Tip for RVing in the High Desert

We’re RVing in the high desert of Southern California (Edwards Air Force Base to be exact). When the sun goes down out here so does the temperature. Early this morning I was reminded we’re camping in Test Pilot heaven as I was awakened by a sonic boom. Ahhh, the smell of jet fuel in the morning just makes my day! I must apologize for my tardiness in my daily blog, I ran into an electrical problem in my coach that put a crimp in my computer time. I lost the power in all my 110 electric plugs in the front of my coach which means more troubleshooting for the Professor tomorrow. In the meantime, here’s your tip for RVing in cold climates. Take along a few lengths of pipe insulation to use on your water hose. It was 26 degrees the other night and my water continued to flow. In the high desert pipe insulation is usually enough to keep your water flowing. Some folks let the water faucet run at a slight trickle during the night to keep warmer water flowing through their hoses. I don’t particularly like this idea because the water will either fill your tank (if the valve is closed) or freeze in your flexible sewer hose. So, I opt for the insulation route and avoid both problems. The insulation is split and all you have to do is open it and slip in the hose. In the high desert the sun comes out and warms everything up and thaws any ice that might have formed during the night. In colder climates where above ground water pipes stay frozen all day, I recommend using electric heat tape along with pipe insulation. In a couple days we'll be heading for warmer digs. Chillin’ in the high desert - Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing