Hi Everyone. Well, after 15 years the RV-Dreams Community Forum is coming to an end. Since it began in August 2005, we've had 58 Million page views, 124,000 posts, and we've spent about $15,000 to keep this valuable resource for RVers free and open. But since we are now off the road and have settled down for the next chapter of our lives, we are taking the Forum down effective June 30, 2021. It has been a tough decision, but it is now time.


We want to thank all of our members for their participation and input over the years, and we want to especially thank those that have acted as Moderators for us during our amazing journey living and traveling in our RV and growing the RV-Dreams Family. We will be forever proud to have been founders of this Forum and to have been supported by such a wonderful community. Thank you all!!

Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
Post Info TOPIC: Freezing Temps in Florida


RV-Dreams Family Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 197
Date:
Freezing Temps in Florida


We have been on the road for two months as full-timers and we are spending our first winter in Florida.  Currently we are in the Ocala area and the weather forecast is calling for freezing temps at night over the weekend.  Since this is our first winter experience, we are looking for advice on how to prepare for this cold wave.   Do we disconnect from our water?  Is there anything else we should do?  Your insight and recommendations are welcome.

Thanks,

Barb



-- Edited by Barb and Frank on Thursday 7th of December 2017 04:04:58 PM

__________________

Barb and Frank

2016 Landmark Key West

2016 Ram 3500/Cummins Diesel/4WD



RV-Dreams Family Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 308
Date:

We're at Kartchner Caverns, AZ and are experiencing freezing temps for the next couple of nights. i just finished filling my fresh water tank and draining my filters and hoses. I have electric heaters but will also set my furnace to 60F to keep the basement warm.

Cheers!



__________________

Steve & Dianne Colibaba

Check out our blog: http://steveanddiannesmostexcellentadventure.blogspot.com/

  • 2008 GMC T7500 Medium Duty Custom RV/Toy Hauler
  • 2009 37' Montana 3665RE
  • 2 - 2010 Yamaha Grizzly 550 ATV's

 1-DSC_0022-003.JPG?dl=0



RV-Dreams Family Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 297
Date:

Tomorrow will be the first day of the Winter that our daytime temperatures will not reach the 80's.  We will top out at 79 degrees.  Think of us as we suffer through our cold spell, it will only last a day and we will be back in the low 80's all of next week.

Remember us in our time of need.  We will push through.



__________________

Russ & Terri Ranger

Travel since July 2013

Home base: Buckeye,AZ

Wandering the USA & Canada in our Holiday Rambler Endeavor 40' PDT Motorhome

Travel so far: 49 States - International Travel -19 countries

http://grandbanksruss.blogspot.com



RV-Dreams Family Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 1094
Date:

Good advice - fill your fresh water tank, dump black/grey tanks, put all hoses away, and run off your tank until you need to dump again. Hopefully by that time it will be warmer. We never worry because our basement (including the wet bay) is heated when the furnace runs - so we always make sure the furnace ran in the early morning hours when temperatures go into the 20s. Generally, if you are comfortable your whole rig is comfortable.


__________________

Barb & Dave O'Keeffe

2002 Alpine 36 MDDS (Figment II), 2018 Ford C-Max HYBRID

Blog:  http://www.barbanddave.net

SPK# 90761 FMCA #F337834



RV-Dreams Family Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 1122
Date:

We’re also having a one night freeze ... we’re going to drip our cold water and that’s it. Not really a big deal unless it goes on for several days. Electric heat is primary and furnace keeps it from going too low. So much better than up north.😎

__________________

Ron and Janice

 

2016 Ford F350, King Ranch, DRW, 4x4, CC, 6.7 PS Diesel, remote control air lift system

2017 Durango Gold 381REF, Lambright furniture, MCD shades, morRYDE IS, 8K Disc brakes, GY G114  LR H Tires, 27,320 lbs CGVW

FT class of 2016



RV-Dreams Family Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 1122
Date:

Russ Ranger wrote:

Tomorrow will be the first day of the Winter that our daytime temperatures will not reach the 80's.  We will top out at 79 degrees.  Think of us as we suffer through our cold spell, it will only last a day and we will be back in the low 80's all of next week.

Remember us in our time of need.  We will push through.


 Stop gloating ... HA!! 😜😜😜



-- Edited by RonC on Thursday 7th of December 2017 11:06:32 PM

__________________

Ron and Janice

 

2016 Ford F350, King Ranch, DRW, 4x4, CC, 6.7 PS Diesel, remote control air lift system

2017 Durango Gold 381REF, Lambright furniture, MCD shades, morRYDE IS, 8K Disc brakes, GY G114  LR H Tires, 27,320 lbs CGVW

FT class of 2016



RV-Dreams Family Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 2074
Date:

Barbaraok wrote:

{Edit} . . . our basement (including the wet bay) is heated when the furnace runs - so we always make sure the furnace ran in the early morning hours when temperatures go into the 20s. Generally, if you are comfortable your whole rig is comfortable.


 For those that use the electric "fireplace," or electric space heaters, recall, as Barb noted, the LP furnace is what heats the holding tanks and water lines in many cases. (There can be exceptions but not may.) So if the inside is warm and toasty and the furnace isn't being used, or used much overnight, those lines and tanks are not heated.  Much of this depends on rig design so best to know how yours works.  

 

 

 



__________________

Bill & Linda



RV-Dreams Family Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 197
Date:

RonC wrote:

We’re also having a one night freeze ... we’re going to drip our cold water and that’s it. Not really a big deal unless it goes on for several days. Electric heat is primary and furnace keeps it from going too low. So much better than up north.😎


 Ron,

Are you using water from your tank, or, from a water hook-up?  One of my concerns is whether to disconnect from our water.

Daytime temps here in Florida will be in the mid 50’s and Saturday and Sunday nights are expected to hit lows of 32 and 30.

Barb



__________________

Barb and Frank

2016 Landmark Key West

2016 Ram 3500/Cummins Diesel/4WD



RV-Dreams Family Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 3721
Date:

Generally your basement, including the tanks, are safe down to about 25 at night without doing anything as long as it goes above freezing by mid-morning. Your water hose might freeze up between 25 and 32, but dripping it should stop that if you don't want to unhook the hose for the night. If the forecast is 27 or below I unhook the hose. If below 20 I use the furnace to keep the basement warm. We have been down to 13 at night and this has worked for us. We have not been anywhere where it did not get above freezing during the day, so I have no experience with that.

We just left central Florida and the lowest temperature in the extended forecast here in Fort Myers FL is 40.

__________________

Bill Joyce,
40' 2004 Dutch Star DP towing an AWD 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid
Journal at http://www.sacnoth.com
Full-timing since July 2003



RV-Dreams Family Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 1395
Date:

In Mid-Tennessee I wrap my hose with a heat tape and pipe insulation, Empty the holding tanks, leave the gray water valve open and open the bathroom sink faucet to a steady drip!

__________________

Life is too short. Live it Now!

Currently at Shady Acres RV Park   Lebanon; Tennessee

http://1Irishrover.blogspot.com

 



RV-Dreams Family Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 50
Date:

Barb and Frank wrote:

We have been on the road for two months as full-timers and we are spending our first winter in Florida.  Currently we are in the Ocala area and the weather forecast is calling for freezing temps at night over the weekend.  Since this is our first winter experience, we are looking for advice on how to prepare for this cold wave.   Do we disconnect from our water?  Is there anything else we should do?  Your insight and recommendations are welcome.

Thanks,

Barb



-- Edited by Barb and Frank on Thursday 7th of December 2017 04:04:58 PM


 Frank,

If I was in your situation I would probably run the propane furnace a little to keep the coach warm, water manifold, and tanks, and run a trickle of fresh water flow into the sink, maintaining a trickle flow through fresh water hose. That should take care of any concerns in this short cold snap. I should be ok down here in FT Myers. I did ask this question before I headed to Yellowstone in May. I received a similar answer as I stated above.



__________________

Bruce & Robin

2013 GMC Sierra 3500HD SLT DRW 4x4 CC

2014 DRV Mobile Suites 38TKSB3 

Full Timers - March 2017

Our Blog at https://rv-revelations.blog/



RV-Dreams Family Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 5398
Date:

Keep in mind that if the grey tank valve is open and one is trickling water, the water going into the sewer hose could very well be freezing in the hose, especially so if it is a slinky hose.  I remember some years ago of a couple in Missouri that had the entire slinky hose freeze up.  Of course, in their case, the freezing weather lasted much longer.

Terry



__________________

Terry and Jo

2010 Mobile Suites 38TKSB3
2008 Ford F450
2019 Ford Expedition Max as Tag-along or Scout

Our photos on Smugmug



RV-Dreams Family Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 25
Date:

We have had mid 20's for the last week. Use my heated water hose and a 250watt heater in the basement with an Easyheat thermostat. Worked well last year when we hit 12 degrees for a few nights and 28 degrees during the day.

__________________


RV-Dreams Family Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 117
Date:

We've been in cold weather down to -4 deg. F without any freezing problems. We do fill the water tank and unhook/drain the hose below 28-30 degrees though. In sustained cold, we only hook the water hose up as needed to refill the tank. Depending on the expected low temperature, we also run one or both of our two furnaces to keep the waste tanks above freezing. Our water tank is under the bed, so it needs no extra heat.

__________________

Dutch

34' 2001 GBM Landau Class A

2011 Toyota RAV4 4-down toad



RV-Dreams Family Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 1122
Date:

Barb and Frank wrote:
RonC wrote:

We’re also having a one night freeze ... we’re going to drip our cold water and that’s it. Not really a big deal unless it goes on for several days. Electric heat is primary and furnace keeps it from going too low. So much better than up north.😎


 Ron,

Are you using water from your tank, or, from a water hook-up?  One of my concerns is whether to disconnect from our water.

Daytime temps here in Florida will be in the mid 50’s and Saturday and Sunday nights are expected to hit lows of 32 and 30.

Barb


 I did not disconnect from the Resort water ... here, as in Ocala, the overnight temps might drop below freezing, but the daytime temps warm up.  The dripping keeps the input line from freezing overnight.  I would only disconnect and go on “internal” water if the temps were going to stay below freezing for 12 or more hours.  We normally just run our electric fireplace and one electric space heater both set at 70 degrees.  The furnace is set for 68 degrees.  In this way, the electric heat carries the bulk of the work, but if outside temps drop below 40, the electrics can’t keep up (in our rig) and the furnace comes on which keeps the interior at 68 and heats the basement, tanks and interior water lines. Hope this helps.



__________________

Ron and Janice

 

2016 Ford F350, King Ranch, DRW, 4x4, CC, 6.7 PS Diesel, remote control air lift system

2017 Durango Gold 381REF, Lambright furniture, MCD shades, morRYDE IS, 8K Disc brakes, GY G114  LR H Tires, 27,320 lbs CGVW

FT class of 2016



RV-Dreams Community Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 23
Date:

Thanks for the advice.  I'll be getting my fifth wheel "soon" and starting south from Oregon.

I've seen water hoses advertised that have a built in heat tape.   Would it be useful to carry one of those?

 



__________________
Dave


RV-Dreams Family Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 1122
Date:

mycroft8 wrote:

Thanks for the advice.  I'll be getting my fifth wheel "soon" and starting south from Oregon.

I've seen water hoses advertised that have a built in heat tape.   Would it be useful to carry one of those?

 


 I have one of those, but I have never used it.  It would be helpful if temps were to drop below freezing and stay there for a day or two.  That is what heated inlet hose is for ... prolonged below freezing temps.  I do everything I can to avoid that.😬



__________________

Ron and Janice

 

2016 Ford F350, King Ranch, DRW, 4x4, CC, 6.7 PS Diesel, remote control air lift system

2017 Durango Gold 381REF, Lambright furniture, MCD shades, morRYDE IS, 8K Disc brakes, GY G114  LR H Tires, 27,320 lbs CGVW

FT class of 2016



RV-Dreams Family Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 65
Date:

If your Landmark has the Yeti package and you are using it, don't drain the tanks. You need water in your tanks to disperse the heat from the pads that are attached. Leaving the tanks empty could damage them. 



__________________

2017 F-350 CC DRW King Ranch

2014 Landmark Savannah



RV-Dreams Family Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 197
Date:

travlingman wrote:

If your Landmark has the Yeti package and you are using it, don't drain the tanks. You need water in your tanks to disperse the heat from the pads that are attached. Leaving the tanks empty could damage them. 


 Yes we have the Yeti package, but we are hooked up to city water so we are not using the fresh water tank.  I am not certain that we can turn on the Yeti if we don’t have water in our tank.



__________________

Barb and Frank

2016 Landmark Key West

2016 Ram 3500/Cummins Diesel/4WD



RV-Dreams Family Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 65
Date:

Barb and Frank wrote:
travlingman wrote:

If your Landmark has the Yeti package and you are using it, don't drain the tanks. You need water in your tanks to disperse the heat from the pads that are attached. Leaving the tanks empty could damage them. 


 Yes we have the Yeti package, but we are hooked up to city water so we are not using the fresh water tank.  I am not certain that we can turn on the Yeti if we don’t have water in our tank.


 I would go ahead and put some water in your fresh water tank. Easy to do with the valve in the water control panel. Don't have to fill the tank, just a few gallons. Then with something in all tanks, go ahead and turn on the yeti package. With water in your fresh tank, you could unhook hose tonight and run off the tank. 

To fill the tank, turn the valve in water control panel to tank, and your water hose will fill it. When you unhook your hose, turn the valve to normal and the water pump will pull from the tank. The hose from the tank has heat tape on it with the Yeti package. 

Not knowing your floor plan, if you have the residential fridge and it is in the slide, you have a water line to it for the ice maker/water dispensor. This line will come out of the underbelly and go to the slide exposing it to the elements. For the temps you are experiencing, I don't think you will have any issues with it. If it is going to freeze for an extended period, don't forget this line. Its turnoff is under your sink, and there should be a valve outside on your frame where the line comes out of underbelly that you can use to drain the line.

Your rig should handle the temps you have easily. We have been to -13 with wind chill of -30 and only had a line to island sink freeze because it was up against the frame and we had not been above freezing for 7 days.

If it was me, I would unhook hose and use water tank to be safe. Turn on Yeti and when you go to bed, open the doors where you have a sink/water conection to let a little heat in. 

 



__________________

2017 F-350 CC DRW King Ranch

2014 Landmark Savannah



RV-Dreams Family Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 197
Date:

Thank you everyone for all of the great information!  Now we know to partially fill our fresh water tank, disconnect the hose to city water, and turn on the Yeti!   We’ll keep the furnace on at night to keep us, and the basement, warm - no space heaters!

Barb



__________________

Barb and Frank

2016 Landmark Key West

2016 Ram 3500/Cummins Diesel/4WD



RV-Dreams Family Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 25
Date:

mycroft8 wrote:

Thanks for the advice.  I'll be getting my fifth wheel "soon" and starting south from Oregon.

I've seen water hoses advertised that have a built in heat tape.   Would it be useful to carry one of those?

 

Mine is a Camco heated hose. Hooked mine up in November here in Oregon but never plugged it in till a few weeks ago. Works great....have had the last week of temps in the mid 20's.

 


 



__________________


RV-Dreams Family Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 5398
Date:

The hoses with heat tapes built in seem to be a bit iffy.  We've had a couple of the Pirit hoses, one of which only lasted for one winter.  Another one, with the name of FreezeBan, seems to have its own issues, but it seems to be more that it doesn't work when the temps get below 20 degrees.  At least, that's what I've read with some of the reviews for that model.  And then, considering the cost for either of those being over $100 for a 25-foot hose, I'm inclined to think that a regular hose, regular heat tape, and some kind of insulation around both is a better option.

Terry



__________________

Terry and Jo

2010 Mobile Suites 38TKSB3
2008 Ford F450
2019 Ford Expedition Max as Tag-along or Scout

Our photos on Smugmug

Page 1 of 1  sorted by
 
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.

Tweet this page Post to Digg Post to Del.icio.us