# winter skiing ??? water freeze any 1 done this???



## ytank (Jan 9, 2008)

Hi just been thinking we are going winter skiing this year and i don’t want the water to freeze up so been thinking about putting a fish tank heater in tank any 1 done this before or any suggestions on this mater :?:


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## robflyer (Nov 17, 2006)

I broke my old Kon-Tiki Carver water heater not once but twice in the Alps. 
If you are staying on a site with hook-up just leave your water heater on permanently on electric and leave a small oil-fired radiator on inside the van. I did that with my Hobby and never had a problem.

Best regards

Robflyer


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## 100127 (Jul 20, 2006)

Hey, that is not a bad idea. How will you power it?


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## ytank (Jan 9, 2008)

sysinfo said:


> Hey, that is not a bad idea. How will you power it?


hi i was going to feed it down the fill pipe bring the wire out of the top of pipe by making a small hole in the pipe and seal it up ?? any good


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## rupert1 (Feb 13, 2009)

CAK TANKS do heaters for water tanks.


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## SteveandSue (Aug 25, 2008)

Hi Ytank - i think some people do this for their waste water tanks - can't see why it won't work in fresh water tank - but - 
it is not necessarily the bits you can see/get to that may freeze - the pipes leading to the bathroom - and to the sinks - if any go outside the van - even if lagged -they will freeze - there is a ppossibility also if they are running in an out of the wayplace that doesn't get as much heat.


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## Caggsie (Aug 19, 2008)

I'd be concerned about the fact that they are glass. 

Karen


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## ytank (Jan 9, 2008)

Caggsie said:


> I'd be concerned about the fact that they are glass.
> 
> Karen


yes me to that y i am asking to c if any 1 has done this before last time we went skiing the fresh water give us some problems before


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## tramp (May 25, 2005)

call me a numpty  
BUt if the water tank is onboard as all "winterized foreign " vans are, if the water freezes you will do so too :lol: 

on our older beessacarr we had no probs down to -5 and the german vans are good to -20.

to protect water heater and all pipes internally set the combi boiler to 3 overnight and 5 when not in during the day tio prevent the tank and pipes freezing, all you use is gas about 11kg per 5 days running 24/7 thats why we have gaslow.

happy skiing.

our dethleffs had the German winter pack which was heated waste tank and traps plus upgraded insulation down to -25c and thats cold , but a toasty 70c inside.


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## 04HBG (Dec 9, 2007)

Yes I had a water heater fitted to the fresh water tank of my Autotrail Apache when new.
We had one fitted to the previous van a Cheyenne and it worked well, it had a thermostat but this van has not got a thermostat as far as i know and it did run the leisure battery flat on one occasion when accidentally switched on.

My advice would be make sure it has a thermostat and also that the switch has a warning light to show when it is on.

We have never frozen up but have only been down to -7c with it.

RD


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

ytank said:


> Hi just been thinking we are going winter skiing this year and i don't want the water to freeze up so been thinking about putting a fish tank heater in tank any 1 done this before or any suggestions on this mater :?:


It has been mentioned before. But that make it too warm (Bacteria growth?).

TM


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## ytank (Jan 9, 2008)

well still thinking about doing it have been away in -10 in this van before and never had any probs so i am still stuck what to do


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## hymerbeliever (May 8, 2009)

I dont like the thought of 240v in your water tank!

Have you thought about a 12v heat pad and sticking it on the outside or underside of your tank? Works great for waste water tanks.

Just search heat or heater and pad on ebay: there are lots of 12v ones for dog beds or for car / bike seat heaters that you can use.


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

Would one of these be useful?

Mains heater pad

Website


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## tramp (May 25, 2005)

If the water tanks inside and the vans heated it wont freeze, but if your really worried take a feed off the blown air pipe -[small 20mm used in German vans aka winter pack] available off the net at ebay and also connectors.

it has slits in it to allow warm air out into cuboard spaces, better than electric and water me thinks,

http://shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?_nkw=...+heater&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313


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## aescules (Apr 18, 2009)

*Winter Skiing*

I have an Autotrail Scout and I intend taking it on a Skiing at Christmas, I had seen somewhere that you could spec new vans with tank heaters. They said I should fit a heater to the fresh water tank, and a second to the grey water tank.

They said that each heater should be switch individually, and that the switch ought to have a bright warning light on it and they should be powered off the lesuire batteries.

About three weeks ago I contacted Autotrail to ask if they could be retrofitted, they said it could and the best way to buy them was from there supplier CAK tanks.

I called at CAK tanks as I was passing and they had two options, one that was thermostatic and a cheaper that wasnt. I am told there are access hatchs in the tanks, I will have to empty tank then drill the tank insert the heater element into the hole then fit nut/rubber washer and tighten up and then wire up,

If you want to contact CAK they have a website, I think it was around £90 per heater

Andrew


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## clipper (May 22, 2005)

Hi Have a look at motorhomeski.com may be some help here also there was a good artical in MMM Oct issue about Skiing in the snow.
clipper


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