Heated Water Hose?

[ktconners]

Hi, we have a 2017 Fleetwood Bounder 36H class A gas rig. We may have to spend some time in our rig in colder weather. Somebody told me I should get a heated water hose to run from campground water supply to my rig. I have looked around but am clueless as to what might be a decent product to purchase?

[wildebill308]

I don't know which would be the best. I have never tried the commercial ones. I made one a long time back. But I use a different method now. I fill my onboard tank and disconnect and drain the water hose. It is a good idea to store it where it is warm. You will also be wise to close  your gray water drain (some leave it  open) and drain your sewer hose. You don't want a 3"X10' popsicle. Also make shure your wet bay is heated.

Where are you planning on staying in the cold weather? Is it at a campground?

Bill

[ktconners]

Thanks Bill. An RV park, not quite a campground. I know when I stayed in a campground 2 years ago and it got cold, they had us remove the hose at night if it got down to freezing. I don’t have a nice diesel so my wet bay is not heated. Do you have any thoughts on how to get around that? Could I try and wrap place some towels or something in there?

[wildebill308]

5 hours ago, ktconners said:

Thanks Bill. An RV park, not quite a campground. I know when I stayed in a campground 2 years ago and it got cold, they had us remove the hose at night if it got down to freezing. I don’t have a nice diesel so my wet bay is not heated. Do you have any thoughts on how to get around that? Could I try and wrap place some towels or something in there?

But you can heat your wet bay. On my last coach I used a small ceramic heater with a built in fan. It was small enough to keep it away from anything it might damage. Yet the fan circulated the heat and kept everything above freezing. I liked to run a heavy duty extension cord just for the heater. I like a 12/3 but you might get buy on a 16/3 cord.

I also plugged all the airleaks/drafts I could with foam insulation to keep it warmer. 

You hear people talking about just using a light bulb for heat but I never felt this gave enough protection if it happened to drop realey cold.

Bill

[rayin]

An addition to bills ceramic heater is a thermostat cube, it only powers the ceramic heater when temperature drops below approx, 42°F Were it me, I would not pay those prices for a heated water hose, I would do as Bill  and operate off the onboard fresh water tank during freezing weather. It is much easier to prevent freezing problems than rectify them.

[wildebill308]

Rayin, I was lucky my heater had a thermostat. One of the big problems is how is the water bib protected at the RV park? Some have heat tape and some have valves below the frost line. They drain back when shut off. Some places just shut off the water and drain the system.  The last could be a problem for a longer stay. I hope the OP looks' into that.

I actually had my hose freeze on me last March in Williams AZ. They had a surprise cold front come through. It went from the low 70s to upper 20s overnight. I was surprised when I got up and no water. Well till I turned the pump on. We were lucky we weren't going any ware and it was back in the mid 50s by lunch. 

Bill

[rayin]

I agree Bill, the store-bought hoses do not protect the CG faucet. IMO it's better to construct your own, and cheaper if you really must have one. Personally I operate self-contained during freezing weather.

Edited August 18, 2022 by rayin

[fagnaml]

On 8/15/2022 at 12:39 PM, ktconners said:

Hi, we have a 2017 Fleetwood Bounder 36H class A gas rig. We may have to spend some time in our rig in colder weather. Somebody told me I should get a heated water hose to run from campground water supply to my rig. I have looked around but am clueless as to what might be a decent product to purchase?

kt --

A decade ago I spent two years on a capital project assignment as a Project Manager in the Texas Panhandle..  During my two winters during that assignment the overnight low temps dropped into the single digits and at times below zero.   Having an insulated and insulated water hose and RV park water faucet were a must.   Fortunately the RV park I used during those two years had their faucets wrapped with heat tape and insulated.   A decade ago, "pre-made" heated and insulated RV water hoses were not available hence I followed the lead of my contract Construction Managers who had spent many winters in cold climates.    I made a heated / insulated hose as follows:

1) Purchased flat heat cable such as this one that had a thermostat that was exposed to air temperature --> Pipe Heating Cable (pirithose.com)

2)  Attached the flat heat cable "in parallel" to the full length of the hose using high temperature electrical tape --> 3M Super 33+, 3M 33+ Electrical Tape in Stock - ULINE -- didn't "spiral wind" the heat cable around the water hose

3)  Insulate the hose / heat cable with gray foam pipe insulation for 3/4" pipe -->  Frost King 3/4 in. x 3/8 in. Thick Wall x 6 ft. Tubular Poly Foam Pipe Insulation P11XB/6 - The Home Depot

For both of those winters, my self-made heated water hose never froze.  I didn't "live off the fresh water tank" method for winter RV'ing.   I highly recommend that the RV park's water faucet have heat tape and insulation provided either by the RV park itself or installed by you.

This is a good link for how to make a "home made" heated / insulated RV water hose at a much lower cost than purchased a pre-made heated hose --> How to Use Heat Tape for Your RV Water Hose - TheRVgeeks.com

[ktconners]

Thank you to everyone! Fantastic information and I greatly appreciate it. Cheers to all….

Ron

[rls7201]

On 8/15/2022 at 3:06 PM, ktconners said:

Thanks Bill. An RV park, not quite a campground. I know when I stayed in a campground 2 years ago and it got cold, they had us remove the hose at night if it got down to freezing. I don’t have a nice diesel so my wet bay is not heated. Do you have any thoughts on how to get around that? Could I try and wrap place some towels or something in there?

Bounder wet bays have been heated since the first one in 1986. You have been misinformed.

Richard

[erniee]

No matter where we stay or the time of the year, we fill the fresh water tank and use that and store the hose. It’s hard to have a flood when you leave for the day when you turn the water pump off. 

[wildebill308]

13 hours ago, rls7201 said:

Bounder wet bays have been heated since the first one in 1986. You have been misinformed.

Richard

 From my owners manual for my 2004 38N Bounder.

 Extreme Cold Weather Usage
The holding tank area is heated through ducts
from the furnace. To assure adequate heat is
available to prevent holding tank freeze-up
during extreme cold weather use, the furnace
thermostat should be set no lower than 65
degrees if the outdoor temperature is 10 to 35
degrees. For temperatures lower than 10
degrees, set the thermostat 1 degree higher for
each degree the outdoor temperature drops
below 10 degrees.

However, I always used a small ceramic heater with a built in fan for extra protection. The amount of heat the furnace provided was minimal at best.

I always disconnect the water hose and drain it and the same for the sewer hose. Nothing like dealing with a 3"X10' poopsicle. 

Put the plug/cover in the hole for the sewer hose to prevent heat loss. I have seen people who spend more time where it is really cold (I don't know why) add a layer of foil covered foam insulation to the bottom inside of the whet bay. 

Bill

Edited October 26, 2022 by wildebill308