Cold weather travel

[Ted S.]

I have seen a number of threads where folks are traveling from cold to warm or warm to cold areas and I am curious how do you handle the cold weather? My AS is currently winterized, but stored in a heated garage.

How would I go to Florida and back? I would need to leave winterized, then on my way back I need to winterize before I get back up here? The manual says I can travel through cold weather because my furnace is ducted into the basement around the tanks, so I am little confused on how best to go about doing it. Thanks.

[SteveH]

I have traveled in subfreezing weather with the furnace running in the trailer without issues, but it will use a lot of propane.

Your alternative is to travel to Florida before un-winterizing, and then winterize the trailer again before getting back to freezing temps.

[crisen]

You might review this thread. I tell how we leave Fairbanks in the winter in post #34 on the last page.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f48/...ng-127648.html

[AnnArborBob]

I would travel south with the trailer winterized and then, when you reach the first open campground on your way south that you want to stay in, de-winterize and go on to enjoy your Florida trip. On the way, back, I would winterize in Florida or southern Georgia and then stay in a hotel on the way home.

[AirEgger]

We left Missouri a few weeks ago heading for south Florida with our unit winterized. We de-winterized the first stop in the Chattanooga area. Will be heading back later in January and will re- winterized our last night on the road in Mississippi. We've used this approach for a number of years without a problem. :

[Ted S.]

Originally Posted by crisen

You might review this thread. I tell how we leave Fairbanks in the winter in post #34 on the last page.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f48/...ng-127648.html

Pretty interesting, Rick

I belive the manual says to run the furnace while traveling in very cold temps, but I need to check that. That would mean propane is on while traveling, I know many say no to do that, but I can't see how you can't get around it.

[crisen]

Yes we certainly travel with the furnace as well as the fridge running on propane.

[Becky B.]

We'll be traveling tomorrow from the Chicago land area where it's 22 degrees right now. I have an electric heater on in the trailer right now and have the refrigerator on electric. I don't plan on leaving the heat on while traveling because I just have a catalytic heater & am a bit scared of something catching on fire. So it will be cold in the trailer. My question is about the fridge.....should I turn it off since it'll be cold in the trailer, or should I put it on propane -- and will it actually warm the fridge to keep all the groceries from freezing? I've never actually traveled in such cold weather & am in a quandary about the fridge.

[Lily&Me]

It won't warm the frig, and whether you leave it on or off in cold weather on the road is really just up to you.

If the frig is cold, packed full, and the food is cold, everything will be fine til you stop for the night. Or, just leave it on and don't worry about it.

We have always traveled with the propane on, a must in hot weather. Never had a problem.

Have a great trip, and think about coming down to the Moraine View rally near Leroy the second weekend in June.


Maggie

[A W Warn]

I have been towing with the gas on, year round, for more than 25 years. I've had no problems. Though, it is important to be careful / thoughtful.

When you enter fueling stations be thoughtful of the possibility of fuel fumes entering the trailer (fridge, furnace, water heater). I look for wet spots before driving in, to see if there has been a recent spill.

Some major traffic tunnels REQUIRE that you turn off the valve at the bottles.

[SteveH]

Originally Posted by A W Warn

Some major traffic tunnels REQUIRE that you turn off the valve at the bottles.

Yes, and all the Ferries that I know of as well.

[Becky B.]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

It won't warm the frig, and whether you leave it on or off in cold weather on the road is really just up to you.

If the frig is cold, packed full, and the food is cold, everything will be fine til you stop for the night. Or, just leave it on and don't worry about it.

We have always traveled with the propane on, a must in hot weather. Never had a problem.

Have a great trip, and think about coming down to the Moraine View rally near Leroy the second weekend in June.


Maggie

I've always traveled with my propane on as well. Just don't know if the fridge really needs to be on if it's so cold outside. Will it "warm" the fridge from freezing? I guess I'll save the propane & just run it on electric at our first stop. Hopefully, it'll be WARM there!! :-)

[SteveH]

Originally Posted by beckybillrae

I've always traveled with my propane on as well. Just don't know if the fridge really needs to be on if it's so cold outside. Will it "warm" the fridge from freezing? I guess I'll save the propane & just run it on electric at our first stop. Hopefully, it'll be WARM there!! :-)

To my knowledge, the fridge will not warm itself while on propane in cold weather. It just knows to turn the flame up higher when the fridge gets too warm inside.

On this same situation, I have had the fridge portion get too cold when it's on in cold weather.

In your particular situation, I think I'd turn it off at least until the weather gets above freezing, but this is just my opinion.

[slowmover]

An ice chest can also be used. Much more do than in summer.


from the AIRphone

[Ted S.]

I went back and reviewed my Owners Manual about running the propane and furnace while traveling. They worded in such a way that it doesn't say no, but it doesn't say to go ahead and do it. They just day some roads and states it is not permitted.

[Antique Pedaler]

This is our 14th year of winter driving from Wyoming south. I always fill the water tank the day before we leave as part of checking out all systems. There's always something that needs attention. Then I set the furnace thermostat to 50 and leave the furnace on till I leave. It burns about a gallon of propane a day doing this. I put the fridge on auto and forget it. I don't drive with the furnace on, but stop at mid day and turn it on while lunching. I always find electricity each evening till I get way south and don't need the furnace all night. That's the only hookup I need as I already have water on board and the holding tanks start out empty. I've been thru temperatures as low as 5 above during these trips and been snowed in along the way several times.

[Bluto]

The only problem with not running the furnace when it's really cold outside when traveling is that some plastics may crack when the trailer hits bumps in the road.
I had that problem years ago with an older Airstream that had plastic end caps and some other plastic parts inside that showed signs of stress cracks after a trip in cold weather. After that, I always run with the furnace set at 50 in cold weather while on the road.

[Len n Jeanne]

We've done the winterize, de-winterize, and re-winterize thing for late winter/early spring travel, as well. De-winterizing is easy, and you can find any local RV service center "down South" to blow out the pipes for the return trip north. We don't like taking unnecessary risks of frozen pipes, and find camping in a winterized trailer somewhat inconvenient, but certainly manageable.

Not to be contrary, but we *never* travel with our propane on. For the fridge, in hot weather, we use those frozen blue gel cold packs and tuck them in the fridge when driving; then re-freeze them at night. The fridge is really well insulated, so this system serves us well. In cold weather, we've never had food freeze in the fridge due to outside temperatures (vs. too cold a setting in the fridge thermostat.)

There is some risk of fire/explosion with driving with the propane on, should you get into an accident. Nobody plans to have an accident, but they can happen so fast and in ways you cannot control. Once in Montana we nearly hit a moose running across the highway. Bambi the First got smacked by a falling utility pole (broken off when a car ahead of us hit it) that landed inches away from the propane tanks.

Our worries about winter travel have more to do with road and weather conditions, including road salt.