Freezing water prevention....

[norcalhawk]

Hello,

I have a 2012 Hawk, with a furnace, outside shower, hot water heater and the standard water tank and electric water pump. I'm wondering what preventive tactics one can take while camping in freezing temptures to prevent your water supply from freezing.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Roger]

I've camped in cold winter weather and I have never had the interior plumbing freeze. I do keep the heater at the lowest setting (50?) at night.

I have had problems with the exterior drain freezing and backing up my sink. I partially solved that by putting some foam wrap around the top of the waste hose. I also only use metal hose connectors as the plastic ones split.

I do know my camper gets cold enough to freeze water as the porta-potty will freeze up occasionally.

By the way if you do camp in freezing weather, open up all of the exterior hatches so you can access them; those will freeze shut every time. Bring some WD-40 to unfreeze them if necessary.

Also, where you going?

Roger





Hello,

I have a 2012 Hawk, with a furnace, outside shower, hot water heater and the standard water tank and electric water pump. I'm wondering what preventive tactics one can take while camping in freezing temptures to prevent your water supply from freezing.
Thanks in advance.

 

[griz]

Winterized the system at home. Take bottle water with you. Nothing to worry about then.

 

[norcalhawk]

Roger,

Thank you for your imput. No interior freezing. That's great. I could just take 2-5al. jugs of water, but that takes up space. I like camping year round. I just returned from the Mt Shasta, CA area. No snow yet, but soon...I hope. While I have you here, do you have any condesation build up under your sleeping area. I plan to lay some Reflectix Insulation under my mat. As your know, the mat. (I have) is 4" "firm" foam with a vinyl bottom. I don't use a artic pak and I'm reluctant to run the furnace all night. But, to keep the water running I may need to change my way. I usually have a window or the vent, I have two, cracked. I live in the Eureka, CA area. Doesn't freeze here ecept oh rare occasions.

Michael

 

[Roger]

In the winter I had issues with ice cycles forming overnight on the perimeter and on the aluminum cross bars of the ceiling from the condensation before I bought an arctic pack. Arctic pack or Reflectix should help with that. I am not sure about the under mat condensation. The kids sleep up there and I haven't noticed any excess condensation there in the morning.

I use a Popsicle stick to crack open a turnbuckle hatch, too much heat escapes from the side or top vent.

I've rigged my "winter lpg kit" to run off a 20 lb lpg tank (BBQ) first, if it gets really cold you can burn half a tank of the 10 lb lpg tanks a night. 4 days is too short a trip.

For storage just winterize I guess, I live in the bay area so it does not get cold enough to worry about winterizing.

 

[captainphx]

Freezing!!??? …. oh yeah, I've heard about that!

 

[Roger]

Winterized the system at home. Take bottle water with you. Nothing to worry about then.


Bottled water will freeze too. Bring rum.

 

[Overland Hadley]

Freezing!!??? …. oh yeah, I've heard about that!

Oh man.

Well the ground started freezing about a week ago, and things will not totally thaw out until late May. I think I live too far north, more than six months of freezing weather is too much.

 

[Smokecreek1]

Bottled water will freeze too. Bring rum.


Isn't that Anti-freeze-I use vodka! Anyway, never had any problem with freezing things up in the winter out in the field ('cept me)! My major problem usually is finding an unfrozen water tap up here in Susieville before I go out-and as I noted in an earlier post "remembering to drain my tank" when I get home is a must not to forget. The arctic pack sure makes all the difference at night because I'm one of those who both (1) warm up the camper and (2) leave a window cracked open next to my head and (3) turn off the heater when I hit the sack. If it's really cold like up at Eagle Lake sometimes, I leave the therm on real low (50-55) so it only comes on once or twice at night-not every hour or so! That help!

Smoke

 

[captainphx]

Oh man.

Well the ground started freezing about a week ago, and things will not totally thaw out until late May. I think I live too far north, more than six months of freezing weather is too much.


Yeah, I lived in Minnesota for 7 years.

 

[MarkBC]

I posted a question related to this topic on captainphx's Thermostat thread.