Towing in Cold Weather

[dieselman]

This year for the first time I will be towing our Monty in cold weather. I ahve always just winterized the trailer and stayed with family. I am not to sure what I need to do to ensure we do not freeze our water system. Should I fill the system with Pink fluid or just blow the lines? Should I run the furnace as we travel down the road? How should we camp for at least the first night, with out connecting the water hose or connect the water hose and use the all fo the facilities on board? I will be coming from west central Missouri, Peculiar (where the Flying J on 71 Highway is). Any thoughts from all of you "cold weather" experts.

Thanks

Carle

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

From lower MICHIGAN, not Missouri, we

Winterize as usual.

Travel with heat on about 45 degrees.

NO water till we get to Arkansas, Georgia, Alabama or like southern states.

Take along LOTS of baby wipes, you can take a little sponge bath, wipe down the countertops, clean just about anything with them.

Take along a gallon or two of water to flush the potty. All lightly used toilet paper goes in the trash can, always does and even more important when you don't have a lot of water to follow up with.

Shower in the campground showers, use their facilities.

Take along foods that can be warmed in the microwave, or sandwiches and salads. Stuff that takes NO on top of the stove preparation. Eat big meal at lunch time in a restaurant of choice. Truck stops are good!

If we were leaving and heading south TODAY, we would do just as we do for summer camping/traveling, tote along about 10 gallons in the fresh water, use the pump. No need to winterize, etc.

Seeing that we have never been able to leave much before the Christmas holiday, we do as outlined above.

Mother Nature and her brats being fickle, watch the weather and the temps. Your unit should be able to withstand temps easily down into the 20's (yea I know, new units 0 degrees, etc, the number 20 is conservative) without ANY fear of freezeups. Outside water faucets will freeze tho, and your hoses too. Use the onboard fresh water/pump if the temps are gonna be mild,

and,

HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[richfaa]

Carol has got it covered...

[Charlie]

Take Carol's word....she and Al have the experience.

[noneck]

A bow to Carol and Al, our cold temp mentors!

[Bob Pasternak]

A method Jeanne & I have used when comming back to Indiana from FL in Feb. is I'll winterize the Monty in FL. and stay in motels on the way home. Works for us.

[sreigle]

If already winterized, I'd say leave it so until you get to warmer weather.

As fulltimers, we were never winterized. We just set the furnace on the lowest setting and never had a problem. And we've made the first day of our trips starting with subfreezing weather. I never noticed any inordinate usage of propane doing that, either.

We were leaving from Independence, MO. We were always well into Arkansas by the time we stopped for the night and the temperatures allowed us to connect to the park's water supply without problem. If there were a threat of a hard freeze I'd make sure I had enough water in the tank and just use onboard water and pump for the night. I do not like park showers and would use my own. I can either carry that waste water the next day or dump it before we leave. It isn't going to freeze in the tanks if you run the furnace occasionally. Just don't connect the sewer hose and leave a valve open overnight. You can connect the hose but don't open the valve until ready to dump. And if staying another night, be sure the sewer hose is empty. This is assuming you are in hard freeze territory.