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09-24-2021, 08:19 PM
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#1
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3 Rivet Member
1997 21' Excella
Carson City
, Nevada
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 213
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Quick freeze coming up
We have a 22 degree and 28 degree nights coming up. I am not ready to call the season quits cause we have a few more outings. What say you? Should I turn on the furnace? Or have a space heater going? Or nothing.
TIA
__________________
So much yarn.....
Too little time.....
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09-24-2021, 08:57 PM
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#2
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Rivet Master
1994 34' Excella
Warren
, Manitoba
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,244
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If you have shore power, use an electic heater. If boondocking the furnace works good as long as you have battery power. Make sure that any exposed water line is drained. Your holding tanks and HWT will not be bothered with a shot frost, but any exposed water line will. If you run the furnace, you should have a CO monitor!
__________________
ACI #7394
2012 GMC 2500 HD Duramax Denali
1994 Excella 34'
1987 Limited 34', 1976 31', 1976 Argosy 22' Gone to new homes
Hensley Hitch
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09-24-2021, 09:13 PM
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#3
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Rivet Master
2015 25' FB Eddie Bauer
2013 25' FB Eddie Bauer
2012 20' Flying Cloud
Small Town
, *** Big Sky Country ***Western Montana
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,860
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We drain and dry camp until
Thanksgiving ...
__________________
2015 25' Eddie Bauer Int'l FBQ / 2023 Ford Lightning ER
2022 Ford F350 6.2 V-8; equalizer hitch + Shocker air hitch
Honda Eu3200; AIR# 44105; formerly WBCCI 2015.1
Terminal Aluminitis; 2-people w/ 3+ dogs
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09-24-2021, 10:20 PM
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#4
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Rivet Master
2007 27' Safari FB SE
NW Oregon in a nice spot
, Oregon
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 879
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Huh??? 22 to 28 at night and thinking about doing nothing?....from a 3 rivet poster. This must be a troll post for sure?
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09-24-2021, 10:41 PM
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#5
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2 Rivet Member
2019 25' Flying Cloud
1992 21' Sovereign
2000 30' Excella
2001 31' Land Yacht
Valley Park
, Missouri
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 56
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quick freeze
Better safe than sorry. A little RV antifreeze down each drain. Run a 1500w space heater (pointed in a safe direction). Enjoy!
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09-24-2021, 10:50 PM
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#6
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3 Rivet Member
1997 21' Excella
Carson City
, Nevada
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 213
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troll? Did someone say troll?
__________________
So much yarn.....
Too little time.....
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09-25-2021, 09:29 AM
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#7
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Half a Rivet Short
2017 30' Classic
2022 Interstate 24X
Carlisle
, Pennsylvania
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 15,674
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Hi
Simple answer this time of year:
Pop open the faucets and low point drains as you pull out of the campsite. Don't have a lot of water in the tank or this gets messy. Do the usual black and gray tank dumps.
When the "weather alarm" goes off, head over and put a bit of RV antifreeze in each of the drains, stand on the toilet flush for a bit.
No it's not perfect, but it's a lot better than nothing. The cost of the antifreeze is pretty small. When you go back out camping, there's not a lot to undo other than closing this or that valve / faucet.
A somewhat more involved approach would be to run a compressor and blow out the lines. You also can blow out the hot water heater at the same time. You have better protection, but still not a lot to reverse when you head out again.
This all assumes the trailer is stored someplace sheltered. If it's out in a good strong wind and it will be below 32 for >12 hours with 21 as the low .... you need the full up process and / or heaters.
Bob
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09-25-2021, 09:41 AM
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#8
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Rivet Master
2007 Interstate
Normal
, Illinois
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 18,051
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I have camped numerous times with temps in the teens, and never frozen up.
Run your furnace, open cabinets to insure pipes receive heat.
And go on.
You could winterize out of an abundance of caution, but it’s then an abundance of dewinterizing when you’re not ready to pack it up for the season.
Maggie
__________________
🏡 🚐 Cherish and appreciate those you love. This moment could be your last.🌹🐚
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09-25-2021, 10:17 AM
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#9
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4 Rivet Member
2016 27' Flying Cloud
Hartsburg
, Missouri
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 464
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The thing is there are many different configurations of airstreams and depending where valves, pipes, and heat ducts are your experiences may differ from others. On our 27 FC FB the black and gray tank valves are enclosed with the tanks. We routinely camp with overnight lows in the upper teens using our freshwater tank and black and gray water tanks like normal and use the propane furnace to keep things warm enough to not freeze. We often set the thermostat as low as 50 to conserve propane and battery power when boondocking. I do drain water from the outside shower by opening the valve, then the low water drains, and after I hear the water drain from the outside shower fixture, I close the valves again so there will be air in outside shower fixture and pipes to it even if we use the rest of our water system. --Frank
__________________
Frank & Fran
2016 27' FC FB with 600 W solar
2016 Ford F150 EcoBoost
Equalizer Hitch
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09-25-2021, 10:22 AM
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#10
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Rivet Master
1956 22' Safari
2015 27' Flying Cloud
Vintage Kin Owner
Conifer/Evergreen
, Colorado
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 12,701
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bweybright
This must be a troll post for sure?
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Really? Could be they just moved from a 4-season area to a new colder location that requires winterizing...don't be so harsh. This question comes up many times every season...I see it as one of the true signs of fall!
Shari
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09-25-2021, 10:34 AM
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#11
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3 Rivet Member
2016 27' Flying Cloud
McDonough
, Georgia
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 128
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We just camped for several days with overnight lows in the 20's, daytime highs 40's to 60's - no problems - kept the furnace on 58F (comfortable for us under lots of covers), kept the hot water heater on, left kitchen sink cab door and water pump access door open. We also made sure no exterior water hose hooked up - just used fresh water tank.
In our 27FB, the furnace routes a bit of heat to the holding tanks. A space heater wouldn't work, since it wouldn't get any heat to the tanks.
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09-25-2021, 04:42 PM
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#12
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Rivet Master
1988 32' Excella
Robbinsville
, New Jersey
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 3,116
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"IF" it only gets down to 28 for a couple hours there is little risk of damage. A couple years ago someone posted of freeze damage after his trailer was in storage and they predicted a low of 34, then actual low of 22.
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09-25-2021, 09:52 PM
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#13
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Site Team
2017 30' International
Broomfield
, Colorado
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 3,555
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Turn on the furnace run at 50 degrees temp - you’ll be fine.
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09-25-2021, 11:07 PM
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#14
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3 Rivet Member
1997 21' Excella
Carson City
, Nevada
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 213
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Thank you all
Thanx all. I am not a troll. Just have not really experienced a freeze while still having season left. My husband the first winter we owned the trailer did not winterize. Guess what? So with your input, you confirmed my thinking. Except the addition of the water heater thoughts.
I am not a troll............
__________________
So much yarn.....
Too little time.....
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09-26-2021, 05:02 AM
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#15
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Site Team
2007 30' Classic S/O
Somewhere
, South Carolina
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 6,436
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BessieB,
Good luck with the freeze potential. Unprepared the damage can be annoying to ugly. Last winters freeze in Texas really messed up a bunch of RV'ers.
Gary
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S/OS #001 2005 Dodge Ram 2500 5.9L 6 Speed
16" Michelins, Hi Spec Wheels, Max Brake, Dexter 4 Piston Disc Brakes, Carslile Actuator, Equal-I-Zer, Dill TPMS. Campfire cook. BMV-712. DEMCO 21K Lb Cast Iron coupler
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09-26-2021, 09:43 AM
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#16
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Rivet Master
2007 27' Safari FB SE
NW Oregon in a nice spot
, Oregon
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 879
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BessieB
Thanx all. I am not a troll. Just have not really experienced a freeze while still having season left. My husband the first winter we owned the trailer did not winterize. Guess what? So with your input, you confirmed my thinking. Except the addition of the water heater thoughts.
I am not a troll............
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Fair enough, thank you for checking back. I owe you my apologies for jumping the gun.
Good luck with your temperatures!!
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09-27-2021, 09:29 AM
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#17
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Half a Rivet Short
2017 30' Classic
2022 Interstate 24X
Carlisle
, Pennsylvania
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 15,674
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BessieB
Thanx all. I am not a troll. Just have not really experienced a freeze while still having season left. My husband the first winter we owned the trailer did not winterize. Guess what? So with your input, you confirmed my thinking. Except the addition of the water heater thoughts.
I am not a troll............
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Hi
Folks have reported significant damage to trailers stored at the FL / GA line with a single night and temperatures reported at 29 degrees. Others seem to do fine. It is very much a function of how lucky you get .....
Since you could be talking thousands of dollars in repairs, is saving $2 on a jug of antifreeze (and the hour or two to deploy it) that big a deal? It's up to you.
If you really want to freak out, there are YouTube videos from Texas showing trailers with frame damage due to water tanks freezing. Not on an Airstream, but the trailer was totaled..... yikes ....
Bob
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10-03-2021, 09:45 AM
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#18
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4 Rivet Member
2012 28' International
Prince Edward County
, Ontario
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 336
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It depends on when you will use the trailer again. If it's short term then we will turn the furnace on and set the thermostat to 10C (50F) and all has been fine. Open drawers and cabinets to allow circulation. If the temperature is dropping to the lower range, I heat up the hot water tank and then turn off but it helps that our trailer is stored close by or in front of the house. When not in use, the holding tanks are emptied routinely so no problem there but we would keep the fresh water tank at least half full.
If stored for longer, I would winterize so you don't have to worry. You can go through a lot of propane if the temperature remains below freezing. When in Montreal one November, we got caught in a freeze with similar temperatures and we went through a 30 lb. tank of propane in five days.
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10-03-2021, 09:53 AM
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#19
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4 Rivet Member
2019 22' Sport
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 303
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Hello,
I just finished camping in 16 degree weather with water in camper. 2019 Bambi 22 sport Fb. I set heat to 50 and had no problems. So I would turn on the heat and not worry.
Sean
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10-03-2021, 02:56 PM
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#20
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Rivet Master
2017 25' Flying Cloud
Longmont
, Colorado
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 742
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What "wulfraat" said, but I will add to it. We do this often and turn our furnace down to 45 when we are not ready to winterize and temps are dipping below freezing. Pick your safe number, but it is important to run the furnace, not the heat pump or a space heater. Reason is there is ducting from the furnace to the underbelly area to help keep things from freezing. This is why it is OK to camp in your airstream in sub-freezing temperatures and not end up with frozen pipes. We have camped many times down into the teens with no issues.
p.s. - We never just "do nothing" when temps are dropping below or even approaching freezing. Too risky and way too often the forecast is not that accurate so better safe than sorry.
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