Do I need water tank heaters? (1 Viewer)

[RichardB]

Hi all

We have a 2013 model Autoquest 115 and had been thinking of trading it in for a later model but have decided that we will keep it - the newer 115’s have nothing really different to what our van had as standard or we have had fitted ourselves (solar, cruise control, outside shower)…EXCEPT the newer 115's have water tank heaters..

We haven’t really used the van over winter and when we have generally keep the tanks empty as we are on EHU on sites. This is okay except we are planning for next year and are thinking of going away over Christmas/new year up around the north coast of Scotland and wildcamping.

This will mean that we will have to have water in the tanks for showering, toilet and washing (we carry drinking water separately)

I have seen a place that sells tank heated blankets (https://www.tankblanket.co.uk) and am thinking that I might get some to install as a summer project!

Has anyone retro-fitted these or normal tank heaters, is it worth it, or am I just being over cautious and should I just fill the tanks, and get on with wild camping!

Any advice/help appreciated….
Richard

 

[Minxy]

Is your fresh water tank inside or outside?

 

[Speve]

We had them on an AT Tracker admittedly never did a lot of very cold weather but travel down through France in December, never used them at all and I think you need to be on hook up to use them as they use quite a lot of power.

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[RichardB]

Is your fresh water tank inside or outside?

Sorry, yeah I suppose I should have said! Both the waste and fresh tanks are outside underneath....

 

[RichardB]

I think you need to be on hook up to use them as they use quite a lot of power.

They will work on battery and also when the van is moving - we have 4 x 110a leisure batteries so power isn't to much of an issue as we will be moving for them to recharge every day or two...

 

[funflair]

A couple of tanks and some pipelines could be taking 15 amps, I wouldn’t.

Martin

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[Lenny HB]

Best option is to build insulated boxes around the tanks and take a feed from the blow air heating into the box. That's what the German manufacturers do when they fit underslung tanks.

 

[dbnosey]

Hi RichardB
I had a New Autosleeper Warwick with outside tanks. Soon as I purchased it I fitted myself a small internal 12v heater as close as possible to the pump suction/tank outlet. I also lagged as much exposed piping with central heating pipe lagging. The grey waste I just left open with a bucket under the outlet. We went to Europe several times for the Christmas Markets and also winter camping off EH and never had a problem with freezing water.
I did consider the heater tank blankets but my dealer found they came unstuck after a while rendering them useless.
Colin