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  1. #21
    Fireside Member
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    All great reading. However, I am interested how the cold affects the trailer when we are traveling in cold weather.
    We are planning a trip to Florida from Colorado. I am not planning to winterize the trailer during the trip.
    Is that wise? At some point we will be in warmer weather but we will be coming back to Colorado in December.
    Any pointers will help. Main question is should I be traveling down the road not winterized?
    Dan and Kathy
    2022 Solitude 390RK
    2022 GMC Sierra Denali 3500HD Duramax
    USMC Semper Fi

  2. #22
    Site Sponsor Cate&Rob's Avatar
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    Dan and Kathy - We wrestled with this dilemma every fall and spring between Canada and heading to/from Florida. After many episodes of stressing over whether or not we had put enough heat into the underbelly to keep things from freezing . . . we decided that we really don't need water to travel. Winterizing the water system is no big deal, once you have practiced it a couple of times and whether you use the air blow-out or the antifreeze, it doesn't take long. We keep the water system winterized until we are "south of freezing". This makes for much lower stress travel. We keep a jug of antifreeze in the bathroom and flush the toilet with this if we use it while travelling. We choose campgrounds that are open all year and they have functioning washrooms and showers. We use paper plates and disposable cooking pans for the few days we travel in freezing conditions. The propane furnace will bring a trailer that is below freezing, up to a comfortable room temperature in less than an hour.

    Rob
    Cate & Rob
    2015 Reflection 303RLS

  3. #23
    Site Team WhittleBurner's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cate&Rob View Post
    Dan and Kathy - We wrestled with this dilemma every fall and spring between Canada and heading to/from Florida. After many episodes of stressing over whether or not we had put enough heat into the underbelly to keep things from freezing . . . we decided that we really don't need water to travel. Winterizing the water system is no big deal, once you have practiced it a couple of times and whether you use the air blow-out or the antifreeze, it doesn't take long. We keep the water system winterized until we are "south of freezing". This makes for much lower stress travel. We keep a jug of antifreeze in the bathroom and flush the toilet with this if we use it while travelling. We choose campgrounds that are open all year and they have functioning washrooms and showers. We use paper plates and disposable cooking pans for the few days we travel in freezing conditions. The propane furnace will bring a trailer that is below freezing, up to a comfortable room temperature in less than an hour.

    Rob
    Our solution this year is to leave for FL. by the second week of November.
    Marcy & Gary
    2014 Grand Design - Reflection 303RLS
    2022 GMC 3500 Denali Duramax Longbed SRW
    2015 GMC Denali 3500 - Retired
    2003 F350 - retired
    Michigan
    We're in trouble now, the dog are bloggin'!
    https://3dogsandatrailer.wordpress.com/


  4. #24
    Seasoned Camper
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    We do our yearly (winter) trip to Florida just as Rob said. We usually spend 6-7 weeks there from Jan. to first part of March. I winterize in October and it stays winterized until we are out of freezing temperatures and I sleep without worrying about freezing water lines or tanks. The last 5 years have been in a Keystone Outback 5th wheel. We just purchased a 2016 Reflections 303 RLS and I fully expect it to be easier to heat and cool. I have always winterized on our last nights stay coming home to Kansas that was above freezing. So easy to do after you do it once. I do pour a couple of jugs of RV antifreeze into the black tank before we leave going south in case the stool is used in an emergency for other than a regular potty stop.

  5. #25
    Site Sponsor JFF&KRN's Avatar
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    We are in Arizona, so never did "winterize" our trailer or any we have had in the past almost 20 years. We do travel to areas that have freezing temps, but never really had an issue. Nighttime we are stopped with heater going so all is warm and cozy, temp in and around plumbing stuff is apparently warm enough to make it through the day while running down the road, then stop and do our nightly thing again. We use our facilities and all while traveling. That's us.
    Jeff & Karen
    Peoria, Arizona

  6. #26
    Long Hauler D2Reid's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Canald View Post
    Main question is should I be traveling down the road not winterized?
    Like most answers it depends. We are fulltimers so typically only pull from 9 til 5, if that long, usually more like 10-3. Anyway, since we make short hops the RV will drop down to about 45. If it's really cold I will kick the heater on for 10 minutes during potty breaks. I have never frozen anything doing this while changing locations.

    I did freeze the camper solid in Amarillo, TX on New Years Eve 2014. We were headed from Houston to Breckenridge, CO and got caught by a huge snow storm. Thinking I was only going to stop for the night I didn't do my normal precautions. Then the storm hit, closed the roads, high wind, near zero temps, forgot to open the valve on the second propane tank.

    Next morning water wouldn't work. Got to Pueblo, thought it would thaw some during the day, nope. Camping World in Golden was the only RV repair facility in the area that would even look at us. They put the RV inside over the weekend and then tore into it Monday. The water tank heating pads had failed. 5 days in LaQuenta, we were really happy to get our RV back.
    Dallas
    2017 Momentum 376TH, 2019 Ford F450, Dual Rear Wheel, 4x4, diesel.
    2015 Harley-Davidson Street, XG750

  7. #27
    Site Sponsor JFF&KRN's Avatar
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    just a thought. even when traveling without the heater on. bathroom break will move some water, then wash hands with hot water only even if it is cold. then that water will move also.
    Jeff & Karen
    Peoria, Arizona

  8. #28
    Long Hauler D2Reid's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JFF&KRN View Post
    just a thought. even when traveling without the heater on. bathroom break will move some water, then wash hands with hot water only even if it is cold. then that water will move also.
    Moving cold water to cold water. Not the same as leaving a faucet dripping during freezing weather. But some water gets moved. Is it in freeze susceptible areas? I am no that smart.
    Dallas
    2017 Momentum 376TH, 2019 Ford F450, Dual Rear Wheel, 4x4, diesel.
    2015 Harley-Davidson Street, XG750

  9. #29
    Big Traveler JCZhome's Avatar
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    We left our Momentum 376TH in Athens, Texas and went down to McAllen, Texas for a few days. I checked the weather forecast just before we left and it was not supposed to get below 36F and I figured if it did, it would only be for a couple of hours.....not long enough to do any damage.

    We woke up in the Best Western in McAllen the next morning and it was snowing! That afternoon we got a text from the RV park manager telling us it had been below freezing all day and that it was supposed to be 12F that night. Great.....I didn't winterize and didn't leave the furnace on because we were going to be gone for four days and didn't want to be out of propane when we returned. I asked them to at least drain my fresh water tank and they disconnected the water hose.

    Stress!! I went to the dentist in Nuevo Progresso, Mexico the next morning and then we left McAllen. We didn't make it back to our RV until the following day......three straight days below freezing temps around the clock and got down as low as 14F. I was expecting there would be several leaks and hoped and prayed for it to not be to bad. We arrived back at our RV about noon that day and I immediately turned the propane and heater on and let it gradually raise the inside temp. After a couple of hours I was eventually able to open my gray tanks and let them drain. I couldn't get the black tank valve to open until mid afternoon, the following day. After a few hours, I hooked the hose back up and run water in both sinks and the shower and had hot water flowing to all three (never did turn the hot water heater off before we left).

    Long story short.......no leaks! We were very surprised. After a few more days of below freezing temps, we headed for Florida. I figured if no damage was done in 72 hrs. of below freezing temps and down to 14F that traveling during the day (water in the lines sloshing back and forth) wasn't going to do any damage....it was in the high 20s and even just above freezing during the days. This 2017 Momentum has never been winterized and I don't even know how to do that (although You Tube is my friend!) and we've never had a leak.

    Coincidentally, just last week I removed the wall and crawled into the back side of our water bay just to have a look at things first hand. All is still good!

    This is just my experience and certainly would not suggest or recommend anybody else putting their RV though this without the heater on.....just sharing our experience.
    SOLD my 2017 Momentum 376TH being pulled by a 2014 Ford F-350 Lariat, FX-4, Crew Cab, Longbed, Dually. Not pulling the 5er, catch me on my 2013 CVO Harley Ultra Classic.

    Map = states that we've stayed at least one night in our RV.

    http://visitedstatesmap.com/image/AR...TNTXUTWYsm.jpg

  10. #30
    Setting Up Camp
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    I'm new here so be gentle... I saw some mention of tank heating pads. Are those automatic, or is there a switch for them somewhere to turn on? I'm assuming they don't really get hot and just keep things at 40 F or similar...
    TNriverjet
    2016 Titan XD SL 4x4 Cummins
    2015 Subaru Outback Limited
    2017 Reflection 308 BHTS

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