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Old 01-17-2017, 06:39 AM   #1
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winter travel

I am driving to fla from Ct next month. I have a 17 redhawk 29xk with the heating pads on the tanks. I was wondering if i plug it in the night before can i fill the water tank right before i leave so we can use the bathroom while on the road. The tech on the walkthrough said yes it should not be an issue even if its in the teens and the lines wont freeze while driving. After being on this site for a month I feel much better getting feedback from this group.
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Old 01-17-2017, 09:13 AM   #2
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I would worry about the small lines freezing. Safer to head north and when you hit freezing temps, winterize and not count on using the TT's water.
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Old 01-17-2017, 09:31 AM   #3
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I would worry about the small lines freezing. Safer to head north and when you hit freezing temps, winterize and not count on using the TT's water.
X2. You don't want broken lines when you get to Conn.
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Old 01-17-2017, 09:53 AM   #4
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The fact is its when not if lines will freeze up north in the winter. Like it has been said many times, you can use the toilet after you winterize the lines by flushing with jugs of water. Same with the sink. Just remember to dump a 1/2 cup of pink down the sink drain.

Plumbing is the only thing that is winterized and many on the forum routinely winter camp. Life is a risk reward kind of thing as is Rving. What you can get away with 9 out of 10 times is not worth the risk if the 1 time will bust water lines in a very expensive RV.
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Old 01-17-2017, 12:05 PM   #5
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sorry 1st trip so i have no clue on so any things, so I can use the use the bathroom with out putting water in the freshwater tank, by just keeping some water in a jug in the bathroom? sink wont be an issue just wont use it
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Old 01-17-2017, 04:21 PM   #6
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sorry 1st trip so i have no clue on so any things, so I can use the use the bathroom with out putting water in the freshwater tank, by just keeping some water in a jug in the bathroom? sink wont be an issue just wont use it
Yes its just as easy to use the sink too. Just use a jug of bottled or reg water to rinse the sink after washing hands or brushing teeth. As long as the fresh tank and water lines are emptied you will be fine. If you use the sinks, you're fine as long as the interior is heated, but you will need to dump 1/2 cup of pink antifreeze down the drain to protect the trap.

Enjoy the trip.
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Old 01-17-2017, 06:29 PM   #7
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The bigger concern waste wise is the drain line freezing. When you use the black tank, the line from the tank to the valve fills first, and this likely doesn't have any heat pad on it.I'd you are below the mid 20's it could very well freeze.
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Old 01-17-2017, 07:15 PM   #8
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is that when i go to drain the tank, i will be in warm weather by then, i hope
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Old 01-18-2017, 11:09 AM   #9
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You can always pour a gallon or two of RV antifreeze into the black tank to mix with the waste.
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Old 01-18-2017, 11:43 AM   #10
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We're going South next month starting in Maine

A jug of water and some RV antifreeze ( for return) will be with us.

There are enough rest areas ( except for CT which we know closed the one on 1 84 in Union) along the way so that we can use those bathrooms. Even if they are porta potties.

From Danbury you ought to be able to get to Matamoras PA where there is a welcome center.. Don't miss the sign. Interior restrooms.
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Old 01-18-2017, 01:36 PM   #11
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Twice yearly we make the trip from Canada to Florida (in December and in March). We leave Canada in freezing temps with a winterized unit. We carry jugs of water in the bathroom for flushing the toilet. Have never had a problem.

Filling the water tank for the bathroom isnt a good idea for us, as it only leads to bad gas mileage :-)

All the best.
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Old 01-18-2017, 04:22 PM   #12
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We carry a couple gallon jugs of water just for things like this. If you absolutely need to use the bathroom, dump some water from the gallon jugs down to help flush. It may freeze in the black tank, but at least it won't freeze and burst your smaller water lines.
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Old 01-18-2017, 09:37 PM   #13
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My son traveled from Dallas to Great Falls Montana over Christmas, he disn't realize he could travel with the furnace on, so it got cold quick and froze, ruined the check valve on his water pump, his kitchen faucet broke, his shower head broke. His trailer has tank heaters on the grey and black tanks, but not on the fresh water tank, interesting enough the fresh tank froze but there was no damage.

But the worst damage was to the grey tank drain pipe, it froze and broke from the tank to the valve, luckily the valve didn't break. We fixed it all ourselves in 15-20 degree weather, the grey water pipe was a pain in the butt.

It took about 2 days running the heat to thaw the lines enough to winterize after he got here. But at that point it's like closing the barn door after the horses got out.
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Old 01-19-2017, 09:20 AM   #14
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My son traveled from Dallas to Great Falls Montana over Christmas, he disn't realize he could travel with the furnace on, so it got cold quick and froze, ruined the check valve on his water pump, his kitchen faucet broke, his shower head broke. His trailer has tank heaters on the grey and black tanks, but not on the fresh water tank, interesting enough the fresh tank froze but there was no damage.

But the worst damage was to the grey tank drain pipe, it froze and broke from the tank to the valve, luckily the valve didn't break. We fixed it all ourselves in 15-20 degree weather, the grey water pipe was a pain in the butt.

It took about 2 days running the heat to thaw the lines enough to winterize after he got here. But at that point it's like closing the barn door after the horses got out.
Would have taken only a few minutes to WINTERIZE prior to the trip or even at a rest area on the way north. I guess we will continue to be amazed by the number of new and even some experienced Rv'ers who refuse to understand that north of the sunbelt, things freeze in the winter. Just because an RV has a bedroom and kitchen like a brick and mortar home, the plumbing inside will freeze just like the plumbing in a regular house if it is not heated. On top of that, an RV lacks the insulation of a regular house and is subject to many different freeze threats than a regular home.

Is a quick bathroom break while traveling worth many hours and many $$'s of repairs?? Certainly not when there are easy ways to use the essencials in your RV without freezing the plumbing.
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