Full Timing & Winter Living

[Kate&Spence]

We are looking forward to full timing within the next several years and had our 31 foot Classic parked at a site in the mountains of southern Oregon. We did pretty well keeping the tanks from freezing along with our fresh water hook up, etc. We used a small electric, enclosed oil heater in the trailer, however, our major issue was with cold air entering through our single pane windows. We would appreciate any information or suggestions concerning dual pane or thermal windows which any of you have been fortunate enough to find or other methods for sealing windows?
Another question is that our classic does not include a slide and we do get in some situations without the slide. For those of you with the slide for the dining area, does it make that much of a difference and are there any issues with towing?

Safe Travels,

Kate & Spence

[Kate&Spence]

I meant to say cramped situations without a slide for the dining area.

Kate & Spence

[CanoeStream]

Hello Kate & Spence -- welcome to AIR Forums! Airstreams' aluminum ribs don't provide a thermal break; ie, there is direct conduction of outside temps to the interior. Although my Safari has a lot of windows, cold mornings make it feel like the cold is descending from the whole overhead shell. The primary defense is active air circulation via central heat or central air. Space heaters may not keep under-cabinet areas warm enough to prevent freezing in your water lines. Forced air and propane will be your friend in harsh winter weather. Space heaters might be useful when there is little risk of freezing your water; eg, nighttime lows in the upper 20s and higher.

Slideouts? Towing considerations are that they're much heavier. Your F-250 is certainly sufficient. I'd never tow a SO with less. I've been in Jack Canavera's SO. It is nice and gives a dinette and a gaucho to increase liveability for fulltiming IMO. Where have you seen one?

[Kate&Spence]

Hello Bob,

Thanks for your reply. We had mixed results with our winter camping adventure and our Airstream at 2500 ft. Heavy snow, but we did pretty well, the temperatures were mild compared to Minnesota. I moved from International Falls to Oregon 10 years ago, our big concern was the window situation, but it appears there are no replacement thermal windows that fit the Airstream. Thanks for the advice on the air circulation, propane, etc.

We saw a 34 ft. classic with a slide out in Grants Pass, OR and the people that had just purchased it were full timing and loved it. We haven't talked with anyone since that time with a slide out in either the 30 ft. or 34 ft. What's a gaucho?

thanks,

Kate & Spence

[Aage]

A gaucho is a sofa that pulls into a single bed.

I think you're brave, camping in the winter up north. Strikes me as something to do further south, if at all possible...