Tank And Lines Heat During Winter Driving

[HMillsJr]

Will be out in New Mexico in October, returning to Ohio late October, early November.

2005 Fleewood, Extedition 38N (New to me).

Will I have to arrange any special heat for the tanks, lines, etc.?

[five]

Your coach should have a heated basement...run the normal heat and the tanks/lines will be okay.

[dickandlois]

Do you know if your coach has the tank heater option for cold weather camping. Should it be equipped with them you can run the generator to keep the heater pads powered under the holding tanks.

This helps to keep things from freezing when you get back up North until you have time to get it winterized by keeping it plunged in to a heavy power cord.

Rich.

[tbutler]

Since your coach is new to you, this would be a good excuse to do some digging and learn more about this complex vehicle. Some coaches have a heat supply from the furnace to the basement, not all do. Do some checking and see how where your furnace ducts go. A small mirror on a extension wand is a basic tool for working in RV's. If you don't have one, they are not expensive, pick one up at a hardware store. They are handy for looking around corners. Get into the owners manual and find out if you have a winter heating package which includes heat pads (110V) under the holding tanks. Again, some coaches have them but this is usually a deluxe item, not something standard on all coaches. After checking all this, begin looking for the lines from the freshwater tank to the water pump and on through the coach to the various places where water is used. If lines are exposed, you can insulate them yourself. Pick up some styrofoam pipe insulation at the hardware store and wrap all the pipes you can access. Check all the gaskets on the basement compartment doors and replace any worn gaskets to get the best possible seal around the doors.

Be careful rigging heat in the basement. I'll never forget my fathers efforts to keep the dog warm one very cold midwestern winter. He put a light bulb in the dog house. We caught it when it started smoking. Dad was a volunteer fireman. Had we called the fire department he would have never lived it down.

If you encounter really cold weather on this trip, there are strategies you can use to mitigate the effects of the cold. You could plan a trip on a southern route or to go around higher elevations until you are directly south of Ohio and then make a daytime run north going for home. Usually you won't encounter the coldest weather when you drive but rather when you park for the night. If the nights are really cold, you might keep the temperature warmer than normal to keep the basement warmer. With a warm house above, the basement shouldn't get colder than 10 degrees above the outdoor temperature. If you have piipes along the outside walls of your coach (under cabinets in the kitchen and bath), leave the doors of those cabinets open so heat can better circulate to the pipes in those areas. Another strategy you can use is to periodically run a little water from each of your faucets, the shower and toilet. If a line fails to respond it's time to get some heat to it. Grab your wife's hair dryer!