Below freezing at night 2018 View 24V

[Dougherzog]

We got our 2018 View 24V this spring and I keep it parked in our driveway. Being in the midwest, Wisconsin, I was hoping someone could suggest what to do when the temperatures fall below freezing at night. I will store it and winterize it for November storage. As another note, what do we do when camping and the temps fall below 32F? Thank you for any advice. Doug and Jane.

[Winterbagoal]

Originally Posted by Dougherzog

We got our 2018 View 24V this spring and I keep it parked in our driveway. Being in the midwest, Wisconsin, I was hoping someone could suggest what to do when the temperatures fall below freezing at night. I will store it and winterize it for November storage. As another note, what do we do when camping and the temps fall below 32F? Thank you for any advice. Doug and Jane.

Water is the biggest problem in freezing temperatures, for obvious reasons. You don't want to have any left in your plumbing system when the temps fall, so winterize it before it happens.

Follow the instructions in the OM. They're pretty good.

Get the fresh water tank drain and low point drains opened and purge as much as you can.

Once the main fresh tank is drained, flush the toilet with the water pump running, until it runs dry.

Dump (rinse, if possible?) your holding tanks.

Follow the water heater draining/winterizing instructions, depending on the type of WH you have.

I have the Truma AquaGo Plus. It's pretty simple. Instructions in the "black bag" of manuals you should have - it's in the Supplemental and Appliance manual, and in the Winnebago Owner's Manual, as well.
If you have a 6 gallon tank water heater, pull the drain plug outside. You might need a 1 & 1/16" socket to remove the drain plug/anode rod combo, if installed.

Then clear the rest of the lines. I run the water pump (they're designed to run dry for long periods of time), and use a small compressor to help "blow out" the lines with all the faucets and valves open. Don't forget the water filter under the galley sink. Use a bucket underneath it and unscrew it carefully. Flush the toilet until the water stops running (do this before dumping the tanks).

I also usually leave all the faucets and drains open all winter to allow any water still in the lines to expand, or simply evaporate.

I'm sure I'm missing something. Will update if I think of anything else.

EDIT: Once you've done your best to get the water out, get some RV antifreeze, aka "the pink stuff", although it comes in other colors, and pour it into the galley and bathroom sinks, shower drain, and toilet until there's enough in them to fill the traps. A guess is usually good enough, maybe a couple of 500ml water bottles worth in each sink/drain trap and shower drain/ toilet. Close the dump valves first.

As for camping, basically the same things apply, unless you're plugged in to shore power and have electric tank heaters, although I personally wouldn't feel comfortable using them in sub-freezing temps for very long.

So if you're out and the temps drop, start winterizing.

[creativepart]

Freezes at night that warm to above freezing during the day are not an issue to worry about. Multiple days of constant temps below freezing are when you need winterize.

Your RV is a large bulky item. Water contained in it is not the same as a puddle of water on the ground, open to the elements.

[Winterbagoal]

Originally Posted by creativepart

Freezes at night that warm to above freezing during the day are not an issue to worry about. Multiple days of constant temps below freezing are when you need winterize.

Your RV is a large bulky item. Water contained in it is not the same as a puddle of water on the ground, open to the elements.

This is a good point, that may or may not be true depending on the make/model of RV.

If the fresh and holding tanks and most of the plumbing lines are almost entirely enclosed in the belly of the motorhome or towable, then you're right, it's probably not as much of an issue, if it dips below freezing at night, and then rises above 32F during the day, or if you heat the inside of the RV overnight. Unfortunately, the View/Navion tanks are mostly exposed underneath the coach, and are more susceptible to freezing temps.

[creativepart]

Exposed pipes with water in them are more a concern than exposed tanks. But even then if pipes are just partially exposed and attached to the RV you have quite a bit of freeze protection from the surrounding RV. It would take a hard freeze (25 and below) over a good period of time to freeze water sheltered by a large thermal mass such as your RV.

Those of us that live in the south are super familiar with this. So, it is like what folks up north experience in the Fall or early winter. Winters do see overnight freezes, but rarely 24 consecutive hours below freezing. So we don't winterize and don't have frozen tanks or frozen water lines.

The only time tank freezing is a concern is more than 30 hours of constant below freezing temps. Which happens very rarely here. When it does, we run a heater in the RV with a setting above 55 degrees just enough to keep the RV itself from getting too cold.

[Winterbagoal]

You're lucky that you're in Texas, or just "down sowf", then. If I lived down that way, I'd probably not worry about it as much either.

Both myself, and the OP (in Wisconsin), are unlucky enough to live in the frozen north, not know for mild winters, and where "hard freezes" can occur after September/October.

I'm not sure how living in Texas makes you "super familiar" with freezing temps, although I was in SW AZ last February, and it was unseasonably cool overnight.
According to the locals?
I'm done.

[creativepart]

Originally Posted by Winterbagoal

I'm not sure how living in Texas makes you "super familiar" with freezing temps, although I was in SW AZ last February, and it was unseasonably cool overnight.

I grew up in NE Ohio and lived in Michigan for 20 years. I also started my RVing experiences during the 5-years I lived in Jackson Hole, WY. Where it does get very cold and very snowy for a very very long winter season.

And now live in Texas, where it does freeze regularly each winter.

So, that's how I have some experience that I shared. I'm not arguing with you ,just explaining that cold and yes freezing overnights in late fall and early winter - before consistent freezing occurs - is a common thing we all experience and new RVers don't need to be overly concerned about overnight dips.

[NYBobbo]

I have many times had water in my tanks with night temps to the mid 20's with no problems....not a hard freeze as mentioned before.


I keep a remote thermometer in the wet bay to keep track of the outside temps. A light bulb or small heater on low in the wet bay will keep the plumbing from freezing there, interior heat should be on and either keep your black and grey tank heaters (must have fluid in both tanks to use the heater or you will melt your tanks) on if you're plugged in or running the gen (or add some rv antifreeze to the black and grey).


I travel in the winter from NY to Illinois and sometimes to Iowa and then south for 3 years now.

[Diesel-Lover]

If its going to be subfreezing for more than say 4 or 5 hrs then the water lines should be emptied same for the water heater just in case. Holding tanks and all that would be ok if they are insulated and not out and exposed.


AT walmart there is a little blowout plug for 5 bucks or less its a white flexible plastic threaded plug with a bicycle tire vale on it. I attach that to the water heater drain outlet after water is drained out, then open all the faucets and attach the portable tire compressor to it, blows out all the hot water lines then there is a bypass valve, with that you then blow out the cold water lines as well.



If you want to be really safe about the holding tank throw some pink RV antifreeze into them and potty above the leaf and you are good for winter camping. OOps do shut off the cold water tank so water does not go back into the cold water lines or the hot water lines. The water in that tank can stay if the temps are not going to be too cold for too long, it has a drain to purge that as well if you are not going to use it for a while or its going to be cold for extended times periods.


The blow out plug is just the tool that the RV makers should have built into the system but hey they know better than I eh.

[NXR]

Originally Posted by NYBobbo

A light bulb or small heater on low in the wet bay will keep the plumbing from freezing there, ...

I wonder how many younger readers will not understand that this refers to the old-fashioned incandescent bulbs and not the newer LED bulbs.

Ray

[NeilV]

I have camped for weeks up in the New Hampshire White Mountains when temps were well below freezing with my 2001 Adventurer 35U however the Adventurer has a heated basement that works off the propane furnace while the Sprinter Based View only lists heated drain lines so one may want to double check how inclusive that system on the View is and what activates it.

Generally if its not a long hard freeze and only for a few hours at night you should be fine. If its such that you have to turn off the outside faucets on your home to keep them from freezing then you do need to take additional precautions.

I lived and camped in Northern New England and have tent camped in down to 36 below zero weather so I also understand the concerns that come from living where those extremes can be experienced.

[tinaco]

You’re smart to fully winterize once the weather gets consistently below freezing but there’s no reason to cut your camping season short! We’ve camped many nights in our 15 View where temps dropped below freezing. As mentioned by several others, if the daytime temps are still warming up you shouldn’t have problems with frozen pipes. While tanks are below the rig most all of the water lines are enclosed in Views/Navion. You may want to see if your rig has tank heaters installed as many V/Ns do if you’re worried about them. We’ve also camped many nights after winterizing by taking water along so we didn’t have to fill the fresh water tank and using our tank heaters.

[Westonbum]

There has been great advice, but don't forget about the outside shower faucet (if you have one), unfortunately I learned this lesson the hard way.

[NXR]

Originally Posted by Westonbum

There has been great advice, but don't forget about the outside shower faucet (if you have one), unfortunately I learned this lesson the hard way.

Thanks for mentioning that. I just saw myself missing it when I do my first winterization...

If these conditions are somewhat frequent for you, freezes at night but OK in the day, you might want to investigate snap-on skirting. It looks like a stiff fabric or canvas/vinyl (from videos) that clicks into a row of snaps all around the RV. It keeps the heat leaking out the bottom of the RV in place and also keeps the cold winds from hitting the undercarriage.

Here's one site but I have no knowledge of their quality. I ran their calculator and my 38' RV came in at a thousand dollars so it likely would not be something I would consider right now.

https://ezsnapdirect.com/pricing/rv-skirting-pricing/

Ray