-20 Degrees Fahrenheit Camping doesn't work without a skirt

[geam15]

I have 2022 Grand Design Imagine 2910BH. So the winter package doesn't cover -20 degrees F. We just cut our trip short to Angel Fire NM for a week due to the entire system freezing. The weather didn't predict -20 F only about 0 F. We kept heat set at 85 due to the extreme cold and kept a space heater in the front storage bay with the water source. We had a heated insulated hose that froze completely. The onboard water tank froze along with the plumping. We didn't have a skirt but will be getting one along with another space heater to heat the underbelly to keep heat in with the skirt. Some lessons learned from my trip would be to add some extra insulation tape/heat tape to the plumbing lines if you plan on winter camping sub zero temps. In those temps setting the thermostat at 85 made the trailer 75 and was warm and comfortable inside. All the windows and doors were frozen over on the inside. Another piece of advice would be to trickle your kitchen faucet and bathroom faucet at night to keep water running through the pipes. Overall it was a big learning experience for me and the wife and we will be better prepared next time.

 

[Second Chance]

Your experience doesn't surprise me. The so-called "Four Seasons" packages are just marketing hype and the Imagines aren't designed for those conditions - I suspect even with skirting. Sorry about your vacation.

Rob

 

[geotex1]

Oh yeah! The coaches built for that are few. If that's something you will routinely do, you're going to want to add insulation to your water lines and underside. Be cautious adding a heater under that space unless closely monitored. You would be better with clamp on reflector lamps with big, incandescent bulbs. You'd be surprised what a 100 watt bulb can do when the draft is cut off.

Welcome to the forum, and happy travels!

 

[Soundsailor]

I have 2022 Grand Design Imagine 2910BH. So the winter package doesn't cover -20 degrees F. We just cut our trip short to Angel Fire NM for a week due to the entire system freezing. The weather didn't predict -20 F only about 0 F. We kept heat set at 85 due to the extreme cold and kept a space heater in the front storage bay with the water source. We had a heated insulated hose that froze completely. The onboard water tank froze along with the plumping. We didn't have a skirt but will be getting one along with another space heater to heat the underbelly to keep heat in with the skirt. Some lessons learned from my trip would be to add some extra insulation tape/heat tape to the plumbing lines if you plan on winter camping sub zero temps. In those temps setting the thermostat at 85 made the trailer 75 and was warm and comfortable inside. All the windows and doors were frozen over on the inside. Another piece of advice would be to trickle your kitchen faucet and bathroom faucet at night to keep water running through the pipes. Overall it was a big learning experience for me and the wife and we will be better prepared next time.

-20 F is pretty cold, sorry your coach froze up. That being said, it looks like this is your first post, welcome to the forum. There are quite a few threads on winter camping on the forum, I'm not sure how many have successfully survived -20 F.

 

[SolarPoweredRV]

I have 2022 Grand Design Imagine 2910BH. So the winter package doesn't cover -20 degrees F. We just cut our trip short to Angel Fire NM for a week due to the entire system freezing. The weather didn't predict -20 F only about 0 F. We kept heat set at 85 due to the extreme cold and kept a space heater in the front storage bay with the water source. We had a heated insulated hose that froze completely. The onboard water tank froze along with the plumping. We didn't have a skirt but will be getting one along with another space heater to heat the underbelly to keep heat in with the skirt. Some lessons learned from my trip would be to add some extra insulation tape/heat tape to the plumbing lines if you plan on winter camping sub zero temps. In those temps setting the thermostat at 85 made the trailer 75 and was warm and comfortable inside. All the windows and doors were frozen over on the inside. Another piece of advice would be to trickle your kitchen faucet and bathroom faucet at night to keep water running through the pipes. Overall it was a big learning experience for me and the wife and we will be better prepared next time.

All good advice except for the trickle of the water overnight. Even a trickle can over flow your tanks over the course of a night. AND, you can't leave your drain line open because the trickle will freeze as it exits the camper and your drain hose will become one solid piece of ice.

I would also suggest that you fill your tanks and roll up your hose if you are going to experience freezing temperatures, I would only use a heated hose if I were going to be stationary for the whole Winter. Even then, I would fill my tanks and drain my hose for those really cold nights.

 

[FT4NOW]

That trickle will definitely freeze if you leave you dump valves open. I know, it happened to me in around 14F weather. I didn't leave a trickle flow, I had a leaking black tank valve which I didn't know until my entire sewer hose and some of sewer piping was frozen solid. I found out when I attempted to dump my tank, that was a good time.

I had good luck with a heated hose wrapped in pipe insulation, heat tape wrapped around the spigot and the campground we were at had boxes built that went on top of the spigot made out of 1/4" plywood, never had the water supply freeze.

It can be helpful to leave your sink cabinets open at night to allow heat in there.

Also, if frequently camping in freezing temperatures, invest in some remote thermometers, at least 1 in the underbelly away from the heat source and another where your water hookups are located. I had mine with an alarm set at 40F so I knew when to run the furnace.

 

[Grandesigner]

Maybe if your unit was parked inside of a closed garage...those temps are a challenge to a normal house!
My guess was the OP went skiing that week?

 

[JM0397]

One more thing to keep track of:
We were in the rig over Christmas, when that cold snap hit much of the east. It hit 10 degrees in Charlotte, NC.
Everything was fine, with the exception of me forgetting to close the gray tanks.
I have a secondary valve attached to the sewer pipe - this lets me keep both grays open so they equalize (ie, doubles capacity since 90% of the gray water comes from the shower).
Anyway, I forgot to close the gray tanks & drain the pipe so had a nice block of ice. I just used the outside faucet hot water to melt and clear it, no problem... But it wasn't 20 below!

 

[Grandesigner]

BTW, Angel Fire is one of the coldest spots in NM during the winter...