New to winter Jayco 2022 White Hawk 29BH

[Heffe]

So I recently purchased a brand new 2022 Jayco White Hawk 29BH having never owned any camper before. I'm forced to keep it here(chicago suburbs) over the winter. I'm looking for any and all tips and tricks for lasting through the winter. I'll be at an rv park with full hook ups including sewage.
So I'm worried about my fresh water freezing. Should i use a heated hose and my city water system or should i use my fresh water tank?
Does anyone have any tips for keeping an inline outdoor rv water filter from freezing in the winter? That's why I'm considering just using the fresh water tank. I could fill it with a regular fresh water hose with the filter and then store the hose and filter onboard so it doesn't freeze.

Also does anyone know of a surge protector that does all the usual stuff plus the high and low protection but is rated for use outdoors in the winter?

[Yooper906]

Originally Posted by Heffe

So I recently purchased a brand new 2022 Jayco White Hawk 29BH having never owned any camper before. I'm forced to keep it here(chicago suburbs) over the winter. I'm looking for any and all tips and tricks for lasting through the winter. I'll be at an rv park with full hook ups including sewage.
So I'm worried about my fresh water freezing. Should i use a heated hose and my city water system or should i use my fresh water tank?
Does anyone have any tips for keeping an inline outdoor rv water filter from freezing in the winter? That's why I'm considering just using the fresh water tank. I could fill it with a regular fresh water hose with the filter and then store the hose and filter onboard so it doesn't freeze.

Also does anyone know of a surge protector that does all the usual stuff plus the high and low protection but is rated for use outdoors in the winter?

Just an important question, will you be living in it or storing it?

[Heffe]

yes I'll be living in it with two dogs.

[skids]

It gets cold in the winter for sure! I would thing that skirting would be needed as well as a space heater underneath. You will need to use something like heat tape or better for the city water hose and insulate over that. The dump hoses will also need help! I have never tried to do that so get more input.

[Yooper906]

Originally Posted by Heffe

yes I'll be living in it with two dogs.

Chicago is about 7 hrs south of me, but still cold in the winter. If you have full hookups, you are sure going to want to go with electric heaters. Propane for your furnace isn't going to last long with just a couple of 30 lb bottles. January and February are gonna be the worst months. Another problem I see is most northern campgrounds turn off the water and blow out or drain the pipes, because they are buried pretty shallow. Plus bath houses are usually shut down when they turn the water off. Not sure what to say, but it's nothing I would want to do unless emergency.

[ARoamer]

Not something I'd want to do. Not saying it can't be done. Lots of prep work would help. Heat tapes for water needed, or if using hose and filter to fill they have to be drained well or stored above freezing. Ever try to coil a hose in winter??? Good air tight skirting would be beneficial. Get at least a 100# LP cylinder, RV furnaces aren't very energy efficient. We burned 40# in 6 days with temps in the 30's -40's. Possibly cut foam sheets to place over unused windows and roof vents. Electric heater and electric blanket would be good to have. You're likely to have large utility bills! I believe most RV surge protectors are outdoor rated regardless of the temps.

Jayco 2022 White Hawk 29BH
ELITE PACKAGE (MANDATORY)
Climate Shield™ zero-degree tested weather protection:
- Fully enclosed and heated underbelly (ducted)
- 35,000 BTU output furnace
- Double layer fiberglass batt insulation in ceiling
and floor
- Double sided radiant barrier insulation (roof, floor,
cap, and slide room floors)

[Heffe]

I really appreciate all the tips so far! That being said I do plan to skirt my rv and I also plan to attach 1 inch foam insulating board all the way around the bottom part of the trailer behind the skirting. As well as up underneath my camper underbelly and the slide out underbelly. Also I will use foam and reflective insulating pads on windows I'm not using as well as the skylights. My camper is rated as a four season camper so my underbelly is already insulated and closed off with heat vents that blow on the black and grey tanks.
Do I get a heated hose and insulate it as well as add heat tape on my connection spigot connected to my trailer? But what about the water filter? How do I keep that from freezing? It's an inline camco filter btw.
Now couldn't I just fill up my onboard tank with the hose and water filter attached. Then raise the hose over a branch to let gravity draw the water out as i spooled the hose on my arm. Then sore the hose in my shower to finish draining?
I'd have to refill my tank every two to three days with that method.
As far as heating the camper I plan to get two 100lb propane tanks to run my furnace. That way the tanks don't freeze. I'll only connect one at a time so i can refill the empty tank.
This particular park does not stop their water service over the winter months and they also have a propane service that comes weekly to refill tanks.
I'll also use space heaters and dehumidifiers throughout the camper to help.

[Jagiven]

Welcome aboard!

TTs are not the warmest structure in the winter. I see the average temps in January is 32 deg F for the high and 22 deg F for the low. We have camped in these temps. But those are averages for the month and not the actual low temps.

I would secure a couple old fashion incandescent lights under the TT, behind the skirting. This will warm up the underside dramatically.

As for water, I would find out what they have for water service. You mention they keep the water on all winter. If you can connect directly to it, consider an electrically heated water hose. You may want to wrap the hose bib to keep it from freezing. If the hose bib is underground, consider insulating the top side, to keep it warm, and to have access all winter.

Your sewer connection is another item to be concerned about. If you just leave your sewer hose connected to the CG sewer system, it will fill full of frost. You may want to add some heat tape around it, or better yet just connect when needed.

Being new to TTs, an FYI regarding the black tank (toilet water); keep that tank valve closed and only dump it when it is 3/4 full or more. Otherwise you will create a Poop Pyramid in the bottom of the tank. This is when the solids stay in the tank and the liquid flows away. Make sure to use a LOT of water when you flush and add at least 10% clear water back into the tank after dumping.

Two 100 pound propane tanks will be very helpful. I would keep the OEM tanks full as a backup. Pending on the actual low temps, I could see you going through 100+ pounds a week during the coldest 60 days of the winter. Remember the propane furnace will heat the underbelly, where I suspect most of your plumbing is at. If you use electric space heaters, this area will not receive much heat, and the pipes may freeze.

Do some investigating on where your plumbing pipes run. I suspect on that floor plan some of them run under the floor and some inside cabinets. All of ours run inside the cabinets, and behind half walls, etc. When it is really cold (never been below 20 degrees), the our water is mighty cold, and suspect the kitchen water might freeze due to the pipe run location along the back wall.

Storage hold access doors, are not really insulated. You may want to consider insulating this area. You will find the underside of your beds will be very cold.

This may seem crazy, but get a "Max Air" type roof vent cover, and leave a roof vent cracked open all the time. This will allow a lot of the moisture (cooking, shower, breathing) to escape. You will be surprised by the amount of condensation you will have on windows and in the back corners of the rig, and behind cabinets if you do not have a good humidification plan.

[Heffe]

Originally Posted by Jagiven

Welcome aboard!

TTs are not the warmest structure in the winter. I see the average temps in January is 32 deg F for the high and 22 deg F for the low. We have camped in these temps. But those are averages for the month and not the actual low temps.

I would secure a couple old fashion incandescent lights under the TT, behind the skirting. This will warm up the underside dramatically.

As for water, I would find out what they have for water service. You mention they keep the water on all winter. If you can connect directly to it, consider an electrically heated water hose. You may want to wrap the hose bib to keep it from freezing. If the hose bib is underground, consider insulating the top side, to keep it warm, and to have access all winter.

Your sewer connection is another item to be concerned about. If you just leave your sewer hose connected to the CG sewer system, it will fill full of frost. You may want to add some heat tape around it, or better yet just connect when needed.

Being new to TTs, an FYI regarding the black tank (toilet water); keep that tank valve closed and only dump it when it is 3/4 full or more. Otherwise you will create a Poop Pyramid in the bottom of the tank. This is when the solids stay in the tank and the liquid flows away. Make sure to use a LOT of water when you flush and add at least 10% clear water back into the tank after dumping.

Two 100 pound propane tanks will be very helpful. I would keep the OEM tanks full as a backup. Pending on the actual low temps, I could see you going through 100+ pounds a week during the coldest 60 days of the winter. Remember the propane furnace will heat the underbelly, where I suspect most of your plumbing is at. If you use electric space heaters, this area will not receive much heat, and the pipes may freeze.

Do some investigating on where your plumbing pipes run. I suspect on that floor plan some of them run under the floor and some inside cabinets. All of ours run inside the cabinets, and behind half walls, etc. When it is really cold (never been below 20 degrees), the our water is mighty cold, and suspect the kitchen water might freeze due to the pipe run location along the back wall.

Storage hold access doors, are not really insulated. You may want to consider insulating this area. You will find the underside of your beds will be very cold.

This may seem crazy, but get a "Max Air" type roof vent cover, and leave a roof vent cracked open all the time. This will allow a lot of the moisture (cooking, shower, breathing) to escape. You will be surprised by the amount of condensation you will have on windows and in the back corners of the rig, and behind cabinets if you do not have a good humidification plan.

As far as putting a light or two under the camper would a heating light be better than an incandescent? Also would i put them on a timer to run only at night or leave them on 24/7?

I will certainly keep both 40lb tanks full as a backup reserve.

With concern to the pipes freezing I've been told on the coldest days to leave the cabinets open so the heat gets in there too.

Insulating the storage cabinets is a great idea and I'll certainly add some 1" foam board to the ceiling of each storage cabinet.

I have ordered a maxair cover for each of my roof vents along with the bug screen. So leaving one or two cracked will not be a problem. I've also ordered two small dehumidifiers to use in the camper.


If anyone out there has used a surge protector through the winter I'd love to know which one you used.

Also has anyone used the EZSnap rv skirting? Seems like a simple easy rv skirting solution.

[Heffe]

Update: So I purchased the Southwire Surge Guard 34931 30amp rv surge protector. It does all the normal stuff plus it has high/low protection. Not sure about what to do with it over winter. I may cut a garbage bag or plastic to wrap around it and keep the snow off.

Also I've been reading and watching videos with conflicting view points as to whether or not I should use slide out support stands. Some say only for older models and some swear by them. My rv will be in place over the winter, so an extended period of time for sure. Some claim that the supports can actually damage newer model rv slides. Does anyone have any experience with rv slide out support stands?