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Old 01-05-2015, 12:29 PM   #1
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Oklahoma
Freezing

I am part timing but have to continue to do it through the winter. The nicest RV park around here was charging 500 plus elec for a month to keep it parked which before you go there I am looking into further options, but while I am doing this I am getting good with winterizing and then dewinterizing to survive the subfreezing temps here in northern oklahoma. The last two nights have been 16 and 18 deg and it may not get above freezing during the day even with the sun out. I successfully set up a heated hose to establish flow into the trailer complete with pressure reducer and inline filter on the outside. While I thought I had finally accomplished something, the sink in the bathroom still worked as well as the toilet and shower, but the cold apparently got the lines going to the kitchen and garage washing machine hookups.

Temp was set on 60 deg and working. I had a heat lamp near in the basement and a light burning in the plug in section of the camper to help with a couple of degrees. No lower insulation but this voltage 3200 has the "all weather package" and is a 2015. Since it may or may not peak above freezing today, I was wondering how to thaw and prevent this from happening again. I bought the thing to survive in the cold at times. Disappointed at present. It has frozen lines twice now. I am thinking of renting a storage site to unthaw and retest to see if lines are busted, or just cutting the underbelly to get to the frozen lines and maybe hookup some heat tape and insulation similar to the hose on the outside. Either way, a lot of work. Has anybody else had this issue and what did you do about it?

Also, has anyone had the voyager camera reversed on them...meaning, the image is a mirror reversed image. The left if the right and the right is the left. Difficult to describe, but I think it has been that way since purchase but it took me a bit to realize it. I have looked at the actual camera and it doesn't make sense to flip it as that would make the top the bottom, and the wiring is sealed into trailer and into camera. No settings have been found on the receiver.
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Old 01-05-2015, 01:28 PM   #2
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The ole 'all weather package' and R40 in the ceiling is someone at Dutchman's wet dream. I posted an email from Keystone last month regarding the manufacture doesn't recommend living in the unit when temperatures drop to 32 or lower.

With that being said, I think it would take extreme measure to keep these things from freezing. We can keep the inside warm but unless there is a way to warm the under belly a freeze is going to happen. Heated hoses are fine but then there's the connection in the wet comparment to deal with and then the plumbing on the other side of the compartment.
I froze last year and fortunately nothing broke. I'm sure I'm frozen this morning as I was yesterday and will be tomorrow. It might be 11 degrees out there this morning but the sun is up.

When it's going to freeze I fill a gallon jug with water for coffee and teeth and cooking. I'll wait until mid day and connect the garden hose to the hydrant and shower and refill the jug. Some days no shower but no biggie, I'm rural, solo and don't sweat the small stuff.

I think there is a setting to reverse the image on the monitor.
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Old 01-05-2015, 02:32 PM   #3
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Not in the same trailer as you but smaller I too am having a difficult time this year. I have frozen several times. I keep the sink door open and a small space heater pointing in there to help keep that part un-frozen. The real bummer is the toilet freezing closed. I too keep some water in a jug to use during the day. I have had two water leaks so far this year. They did their damage and have spring projects to rebuild cabinets. Everything is still functioning at this time. I wish I had better tips for you but it is what it is WINTER IN OKLAHOMA BRRRRR
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Old 01-05-2015, 02:44 PM   #4
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While I've had to deal with temps below freezing the past few weeks here in AZ, the lowest we've had is around 28 or so. Nothing down in the teens.

Here's a thought though.... why not get one of those small electric disc heaters, remove one of the walls in your basement, and put it in there to keep the water lines warm?

You could pull the panel under the toilet like this...




...and then plug in an electric disc heater like this to keep the basement area warm:




I know that you said it's the lines under the kitchen & back to the washer/dryer hookup in the garage that's the issue... but some of the heat from the basement is bound to seep under the floor & reach the area of concern. And yeah, it's gonna run your electric bill up some... but just gotta chalk that up to the price of living in the RV during winter.

Just a thought...
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Old 01-05-2015, 06:04 PM   #5
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I think it's hard to determine where the ice block occurs. Of course like okiejim with a frozen toilet valve it's obvious.

The way the plumbing is run in these things and with the redundant plumbing going all over the place it would take a lot of pipe insulation to even have a fighting chance. Probaby even some PEX stuck back there in the bumper.

Last year I froze solid, even the 4 inch sewer pipe was solid. This year I just pull the garden hose and blow it out, leave the light on in the wet compartment and wait and see what the next day brings. You have to LOVE that PEX pipe, that's some forgiving stuff when it comes to freezing.

Last night the pipe to the hydrant froze somewhere. I suspect it was at the weep hole where the ditch was left open to monitor for leaks as it is a new install. No leaks so I back filled the hole with rocks where the weep hole is and I'll finish with the dirt once it gets thawed out.

I have water for now but tonight it is gonna be another cold one. I'm just glad I don't have to get up and go to work to a real job.
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Old 01-05-2015, 06:30 PM   #6
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Thanks for the advise you guys. I know there is more I can do and will. I just have to juggle my time. I'm still working on 2nd shift so for now I will just do the best I can. When I rebuild my cabinets I have been watching the water lines and believe I can re-route alot of them only to give me more storage area in the kitchen but also to better insulate that area and install a light socket. My little Rubicon is not that big so I know I can make it better for next winter and maybe this winter if I can get my act together.
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Old 01-05-2015, 07:18 PM   #7
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We were in the 20's last week...I let the faucet furthest away from the water source dribble all night. That was the sink in my aft bathroom. I went on the assumption that all the water had to run the full length of the trailer, hopefully not freezing. We also kept the furnace on 67, which caused it to run a little more often, thus keeping the belly a little warmer.

Cale
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Old 01-05-2015, 10:07 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by calewjohnson View Post
We were in the 20's last week...I let the faucet furthest away from the water source dribble all night. That was the sink in my aft bathroom. I went on the assumption that all the water had to run the full length of the trailer, hopefully not freezing. We also kept the furnace on 67, which caused it to run a little more often, thus keeping the belly a little warmer.

Cale
One small drawback from leaving a faucet running all night. Our sinks don't have overflows so if your water exit point were to freeze the water would back up into the sink and overflow onto the floor and cause big problems.

As I had mentioned earlier the 4 inch sewer pipe froze solid on my 3800. I think it froze at the exposed part because the free flowing gray tank hose froze causing the back up in the sewer pipe.
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