Winter Camping - Water System

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Even though the water systems in the FWC are pretty simple, I am curious how people are using their system during extreme cold weather. We have a travel trailer that we either leave completely winterized, or run the furnace when traveling in cold weather. I would like to be able to keep water in the tank when using the FWC, but don't want to have a freeze crack in the system. BTW, we did not order the water heater...

What are people doing? External water supply? Cheap vodka in the water? 12 VDC heat strip? Curious minds want to know...

 

[LuckyDan]

My approach is good vodka in the occupant and cheap water in the tank.

Yea the FWC is kinda light in preparation for core winter traveling in really cold climes. What I do, or know others to do in no order of priority:

Don't use the on board water and bring jugs. My experience is that while driving the motion/rocking is enough agitation of the water that it won't freeze either tank or jug till stopped awhile. I"ll qualify that with my Grandby is older and my system has the manual/electric H2O system. That's noteable because the water drains out of the faucet/ upper line back to the tank or overall water level when off.

Run the furnance soon after stopping after stopping. Guess you could run it while driving but I haven't tried? I've heard of people using a Little Buddy portable while in motion but have not personally seen it in action.

Put a boot between cab and camper and run with the split windows open allowing the cab heat to run into the camper while driving.

Revlectix(sp) or otherwise insulate the tank and foam insulate wrap the tubing where you can. A lot of the FWC cult reflectix insulate whatever they can, like the back side of the cabinets. around the propane box and so on as a general practice to keep them warmer in the winter.

Artic Pack or otherwise insulate the soft side when stopped helps.

My camper for some reason holds a little H2O in the drain after capping. I put a little, and it takes just a little, RV antifreeze in the drain after use.

I have seen a gent who used a 12 volt heat cube in his cabinet projecting at his tank/propane box. I'll qualify that like above, his FWC was older like mine and everything was largely in one place. I have no idea where he found the cube I've never seen another one like it.

The issue for me has not been the stopping and camping but the driving when it's really cold. A lot of regular winter users get a Wave, Little Buddy, or similar heater for winter use. The reason being they are radiant(sp?) not forced air, thus they use no battery.

If you check/hunt through the Turtle expedition website: http://turtleexpedition.com/ they took an FWC Keystone across Russia in the winter. They probably have some info and tips on winter prep/use.

Hope this info helps and good luck.

 

[1stDeuce]

I've used the water in warmer winter camping, where the outside temp isn't below 20F or so and not had any problems. I open a few cabinet doors near the water thank so it gets a little warm air from the heat inside. I've now got my heater pulling air through the cabinets, so I leave one small door open and there's circulation past the water tank and all the lines when the heater runs. Aside from using extra propane, there's no harm in running the heater while travelling so far as I can tell, so I would just do that if you're really worried.

For the few times I've camped when it was really cold, like zero at night and teens in the daytime, I've just used a water jug. That way I don't have to worry about a little water in the system later on, or leaving the heat on when I drive. At zero, I can tell you that the extension elbow that I screwed on the sink drain outside the camper will freeze up and block the drain if I don't leave the cabinet door under the sink open. With the door open, no problem.

I have frozen about half a tank of water in the camper by accident once, and nothing was injured. (I forgot to drain it after camping and found it a week later, frozen solid.) The lines in my camper are all clear vinyl, so they just expand a little, and it didn't seem to hurt the tank either. Took two days keeping the camper at 50-60 to melt it all out. Probably took at least that long to freeze it all solid. I dump the water on my drive home now, so I don't forget to do it when I get home.

In short, as long as the temps aren't crazy cold, the water won't freeze if you're keeping the camper heated and mindful to ventilate the water storage area a little.
Chris

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Thanks!!