A NOT winterizing question.

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DonTom

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Auburn, CA or Reno, NV
Here I am in Ashland, OR in my old Y2K RV.

My new RV is in the Reno area and it will get down to 27 F as an overnight low for a few hours in a couple of days (Wednesday overnight low) and I won't be back in time. It is NOT winterized.

I am not sure if this question can be answered, but how long does it take at what ambient temperatures to usually cause damage in a non-winterized motorhome? And what usually happens?

I will drive the new RV to Auburn, CA ASAP, but that will not be for a few more days. There in Auburn the low will be 44F on Wednesday instead of 27F.

-Don- Ashland, OR
 
Anything with water in it will begin to freeze once the temperature drops below freezing. The more insulated the pipe or tank is the less chance it has of freezing up. The farther below freezing you go, the faster things will ice up.

Really depends on how much water is in the lines/tanks. If its only a little water, there will likely be no damage as there will be room for expansion when the water does freeze. (As water turns into ice, it expands, which is what causes damage in hard freezes.) Tight spaces in the piping system where water can collect would also be worry-some. If its full to the brim/pressurized with water there is a chance that it will burst/crack something as there will be no room for expansion as the water freezes. 27F isnt too far below freezing and if its only for a few hours during the night it may not be long or cold enough to do any real damage, possibly.

Also as long as there is properly mixed anti-freeze in the radiator the engine components should be okay in 27F.
 
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I would say that the warmth of the ground will keep you safe. It takes a good stretch of cold to get the ground solid cold, then stuff seems to freeze much faster, imo.
 
Since you are dealing with a 2022 Entegra, I am very sure that all plumbing is enclosed and no tanks are exposed. For any freezing to occur the water must reach 32° and not just the outside air temperature. Since the Entegra is a 4 season coach, it would take several days of 27° temperatures to even reach 32° and if that is the low temperature for the day it probably is only below freezing for a few hours. If temperatures stay that mild I am quite sure that your RV will be just fine.
I am not sure if this question can be answered, but how long does it take at what ambient temperatures to usually cause damage in a non-winterized motorhome? And what usually happens?
In a freezer where temperatures are usually about 0° it takes several hours to make ice. At 27° it would require 3-6 hours once the air around the plumbing reached 27° which is probably not going to happen at all.

With modern RVs that have PEX water lines the most vulnerable parts are the pump and the elbows. It isn't uncommon for a water line to freeze and suffer no ill effects at all. Your tanks would require 10 or more hours to freeze and probably days to freeze solid. A tank is usually not damaged at all from freezing unless it is 100% full. the P traps are probably the thing most often damaged by freezing today or if full, the water heater.
 
Too many variables to guess,, if the cold front is driven by a strong wind it will accelerate freezing by taking away heat more rapidly.. The most delicate part of the system is usually the water pump,, mostly made of plastic and a small amount of water remains in it and it's usually mounted in a low position in the system.. Even tho the unit may be insulated, the bay doors are not very thick and of little insulation value..>>>Dan ( This one snuck up on us,, thank the gods mine is in a garage.)
 
The water heater is a tankless.
That would be my biggest concern as it may be more exposed to the outside temperatures, if not insulated. Even so, unless things are below 32° for most of the night I don't expect it to be any problem. I'm not very familiar with how an RV tankless water heater is constructed or installed.
 
The water heater is a tankless.
If it's installed like a conventional RV water heater it's one of the most vulnerable points. It's basically a coil of copper tubing in a flame chimney so it's directly exposed to the outside air. The Atwood tankless heater that came with my Sunnybrook trailer started a low flame to keep the coil warm below 40F in standby mode. But a night in dry storage with the 12 volt power turned off and an unexpected low of 30 degrees was enough to rupture it.
 
If it's installed like a conventional RV water heater it's one of the most vulnerable points. It's basically a coil of copper tubing in a flame chimney so it's directly exposed to the outside air. The Atwood tankless heater that came with my Sunnybrook trailer started a low flame to keep the coil warm below 40F in standby mode. But a night in dry storage with the 12 volt power turned off and an unexpected low of 30 degrees was enough to rupture it.
I guess I should have left the 12V on, as mine also does that. And kept the furnace on also, perhaps as low as it will go or just a little higher.

I wasn't expecting it to get so cold so fast in Reno, but I should have known it's possible. Reno is one of those places where the weather can be almost anything any time of year. Last year, during Street Vibrations in September, it snowed on them all! It could also be above 100F on the same day during a different year.

-Don- Ashland, OR
 
Here I am in Ashland, OR in my old Y2K RV.

My new RV is in the Reno area and it will get down to 27 F as an overnight low for a few hours in a couple of days (Wednesday overnight low) and I won't be back in time. It is NOT winterized.

I am not sure if this question can be answered, but how long does it take at what ambient temperatures to usually cause damage in a non-winterized motorhome? And what usually happens?

I will drive the new RV to Auburn, CA ASAP, but that will not be for a few more days. There in Auburn the low will be 44F on Wednesday instead of 27F.

-Don- Ashland, OR
A few overnight freezes, with above freezing days, should not be harmful to an un-winterized coach.
 
with the 12 volt power turned off
I wonder if there is any chance the 12v stays on to the tankless warming coil with the 12V switch turned off. As the automatic stair left does when the 12V is off.

IMO, there is no reason to not have that 12V on to the tankless, as it's only on when needed. And it can be needed at anytime, especially in storage.

-Don- Ashland, OR
 
How long I don't know but at 27 I'd expect hours.
In addition to the fact it takes time. other than the waste pipes on a trailer (And sometimes even then) the plumbing tends to be INSIDE where there is some insulation... waste water is anything OTHER than pure so it has a lower freezing point.. though I'm not sure now much lower.

On a class A if worried. Fire up furnace and let it heat the tanks. but at 27 for a couple hours.. I'd not worry.
 

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