Ideas for Travato Winter Use

[Gizmoneer]

Howdy:

A relatively new Travato owner (not a noob RVer).

Looking for thoughts and ideas about what other cold weather travelers have done to prepare their Travatos (or other class Bs) to thrive in cold/snowy conditions.

Thanks in advance!

[Winterbagoal]

If all tanks and plumbing and lines are inside the van (nothing wet runs below the floor underneath the body), just keep it warm inside. Plug in to shore power and use a small heater, or if on the road, set the furnace to come on and keep the inside of the van warmer than freezing. Also, open cupboard doors a bit to allow warmer air to circulate behind cupboards and other internal structures where plumbing often hides.

[Gizmoneer]

Thanks again for the response. :-)

In other words, other than adding antifreeze to the water system -- the same winter preps I have done for all our previous RVs...

I was wondering if anyone has had experience with the black/grey tank warming pads in a Travato and hoping to hear from another Travato owner. Also - any notes about power drain to the house batteries during an off-grid stay would be helpful. PLUS as the house batteries & generator are hanging about 5 inches above the roadway -- has anyone had issues with driving through more than a few inches of snow?

I have planned to have a generator rock guard installed in January. But that is not until January and we have mountain adventures planned much sooner than that.

Be well!

[Morich]

Have you taken a look at the parts catalog to see where the lines and plumbing ar run?
This is an interactive setup where you can turn it all around to see what might be most likely to freeze in any given situation.
https://catalog3d.winnebagoind.com/menu/Parts.htm

Taking a quick look and not knowing how it will be used, I might think some extra heat near the wet bay might be my choice for cold overnights?
Then the shower plumbing seems to be one of the things run in the outer walls where things may get colder. The shower does have one advantage in the way the furnace duct runs across near or under that part.

It does look like much of the plumbing is closer to the furnace area and safer than many but the wet bay depends on what sort of cover/door it has between the faucets and outside, so take a look for what might be needed there?
Some pink added to the grey tank- just to make sure the valve is good? It is often low so heat going up misses it and it may be hanging out more than some things?

Always a bit of guessing required but I tend to go on the safer side rather than risk having to fix something!

[Winterbagoal]

Originally Posted by Gizmoneer

Thanks again for the response. :-)

In other words, other than adding antifreeze to the water system -- the same winter preps I have done for all our previous RVs...

I was wondering if anyone has had experience with the black/grey tank warming pads in a Travato and hoping to hear from another Travato owner. Also - any notes about power drain to the house batteries during an off-grid stay would be helpful. PLUS as the house batteries & generator are hanging about 5 inches above the roadway -- has anyone had issues with driving through more than a few inches of snow?

I have planned to have a generator rock guard installed in January. But that is not until January and we have mountain adventures planned much sooner than that.

Be well!

If you're planning on using your Travato in winter, no, I would not put RV AF in the tanks or lines, if they're inside the van, as I said before.
Just heat the van while you're out there, and everything should be fine.
I'll defer to Morich,, the schematics/blueprints expert/wizard on that one, as he's probably already figured out where your plumbing is located, in or out.

In fact, I've never used RVAF in any of my motorhomes to winterize them to be stored. I just dump and drain it all, and blow out the lines with the water pump or a small compressor. Then, leave the faucets/valves open for expansion of any water that might be hiding in them. Dump the water filter if equipped, and drain the Truma. Done. No problems in over 15 years of doing it that way.

My Navion has a specific warning about extreme battery drain using the tank heating pads, while not on shore power or while running the generator. I've never used them, so I can't speak to that, but I'll take their word for it, and it's in the OM. I'm going to assume your Travato has (a) standard FLA coach battery(ies) and I'm pretty sure they won't make it through the night with tank heaters running. I changed my coach batteries out for lithium iron phosphate replacements, and they're 1000% better, but I still won't test them with the tank heaters.

Perhaps some other Travato owners will chime in.

[TravatoJohn]

Gizmoneer, I’ve done a lot of winter camping some as low as -18. It’s no different than other rigs in a Travato. As others have stated your biggest worry is keeping batteries up and not letting holding tanks freeze. This would occur mostly while sitting and no hookup. Having hookups and going down the road often helps. I have done overnights in 10 degrees with no power and hit the road the next morning with no problems. The Travato heater is far superior in efficiency and sound than most rigs. No noise. The most important thing I feel is really necessary at night is hanging a vinyl lightweight tarp or blanket down from the overhead to block off the front cab. Really keeps the heat in while sleeping. In the morning just put it away and you have access to the seats. Electric heat is the best in my opinion. Less moisture. Have fun. I’m told the Travato does well in the snow. I try not to drive in it though. Stay warm. Travato John

[Cincinnati]

If not already a member, I suggest you join Facebook groups (1) Travato Owners and Wannabees (2) Travato Base Camp (3) Travato Modifications.
Use the search function or post your questions and you will get replies from many experienced Travato owners. These are very robust, responsive groups and a great source for all things Travato. Good luck.

[Gizmoneer]

Thanks, but not a Facebook kind of person. Too many years working in the cyber security realm...

[RickARoo]

I am noticing a change in 2023. Did they move the fresh water tank outside the heated area of the coach? All the discussions in the Travato forums say the Travato is a good choice for winter use. Not sure that's the case anymore.

[Morich]

When asking for details on what is where in our RV, I find the interactive parts catalog a way to get the answer from a reliable source.
https://catalog.winnebagoind.com/menu/Parts.htm

It does look like the tank is under the floor in the 23 model. So where are the heat ducts? Do they heat that space? One has to look at the heating section of the drawings to get that info!


This is from doing a quick look on one floorplan only, and with no dog in the fight, so check for yourself before trusting?

Just a handy way to study things and we can "look through walls" like Superman.
And we don't even have to crawl to do it!

[Morich]

With a bit of extra time, I took a quick look at the ductwork and both appear to have a duct for under the floor. I see no obvious changes in the heat and tank areas.

[RickARoo]

Thanks, I'll have to enter my RV's info. I may have been off on the year of transition to under coach water tank. You are correct the parts lookup is an excellent resource. Having an issue with the serial number entry at the top right and being sure I'm looking at my Travato's data, but what I see makes sense from my observations so far. I see the heating duct and some other interesting plumbing items that might be winter issues (until I understand them). I'm trying to determine how well I could get through winter in the Chicago area by not winterizing and keeping the RV plugged in (I have 30A electric to it). We'd like to use the RV (not necessarily in sub freezing temps) to head out during January thru March.