Need advice for intermediate camping in Upstate SC during the winter

[Hoosier]

I’m looking for a sanity check from other Oliver owners.

I’m attending evening classes in Clemson (Tue–Thu, 6–10 pm) and have a long-term spot at an RV park during the week. My home base is ~90 minutes away on winding, wildlife-heavy roads, so I head home Friday mornings and return Tuesday afternoons. That means the trailer will often sit unattended for ~4 days at a time during February.

My concern is avoiding repeated winterize/de-winterize cycles (likely 15–16 times) while still protecting plumbing during what’s shaping up to be a colder-than-usual stretch.

Here’s the approach I’m leaning toward:

Plan

• Leave the Oliver “wet” (water system active, not winterized)

• Use the propane furnace as the primary freeze protection

  • Thermostat set around 45–48°F

  • Furnace on continuously when unattended

• Use the Houghton heat pump only when occupied (not relying on it for freeze protection)

• When leaving for multiple days:

  • Disconnect the exterior water hose

  • Blow out the hose and city-water inlet (trailer plumbing remains live)

• Cabinet doors open under sinks

• Fresh propane tanks topped off

• Batteries in good condition (furnace blower dependency)

What I’m avoiding

• Space heaters while unattended

• Relying on heat tape (only partial coverage)

• Heat pump alone below freezing

• Full winterization every week (wear on fittings and check valves)

Added insurance

• Remote temperature sensors inside the cabin and near plumbing/underbelly

• Propane level monitoring

The thinking is that the Oliver’s furnace-heated plumbing spaces + a modest thermostat setting should keep everything above freezing, while disconnecting the exterior hose removes the most failure-prone component.

I’d appreciate feedback from anyone who has done something similar, especially during prolonged cold snaps. Anything I’m overlooking specific to the Oliver layout?

Thanks in advance — trying to balance realism, safety, and not crawling under the trailer 16 times this winter.

[jd1923]

1 hour ago, Hoosier said:

I’d appreciate feedback…

I believe you have a solid thoughtful plan. It’s about what I do all winter long since we travel on-n-off and get spells of overnight lows to 20F or below.

Instead of doors open, some of us have added vents to pull air through the basement when the furnace is running.

Given you can check temps remotely, you’re also covered for the unforeseeable! 😎

Edited Thursday at 05:32 PM by jd1923

[Geronimo John]

You have a very good start.  The odds of another deep freeze this weekend is likely 100%.  From the forecast, it is already heading your way.  I would suggest:

·        Pulling the bed mattress and vertically stacking them in the hallway.  Then pull the fiberglass covers to expose the basement to the cabin interior.

·        Ditto for the dinette seating and covers.

·        In the bathroom if you have installed one of these you are golden.  Open it.

 

·        If not, then consider removing the towel bar cubby from under the sink.

·        Open the basement hatch in the rear center storage if you have one.  Open the wardrobe and bathroom doors.

·        Insulate the battery box and basement outside hatches. 

If you have shore power, acquire a small 120V desk fan to circulate air around the opened up cabin.

The items above can easily be done very quickly.  Of course the hatch takes a lot longer to do. But it opens up quite a bit of storage as a prime benefit.

GJ

Edited Thursday at 08:06 PM by Geronimo John

[Hoosier]

1 hour ago, Geronimo John said:

You have a very good start.  The odds of another deep freeze this weekend is likely 100%.  From the forecast, it is already heading your way.  I would suggest:

·        Pulling the bed mattress and vertically stacking them in the hallway.  Then pull the fiberglass covers to expose the basement to the cabin interior.

·        Ditto for the dinette seating and covers.

·        In the bathroom if you have installed one of these you are golden.  Open it.

 

·        If not, then consider removing the towel bar cubby from under the sink.

·        Open the basement hatch in the rear center storage if you have one.  Open the wardrobe and bathroom doors.

·        Insulate the battery box and basement outside hatches. 

If you have shore power, acquire a small 120V desk fan to circulate air around the opened up cabin.

The items above can easily be done very quickly.  Of course the hatch takes a lot longer to do. But it opens up quite a bit of storage as a prime benefit.

GJ

I like the hatch mod. Is that sized to go where the towel bar goes? Do I have to remove any fiberglass to fit, if so I'd probably wait until spring. 

[dewdev]

The hatch that is mentioned to open is located at the rear of the trailer (if you have one- (it was a option)) that goes into the cellar (basement) storage area. The water feed piping from the campground water connection runs in this cellar (basement) storage area.

The towel bar rack is in the bathroom. There are 4 screws (covered by the white plast covers). Take out the screws and remove the bar rack. The bar rack is likely held in place by some caulking. 

Edited 22 hours ago by dewdev

[Chukarhunter]

I also store my Oliver remotely outdoors through the winter but do not winterize.  All above advice is solid.  I use remote temperature sensors and have found that the coldest spot in the basement is in the lower rear of the trailer (storage area) where the water lines run.  If that location stays above freezing, I am confident that nothing will freeze.  The one additional thing I did was change out my thermostat to one with remote monitoring and control.  I chose a Micro-air Easy Touch RV thermostat.  It has both remote wifi monitoring and blutooth. 

 https://www.micro-air.com/products_easytouch_rv_thermostat_touchscreen.cfm

When temperatures are forecast to stay well above freezing, I can either turn the furnace off (remotely) or set it low (42-45 degrees).  When the forecast is for below freezing temps, I turn it up to around 50.  My remote sensor will send an alert to my phone if the rear basement approaches freezing temps and I can then turn the thermostat up even more from home.  When daytime temps rise above freezing again, I turn the thermostat down to save propane.

[Geronimo John]

10 hours ago, Hoosier said:

I like the hatch mod. Is that sized to go where the towel bar goes?

YES.  Here is Art's (MaxBurner) approach to adding space under the sink.  I don't know if he was the first to do so, but I captured his post and used it.  it DOES require mod and does provides significant additional storage space.  When I did mine, lowered the floor to well below the bottom of the hatch, and extended it as far left and right to gain even more space.  

Not an easy project, but is one that is not all that hard to do if you are handy.

GJ

DIY - Art's Bathroom Under Sink Storage Mod.docx

[Geronimo John]

10 hours ago, dewdev said:

The towel bar rack is in the bathroom. There are 4 screws (covered by the white plast covers). Take out the screws and remove the bar rack. The bar rack is likely held in place by some caulking. 

Hoosier:  Especially if you down the road you may do the bathroom cabinet hatch, cutting the existing towell fixture caulk and removing the unit for your unique situtation would be advisable.  You could temp reinstall eacy week, and next spring permenantly reinstall or do the hatch DIY.  Don't forget to keep the the bathroom door open.  Use of mag catches has been done by many.  But for now, take a cloths hanger (Don't cut it) and just bend it into a long triangle with the hook at the top.  Slip the body under the dinette cushion with the coat hanger hook holding the door open.  When you get pack, unhook the door and push the coat hanger under the cushion.  Easy.    

As Max Burner's spouse was, mine is loving having the sink storage area all to herself.  Happy wife, happy life.  

GJ

[jd1923]

I wasn't interested in having a hatch under the bathroom sink. To do so, you lose the towel bars and external storage. However, you need to get in there to straighten out the heater ducting and to add vents. Just get a flexible putty knife under the panel, pry it off and then remove the remaining caulk. I went with a rubber seal and 4 screws to hold the panel which can be removed again when needed for service.

I also do not believe in winter storage that includes having beds on their sides and/or panels to basement areas open for periods of time. Add ventilation, do it right, and then you can leave beds and panels alone. The link below shows the mods I've made.

16 hours ago, Chukarhunter said:

I use remote temperature sensors and have found that the coldest spot in the basement is in the lower rear of the trailer (storage area) where the water lines run.  If that location stays above freezing, I am confident that nothing will freeze.

Exactly, I also have a Ruuvi temp sensor on the rear wall of the basement. When the furnace is running set low at 45F, it can be 20F outdoors and that coldest interior area will be just above 32F. If not, set the thermostat a little higher.

 

[Geronimo John]

59 minutes ago, jd1923 said:

Add ventilation, do it right, and then you can leave beds and panels alone. The link below shows the mods I've made.

Readers should be aware that you live in AZ.  And equally important you generally are in relative proximity of your Ollie should weather turn terrible. 

Those who have their trailers where hard freezes HAPPENl and can't always get quick response to their Ollie easily..... may want to consider your approach as not being ideal for their location.  But for your situtaiton it is easy and effective.    

GJ

[jd1923]

Please remember the context of this thread, re leaving the trailer with plumbing ready, weekends in Clemson SC. It’s not about long storage in cold climates!

Average January low in Clemson is 36F and in Prescott AZ it’s 22F (it’s not Phoenix up here)! Average Jan highs in both towns are in the low 50s. The good weather in Clemson SC is certainly more mild than in Prescott AZ.

Based on the 36F average, 2 of 3 winter weekends in Clemson will stay above freezing. I still contend @Hoosier’s original plan is good as was written!

Edited 19 hours ago by jd1923

[Geronimo John]

22 hours ago, Geronimo John said:

"Those who have their trailers where hard freezes HAPPEN"

JD:

I admit that my living in Hawaii makes me a "Weather Woosie", but the current weather lows at Clemson SC of 15, 15, and 16 degrees are three nights while he was gone each with hard freeze conditions pending.  Below cut and pasted for reading enlightenment. 

So not being winterized while away, with hard freezed inbound, with the furnnace on low.....  opening the basement up to the cabin is easy insurance with such conditions inbound.

 GJ 

[topgun2]

1 hour ago, Geronimo John said:

I admit that my living in Hawaii makes me a "Weather Woosie"

I don't care!  Cold is cold and at 22 degrees being outside in the snow is no fun.

On the other hand - a couple of runs down the hill will get the heart pumping.

Grab a board and hit the waves for me - please.

Bill