If you were to camp in weather with sun and 40-50's during the day and 30-25 at night, would you be ok to have onboard water as long as the furnace (and a bonus space heater) were running? Or does it not matter because the freshwater tank is outside and would freeze at night anyway?
I wouldn't. Heat rises so a water tank under the camper won't benefit from the camper's heater. Winterize and use bottled water.
I agree with Steve. We often camp this way in the late fall and early spring. I just leave the water system winterized and we use bottled water for any cooking and drinking.
Water is a poor conductor of heat/cold. If the temp drops below freezing for a couple of hours, the tank water will not freeze. It's the small water lines that will freeze first. The supply lines, the water pump lines, etc. Protect those under the camper with insulation or heat tape, if needed. Water lines in the camper should not see freezing temps with the heat on.
This is not a PUP but, maybe you could get some ideas for winter camping. Grandpa Don this Bud is for you. www.trailerlife.com/lifestyle/braving-the-yukon/the Yukon | Trailer Life They may have have the beginning of the photo spread at the rudest camp in here also.
Our Hybrid gets winterized and we still go camping. We use jugs of water to rinse the toilet A wash basin in the sink for handwashing, dishes... sponge bath a few times, and that goes in the toilet. We actually live in a 5th wheel and the supply line only froze once this year, and use the pump and tank water till it thawed. if its going to be below freezing for days on end we unhook and drain the line but continue to run off the tank.
I used a separate 5 gallon jug of water I brought from home and during the day I left it on the outside table so it was out of the way and at night I brought it in when it got cold. I just boiled water to wash dishes vrs using the water heater. If your the type to wash dishes inside you can still use the sink, your just dumping the water into the sink Vrs running the tap. I found many campgrounds winterized water as well so I couldn’t rely on filling up at the campground. You may need to ask if bathhouses are going to be open. I’ve been to places they closed everything
