Cold weather toilet use

[Ted Schmidt]

I was wondering if you could use the toilet if the trailer is winterized. I was thinking you could pour water in the bowl from a bottle and put antifreeze in the black water holding tank. You could then flush and the black water residue would not freeze with the anti freeze.
Any comments on whether this wold work or not

[Donna D.]

Yes that will work and may not require the anti-freeze. In MOST of the molded lightweight fiberglass trailers, the blackwater tank is INSIDE the trailer... the toilet sits right on top of it. If the trailer is kept above freezing, the water in the tank won't freeze. Remember to keep the door open to the bathroom (and cupboards) if you don't want the contents to freeze.

[Joe Z]

I just pour about 1/2 gallon of the pink rv antifreeze into the toilet to get it started and then everytime i use the commode i just pour a little more of the pink stuff into the bowl and flush. My camper fresh water tank is winterized and shut off for use..... just keep the pink stuff next to the toilet for when you need to use it. There's other ways to do it but this works for me.....
Joe

[Bill K]

Donna,
Don't forget that the drain pipe for the black water tank goes out thru the floor and then to the side of the trailer.

Bill K

Yes that will work and may not require the anti-freeze. In MOST of the molded lightweight fiberglass trailers, the blackwater tank is INSIDE the trailer... the toilet sits right on top of it. If the trailer is kept above freezing, the water in the tank won't freeze. Remember to keep the door open to the bathroom (and cupboards) if you don't want the contents to freeze.

[Donna D.]

Urine freezes at about -5 Celsius, 23 degrees Fahrenheit. Since it's the expanding of liquid that causes pipes to break, I would think any liquid that may freeze would have to room to expand up into the tank rather than straight out sideways.

RV antifreeze is pretty cheap, I can get it on sale for <$5 a gallon. In that case, better to be safe than sorry....

[Roy in TO]

One has to keep an eye open for those ICBM's