Frost :( (1 Viewer)

[Diggerdi]

Can I still be classed as a beginner after nearly 8 weeks? I'm panicking like mad as we had a frost here last night, this morning the car was frozen over. We haven't drained the motorhome down. I presume the heater will have dumped its water, but do you think a mild-ish frost will have harmed the pipes/taps? You really shouldn't have to think about frost at the end of April in the middle of England (well just above middle).

I'm at a loss to know what to do regarding water. If I don't put much in we keep running out, last time I filled it showed 75% and that takes some getting rid of, other than running it all through the taps and then having to keep emptying the grey waste. And then, where can you empty a full grey tank if you're not on a site with a drive over point. Our grey waste pipe is almost an arms length under the motorhome and I have to lie down to stick a bucket under it and then struggle to get it out. I have fitted a "pond pipe" extension but it will not empty into a bucket because the end of the pipe is then higher than the waste pipe on the tank. What does everyone else do?

 

[chaser]

I'd panic if i were you
It'll be rayt

 

[Four of us]

It shouldn't be a problem. We have had ours out in fairly chilly conditions at various times with no dire consequences. However do check the position of the water heater valve before turning the pump on again - can lead to embarrassment in motorway service areas otherwise when you stop to make a cuppa!

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[WillH]

Has your tank not got a drain plug? To access ours first we lift the carpet, then we lift the hatch in the floor, then we lift the next hatch in the floor, then, we unscrew the inspection lid on the tank, and, then, we put a hand in and pull out the rubber plug!

 

[Dorset Diver]

Can I still be classed as a beginner after nearly 8 weeks? I'm panicking like mad as we had a frost here last night, this morning the car was frozen over. We haven't drained the motorhome down. I presume the heater will have dumped its water, but do you think a mild-ish frost will have harmed the pipes/taps? You really shouldn't have to think about frost at the end of April in the middle of England (well just above middle).

I'm at a loss to know what to do regarding water. If I don't put much in we keep running out, last time I filled it showed 75% and that takes some getting rid of, other than running it all through the taps and then having to keep emptying the grey waste. And then, where can you empty a full grey tank if you're not on a site with a drive over point. Our grey waste pipe is almost an arms length under the motorhome and I have to lie down to stick a bucket under it and then struggle to get it out. I have fitted a "pond pipe" extension but it will not empty into a bucket because the end of the pipe is then higher than the waste pipe on the tank. What does everyone else do?

Panic not. You could always put the van heating on low just to keep it above freezing.

 

[Just smiffy]

Our grey waste pipe is almost an arms length under the motorhome and I have to lie down to stick a bucket under it and then struggle to get it out

From what I've seen that's unusual, are you sure that a bit hasn't fallen off....?every waste I've seen is always up to the side of the van so you can see where it's going to empty out easily or to put a bucket under it...

I'd investigate that for a solution.... it will make your life so much easier....

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[Jasz]

I would be worried about my vans insulation if an overnight frost chilled the water enough to freeze it as long as the daytime temperature was reasonable (I believe most areas have been at least 10 degrees recently). If daytime temperatures are near freezing then I would be more concerned.

 

[rangi]

With a M/Home it's a bit like being an Hussar/Dragoon,
After a trip they always looked after their horse first, then themselves.
When heading home from a trip always drain down, leave all taps open including the drain taps for the fresh water tank BEFORE leaving the site. This way by the time I get home the fresh water tank has only got a few slops in it and it is easy to give it a swift wipe dry. In winter I have cuts from an old Duvet that I use to cover the Boiler and water pump just as a bit of added protection from frost.

 

[golly]

From what I've seen that's unusual, are you sure that a bit hasn't fallen off....?every waste I've seen is always up to the side of the van so you can see where it's going to empty out easily or to put a bucket under it...

I'd investigate that for a solution.... it will make your life so much easier....

No, not unusual a few vans just have a small plug to pull out to drain the fresh water. Our van (Pilote) has that system, when i get round to it i am going to fit an external tap.

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[Diggerdi]

Has your tank not got a drain plug? To access ours first we lift the carpet, then we lift the hatch in the floor, then we lift the next hatch in the floor, then, we unscrew the inspection lid on the tank, and, then, we put a hand in and pull out the rubber plug!

The access to our tank is in the garage but I haven't looked inside it. I believe there is a draining plug but the problem still arises of WHERE to empty it. We are on storage and I don't think they'd be happy if we emptied about 60 litres of water!

 

[Just smiffy]

No, not unusual a few vans just have a small plug to pull out to drain the fresh water. Our van (Pilote) has that system, when i get round to it i am going to fit an external tap.

Grey waste pipe....?

 

[Kingham]

@Diggerdi I got back from Scotland yesterday and due to the fact that I'm heading off again on Monday, I deliberately didn't drain the van down, even though I had seen the cold snap that was being forecast.

There were a couple of early morning frosts while I was testing the van last week and the inside of the van was warm enough for me to sleep under a 4 tog quilt, in my usual 'invisible' jarmies and NO heating on during the week, except for one afternoon while I was testing it.
Not in a million years was that light frost going to cause problems inside the van and even without the heating, the internal temperature wasn't low enough to cause the boiler to dump its contents.

I've found that the coldest part of the night and when the frost tends to form at this time of year, is just before dawn. Therefore the coldest period is relatively short lived, as the clear skies that allow the frost, soon turn to a sunny morning and IMO for internal pipes and tanks to freeze, there needs to be a much deeper and more prolonged freeze.

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[Infinity31]

Ha! never worried about frost with a T5 conversion without any tanks, used regularly all year round and as daily drive, just left everything in there for the next trip.

Then after years of being in the van our Nespresso Pixie (used only when on hook up) sprung a leak!!!! checked on web and only explanation was frost damage. Should have drained it!!!

 

[WillH]

Sorry, didn't realise you kept the van in storage, we dump ours on the gravel hardstand outside our house. Though we never have 60 litres in the tank, rarely more than 30 litres before we set off and always less when we arrive home.

 

[Diggerdi]

Panic not. You could always put the van heating on low just to keep it above freezing.

We can't do that as the mh is on a storage site with no electric and, even if we wanted to, we couldn't run the heating on gas as we have to turn the gas off on the site. We have no space to have it at home so couldn't even bring it here short term.

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[Diggerdi]

No, not unusual a few vans just have a small plug to pull out to drain the fresh water. Our van (Pilote) has that system, when i get round to it i am going to fit an external tap.

Ours is a Pilote too. The actual valve is opened with a pull handle near the side, but the drain is a good way underneath.

 

[golly]

Ours is a Pilote too. The actual valve is opened with a pull handle near the side, but the drain is a good way underneath.

Sorry, think I'm getting confused re grey and fresh water. Our fresh water tank is emptied as in previous post, our grey, has a tap near the entrance step, but I think this was fitted by the dealer to replace the pull handle.

 

[KeithChesterfield]

Diggerdi - I've got a Pilote which had a similar problem - I'm in France at the moment but will post advice what to do to solve the drain problem (with pictures) when I get back home this weekend - if someone else hasn't done so by then.

It's an easy sort and cheap as well.

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[Jasz]

Slightly off topic, I have a friend who left a kettle of water in a summer house last winter. It survived many freezing nights, but had obviously frozen up causing it to split when the daytime temperature didn't get above freezing in February (it then caused the electrics to trip out as it was left plugged in).
This was in the South East which didn't get too cold most of the winter.

 

[Diggerdi]

Diggerdi - I've got a Pilote which had a similar problem - I'm in France at the moment but will post advice what to do to solve the drain problem (with pictures) when I get back home this weekend - if someone else hasn't done so by then.

It's an easy sort and cheap as well.

If it's the pond hose, I've already done that. I think it was your method I used, but it needs some fine tuning, ie it leaks at the joins. I have a short hose from the waste tank pipe, held in a spring clip fixed to the upright piece where the valve release pull handle is. It is fixed to the pipe with a jubilee clip, but does leak. I also have a further 10m length (which I am going to split into two) to use on a fully serviced pitch or where there is no drive over dump. Again, though, it leaks at the joints, so I am going to have to find some way to seal the push fit fittings.

 

[The Wino]

We have a similar drain on our Chausson but seem to manage OK we do spend a lot of time in France when away though so easy to find drive over drains. In the UK I'm one of those terrible people that sometimes stops in a layby over a drain and pull it there we hardly cook in the van so its mainly dish washing and showering water (I would never do that with the casette of course).If on a grass pitch near a hedge I have dumped the grey there I would be quite happy watering my garden with it.I dump the fresh on the drive at home its no different to using a hose to wash the m/h and you wouldn't try to collect all the water then, if I forget I drain at the storage place its on gravel and drains well. I've fitted a plastic 15mm tap to the drain for the fresh water pipe outlet so easy to drain and stop when required. I wouldn't have thought it very likely the frost will have been severe enough to dammage anything I hope not because I forgot to drain the heater last time!!!.

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[Allanm]

We have owned 3 vans in 4 years and have only ever drained the fresh water tanks in each van once. The first van, when I sold it. The second van when I cleaned out the water tank after I bought it as the water was still in there from the previous owner, and the current van when I changed the boiler drain plug.
If it looks like there is going to be a frost, I turn the boiler on for a few hours. We use the van all year round, life's too short to keep faffing about with drain valves and taps!

 

[Bognor Saint]

From what I've seen that's unusual, are you sure that a bit hasn't fallen off....?every waste I've seen is always up to the side of the van so you can see where it's going to empty out easily or to put a bucket under it...

I'd investigate that for a solution.... it will make your life so much easier....

The Chausson that we hired last year had this arrangement too. Long handle that you pulled to open the waste pipe situated in the middle of the van.

 

[Just smiffy]

The Chausson that we hired last year had this arrangement too. Long handle that you pulled to open the waste pipe situated in the middle of the van.

Hmm.... must be for stealth dumping.....

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[Geoff and Fiona]

I would not worry. Had a couple of nights frost in Bolton, killed off the runner beans, but the van did not dump it's water.

 

[suavecarve]

In answer to your first question from your first post.
Do you buy wine the gallon ?
How many gallons do you get through in average day ?
Do you really care if it is red white or rose ?

If your answers are yes, any plural number and no, in that order you can move on to the intermediary stage of motorhoming

 

[Diggerdi]

In answer to your first question from your first post.
Do you buy wine the gallon ?
How many gallons do you get through in average day ?
Do you really care if it is red white or rose ?

If your answers are yes, any plural number and no, in that order you can move on to the intermediary stage of motorhoming

That's me stuffed then, I don't drink wine at all. Horrible stuff

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[Diggerdi]

As a follow on from my initial question, the boiler did dump the water. Turned the water on on control panel, ran hot water and, fortunately, had door open so heard water running out underneath van. Remembered where frost control was (underneath drawer in kitchen) and it was just a matter of pressing a button, voila no water running out.

 

[Cuto's]

@Diggerdi what diameter hose/pipe did you need to buy to fit to the grey waste pipe ? Off to Scotland next week and so far have only used Moho service points to drain the grey, but need to get the right hose. Thanks for any advice you can give

 

[Diggerdi]

Sorry, only just seen this. I got 40mm black corrugated pond hose. I bought 10m, fitted it to the drain point (there is actually a removable 'bit', you twist it off, makes it a lot easier to fit the hose), fixed it with a jubilee clip. I drilled into the upright metal piece that the pull handle is fitted to (tip: use a sharp, new drill bit, I broke 3 used ones before finding a new one, lol), fitted a 40mm spring clip to hold the hose. I cut the hose off so it cleared the side of the motorhome by approx 8 inches. I also purchased 40mm barb to 1.5'' female BSP hosetail and 40mm Barb x 1 1/2" Male Hosetail so I could join the short fixed hose to the longer hose, if needed. I got all these bits online from a company called Aquatix-2u Ltd.

I still need to perfect it, I think I need to use some sort of waterproof tape where the hosetails are as they are a bit loose and leak slightly. I have also since purchased another two hosetails (one of each) and think I will split the long hose into two as 9.5 metres (approx) will sometimes be too long.

Hope you understand my explanation. If you need any more info, get in touch. We are going away tomorrow in the moho, so I could take some photos which will probably better show how I did it.