Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I thought i would have more time to decide some of this but it has gotten a little colder quicker then i thought.
First, thoughts on best and safest way to heat a 7/16ft trailer? i am using a small electrical space heater. Just concerned a safety. I have water ran now and don’t want it to freeze up. i will have to leave it at times for a few days when i travel back home.
This leads to my next question. Best way to insulate inlet and outlet of water. I don’t have tanks running sewage out like you would at you ur house. Problem i think i will have is all my sewage is plumbed underneath the trailer. I have a pee trap that is exposed underneath which will hold water. concerned about this freezing. Was going to put a water line heater on the inlet and insulate. should i also do this with the sewage line so h the trap on it?

Well, if I had to leave it for days I want to winterize it. Blow out fresh pipes and fill with RV anti freeze. Same for the drains , try to get rid of the "water" and then fill with RV antifreeze. Now for living in it during winter I'd look into heat tape and pipe insulation and skirting of some sort. For heat I have several choices. I got a Wave LP catalytic heater 8000btu, A heat strip in the rooftop AC, and a 1500wt small box type heater. The little box heater is most effective but I wouldn't leave and have it on, no thermostat. You might want to look into electric floor heat radiant coils like for a bathroom that has a t-stat. There is always a risk but that seems less risky if you leave it for days or all day. There are also some tiny wood burners for sail boats if you are there to stoke it.

McDave

What you are mentioning is why I like my td better for camping in cold weather than my 17 ft coachman with all the bells and whistles. Cold weather, you just go, when you come back from the trip, you change your sheets and restock a few items and you are ready for the next trip in as long as it takes to hitch up and go. It was because of these freezing camping trips that I opted to leave the sink out of my td. It suits me perfectly as the ideal cold weather camping unit. Until temps get down to about forty or so, I usually don't bother plugging in the electric heater. Just don't need it. Generally me and the dog make all the heat in such a small unit that I need.

Art

One with a CT with water plumbing can still use their trailer just as long as a TD can. All it takes is to winterize the water lines (not a bad or hard job) and then use the trailer using bottled or containered water. I do that every year for when I go hunting. No problems. Thanks for reminding me to go and flush out mine.

Opps, actually, I just remember this is not totally true. I use my RV hot water tank as a heat source through a pump, fan and radiator. Keeps the trailer very warm, lines protected even in the teens. Then after the November hunting, the lines get flushed and any impromptu trips are with bottled water.

After you are winterized you can keep using your toilet and black water tank if you flush by pouring rv antifreeze by hand. Or I suppose if you have enough antifreeze in the fresh water tank, use the pump and toilet as usual. I would be liberal with the antifreeze to make up for the freezables you deposit. Probably not a problem unless it is really cold like sub zero.

gbowman, Howdy;

Depends on where you have the CT located, winter in Montana is alot different then in Florida.

When I bought my CT it was June and I was headed to visit some friends from a different forum
for some trout fishing on the Madison River just west of west Yellowstone, Mt. Living in Southern
N.M. I did pack some warn clothes, Picked my trailer up in Salt Lake City so for the trip it was
un-insulated but ... I'd lived in Ut for awhile so I kinda knew what to expect. I took one of those
oil-filled heaters and even though my dog Rascal and I experienced the winter we missed in N.M.,
we were warm and comfortable the entire time we were there. Yes it got down into the 30's and
even though there was some snow, mostly flurries my trailer is a 6'X14'X6.5'.

A lot of RVers, I am one fulltimer ta boot, can and do get by with just blowing out their water lines
dropping a quart down the pipe that leads to the P-trap will help although there is nothing to trap
the water that remains causing any expansion to crack or burst your pipes. Open the water lines
blow them out leave the taps open walk away ... shouldn't have any problems. Not saying you won't,
nothing made by man is Murphy proof, just that you shouldn't.

hank

lrrowe wrote:One with a CT with water plumbing can still use their trailer just as long as a TD can. All it takes is to winterize the water lines (not a bad or hard job) and then use the trailer using bottled or containered water. I do that every year for when I go hunting. No problems. Thanks for reminding me to go and flush out mine.

Opps, actually, I just remember this is not totally true. I use my RV hot water tank as a heat source through a pump, fan and radiator. Keeps the trailer very warm, lines protected even in the teens. Then after the November hunting, the lines get flushed and any impromptu trips are with bottled water.

Could you post a photo or two of the hot water air heat exchange your talking about. I understand the idea (pool heater works the reverse of this) but would like to see how you did it


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I'm thinking that I will use the heat tape on the inside water pipes also. Seem like a good idea and least expensive.

gbowman, Howdy;

gbowman wrote:I'm thinking that I will use the heat tape on the inside water pipes also. Seem like a good idea and least expensive.

If that is the route you choose to follow then just be sure that the thermostat is exposed to the cold air
or all is for naught. I'd still pour a quart of RV anti-freeze into the orifice that feeds the P-trap.

hank

The tape I got for the outside said to put the thermostat against the water line. If that correct?
I did get some antifreeze. Actually I got windshield wiper fluid.

gbowman, Howdy;

Is this something like you have?
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Frost-King- ... /100032792
if so, it's the same as I have been using for 8 years now while living in an RV in both N.M.
where I am at present and before in central Utah where it would get down into the minus
30's and 40's. What I have found works for me is to keep the thermostat (orange block looking
thing), exposed to the air temp. as the utility pedestal can and generally is insulated for
the water section and will hamper the on/off of the heating element IMO. How you
choose to install yours is up to you this is just my experience and I've not had any pipes
freeze up yet (knock on wood).

hank

BigDave_185 wrote:

lrrowe wrote:One with a CT with water plumbing can still use their trailer just as long as a TD can. All it takes is to winterize the water lines (not a bad or hard job) and then use the trailer using bottled or containered water. I do that every year for when I go hunting. No problems. Thanks for reminding me to go and flush out mine.

Opps, actually, I just remember this is not totally true. I use my RV hot water tank as a heat source through a pump, fan and radiator. Keeps the trailer very warm, lines protected even in the teens. Then after the November hunting, the lines get flushed and any impromptu trips are with bottled water.

Could you post a photo or two of the hot water air heat exchange your talking about. I understand the idea (pool heater works the reverse of this) but would like to see how you did it


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Just saw this. Yes I will.