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I was wondering if you turned on both the hot and cold water faucets wouldn't the pump wind up draining the whole system? Doesn't the hot water tank refresh from the cold water tank?
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That's one of the subtle things I didn't think of until too late. Recall that the fresh water tank contains water that is not under pressure - it just lies there. The pump draws water up out of this tank and forces it into the cold water lines, and into the water heater. When the fresh water tank is empty, the pump can't pump any more, of course, but the water heater is still full, refreshed by the last of the water drawn from the tank. And the water heater can't drain backward through the pump and into the tank - there is a one-way valve in the pump.
The drain for the water heater is one of the little valves dangling down below the outside of the TM, and as I noted, that valve is frozen shut at the moment you need it. The hair-dryer trick should be a good one. We don't normally carry one, but I will do so in the future. The coffee-cup method is really unsat.
During a day of driving, the water heater won't freeze, of course - the water starts out hot, and it is well-insulated. From a freezing point of view, it is OK to leave it full. For me, it is a weight issue - I really want to lighten the load.
Bill