Question about 4 seasons

[Peynicole2020]

Is a 2019 Jayco Jayflight slx 324bdhs a 4 seasons trailer? Or maybe extended season? Looking to buy for full time living but need it to be able to withstand Texas winters!

 

[Kevin D Pem]

Is a 2019 Jayco Jayflight slx 324bdhs a 4 seasons trailer? Or maybe extended season? Looking to buy for full time living but need it to be able to withstand Texas winters!

Most of the time 4 season means that the plumbing is protected (not exposed).

 

[Peynicole2020]

Most of the time 4 season means that the plumbing is protected (not exposed).

Is there precautions you could do to prepare for winter if you don’t have a 4 seasons camper and plan on living in it full time through the winter? We would need running water

 

[Kevin D Pem]

Is there precautions you could do to prepare for winter if you don’t have a 4 seasons camper and plan on living in it full time through the winter? We would need running water

What kind of conditions? Where do you live?

 

[Gronk]

Most of your preparations depends on what part of Texas you will be in for the winter. I spent three winters in the coastal bend and one down by Brownsville. About the only winter prep I would do is keep some water in the fresh tank in case the temperature would get below about 30 degrees. That's about the temp I would disconnect the hose to keep it from freezing. If it would be a sustained cold spell I would also make sure my grey tank valves (I have two grey tanks) were open since they would be exposed. Where are you thinking for the winter?

 

[Peynicole2020]

Most of your preparations depends on what part of Texas you will be in for the winter. I spent three winters in the coastal bend and one down by Brownsville. About the only winter prep I would do is keep some water in the fresh tank in case the temperature would get below about 30 degrees. That's about the temp I would disconnect the hose to keep it from freezing. If it would be a sustained cold spell I would also make sure my grey tank valves (I have two grey tanks) were open since they would be exposed. Where are you thinking for the winter?

We are in north Texas close to the Oklahoma border and this winter experienced a very cold spell of negative temperatures though that is not always normal. Most likely a few weeks in the winter below freezing and we will be in it full time! Would heated hoses work to keep the water running?

 

[Kevin D Pem]

I will turn your question around.
If you keep the water flowing the hose will not freeze. Get pipe insulation to put on the hose.

Just a drip will do the job. Just keep the gray tank open.

The trailer will be more comfortable with skirting, this can be plastic tarps.

Plastic on the inside of windows will warm it up and keep moisture from forming on them.

I guess to answer your question, just about any trailer can serve as a home In cold weather. @Gronk Has some great suggestions, and it can go a lot further. When the time comes we can come up with a bunch of ideas.

 

[FL-JOE]

I would NEVER leave a faucet dripping with the gray tank open in an RV during very cold freezing weather. The plumbing in an RV is nothing like the plumbing in a residence. What would happen if a drain line would freeze and the water starts backing up at 2am?

First off, a quick search and you will find heated water hoses you can plug in and use when the temps drop below 30 degrees. Of course the campground water inlet must also be protected if it gets too cold. These plug-in heated water hoses are approximately $90 for a 50' one.

Between 25 and 30 degrees your gray and black gate valves should be okay as long as the day time temps warm up slightly. If you are experiencing temps that stay in the 28 and below range you may want to start flushing your toilet using RV antifreeze instead of water. This will allow you to be able to dump that black tank when it gets full and not experience a frozen gate valve.

If your RV has a sealed underbelly with storage compartments you may want to find a way to plug in a ceramic heater down there. Skirting around the outside would be great if the campground will allow it. As far as wrapping pipes, if cold temps are anticipated for extended periods I would use pipe insulation and wrap my sewer discharge. In addition you may want to consider replacing the stinky-slinky with PVC while the weather is cold.

There are numerous other things you can do to assist in keeping most RVs warmer in the winter, like fitting rigid insulation board in all skylights etc.

 

[Germanrazor]

Here is a tip I performed a few weeks back at a campground that temps dipped below 32, woke up and everyone around me had frozen water hose lines.

If on city water line and you are hooked into a sewer at the campground simply do the following which old-timers have done at regular homes for over a century:

- Wrap you drinking water hose in one of those silver thermal blankets and the exposed line to your camper in a pool noodle
- Open your gray water tank valve and allow free flow
- Run a faucet inside your camper on a very slight steady drizzle

This will make it very difficult for your line to freeze. Most freeze at the water hose if they have a insulated underbelly. But it could get super cold and affect those too. But most cold snaps are never that long in duration unless you live in those areas and I doubt where you stated it is.

Funny, I got up that morning while folks were thawing lines and scrambling about. I asked a neighbor how many froze? He said most. He asked yours didn’t? I said no and told him what I did that night prior to going to bed and he said you must be a seasoned camper.....I laughed and said actually my first time!

 

[FL-JOE]

Over the years we have been in numerous locations when the overnight temps went down between 29 and 32 degrees. When it was in that range just for overnight I have never experienced anything freezing, even my white RV water hose. Now if it hits below that early in the evening and stays there all night then you will probably have some freezing in the water inlet line.

Again, I would never leave water running in an RV overnight as a shortcut to prevent freezing lines. But everyone has to do what they feel comfortable with and what they think works best for them.