Winterized Class B?

[Macodiva]

Check out escapees forum. I believe they offer classes, 2-3 days long or something like that. You take & use your own rig.

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by Vee and Zeekie

Which van do you have that withstands freezing temps without winterizing? Is it a factory-made one or a custom built one?

It's a semi-custom ARV (Advanced RV out of Willoughby, OH.) They build for all-season travel. They are well over your $100,000 budget and the oldest one used is 2012. But I wouldn't worry about it other than you can learn some tricks and build from them if you ever did a DIY or upgrade, or be inspired and fearless traveling on the road. In the winter we have 20 deg. rated sleeping bags and heat overnight just about 40 deg. You can't get a better sleep than that, IMO.

All Class B vans, as Avanti said, have to be winterized if you store outside in freezing weather unused plugged into shore power or not. Part of traveling in winter is a heated cabin AND using the water to keep it flowing through the pipes. If waste tanks are just partially full I haven't worried about freezing. You just have to reach above freezing weather to dump and I dump on a historical average every 13 days.

My fresh water tank is not directly heated (like a heating pad) and under the floor but if I have heat in the cabin, then the recirculating waste heat from the glycol heater heats the fresh water tank as well as some radiation from the floor and engine exhaust pipe underway.

The only water that can freeze up underway is my outside shower hookup but I'm never going to outside shower or use it for anything in the winter. It has pex tubing an quarter turn ball cocks resistant to freeze damage.

[Davydd]

BTW, when I say be inspired and fearless traveling on the road (in below freezing weather) I've learned at Tahquamenon Falls SP in January that almost any Class B can be used. There were up to 30 vans from many manufacturers dating back to the 1990s that endured freezing temperatures at below 0F for four or more days. That trick was in having shore power for supplementary or auxiliary heat and most just having bottled water and pink anti-freeze to put in traps, flush and add to the waste tanks.

[AdamG]

Can my RV be plugged in at my home all winter? I've tried "googling" this and came up with mixed answers. Most of what I found said "sure", but none of those were class b's and while I can't see how that would make a difference I thought I would ask.

Just as FYI...we plan to use our RV all year long...but less so in the winter. We live in Michigan...so it gets well below zero here. The RV does have heated fresh water and grey water tanks (when in use...and I'm assuming when plugged in?).

[avanti]

Originally Posted by AdamG

Can my RV be plugged in at my home all winter? I've tried "googling" this and came up with mixed answers. Most of what I found said "sure", but none of those were class b's and while I can't see how that would make a difference I thought I would ask.

Just as FYI...we plan to use our RV all year long...but less so in the winter. We live in Michigan...so it gets well below zero here. The RV does have heated fresh water and grey water tanks (when in use...and I'm assuming when plugged in?).

Sure.

However, see message #18 above. Everything that might freeze has to be within the heated envelope if you don't want to winterize.

Also, you probably want electric heat if you are going to depend on shore power for freeze protection. You wouldn't want to be consuming propane or fuel all winter.

[AdamG]

Originally Posted by avanti

Sure.

However, see message #18 above. Everything that might freeze has to be within the heated envelope if you don't want to winterize.

Also, you probably want electric heat if you are going to depend on shore power for freeze protection. You wouldn't want to be consuming propane or fuel all winter.

Got it. Would it be better just to plug it in a couple of days before we plan on using it and just blow out the tanks otherwise? Will I be able to easily tell if all of my lines are "within the heated envelope"? (new owner...I pick it up on Friday and I'm just trying to learn as much as I can prior to that).

[avanti]

Originally Posted by AdamG

Got it. Would it be better just to plug it in a couple of days before we plan on using it and just blow out the tanks otherwise? Will I be able to easily tell if all of my lines are "within the heated envelope"? (new owner...I pick it up on Friday and I'm just trying to learn as much as I can prior to that).

Yes, but if you are going to winterize, why plug in?

Vans with exclusively internal plumbing are usually advertised as "4 season". To know for sure, you would need a good look under the van. Any exposed water lines are at risk. Even then, there could be lines inside the van that are outside the insulation, or in unheated crannies. All a bit tricky.

[IWUGrad]

This discussion is very interesting to me. I have a 2007 Pleasure Way that I plan to take on a road trip from Indiana to California in early November. I would love to not winterize before the trip so we can use all of the facilities on the trip. We will go the southern route so we won't be in cold temps very long. I store the van in my garage, but it is not heated.

So my question is, should I winterize it before the trip, then when I hit warmer weather de-winterize and do the reverse for the ride home? Indiana winters are unpredictable so you never know when freezing temps will come. This is my first winter owning it so it will be a first time experience.

Or, since we will be driving most of the day, and parking most likely where there will be shore power at night, will it be okay to winterize when I get it back home?

[IWUGrad]

Oh, and I forgot to ask. Is this where the compressor method would really do the trick easily?

[avanti]

Originally Posted by IWUGrad

Oh, and I forgot to ask. Is this where the compressor method would really do the trick easily?

Yes, exactly. It is a no-fuss 10-20 minute (max) job.

Then again, the compressor method will ALWAYS do the trick.

On thing to be careful of, though: Be careful while driving through cold weather. The wind under the vehicle will greatly hasten any freezing that might happen. There is no such thing as "wind chill" on your pipes, so it doesn't lower the temperature. But, if you are below freezing, the heat will be carried away a lot faster.

[@Michael]

Originally Posted by AdamG

Can my RV be plugged in at my home all winter? I've tried "googling" this and came up with mixed answers. Most of what I found said "sure", but none of those were class b's and while I can't see how that would make a difference I thought I would ask.

Just as FYI...we plan to use our RV all year long...but less so in the winter. We live in Michigan...so it gets well below zero here. The RV does have heated fresh water and grey water tanks (when in use...and I'm assuming when plugged in?).

I highly recommend that you winterize, rather than depend on keeping the camper heated all winter - unless you have heated, enclosed storage. I would not depend on the furnace and tank heaters to keep the pipes, toilet and tanks above freezing in weather that is much below freezing.

If I camp up north (MN, WI) in winter in below freezing weather I leave the camper winterized and use jugs of water for drinking, and chase and drain water with RV antifreeze. If I travel south in winter, I un-winterize when I'm far enough south that the temps are above freezing.

--Mike