We have weathered our first cold spell in SD in a 2011 Grand Canyon. I filled the fresh water tank and figured on running on that until it warms up. Got down to about 20 degrees last night and this morning no water and the pump calling for it steady. The gas furnace was on but turned down to about 60 overnight. Now it has been turned up to about 75 for a few hours and still no water. I imagine it will thaw out eventually but would like to know where it's froze at. Seems like maybe the outlet from the water tank or anyone know where? If there is an easy remedy I'd like to do it. I really thought no colder than it got the floor furnace running at all would take care of it.
Water freeze up where?
- Thread starter skh
- Start date
Ray LeTourneau
Senior Member - Past Moderator
We've had the same situation in our Bighorn in similar temperatures. I learned not to rely on the underbelly heat to withstand colder temps say in the low 20's. Our rigs are not designed as 4 season units. There are many threads on preventing freeze ups and as soon as I have time I will try to give you more help. At the time I had the problem, I opened up the panel to access the water lines behind the UDC and put a space heater set on low near the lines. Also the daytime temps came up to above freezing so I eventually got it thawed out. I believe it froze in the line near the tank. Since then I have rerouted the line so there were no kinked or tight areas. If you plan on staying in cold areas, it might be a good idea to get your plumbing in the underbelly heat taped with a thermostat controled tape.
caissiel
Senior Member
Might be your low point drain if you have one and made its way to the pump suction line. I had to cover it with an insulated box last fall so I hid it above the coroplast for this fall. we were at 23 the other day and only had a bit of ice on the sewer cover so I removed it.
We let the unit go down to 55 over night.
We let the unit go down to 55 over night.
SmokeyBare
Well-known member
some place a 100 Watt light in the area of the water Pump to keep things from freezing. I've opened an inspection hole on the wall next to my water pump and used an electric cube heater to blow warm air into that area. I Always disconnect the water hose on freezing nights, taking the time to empty the water out so it doesn't freeze ice cubes in it as well.
grizzlygiant
Well-known member
We live full-time with winter lows near zero. We have to put a skirt around the trailer, a 100w light near rhe UDC, and an occasional blast from a salamander. It is a shame Heartland does not offer a genuine cold weather package.
HappyKayakers
Well-known member
You got lucky
I did the same thing one winter in Amarillo and got a 30 ft popsicle/sewer hose.HI, we have a 2011 Big Country, and we have the same problem. We are from South Dakota and are still here until tomorrow when we head to Arizona. Last year we bought our new rv in Texas and because of the unseasonably cold winter we had there we expierienced freezing problems also. I found out the problem lies with the pipe that lies next to the frame that brings water from the tank up to the water pump. The water pump area stays plenty warm but the line going to it freezes up. I am very upset with this and Heartland has known about this problem for years, just go back and read the old posts. The only way, we as owners have to solve this is to take the bottum of the rv off and box this line in or insulate it, or we pulled the floor register in the living room up and installed a [T] under it that would direct more heat into the under belly area. We bought a floor vent that we can close so it forces air down under. We have never froze up since. I installed a remote thermometer under the kitchen sink area with the probe down by the water tank, you won't believe how cold it gets there. Even in Texas with the frnance running we were registering temps like 33 regularly. Taking off the bottum looks to be a big task and I wish I had the time to do it, because I know if this line freezes up here in the North country it might never thaw until spring. In making the rv it would take the Heartland a few seconds to insulate this line and we wouldn't have this problem. We have had 5 5th wheels now and this one is the only one we ever had freezing problems with. Hopefully we won't have to fight this problem this winter in Arizona.
I found in our Landmark, that the fresh water drain was a tee in the line that feeds the pump. This line and tee was laying on the underbelly skin. When the drain froze, it continued up to the tee. I had about 8" of line hanging down below the skin. I pushed it up and squirted expanding foam in the hole around the line. Now the line is about 6" above the skin and the hole is sealed and insulated. Has worked so far.
RoadJunkie
Well-known member
Of course the key to inspection and resolution of vulnerable water lines, is to perform all this work during the warmth of Summer or early Fall. Crawling under the rig during freezing temps is no picnic, I assure you. Isn't it possible to disconnect the line at the pump and slide some tubular foam pipe insulation onto the line, then reconnect to the pump? Maybe there is not a clear path that would allow this?
Well, it thawed out about 2:00 yesterday afternoon with sun and running the furnace much warmer than I would have otherwise. Last night it got down to mid 20's I think and everything good but I did put a small fan heater in the basement and flushed the toilet during the night. The furnace was actually quite low, like 50 as I didn't want to run out of gas during the night. Another problem is I can not suck gas out of the far (doorside) tank whether trying to just suck out of that one or both together.
I will check on the line being a tee at the low point drain as I do remember it hanging kinda low when I was under there looking at the "water in the underbelly" from wet roads problem my first pull. I will probably put more water in the tank today and keep running on it for another day or two until it's supposed to warm up because I leave my water softener set on the ground outside.
I am happy with the Landmark though, and a friend is picking up their Grand Canyon next week ordered upon my recommendation. But, I had 3 of 4 trailers froze up (all had the hoses off and drained of course) and I would have liked to have seen the Landmark be the one not froze! This isn't winter weather either and we don't expect it to be liveable in winter, we should be home by the end of next week. However, most avid RV'ers and certainly snowbirds will encounter this type of weather at some time or other and it doesn't seem like it would be that tough to make this trailer capable of running self contained with temps in the 20's.
If anyone is interested the one NOT froze was a custom built Surrey from Forks RV and I had instructed them to contain the water lines and blow furnace air on them.
I will check on the line being a tee at the low point drain as I do remember it hanging kinda low when I was under there looking at the "water in the underbelly" from wet roads problem my first pull. I will probably put more water in the tank today and keep running on it for another day or two until it's supposed to warm up because I leave my water softener set on the ground outside.
I am happy with the Landmark though, and a friend is picking up their Grand Canyon next week ordered upon my recommendation. But, I had 3 of 4 trailers froze up (all had the hoses off and drained of course) and I would have liked to have seen the Landmark be the one not froze! This isn't winter weather either and we don't expect it to be liveable in winter, we should be home by the end of next week. However, most avid RV'ers and certainly snowbirds will encounter this type of weather at some time or other and it doesn't seem like it would be that tough to make this trailer capable of running self contained with temps in the 20's.
If anyone is interested the one NOT froze was a custom built Surrey from Forks RV and I had instructed them to contain the water lines and blow furnace air on them.
RoadJunkie
Well-known member
Curious as to if you leave the water line "charged" overnight? That is, do you leave the water pump on during the night? I wonder if turning the pump off and letting the water relax (gravity drain back into tank?) in the lines might help prevent freezing.
jmgratz
Original Owners Club Member
I was hooked up to 'city water' and was not using the pump. I disconnected the water supply hose from the RV and pedestal. It got down to 12 degrees. I even turned off the water supply at the bottom of the pedestal and the water line in the pedestal froze and broke. It was the RV park's problem but we did not have any issues. The next night (after the pedestal was repaired) we left the water at the pedestal running into the sewer dump hole as instructed by the park. (did not use our drinking water hose). That night it got to 12 degrees and did not have any problems. At our home it will get below freezing regularly during the winter. We keep the RV next to our home and hooked up to electricity. During the freezing times I drain the fresh water tank and leave the furnace set to 50 degrees. So far it has worked great. The difference for us is even though it will freeze at night it will normally get above freezing during the day. But I do leave the 3 lines that hang below the RV bottom wrapped all the time.
Last winter while staying at the RV Park in Houston our cold water manifold broke at the bottom during one of the 12 degree nights. The UDC does have a heater output in our 'classic' Landmark.
RoadJunkie
Well-known member
One other task I do, as part of freeze prevention, is to ensure the UDC cap is screwed on and I put a small block of closed cell foam on the inside bottom to help insulate. Don't leave that cap open. I've been where overnight temps got down to 18 degrees and didn't freeze up, knock on wood.
Ray LeTourneau
Senior Member - Past Moderator
SKH, regarding the problem you are having with the LP tank. For starters, you can only draw LP from one tank at a time. As for the tank you can't get to work, try this. Close the tank valve. Remove the hose from the tank. Re-attach the hose then open the valve very slowly. The OPD valves are touchy and if opened too fast, the mechanism inside the valve thinks it may be a leak and a built in safety device shuts the tank off.
When using both tanks, one is the supply tank and the other will kick in as soon as the first runs empty.
When using both tanks, one is the supply tank and the other will kick in as soon as the first runs empty.
grizzlygiant
Well-known member
If you turn the switching valve handle to the up position you are drawing from BOTH tanks at the same time.
jmgratz
Original Owners Club Member
You don't want to draw from both tanks at the same time. What you want to do is have it auto-switch from the empty tank to the full tank. To do this with most dual regulators all you have to do is open the valves on both tanks. It will auto-switch. The black handle is only a pointer which acts as a reminder which points to the tank which is currently being used.
Ray LeTourneau
Senior Member - Past Moderator
I've never heard this before. I guess it could be but why would anyone want to? It sort of defeats the purpose of having an auto switching regulator.
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