Cold Weather Strategy Consult Needed

Message Share Topic Printable Version Google Delicious Digg StumbleUpon Windows Live Yahoo Bookmarks reddit Facebook MySpace Newsvine Furl Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic

   Thank you all in advance for your advice and support!  Here's the situation:
Currently boondocking at a BLM campsite outside of Moab, Utah in our RP-190.  Pit toilets are available here, but that's it.  Moab is a short drive away.  On the tongue we have two 12V batteries that seem to be moderately good at holding a charge and two propane tanks.  We've ordered a 2,200-watt generator that we should be able to pick up Saturday, although we won't be able to run it between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m.

The extended forecast shows temperatures dropping below freezing in the wee hours of Monday morning and hitting a low of 26 before rebounding to 35 around sunset on Monday.  Once the sun goes down the temperature immediately drops back down below freezing and hits a low of 21.  Around lunchtime on Tuesday the temperature looks to come above freezing again.

So, what's the best approach to this scenario?  My wife and I have been kicking around some ideas and it seems like the best plan is to go into town and empty the black, gray and freshwater tanks, then run the onboard furnace at night with the cabinets open, the bathroom vent cracked and a window cracked.

Anyone have other suggestions or approaches?  Do I need to do anything about the hot water heater?  Are we just being paranoid and can just ride out this cold spell as-is?  Or maybe we just need a bit of antifreeze in the black and gray tanks?  Will the thermal inertia of a full fresh water tank keep it from freezing for a long time? 

We also have the option to weigh anchor and head to someplace beyond the reach of this cold snap.  Being relatively new to this, I don't want to screw up and damage the Tactical Toad (as we call it).  We have already had the classic Rpod initiation via the black water tank drain hanger failure (on a lonely stretch of Nevada highway) and I'm not eager to spend more time below decks fixing things.

Much Obliged,
-J Phresh

Author	Message Share Topic Printable Version Google Delicious Digg StumbleUpon Windows Live Yahoo Bookmarks reddit Facebook MySpace Newsvine Furl Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic
J Phresh Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 05 Oct 2020 Location: CA Online Status: Offline Posts: 2	Topic: Cold Weather Strategy Consult Needed Posted: 22 Oct 2020 at 10:23pm
	Thank you all in advance for your advice and support! Here's the situation: Currently boondocking at a BLM campsite outside of Moab, Utah in our RP-190. Pit toilets are available here, but that's it. Moab is a short drive away. On the tongue we have two 12V batteries that seem to be moderately good at holding a charge and two propane tanks. We've ordered a 2,200-watt generator that we should be able to pick up Saturday, although we won't be able to run it between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. The extended forecast shows temperatures dropping below freezing in the wee hours of Monday morning and hitting a low of 26 before rebounding to 35 around sunset on Monday. Once the sun goes down the temperature immediately drops back down below freezing and hits a low of 21. Around lunchtime on Tuesday the temperature looks to come above freezing again. So, what's the best approach to this scenario? My wife and I have been kicking around some ideas and it seems like the best plan is to go into town and empty the black, gray and freshwater tanks, then run the onboard furnace at night with the cabinets open, the bathroom vent cracked and a window cracked. Anyone have other suggestions or approaches? Do I need to do anything about the hot water heater? Are we just being paranoid and can just ride out this cold spell as-is? Or maybe we just need a bit of antifreeze in the black and gray tanks? Will the thermal inertia of a full fresh water tank keep it from freezing for a long time? We also have the option to weigh anchor and head to someplace beyond the reach of this cold snap. Being relatively new to this, I don't want to screw up and damage the Tactical Toad (as we call it). We have already had the classic Rpod initiation via the black water tank drain hanger failure (on a lonely stretch of Nevada highway) and I'm not eager to spend more time below decks fixing things. Much Obliged, -J Phresh
	2019 RP-190 -- 2010 Tahoe Total Noob...

mcarter Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 07 Apr 2016 Location: Greenbrier, TN Online Status: Offline Posts: 3419	Posted: 23 Oct 2020 at 7:49am
	It's not cold enough, long enough. I have been thru this scenario or similar many times. Your solutions are good, there's no need to empty the FW tank, that's a lot of water to freeze. I insulated my FW tank fill line, but in your case I don't see that as an issue. The interior of Pod will be warm. The water heater will be fine. Happy Camping.
	Mike Carter 2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability."

offgrid Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290	Posted: 23 Oct 2020 at 8:11am
	The low 20's is pretty cold, your exposed water lines are the risk areas, not the large water tanks. I'd worry about two areas only in your particular scenario since you will be keeping the interior heated. First is the feed line from the FWT to the pump, the second is the outside shower. One trick you can use to reduce freeze risk in those areas overnight is to slightly open the outside shower faucet and let it drip slowly. That will pull water out of the FWT (which as mcarter says is too big to freeze), which will keep the pump feed line from freezing as well as the outside shower. When we lived in the Outer Banks many folks used this trick to keep exposed water lines in our elevated houses from freezing and it worked well down to about 20. When it got into the teens it wasn't enough and there were all kinds of freeze problems, but that was a very rare event.
	1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold

J Phresh Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 05 Oct 2020 Location: CA Online Status: Offline Posts: 2	Posted: 25 Oct 2020 at 10:10am
	Thanks for the feedback - very helpful and much appreciated! We have decided to ride out the storm. Currently charging up the batteries with the generator and plan to have the outdoor shower drip tonight. Will post an update when we come out the other side!
	2019 RP-190 -- 2010 Tahoe Total Noob...