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Old 02-07-2014, 07:37 AM   #1
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Frozen water supply

With several days of cold temps, I filled the fresh water tank and disconnected the outside water. Since I don't have a heated water hose, even if the supply didn't freeze, the hose certainly would. Anyway, yesterday morning even the 12 V system froze. Pump still runs, but as I have suspected for a long time, it is probably the 1/2" pickup tube/hose that is frozen. Overnight temps were around 16-19 degrees. Course it doesn't help that we are parked on a hill with the back end of the trailer fully exposed to the strong north winds. The hose from the tank to the pump is at least 15 ft long and I'm not sure if it is entirely in the underbelly or at least partly within the floor joists.

It is supposed to get above freezing later today, so I will switch back to city water. Will probably take another 24 hrs for the hidden hose to un-freeze and see if there is any damage.
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Old 02-07-2014, 10:35 AM   #2
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I was always wondering why everyone runs off their water tank and pump when it gets cold . As you stated the hose from the tank to where it goes thru the floor in the trailer to the pump WILL freeze. It is not insulated behind the black coroplast.
Simple fix ...bring a 5 gal water jug inside the trailer and use your winterize bypass and hose and stick that in the 5 gal jug and draw water from there. I will always be room temp. Keep an extra 5 gal jug to go fetch water and use a funnel to keep original jug topped up . Make sure you keep hose in orig jug to avoid air getting in line . If need be ,add a longer hose and put jug in a corner somewhere...
What do you think??
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Old 02-07-2014, 10:37 AM   #3
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Larry, just out of curiosity, did you have all your lower cupboard doors open?
Were you running the furnace at all, or just the oil heaters?
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Old 02-07-2014, 12:14 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by harley View Post
I was always wondering why everyone runs off their water tank and pump when it gets cold . As you stated the hose from the tank to where it goes thru the floor in the trailer to the pump WILL freeze. It is not insulated behind the black coroplast.
Simple fix ...bring a 5 gal water jug inside the trailer and use your winterize bypass and hose and stick that in the 5 gal jug and draw water from there. I will always be room temp. Keep an extra 5 gal jug to go fetch water and use a funnel to keep original jug topped up . Make sure you keep hose in orig jug to avoid air getting in line . If need be ,add a longer hose and put jug in a corner somewhere...
What do you think??
Good idea, but injured my back on Monday, so lifting 5 gal jug isn't going to happen this time. Should be above freezing soon.
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Old 02-07-2014, 12:21 PM   #5
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Larry, just out of curiosity, did you have all your lower cupboard doors open?
Were you running the furnace at all, or just the oil heaters?
Lloyd, didn't have the base cabinet doors open, but that would not have made a difference. With the pump next to the main door and the tank at the rear, most of the water pickup hose is in the underbelly and not near any base cabinets. Furnace was running about once per hour, but given the wind direction and strength, air leaks in the underbelly probably exceeded any heat benefit from the furnace.
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Old 02-07-2014, 12:57 PM   #6
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I know it's not much help now, but some have had success sealing the coroplast with Gorilla tape. Maybe before you try that, in warmer temps you could drop part of the coroplast and insulate the line from the h2o tank, then seal all the edges.
Just a thought. Hope it works out for you.
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Old 02-07-2014, 02:58 PM   #7
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I know it's not much help now, but some have had success sealing the coroplast with Gorilla tape. Maybe before you try that, in warmer temps you could drop part of the coroplast and insulate the line from the h2o tank, then seal all the edges.
Just a thought. Hope it works out for you.
If I drop the plastic, I will either insulate the hose or maybe install heat strip to it since it is such a long run. No wind this afternoon and temp just below freezing and the pickup hose thawed out, sooner than I expected and looks like without damage. Next two days highs are supposed to be in the 70's.
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Old 02-07-2014, 06:21 PM   #8
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We were in Bonham in Nov when that front came thru. I wasn't doing without water so I sprung for the Pirtle heated hose. Turned out I didn't need it but I have it "just in case". Another one of those, "why did I do that deals", probably never need it.

Larry where are you hid at that you are out in the weather?
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Old 02-07-2014, 07:23 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by harley View Post
I was always wondering why everyone runs off their water tank and pump when it gets cold . As you stated the hose from the tank to where it goes thru the floor in the trailer to the pump WILL freeze. It is not insulated behind the black coroplast.
Simple fix ...bring a 5 gal water jug inside the trailer and use your winterize bypass and hose and stick that in the 5 gal jug and draw water from there. I will always be room temp. Keep an extra 5 gal jug to go fetch water and use a funnel to keep original jug topped up . Make sure you keep hose in orig jug to avoid air getting in line . If need be ,add a longer hose and put jug in a corner somewhere...
What do you think??
I think that's a great idea. inconvenient yes, but a great idea.
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Old 02-08-2014, 09:41 AM   #10
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We were in Bonham in Nov when that front came thru. I wasn't doing without water so I sprung for the Pirtle heated hose. Turned out I didn't need it but I have it "just in case". Another one of those, "why did I do that deals", probably never need it.

Larry where are you hid at that you are out in the weather?
Clif,
Good idea, if I had a heated hose and wrapped the faucet, I would not have needed the on board system. We are at a camp on the Brazos River near Glen Rose. Weather this weekend is supposed to be much better, but then colder again next week. Oh well.
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Old 02-08-2014, 09:54 AM   #11
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Chin up Larry. It should be all up hill from now on.
We are suppose to start warming up next week also. They said we could possibly reach 28 degrees on Wed.
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Old 02-08-2014, 11:33 AM   #12
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Tres Rios maybe? Been there several times. Nice place. I thought maybe you had gotten lost and wandered up North.
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Old 02-09-2014, 11:26 AM   #13
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Tres Rios maybe? Been there several times. Nice place. I thought maybe you had gotten lost and wandered up North.
Not Tres Rios, a Baptist camp south of town. We didn't wander up north, it came to us instead. I think Lloyd and other northern CR friends sent the cold weather as a gift(?) to teach us about cold weather camping.
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Old 02-09-2014, 01:57 PM   #14
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I have stated that I have a pirit heated water hose and have not had a problem. But the last 2 nights that dropped below 10 degrees I had a water freeze up.
Not in the hose , But when I awoke in the morning I had water in the toliet but not anywhere else ? I put the small heater I have in storage compartment pointing in the direction of where the city water connection is, after about 30 min everything thawed out at once. I suspect that there is some kind of manifold behind that panel where everything is connected ?? I found it strange everything was frozen but the toliet.
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Old 02-09-2014, 03:17 PM   #15
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While on the subject, I would like to ask if any of the campers in question had a polar package or heated underbelly and still had freezing problems. Heat tape is a great idea for insurance, but if the polar package only goes so far in stopping freezing.....
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Old 02-09-2014, 03:57 PM   #16
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While on the subject, I would like to ask if any of the campers in question had a polar package or heated underbelly and still had freezing problems. Heat tape is a great idea for insurance, but if the polar package only goes so far in stopping freezing.....
Heated underbelly only does so much. On my last Cruiser there was a single 1 inch diameter hole from the main duct into the underbelly. Also heat radiating from the full duct. But with holes in the frame for 2 slide outs plus other holes/leaks and heat loss thru the I beam, it is ez for the heat loss to be greater than heat input from the furnace. The fresh water pickup tube is right next to the I beam in the corner of the trailer, so it is very susceptible to freezing.
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Old 02-09-2014, 08:14 PM   #17
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When the temp is below about 25 I have a 60w light bulb in the basement that I turn on. I don't know if it helps or not but it can't hurt. Of course we are not camping at the moment and the lines are drained.

Sounds fine Larry. After posting about going north I realized it had come down here to visit. I think Lloyd had something to do with it, payback or something.... On the plus side hopefully it will kill some of the insects.
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Old 02-10-2014, 06:42 AM   #18
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I think Lloyd had something to do with it, payback or something.... On the plus side hopefully it will kill some of the insects.

Cliff, I didn't do it!!
As far as it killing off any insects---good luck. It doesn't seem to help up here.
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Old 11-04-2014, 04:05 PM   #19
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While on the subject, I would like to ask if any of the campers in question had a polar package or heated underbelly and still had freezing problems. Heat tape is a great idea for insurance, but if the polar package only goes so far in stopping freezing.....
Polar package doesn't stop freezing, the tank and that supply line is not insulated nor heated, nothing to keep it from freezing.
The told me it was four seasons, bull, if it doesn't say four seasons it is not, no matter what they say the insulation package is. Mine froze up also, in November 2013, 17 degrees. Insulation of the underbelly consists of 1/4 inch of the air pocket stuff, yeah, polar upgrade,right.
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Old 11-14-2014, 08:22 PM   #20
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I'm thinking of pulling the underbelly down (corrugated plastic) and installing fiberglass insulation the type that's enclosed in plastic batts. The new style floor const. has foam board to hold heat in, and I'll say its not even good at 38 to 40 degrees. Then insulate the bedroom floors from the trunks (fifth wheel). The pex pipes can expand but joints will not
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