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11-17-2022, 01:29 AM
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#1
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New Member
Join Date: Nov 2022
Location: Jacksonville
Posts: 6
M.O.C. #31986
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Winter camping???
Hi brand new to this forum this is my first post. My wife and I are getting ready to go full-time in our 2006 Keystone Montana Mountaineer. What do I need to know about camping in the winter? We will more than likely be staying in South West Florida near Tampa but could still run into some freezing temperatures. We won't be leaving Jacksonville until early in January so we could run into freezing temperatures here as well what do I need to do to ensure my pipes don't freeze Etc? Thanks for the responses in advance! Tim & Ro
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11-17-2022, 06:19 AM
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#2
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Salem
Posts: 7,547
M.O.C. #2283
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Just heat your camper with your furnace. If temperatures are 30 or so don’t worry. In the low twenties keep that furnace running.
Lynwood
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11-17-2022, 01:06 PM
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#3
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Anderson
Posts: 2,581
M.O.C. #22835
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As stated above, keep the furnace running. The furnace needs to blow under the floor into the underbelly of the camper in order to keep the pipes from freezing. Also, if hooked up to city water, unhook your garden hose and drain it. First fill your fresh water tank and have it available. If water is in your garden hose, it will freeze up. So disconnect both ends and drain it.
Also, if you are connected to sewer service, you may want to make sure your sewer hose is empty, your valves are all closed on black and grey. Any water dripping into the sewer hose will eventually ice up, and it will not take very long for ice to begin to for and finally block your hose completely. So, make sure your dump valves are closed and the sewer hose is empty.
Do anything you can stop and prevent drafts. Open cabinet doors and make sure you don't feel drafts, or worse, see light coming in from outside. If there are gaps in the holes in the floor where pipes come through, get some foamy "Stuff" (foam sealer) and foam up those gaps. Also, check under the camper and pump that stuff into any hole you see.
This is only a start, but it's a start that will pay off big.
__________________
Who you are right now is a sum total off all you use to be.
2019 Montana High Country 375FL
2014 Chevy Silverado Duramax, 6.6L Dually
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11-17-2022, 01:50 PM
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#4
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Site Team
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Oro Valley
Posts: 3,923
M.O.C. #20477
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Tim,
After living a big part of my life in Jax you are going to be hard pressed to find much winter in FL. An occasional shot of furnace should be all you need.
__________________
Zack and Donna plus Millie and Ranger
2018 3160RL
"Life is too short to stay indoors, enjoy the ride!"
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11-17-2022, 05:47 PM
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#5
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Montana Master
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: Lamesa
Posts: 621
M.O.C. #26010
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Agree with AZ Traveler; if you are going to the Tampa area you don't have to worry much about anything "cold" that would damage your trailer. I spend the winters in the panhandle and have never had any issue with cold weather. I carry a heated hose and deployed it once years ago, not since. If you're going to be in the Tampa area I would only worry about where to eat.
__________________
Danny and Susan wife of 55 years
2019 Ram Laramie 3500 6.4 4x4 CC 4.10 SRW
2020 Montana High Country 331RL
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11-17-2022, 06:32 PM
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#6
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Montana Master
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Sebring
Posts: 3,657
M.O.C. #9969
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I hope you already have reservations in the Tampa area as many places are full with all the displaced folks from the Fort Myers area after Ian went thru.
__________________
Michelle & Ann
2018 Chevy 3500HD High Country DRW 4X4 Crew Cab w/Duramax/Allison, Formally 2010 Montana 2955RL, Now Loaded 2016 SOB, Mor/ryde IS, Disc Brakes & Pin Box, Comfort Ride Hitch, Sailun 17.5 Tires.
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11-19-2022, 12:03 PM
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#7
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New Member
Join Date: Nov 2022
Location: Jacksonville
Posts: 6
M.O.C. #31986
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mlh
Just heat your camper with your furnace. If temperatures are 30 or so don’t worry. In the low twenties keep that furnace running.
Lynwood
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Thanks for the Response!
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11-20-2022, 04:29 AM
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#8
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: Jacksonville
Posts: 2,137
M.O.C. #25165
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I live in Jacksonville now and have had our rig for almost 4 years now. We camp year round, including several weeks in upstate WV where I am now for hunting season. I never bother winterizing but I do drain water heater and low point drains if the rig is going to be in storage.
I've lived in Florida most of my life and the last several years we really haven't had a winter. I wouldn't worry too much about the temps here.
I bought a thermometer on Amazon that has 3 wireless transmitters when I first got our rig. I put one in the "garage", which is in the bottom of the rear with a pull out tray, another in the "basement", the pass through up front under our bedroom, and the third goes outside. It's currently 10 degrees outside this morning, and the kitchen is 64, the garage is 49, and the basement is 47.
I'm using the fireplace and a stand up space heater in the kitchen. I will occasionally kick on the furnace in the morning to break the chill, but I haven't had any issues with freezing pipes. I run the tank heaters and fill my fresh tank for water using a 35 gallon bladder since the CG water is turned off in the winter.
I don't leave the water hose or the sewer hose hooked up at all. Use it, drain it and put it away.
__________________
Robert & Diana McNeal
2019 Montana Legacy 3791RD 20th Anniversary Edition
2014 F350 4x4 6.7L SRW
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11-20-2022, 09:37 AM
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#9
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Site Team
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Wilsey
Posts: 18,799
M.O.C. #11455
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If you decide to go further north for any reason a heated water hose is a good idea, other than that, as the others have said use the furnace when the temps are 30 or below.
__________________
Dick, Joyce, Diego, Picatso and Gustav
2017 3720 RL, and 2013 HC 343RL
Pullrite Hitch, IS, Disk Brakes, 3rd AC, Winegard Traveler, Bathroom door mod, Dometic 320, couch for desk swap, replaced chairs, sun screens, added awnings, etc.
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