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Old 12-26-2013, 10:07 AM   #1
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How cold is it safe to travel with water in system?

I am heading to FL first of March. I would like to de-winterize my Horizon in the garage before I leave. I am told by Winnebago my water system is heated by the gas furnace but they won't tell me how many degrees below freezing I can travel with out freezing the water system. My first night stop will be in Southern IL and no worry after that. Has anyone with a Horizon or Vectra with a birth date around 2005 had any experience traveling in below freezing temperatures? If so I would appreciate any thoughts you may have. In my previous Chieftain I traveled once on temps of +20º with no problems but the front mounted engine blew heat back under the coach while traveling. Is it safe to start out in the morning when temps are 15º as it gradually warms up as the sun rises and we get further south?

Your input is much appreciated;

Don
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Old 12-26-2013, 10:24 AM   #2
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Originally Posted by Petro View Post
I am heading to FL first of March. I would like to de-winterize my Horizon in the garage before I leave. I am told by Winnebago my water system is heated by the gas furnace but they won't tell me how many degrees below freezing I can travel with out freezing the water system. My first night stop will be in Southern IL and no worry after that. Has anyone with a Horizon or Vectra with a birth date around 2005 had any experience traveling in below freezing temperatures? If so I would appreciate any thoughts you may have. In my previous Chieftain I traveled once on temps of +20º with no problems but the front mounted engine blew heat back under the coach while traveling. Is it safe to start out in the morning when temps are 15º as it gradually warms up as the sun rises and we get further south?

Your input is much appreciated;

Don
We've made the trip from Madison to Florida many times in February without any problems. We leave the furnace on at about 55* just to be safe. The only problem we had with our 2001 Adventurer was the 1 time we ran the antifreeze out of the outdoor shower. The wet cabinet is plastic and doesn't have the same insulation as the rest of the cabinets. The water in the shower head and faucet froze. After that we put a set of shutoff valves behind the panel and closed them after winterizing in the fall. We never had another problem.

We plan to leave for Florida again this February. We'll put water in the tank and run it through the system except for the outdoor shower. I'm sure if we keep the heat on as we've done in the past there won't be any problems.

As a side note we went to Florida early 1 year and came back to have Christmas with the family. It was -10* when we got home, and as long as we left the furnace on all was well. It wasn't very comfortable draining the water and winterizing in that temperature, but nothing (on the motorhome) froze.
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Old 12-26-2013, 11:40 AM   #3
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Petro said
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In my previous Chieftain I traveled once on temps of +20º with no problems but the front mounted engine blew heat back under the coach while traveling. Is it safe to start out in the morning when temps are 15º as it gradually warms up as the sun rises and we get further south?
I really don't think any heat from the engine blew back and kept the water from freezing. Your Motoraid and furnace did all of that.
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Old 12-26-2013, 11:57 AM   #4
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Don ...

I have only had one instance of the fresh water system freezing on our Journey ... it was 7 below with about a 20 mph wind ... (Tucumcari, NM after I had dewinterized) ... nothing broke ... a ceramic heater and trouble light soon had me thawed out so that water ran ...

Fleet Farm sells thermometers with wireless remote sensors ... buy one of those with two sensors ... that should ease your mind.

If you are really worried about it ... put a trouble light in your water bay and near the fresh water pump ... and turn on your inverter ...
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Old 12-26-2013, 04:36 PM   #5
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The answer depends on your RV. mine is rated for 20 degrees. and I can go a bit colder if I re-wire a few things (move a plug). Some are not rated for sub freezing weather at all.
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Old 12-26-2013, 09:55 PM   #6
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Someone may argue this point but I have never winterized my coach in 10 years. I live in the mountains of Calif with winter temps rarely below 20 deg. I also insulate the exterior shower door. When it does dip below 32 deg, I run an elect heater at 65 deg if I am not actually in the coach. When I am on the road and temps drop below freezing I have never had a frozen line or tank. Your entire coach is quite an effective heat sink. I have spent two entire winters in my MH and never had a problem except for water hose connection and solved that with pipe insulation. On the other hand I have never been in temps below 20 deg foe an extended period of time. I realize below 20 deg my methods would be bad. But you are going to Florida starting from a warm garage with everything thawed out. I doubt you will have any problems...just keep the coach warm and tank heaters on. Insulate the water bay / outside shower...
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Old 12-27-2013, 03:21 AM   #7
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ya'll could install wireless temperature gauges in your wet compartments and then you would not have to guess what the temp is.
i use a 100 w lamp in a trouble light in my rear water service compartment.
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Old 12-27-2013, 06:55 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Petro View Post
I am heading to FL first of March. I would like to de-winterize my Horizon in the garage before I leave. I am told by Winnebago my water system is heated by the gas furnace but they won't tell me how many degrees below freezing I can travel with out freezing the water system. My first night stop will be in Southern IL and no worry after that. Has anyone with a Horizon or Vectra with a birth date around 2005 had any experience traveling in below freezing temperatures? If so I would appreciate any thoughts you may have. In my previous Chieftain I traveled once on temps of +20º with no problems but the front mounted engine blew heat back under the coach while traveling. Is it safe to start out in the morning when temps are 15º as it gradually warms up as the sun rises and we get further south?

Your input is much appreciated;

Don
Since only one night is of concern, you might consider taking a few gallons of fresh water with you and not connecting to public water or filling your fresh water tank until after your first night.
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Old 12-28-2013, 10:28 AM   #9
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Thanks everyone for your replies. I do have wireless remote thermometers in my 2 bays that have water. One being the bay with the water pump and the other with the fresh water tank. I have set a mental limit of +20º F for traveling with water in the system. I will keep a log containing outside temps and bay temps and I will report back here after my trip.

Don
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Old 12-28-2013, 04:13 PM   #10
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This is an exciting thread! I love discussing leaving the cold frigid temps in the north and dreaming of Florida in March.

I expect to de-winterize before leaving NY for FL in March as well. Never had any troubles even with the temps dipping into the low 20's. No experience below that.

See you in Florida in March!
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