Freeze Advice Needed

[Keys Cruiser]

I have a 2008 Gulfstream Yellowstone Model 8390 Diesel Pusher. My daughter and her husband borrowed it for a trip to Myrtle Beach and now it appears they will have a FREEZE tomorrow night. We live in South Florida and our coach has never seen 32 degrees. I think the extreme cold will only be overnight and I need advice on what to tell them. My first instinct is to have them put a small space heater in the basement where the water tank is... And then have them disconnect the hose for the night.

Anything else? Should I have them drain the water tanks? How do I protect the water line to the washer???

HELP

[GStream40]

We have used our MH many times in temps down in the 20's with no problems. The only thing we do is unhook the supply water hose and use the furnaces in the coach.
On ours and I believe most if not all class A diesels have a duct from the furnace that supplies some heat to the basement area.

Ron

[03heritagerider]

I don't think you need to worry. If the furnace is on, the basement is heated, therefore it will keep the lines inside the coach flowing.

Your problem will be with the supply hose freezing, which unless it stays below freezing for several hours, it won't happen. They can just turn the water off at the spigot and disconnect the hose before they go to bed.

I would be more concerned with the line going into your ice maker, if you have one. That line is in an outside compartment behind the fridge. It is exposed to the cold, it is very small, and will freeze first.

I would advise them, if they are handy enough, to go to the manifold and shut off the valve to the ice maker. then make sure the ice maker is empty, but still on so it will try to make more ice. Hopefully it will suck out the water in the line and leave some air for expansion if it does freeze.

Someone may have a better way of keeping the ice maker line from freezing.

I've also checked the hourly forecast and it doesn't look like it will get below freezing until shortly before dawn, and then only to 30°. Hopefully, by the time it does, the sun will be coming up and get above freezing shortly.

I've had the line to the ice maker pump, and the pump freeze and split them both. I now go "old school" and use ice trays.

Good luck and keep us posted.

P.S. tell them DO NOT use a space heater inside the coach. If it keeps the temp too high inside for the furnaces(s) to come on, then the basement will not be heating, leaving the water lines vulnerable.

[RayChez1]

I would agree with most of the information posted. But if they are in the coach and they have the furnace on, nothing will freeze on the coach. I would take the water hose off and possibly the sewer hose also. If they are going to use the Heat Pumps only and not the furnace, Then open the kitchen cabinets so that the heat will work its way to the water lines, black and grey tanks. There are holes on the partitions where they have run the water lines to the kitchen area. So heat will escape through those holes.

I have been on my coach when the weather has dropped down to 27 degrees while hunting in Utah and Colorado and nothing has ever frozen.

[J79Engine]

I have a 2005 SunVoyager 8.1 gas and I run a maintenance drop light with a 75 watt light bulb from the basement door next to the water lines that has a electrical outlet into the basement door that has the water works inside. 75 watts is enoungh to keep the water and lines from feezing with the basement door closed. Be sure to keep the bathroom door open unless you have central heat on or the toilet lines could freeze up. I did not while I was using space heaters inside instead of propane heat and the water lines in the toilet froze cracking a small plastic part which I relplaced. Any external line, water or sewer should be disconnected. Put enough water in the tank to take them trough the night and leave the hot water tank on as long as you have water in the tank. Then all will be good! I often forget to turn off the 75 watt light which is fine as long as your connected to a shore cord or your running the generator on board. It will not over heat the bay.

[Keys Cruiser]

Thank you to everyone for the input... I think I now have a plan of action.

[RayHarkness]

tossing something in here. Use the Furnace...now.I did learn something, dont' use space heater inside. now THAT makes sense as the furnace handles the bay under.

If there is a real cold snap, to make you feel better, put a couple work lights down there with 75 w bulb. and fyi...from an old boater, if you run into this a lot, there are items that can be used on boats, like a heating "stick" that would go down in the bilge area. But I have always just used a couple trouble lights, CAREFULLY placed. That would go a LONG way to resolving any concerns. HOnestly, for that short period your talking, I doubt you would have any problems, after unhooking exterior water lines etc.
I also agree, open up kitchen cupboards, or cabinets to allow airflow inside. But honestly...your just like me..I PANIC...its gonna freeze..its gonna freeze. It takes a long period of cold with some high winds to really be a concern..BUT.............better to be safe then sorry.

all that said.......................what did I just say? I forget!