The thing I don’t get ...

[Jewellbags]

Amongst others is that if I’m planning to use the MH every other weekend through our winter then do I still need to drain it all down , etc or can I just keep it warm enough on very cold days - which as I’m based in Southampton isn’t very often

thoughts ?

 

[Odd-no-more]

I always drained down, best safe than sorry. It doesn't take too long to fill up when needed.

 

[Barclaybasher]

Just keep it warm, then ready to go !

 

[Jewellbags]

And how do u keep yours warm ?

 

[Badknee]

Amongst others is that if I’m planning to use the MH every other weekend through our winter then do I still need to drain it all down , etc or can I just keep it warm enough on very cold days - which as I’m based in Southampton isn’t very often

thoughts ?

Two things you have to find out first.
Is the fresh water tank inside or outside.
Does it have a heater in it or around it.

If it’s inside then keep the moho heated.
If it’s outside (underneath) it will need heating.

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[Vipar]

Give her a cuddle

 

[Barclaybasher]

Hook up and a fan heater set at just above freezing...

 

[Zigisla]

I’m just along the coast at fareham and MH stored at Collingwood. I only drain down if not using for a few weeks or temp really cold. Often top up on return ready for the off. As you said, very rarely that cold. I do however, switch off hab power, then open all taps

 

[Mr Chrysalis]

Ours is in use all year round. It lives in the driveway at home between trips, plugged in to the mains, fridge stocked, heater set to 10 deg, water heater set to 40 deg, and a small oil filled radiator plugged in.

 

[Jewellbags]

I’m just along the coast at fareham and MH stored at Collingwood. I only drain down if not using for a few weeks or temp really cold. Often top up on return ready for the off. As you said, very rarely that cold. I do however, switch off hab power, then open all taps

Sorry for being thick u mean u leave all the tap open , obviously with the pump off with water in the system?

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[TheBig1]

if like many vans there is an automatic dump valve, any temperature below 5 degrees will see the valve open and the water on the floor under the van

I keep mine warm and aired using an oil filled radiator set to about 10 degrees

 

[peterc10]

And how do u keep yours warm ?

We keep it plugged in to the electrics and put the heating on about 10 degrees.

 

[Cheshirecat57]

Just one night unattended (ie in storage or on you drive and forgotten ) it will freeze
Physics is Physics

It is so easy to drain diwn, why any reluctance not to do so?

 

[Mr Chrysalis]

Just one night unattended (ie in storage or on you drive and forgotten ) it will freeze
Physics is Physics

It is so easy to drain diwn, why any reluctance not to do so?

When I go away in the Motorhome in winter, I don’t drain the house radiators or hot water system down. I leave the heating and hot water in low. Exactly the same philosophy when I’m in the house and the van is not occupied

 

[Jake Royd]

I always drain mine right down but I suppose a halfway house (if you have an internal tank) is to leave that full but open the frost valve and taps to drain the vulnerable bits.

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[Zigisla]

Sorry for being thick u mean u leave all the tap open , obviously with the pump off with water in the system?

Yes exactly that. As I don’t have separate pump switch, I turn off all hab power and then open the taps with the water in the system. If auto dump v/v operates it will drain all water if the taps are open.

 

[Cheshirecat57]

When I go away in the Motorhome in winter, I don’t drain the house radiators or hot water system down. I leave the heating and hot water in low. Exactly the same philosophy when I’m in the house and the van is not occupied

Your domestic system has antifreeze in
Inside your house will only fall to freezing when its much colder outside and after a protracted spell

Your motorhome will fall to freezing within minutes of it hitting freezing outside

 

[Cheshirecat57]

Yes exactly that. As I don’t have separate pump switch, I turn off all hab power and then open the taps with the water in the system. If auto dump v/v operates it will drain all water if the taps are open.

And don't forget your shower valve/ shower head

 

[peterc10]

Your domestic system has antifreeze in
Inside your house will only fall to freezing when its much colder outside and after a protracted spell

Your motorhome will fall to freezing within minutes of it hitting freezing outside

I am afraid I do not agree with either of those suggestions.

My domestic system, which is the common gravity fed one in use in the UK, has no antifreeze in it. The primary and secondary circuits are both fed by separate header tanks in the loft which contain water, and are fed by the mains water supply. I don't think any domestic system in use the Uk has antifreeze in it, but I am not up with the latest systems, so a plumber may be able to respond to that. On the other hand my Alde heating system in the motorhome does contain antifreeze.

The rate at which material cools will depend upon its thermal mass. It also depends upon the amount of thermal insulation between it and the cooler temperature. I accept that a house will have a much higher combined thermal mass and better insulation than a motorhome, but that does not mean that the motorhome has no thermal mass or insulation at all. From my own experience my motorhome takes a lot more than a few minutes to cool down in response to a drop of outside temperature. I am not saying that it will not eventually cool down to the outside temperature, but it would take a lot more than a few minutes.

 

[Cheshirecat57]

Ok

Still cant understand why anyone wouldn't drain a motorhome in the winter months if unattended to save 5 minutes filling it up again on resumption of use

But every one us of course different

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[tonyidle]

Ok

Still cant understand why anyone wouldn't drain a motorhome in the winter months if unattended to save 5 minutes filling it up again on resumption of use

But every one us of course different

At times that would waste up to 200 litres of water in my case. If heating can be left on low (Alde) or an oil-filled radiator is left on there's no issue (unless pipes or fresh water tank are outside of course). The first thing to let go will be the boiler auto drain so, assuming you have one, there's plenty of warning. I'm in Cumbria and can count the number of nights where temperatures were below zero last Winter on the fingers of one hand.

 

[Mr Chrysalis]

The reason I keep my Motorhome on my drive, plugged in, filled up, fridge stocked, is so I can jump in it and go away whenever I want to. If I had to go shopping, fill the fridge, fill the water, charge the heating system every time, I probably wouldn’t bother

 

[Caggsie1]

We too, during winter months, drain down. Something we’ve always done but then our MH is in storage. Where I got the info from I don’t know but will continue to do it. It’s a few extra minutes on arrival or occasionally we fill prior to leaving. We have a rough idea of what will be used during a stay so when draining down there is little wasted.

 

[Sucoz]

What happens if you are using your motorhome and the temperature drops below zero, presumably everything can still freeze, if I 'm not on hook up. Is the advice to keep truma heating on low? We don't normally sleep with any heating on.

 

[Caggsie1]

Sucoz, there will be residual heat, assumption you will have hot water Maybe heating on too. We too don’t have the blown air heating on during the night but do during the day and will if on ehu use an oil filled radiator to keep the main chill off overnight. Heating and hot water are on during the day if ln our jollies, however, whilst in storage, the van is unheated and there maybe 2 wks between uses and if there is frosty spell during that time could cause costly damage. Whether that happens to be a new heater(£1600) or floods whilst not there. (Maybe a bit extreme) So for sake of what takes a couple of minutes, open drain tap, open taps, get on with some other task, go back and close drain tap, for me/us it’s not worth the risk. Plus I’d also say depends on how far north you live. The first piccie was a couple of years ago from my house the second one is last year, 25 mins up the road where my daughter lives. And this is just half way up the country.

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[tonyidle]

What happens if you are using your motorhome and the temperature drops below zero, presumably everything can still freeze, if I 'm not on hook up. Is the advice to keep truma heating on low? We don't normally sleep with any heating on.

Stop keeping yourselves warm at night then you'll need the heating.