Truma Aqua Comfort Water Heater with Antifreeze Kit

[LoriL]

We have a 2022 Elite 1 and we are heading out to Kremmling CO for 5 nights.  The forecast is for temps in the 40’s during the day and teens at night.  (One night down to 9 degrees) We are concerned about water freeze ups.  Here are some questions we have while traveling:

 

1. Best to travel with or without water in the system?
2. Truma Aqua Go with antifreeze kit -(electric heating cartridge) From what I have read this runs off the truck battery but should the water pump be on or off while traveling?  The inside dial to the snowflake while traveling?
3. What do you do if there is a lot of air in the water while boondocking?

 

Any other winter camping heads up advice from experienced winter travelers is greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance for your help,

Lori and Paul Laskowske

[topgun2]

There is a great trout fishing spot just outside of Kremmling at the base of the dam - I'm jealous.  Its not a very long stretch of water but there are some very nice fish in there.

1 - Even though I would guess that you are traveling during the day when temps are above freezing, I would have my Ollie winterized given the temps you cite.  A couple of milk jugs filled with water can be carried in the bath in order to have water for flushing - I assume that you have the standard toilet.

2 - I know very little about the Truma water heater therefore someone that has one should chime in here and/or start reading the instruction manual and Truma posts here on the Forum.

3 - If "bleeding" the system by simply turning on each faucet doesn't work within a fairly short period of time (2 minutes or so) then you probably have a place in your system that is allowing air to enter.  Check the fittings on your water input, water pump - filter in particular - and make sure that they are sealed.

 

[bhncb]

47 minutes ago, LoriL said:

We have a 2022 Elite 1 and we are heading out to Kremmling CO for 5 nights.  The forecast is for temps in the 40’s during the day and teens at night.  (One night down to 9 degrees) We are concerned about water freeze ups.  Here are some questions we have while traveling:

 

1. Best to travel with or without water in the system?
2. Truma Aqua Go with antifreeze kit -(electric heating cartridge) From what I have read this runs off the truck battery but should the water pump be on or off while traveling?  The inside dial to the snowflake while traveling?
3. What do you do if there is a lot of air in the water while boondocking?

 

Any other winter camping heads up advice from experienced winter travelers is greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance for your help,

Lori and Paul Laskowske

A few thoughts relative to your questions:

The anti-freeze kit is powered by the trailer batteries and draws about 5 amps continuous.

This kit is not much value in an unheated travel trailer because it only protects the water heater internals and requires that the water system to be full and purged of air. If the heater could be totally isolated from the rest of the water system you could use it but In the Oliver implementations, this is not possible. Simply bypassing it won't work unless the rest of the system is pressurized, subjecting it to freeze ups.

Never travel with your water pump on. If travel temperatures aren't much below freezing I just open all the faucet to relieve pressure, drain and vent all the exterior hose inlets and exterior shower pull-out hose. Stop often and check inside temps. Fire up the furnace if need be.

Prolonged travel in the 20s requires full winterizing including draining the Truma, which is almost as easy as using the anti-freeze kit.

9 degrees at night is no problem as long as you can keep the bilge warm. Leaving the furnace thermostat set warmer than you might otherwise like for sleeping and try to direct warn air below where possible. Crack a fan lid for comfort if needed.

[LoriL]

Thank you so much for this information!  If I understand correctly we should travel with no water in the trailer and everything vented?  If we use the antifreeze kit the entire trailer is full of water and not protected from freezing and the heat is not on while traveling.

Appreciate your help,

Lori and Paul

[LoriL]

4 hours ago, topgun2 said:

There is a great trout fishing spot just outside of Kremmling at the base of the dam - I'm jealous.  Its not a very long stretch of water but there are some very nice fish in there.

1 - Even though I would guess that you are traveling during the day when temps are above freezing, I would have my Ollie winterized given the temps you cite.  A couple of milk jugs filled with water can be carried in the bath in order to have water for flushing - I assume that you have the standard toilet.

2 - I know very little about the Truma water heater therefore someone that has one should chime in here and/or start reading the instruction manual and Truma posts here on the Forum.

3 - If "bleeding" the system by simply turning on each faucet doesn't work within a fairly short period of time (2 minutes or so) then you probably have a place in your system that is allowing air to enter.  Check the fittings on your water input, water pump - filter in particular - and make sure that they are sealed.

 

Thanks for the Kremmling fishing spot, this time we are hunting (deer, elk, bear), might get a little fishing in.  We were able to vent the system today so all seems to be in order.  I will bring antifreeze with me but we are heading out without winterizing.  Thanks for your help.

Paul