Water during cold week away

I’ve drained the van down ready for winter. But I’m hoping to get another last trip in, perhaps early December. It will be on a main site with hard standing etc. 

I know that if I refill the system and then have the heating on, this would keep the boiler warm and prevent freezing. But what about the cold water tank?  Will this be okay if I refill it for this holiday and use the van normally e.g. heating, hot water, cooking, some days driving, some days not?  Or do I need to carry a large container of water. I know it’s all dependent on what the temperature is, but I’m not sure what that figure is. 

Thanks
Sally

Sally, I don't think you will have a problem, the plastic the tank is made of will provide some insulation, and the temperature required to freeze the fresh or waste water tank would be incredibly low, probably below -10c for several days. The internal dump valve will operate when the temperature inside the van drops to below 5c, as you will be in the van unlikely this will happen. The main area of weakness is the pipework outside the van to and from the tanks, but unless temperature is below freezing overnight won't be a problem. I did notice the pipes on my 2014 WXL have added insulation, not sure if this is factory fit. I suspect previous owner did it.

That’s very reassuring BB, thank you.

Sally, do you have automatic dump valve on your Sussex? My 2010 has manual valve.

Paulmold wrote:Sally, do you have automatic dump valve on your  Sussex? My 2010 has manual valve.

Hi Paul, yes mines got the automatic dump valve. So a reassurance if I get it wrong.

Need to be very cold indeed for a long time before you had a problem IHMO. Esp with auto dump from hot water.
You'd be more concerned re the cold than the water!!

I believe most vans now have the winter package which includes heating pads for the fresh and waste water tanks to stop them freezing.  A couple of years ago in December in the New Forest I was surprised to find the water in the top of my water barrel had frozen overnight and it wasn't that cold.  I have been on subsequent trips in December and January to the New Forest and Minehead when it was cold with the temperature well below zero throughout the long night and about zero throughout the short day.  Had the fresh & waste water tanks not had their heaters on I would have been concerned about them freezing if only partially.

Driving to work this week over the welsh mountains at 7am my car thermometer was showing 15.5 degrees C outside temperature.

At this rate your more likely to be worrying about flies and what T shirt to wear than anything freezing.......

daisy mae wrote:We carry two 5litre containers  of water all the time we are travelling as well as a full water tank.

We also carry a 5 litre collapsible container which we sometimes fill fully or partially so that we have water for travelling without having to put water into the fresh water tank.  We normally travel to sites and back home with an empty fresh water tank to save weight and, in sub-zero temperatures, to remove any risk of freezing.  Although the tank heating pads can be used when travelling we only use them when connected to an EHU.

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