Not winterizing in Iowa?

[Jeff Bittner]

I have a 2021 International 25FBT and plan on traveling back and forth South this winter. Would it hurt to not winterize, use house power, and then 2 space heaters as well as furnace when back in Iowa?

[Lily&Me]

If your heat is reliable you should be okay, but be sure to open cabinets under the sink and open the bathroom door so that all the bits that could freeze are heated.

Maggie

[BayouBiker]

I'm with Maggie, two space heaters each set to 750 Watts will keep a trailer 25-28 degrees warmer than the outside, so long as wind is less than say 15 mph. With high wind, drop that to 20 degrees. Inside wall temps will be about half the total difference, so as long as temps stay above 20, space heaters are fine. Furnace set at 40-45 will help. If temps start dropping below 20 you will need to get it up to 50 inside and so on.... at 10 it will need to be near 68 inside.

You should also remove the outside shower hose, fill the compartment with bubble rap or rolled outdoor pipe insulation and tape insulation over the city inlet. If it is going to be below 20 for a while, a skirt will be very helpful. Put antifreeze in the shower p trap if below 20.

[Jeff Bittner]

Thanks for the advice. I have no problem buying propane as needed. Just wanted to make sure I could keep enough heat in the AS.

Originally Posted by BayouBiker

I'm with Maggie, two space heaters each set to 750 Watts will keep a trailer 25-28 degrees warmer than the outside, so long as wind is less than say 15 mph. With high wind, drop that to 20 degrees. Inside wall temps will be about half the total difference, so as long as temps stay above 20, space heaters are fine. Furnace set at 40-45 will help. If temps start dropping below 20 you will need to get it up to 50 inside and so on....

[OTRA15]

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

An unusually low temp overnight, driven by a strong wind, could possibly freeze some remote plumbing part like the exterior shower valves etc., no matter how warm the interior is.

Why risk it?

Broad-brush guidance is of limited utility IMO. Monitor weather details carefully, and protect your valuable asset accordingly IMO.

[BayouBiker]

Good point Peter, with the water off, it would be best to open the low point drains and the outdoor shower valves, so if they freeze, if something unexpected come up, the water has a place to expand.

[Daquenzer]

If it drops below 20 degrees for an extended time I’d say it could get interesting. Personally I would at least drain the pipes and blow them out. It doesn’t take that much time, and if for some reason something went wrong with the power or furnace going out it could save your pipes.

[Airtandem]

I am in Davenport, DON’T risk it. I did not get all the water out and it $$$$ me! This was one night of 30 degrees. Thought I could make it

[OTRA15]

Des Moines is forecast to have overnight lows around 15F by Christmas. See the line graph bar chart on the bottom here:

https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/de...weather/328810

Click on the "Forward 2 Days" link at the top right here:

https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClic...ical&lat=&lon=

. . . to confirm a low temp of 10F for next Thursday, with very strong NW winds! [This detailed NWS resource looks ahead ~6 days.]

Only a fully winterized trailer can escape these brutal conditions without plumbing damage IMO.

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

[Lily&Me]

All these cautions are good, but what is most safe for your rig really depends a lot on your individual situation.

I have overnighted in my rig more nights than I would like with temps that have dropped into the teens, without freezing up.

Some of these have been with electricity, two consecutive nights some years back were without, running the furnace off the battery and with undercabinet doors and bathroom open.

Good luck.

Maggie

[cathurston]

Originally Posted by Jeff Bittner

I have a 2021 International 25FBT and plan on traveling back and forth South this winter. Would it hurt to not winterize, use house power, and then 2 space heaters as well as furnace when back in Iowa?

Frankly, I would be concerned about the moisture you would create inside the trailer when you have a lot of heat inside and it's so cold outside. Condensation will build up quickly, and I believe you will be faced with creating mold. Having grown up in Chicago, I know that Iowa is very humid compared to Central Oregon (the High Desert) where I live right now. We plan to arrive home in mid-March from a trip to Southern California with our 25 ft International, and we feel we need to re-winterize it also. I wouldn't take a chance.

[Jacob D]

In South Carolina, we have had winter temps as low as 10 degrees only once in a while. My uncle winterized his 26 ft Overlander by using the 10 gal hot water heater as an air tank, pressurizing it with a small 12v dc tire inflator and blowing out the lines and taps one at a time. To my knowledge he never had any freeze damage. After I acquired his trailer and trying his method I found it much easier to just turn on the furnace. The advantage is when we decided to camp in cold weather we were always ready to go and no need to repeat winterizing.

[wwillson]

I grew up in Iowa and know how cold it can get. It takes 15 minutes to winterize - why even consider the risk of frozen/broken plumbing?

[MMCMRET]

Originally Posted by Jeff Bittner

I have a 2021 International 25FBT and plan on traveling back and forth South this winter. Would it hurt to not winterize, use house power, and then 2 space heaters as well as furnace when back in Iowa?

That was my plan, as well. Let the furnace run all winter. I even had a 100 gallon propane tank dropped in my driveway. Well, the furnace failed on my 2021, 25' FBT Flying Cloud. My water system is now winterized. Batteries are still in and charging from the house. I have a factory appointment on the 4th of February.

If your furnace fails, will the portable heaters be enough? Maybe skirting is needed?

The following YouTube videos might be of assistance. Naturally, they are being lived in but they might offer some things to assist you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SumXxa-28Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_Fm7NWmSl0&t=592s

Good Luck and let us know how it goes.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Here in PA it was 4 degrees outside when we woke up. It's still December. Back when I lived a bit further west, we could see -20 overnight. Toss in a strong wind and pipes will freeze even with the heat on. One of the bathrooms in Kansas had a problem that way.

On a trailer with pipes hanging out under the floor, there is a lot of risk. There is no *guarantee* that there will be a problem at this or that temperature. Wind and local baffling both get into the act. People have had disasters at 28 degrees. Others seem to do ok into the teens. Good luck at 20 below ....

Simply opening the low point drains does not get all the water out of the system. You need to use a compressor to blow it out. Even with a few hours of that, the lines still may not be fully dry.....



Bob

[s1000pre]

I live in Minneapolis and contemplated this. I’ve winterized twice now, the second time took roughly 30 minutes. You naturally become very efficient. I have since decided to go with the winterizing option. We see too many extreme changes, it only takes a couple days below five or zero to really mess things up!

[pcskier]

Buy a $100 pancake compressor from home depot, and a brass quick connect blowout fitting for the city water connection. Blow out the plumbing every time you return from a trip. Run the furnace on the drive home. Or, take the compressor and blow out the lines before heading home.

All fixtures and low points, one at a time, and black tank flush for a few seconds. You'll get it down to a 30 minute process. Disconnect pump output and run pump a few second to drain that. No need for antifreeze. Drain waste and fresh tanks, obviously. Then you are ready to hit the road and add water when you get where you're going and be up and running.

I winterize this way in Utah, and it gets below zero, no issues, ever. Just blow all the lines thoroughly. A 5 or 6 gallon compressor will have enough volume to get the job done efficiently, though you will have to let the tank repressurize a few times during the process.

All it will take is your furnace to fail on a non-winterized trailer and you will be in a world of hurt.

My two cents. Spend them wisely!

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-6...50HB/303379052
https://www.amazon.com/Camco-Brass-C.../dp/B002XL2IEA

[Blazeman1]

Your waste macerater is you biggest threat, it’s not protected, and is outside in the elements. Some are known to to carry a jug of RV anti freeze to use in stead of flushing with water

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by Jeff Bittner

Thanks for the advice. I have no problem buying propane as needed. Just wanted to make sure I could keep enough heat in the AS.

Jeff, FYI the forecast low for Thursday night is now down to 6 degrees Fahrenheit, with 30-40 MPH winds out of the NW.

Originally Posted by OTRA15

Des Moines is forecast to have overnight lows around 15F by Christmas.
. . .
Click on the "Forward 2 Days" link at the top right here:

https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClic...ical&lat=&lon=

. . . to confirm a low temp of 10F for next Thursday, with very strong NW winds! [This detailed NWS resource looks ahead ~6 days.]

Only a fully winterized trailer can escape these brutal conditions without plumbing damage IMO.

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

Hoping that you have either gone south or winterized the trailer!

Happy trails,

[Overstreet]

Some say, "The adventure begins when things break."


A couple of Christmas ago in Stacyville it got to -14 F on the shady side of the house and -9 on the sunny side. Good luck. Report after the events.

Happy Holidays.