Frozen pipes are the enemies of campers! When cold temperatures arrive, it’s important to be prepared to protect your camper. Learn how to keep RV pipes from freezing while camping.
Winter camping is a ton of fun, but it’s important to be prepared. Don’t let a little frozen water ruin your camping trip if you can prevent it!
All RV owners can earn something from these tips! Learn how to protect your RV water lines and plumbing system for winter RV camping.
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How to Camp in your RV in Winter
Planning an RV trip during the colder months of the year may be stressful, but there are ways to make sure that your stay will be enjoyable and safe for everyone involved. Here are some tips on how to prepare for winter camping:
Make a plan
Understand what you need to be prepared for cold weather. Make sure that the RV furnace is working and that you have an extra water supply on hand just in case you’re suddenly dealing with an issue that doesn’t give you drinking water access.
Pack what you need to stay warm and to keep your camper warm as well
Colder weather camping is great, but you need to keep the heat levels at a range that will keep you and the camper warm.
Portable heaters are great to have in the heater, as any experienced camper will tell you. You can keep yourself warm and your pipes from freezing by using a heater.
Extra blankets are always a great idea as well. If you have room to pack warm items, pack them!
Practice caution with propane tanks
Propane tanks are great for heating your RV, but they can explode if not handled properly. Always follow the instructions that come with your tank, and never do anything that you’re unsure of.
Never use a lighter to light the gas, and never open the valve until you’ve turned off the ignition.
How to protect pipes during a winter camping trip
Long periods of time in cold weather put your pipes at risk. To protect your RV plumbing, you need to make sure that you’re doing what you can to keep the temperatures above freezing on the inside – and outside – of your camper.
Have extra insulation
The best way to protect your pipes is to have extra insulation around them. The best type of insulation is foam pipe insulation. It doesn’t take much to wrap your pipes with this stuff, so you shouldn’t have any problem doing it.
You can buy foam insulation at any hardware store. Just tell them that you’re looking for something to surround the water lines/water pipes with, and they’ll be able to direct you from there.
Have heated water hoses on hand
When you’re camping in cold weather, having heated water hoses are a must. You can buy these at most hardware stores, but it’s better to have them made especially for your RV.
A heated hose is a great solution to have on hand if the water pipes actually freeze.
Plug in electric heaters
If you have electricity where you’re camping, plug in electric space heaters. You have to be careful and be aware while doing this, and never leave them unattended.
But having ambient heat from the heaters can be a great way to keep the internal plumbing pipes from freezing during sub-freezing temperatures.
Keep your pipes dry
Pipes inside your RV tend to collect moisture. When this happens, it can lead to rust. To prevent this from happening, you should try to keep your pipes as dry as possible.
Use a dehumidifier to remove excess moisture from the air, and make sure that you wipe down your pipes regularly.
Use non-toxic antifreeze
Non-toxic antifreeze is another good way to keep your pipes from freezing. It helps to prevent ice from forming inside your pipes, which can damage them. Antifreeze comes in different types, so make sure that you choose the right kind for your RV.
You can’t just add antifreeze – there is a specific type that is made for RVs.
Open the cabinet doors
Cold air will stay trapped around pipes, and that’s not helpful! On your winter trip, leave your cabinets open so that the warmer air inside the camper can circulate all around without a barrier.
Have running water dripping in the sink
If you’re cold weather camping, you can have a slow trickle of water coming out of the tap, which can help to keep the water flowing and not sitting still, giving it time to freeze.
It doesn’t have to be a forceful flow, but one that you can easily due to possibly help avoid costly repairs.
Add an RV skirt
If you’re camping and not moving, an RV skirt being added can be one of those proper precautions that can really pay off.
That extra protection can be a great way to slow down the freezing of the single digits and can be taken off or down if needed during the warmer months.
Put up window coverings
While it may not add a ton of extra heat, any extra RV insulation is a good idea. You can put up some insulation boards or just make sure that you have adequate insulation around windows, doors, and openings to keep the cold air out.
How to keep a Black RV Tank from Freezing
No one wants to deal with a frozen black tank. No one. If you don’t want to do a ton of extra work, adding Non-Toxic RV Antifreeze to your black RV tank is the best bet.
All you need to do is buy it and empty it into the black water tank. Make sure that you have all the dump valves closed so that it doesn’t leave as soon as you’re dumping it in.
Dump it in through your toilet as well, and you can pour it down the sink drains, too. That way, your basis is covered, and you have done a great job at protecting the blank tank. (the sink is connected to the gray tank – not the blank tank, but you still need to add it to that as well)
Anytime you dump the black tank, you need to add in more antifreeze so that it doesn’t freeze.
Tips to keep fresh water tank from freezing in the camper
The best way to keep fresh water tanks from freezing is to keep the inside of the camper warm. Using propane heaters and space heaters to keep the internal temperatures from being too cold is key.
Just don’t leave them running while you’re not around, and make sure that they’re not too close to anything so that they don’t create a fire hazard.
We’ve done this method many times – it does work!
How Long Does It Have To Be Below Freezing For RV Pipes To Freeze?
It can vary, but typically, it will need to be at freezing temperatures for about 24 consecutive hours for the RV pipes to start to freeze.
More than likely, the RV lines won’t freeze in one night, but that can depend on the type of winter storm or climate that you living in. If the outdoor temperature is frigid cold, why take the risk?
How to unfreeze RV pipes
First and foremost, if your RV pipes freeze, you have to be patient to unthaw them properly. It may take 12-16 hours to unthaw frozen pipes, so don’t plan on anything happening quickly! There is no easy way to unthaw exposed pipes, so that’s the first thing that you’re going to have to understand.
You’re going to need to try heating devices and use any heating resources safely that you have. If you rush it or can’t get it done on your own, you’re going to need to have an RV repair option handy and ready to call.
Space heaters
If the pipes are frozen, you need to have heaters running in the RV to try to start the thawing process.
A portable propane heater can be used as well, but this shouldn’t be used for an extended period of time or be left unmonitored as it’s a safety and fire hazard.
Heat tape
You can also add heat tape to the pipes, but you need to be sure that the pipes aren’t leaking at all before adding.
Hair dryer
A lot of people will use a hair dryer to unthaw pipes, but you cannot do this method if the pipes are plastic. This only will potentially work on copper or metal piping. (so, more than likely, this isn’t going to be an option in your camper because campers don’t have metal piping. I did hear this tip from someone else, but again, it’s only for metal which typically isn’t the case in campers) Be careful using a blow dryer as it can melt or damage if not done carefully.
Call a plumbing expert
Frozen water pipes aren’t a joke – so if you’re not sure what to do, call a plumber or RV expert. Having professional help right from the start might be a way to not have even more expensive repairs in the future.
Checking for frozen pipe damage in a camper
Never assume that everything is fine with the pipes after winter has come and gone. The winter months can be long and harsh, so you need to proceed with caution when taking your first camping trip during the warm months.
Make sure that there aren’t any issues with your water connection by hooking up the hose outside and watching for leaks.
You’re looking for signs of damage with leaks coming from the plastic pipes or connectors in your camper as well. Putting a paper plate underneath them to see if they’re dripping is a great way to know if there are leaks.
A damaged pipe can be a low and slow leak as well, so it can take time to see it happening. If there is ANY dripping from the pipes, this is an indicator that you’ve gotten a crack over the winter months.
Pay attention to all areas that have pipes and water. If you can be there while going through the checking process, it can save you from extra costly damage down the road.
Can I camp in an RV that is winterized?
Absolutely. If you don’t need access to freshwater tank or to the toilet while camping, just leave it winterized so that you don’t have to stress out about the pipes freezing.
If you’re camping in cold climates, these tips can help you protect sensitive components in your camper and RV. Keeping the inside of your RV warm is important as this can produce ambient heat that will keep the rest of your travel trailer warm as well. Warm air will circulate and hopefully protect your rv’s water system.
Do your best with the simple steps listed above, and always practice safety precautions.
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