avoid winterizing, just an extra little protection for marginal temps. Advice appreciated.

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Julie

Replies:

Posted By: Colt
Date Posted: 20 Sep 2020 at 11:43am

Freezing damage will come in the form of split hoses (maybe) and pump damage. A small electric heater inside should prevent that from happening. then you, mostly need to worry about the outside shower, if you have one. Cut off the water and drain all you can out of that circuit. Then, you only have to worry about short runs into the tanks. The tanks should not freeze for a day or 2, and probably won't be damaged unless full.

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John
'16 R-Pod 180

Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 20 Sep 2020 at 12:41pm

Heating the interior will help with the internal lines but the feed line from the fresh water tank to the pump is exposed so is a freeze prone location. If you're on city water you can drain the tank and that should empty that line.

Another exposed risk area is the low point drains, especially if they hang down pretty far like mine do. Not much you can do about those unless you drain the water system or fill it with antifreeze. If you're getting well down into the 20's overnight for long periods the safe thing to do is to winterize and use bottled water.

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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold

Posted By: EchoGale
Date Posted: 20 Sep 2020 at 1:28pm

Thanks to both of you. I'll be long-gone before there are lengthy periods below freezing. Once it's predicted I'm outa here (but this occasionally happens in Florida too). I'm planning for an unexpected overnight dip below what is forecast. Like, next week overnight lows are in the 50s but tonight it's predicted to get to 34.

I'm not staying in the camper except when I go camping so I can easily drain the freshwater tank to protect that hose to the pump. I'll put a heater inside too.

I appreciate the help.

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Julie