Winterizing while fulltime

[Beatcop49]

I have a White Hawk with the Glacier package. Jayco "recommends" winterizing when the temp drops below 32º. How can you winterize if you are using it?

We semi full time while doing contract work. Our plan is being down south during the winter...but sometimes it does get cold there.

[Grumpy]

If you have heat on you shouldn't have any problems even at lower temps. We have been out in temps as low as 13 with non thermal package units (Starcraft FW, Jayco Designer MH ) and 17 with our Seneca with no problems. Be sure you have an insulated or heated water hose and definitely don't leave the sewer hose out. Wal Mart has a small 200 watt desk heater that will do wonders in your utility compartment if you can safely set it in there.

[Beatcop49]

Originally Posted by Grumpy

If you have heat on you shouldn't have any problems even at lower temps. We have been out in temps as low as 13 with non thermal package units (Starcraft FW, Jayco Designer MH ) and 17 with our Seneca with no problems. Be sure you have an insulated or heated water hose and definitely don't leave the sewer hose out. Wal Mart has a small 200 watt desk heater that will do wonders in your utility compartment if you can safely set it in there.

Thanks. Will keep that in mind. I guess Jayco is toeing the company line by their "recommendations," but still its impossible to winterize with the antifreeze while in use. Maybe their "glacier package" should be renamed the "semi-cold package. " Glad you mentioned the sewer hose...I'd have never thought of that. The heater is a great idea.

I'm hoping to be in south Florida duri g the cold months...but on rare occasions, it does get cold. Thanks again!

[UPCamper]

Just FYI, It has to be quite cold for an extended period of time to freeze. I live in Michigan and often don't winterized until November. Just because it hits 32* doesn't mean it'll freeze. Any residual water in trailer lines is still somewhat insulated by being in PEX tubing and inside a floor or wall with some insulation as well. It takes it a while to freeze that water. If it were 31* or less for several days you may have a problem. Or in our case if it starts hitting the teens for a night or two. Otherwise as long as you are using furnace you should be fine down to mid teens and 20* temp range. Any colder than that and you may start considering heat taping your water lines.

[clutch]

If you are living in the trailer the temp isn't likely to get very low. I would keep the sewer hose disconnected and take off the water line and use the tank.

[gratefulbruce]

I am fulltiming in the farthest north panhandle region of Texas, also doing a construction job. The first thing I did after delivery of my unit (~January 2) was flush all the antifreeze out of the system from the winterizing done at the dealership. I originally planned to live off my FW tank until I could safely hook up a hose, but ultimately bought a hose with a heater at the local Ace Hardware. I then measured the distance from my sewer outlet to their sewer inlet (~16ft), and I went back to Ace and bought two 8' pieces of 3" PVC pipe and two rubber 90's and a rubber coupling, and a clear flushing connector. I filed the quick connect nubs off the clear connector, then put a rubber 90 on the clear piece, I put the first piece of 8' PVC, then the coupling, then the second piece of PVC. I then cut the second piece of PVC to the exact length (it was about 15" long), put on the second 90 into the parks sewer, and added the 15" to the other end of the 90 to go deep into their line. I then went and supported the hard piped system several places and I now have a hard piped sewer that has given me no issues at all even leaving the gray open, and it has been very cold here at times this winter. The other thing I did was got a 100# propane tank to use for the winter months ... the 30's on the unit would not last long in a cold snap like we had here in November. The first 100# tank lasted less than two weeks, but it has been warmer since, so I expect this tank might last a while. I heat with my propane (thus keeping my plumbing from freezing) setting the thermostat all the way back during the day to 55, and usually living with the temp at 65-70 while I'm home in the evenings, and setting it to 60 to sleep (I hate to be hot while sleeping), and wake up and tweak it up to 70 for morning before setting it back to 55 again before work. I thought about skirting it, and no doubt that would have saved on propane, perhaps kept the floor warmer in the winter etc, but ultimately I think I would not have recovered the cost in savings. These units with the "climate shield" packages are made to endure the elements without all the skirting as long as you run the heater in the unit (not space heaters).