Winter use ????

[donnall]

I'm preparing for a trip to Flordia leaving New years day. At this time the temp are in the teens here in Arkansas. I have the MH winterized now but will want to take some fresh water if I can.

My manuals don't really say anything about winter use, or at least I couldn't find any info, I may not have all the books that came with the MH when new.

I picked up several winter tips from RV.net forum, one was that the batteries are not in a heated compartment so won't last as long running the furnace fan at night, etc. But I'd like more info on Airstream motorhomes and cold weather boondocking/traveling. So does anyone here have any advice/tips ???

Thanks
Don

[ALANSD]

We have used our MH on a number of trips in colder weategr, including this weeks trip to St Augustine, FL where it hit 24 degrees Monday night. I found my roof heat strip will keep the interior nice an warm to about 40 degrees outside temp, below that we use the furnace which will easily warm it even when outside is in the teens. The furnace will also keep your tanks from freezing, the only pre caution is you should have a carbon monoxide sensor in your sleeping area just in case.
The outside water lines are vulnerable, but if you are hooked up to sewage you could leave the water dripping to prevent freezing. We had no sewage on our trips so I turned off the water supply from the outside at night, or when we were away from the MH.
Batteries will go down quicker in the cold, so boondocking might be shorter ( ever see the Ted Danson Mary Syeenburgen movie where they get stuck in a snowstorm in their Airstream Classic MH?), but if on shore power no worries.
I find my AS to be quite a cozy winter cabin in fairly chilly southern weather, but we have never tried upper Mid West or New England winters in it.

[donnall]

Hey Alan, good to hear from you, thanks for the tips.
I was having problems with my furnace, turned out to be just the thermostat. Now I have the furnace, heat strips, plus two little electirc heaters I can run with the gen set. So I'm not to worried about freezing me, or my Martin But I do worry about the pipes. Right now it's winterized, in the barn, with an electric heater inside, so it's fine. But it's snowing and freezing here in Arkansas (i'm very near Memphis) so I may wait till I get futher south till I take on any water. I plan to boondock several nights while in Flordia.
Still like to get together and pick some time.
Merry Christmas
Don

[Chaplain Kent]

I think my wife and I are seasoned winter campers by now. We just returned from a trip to Columbus,Ohio over New Years and even camped at Jackson Center on New Years Eve. We have camped in Wisconsin in December and are planning additional trips this winter. The MO is prepped and ready to roll at a moments notice.That means fuel tank full, propane full, gen set serviced and ready, anti-freeze checked and all engine components serviced. Winter driving is harder on the old guy than the summer jaunts. My advice is to go self contained. Do not hook up to city water -keep your water tank full it sits under the seat and will not freeze. You can pour some anti-freeze into your holding tanks if its gets really cold, I usually wait to it gets under 20 degrees and always under zero. Best to keep them emptied more often than during the summer months. Try to find a spot with an electric hook up. State parks will keep a few spots open all winter in most places. Use your furnace even if you use a space heater since the furnace will help keep the water lines from freezing. Keep the cabinet doors open to allow heated air to circulate. Check the batteries on your CO detector!! Buy a boot tray to place besides the door to keep your floor from getting covered with salt. Make sure you have a long handled ice scraper. Take along along a collapsible shovel to remove the snow that fell during the night. You will enjoy the best camping ever. No crowds- your choice of spots, easy parking and the beaches are usually empty this time of year.