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TinLoaf · 10-03-2013, 05:42 PM

Another good thread is from rubyslipper. It's pretty entertaining.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f462...ving-2738.html

TinLoaf · 10-03-2013, 06:05 PM

I camp during the week of deer season in Wisconsin every year in late-November. There's no electricity and it get's cold, but it's some of the most enjoyable camping of the year. There's something magical about sitting in a cozy trailer and watching the snow fall.

Adding extra insulation makes a huge difference. I bought a roll of Reflectix from Home Depot and cut it to fit the windows on my North and West sides and I park so my largest windows soak up the sun.

Covering the roof vents with foam works wonders. Notice there is condensation on the wall next to the window. That's a big problem in the winter needs to be controlled with ventilation. It may sound counterintuitive, but cracking the window over the bed and cracking one of the roof vents helps prevent condensation accumulation at night.

I've camped right down to 5 degrees comfortably, and without frozen pipes.

Fly at Night · 10-03-2013, 07:47 PM

I am going to try a short winter trip sometime. However, I think it wil be when the trailer is winterized, so I will not have any running water. As long as you have a plug-in/or stove top kettle for hot water to wash your hands, do the dishes, and take sponge baths (or use the showers at the RV park, if available) it wouldn't be too bad. As far as the loo business goes, you could always plunk a bucket or bowl in the trailer toilet, and make a "dump the bucket" run to the park washroom once or twice a day.

I've already done a version of this on my June trip. I was at a RV park and ran out of propane. I decided to embrace the pioneer spirit, a bit. I had running cold water, so just heated it via an electric kettle for hand/dish/sponge baths. No problem!

AlumFalcon · 10-03-2013, 08:16 PM

We camp at the base of our ski resort all the time. We love it, with the trailer covered in snow and the wind howling outside, all snuggled up and warm inside, it's the best.

We use the Dyson Hot Cold fan and run the furnace. The furnace keeps the tanks and water lines from freezing. We fill the fresh tank and run the pump.

Your tanks should be fine, but you need to keep the exposed sewer parts from freezing. With empty grey and black tanks, pour some RV anti-freeze down both. Then, with the sewer cap still on, open the the valves, then close them.

We also run a 45 pint dehumidifier most of the time. Controlling the moisture will keep the trailer much more comfortable and keeps the interior from getting too wet from the condensation. This had made the biggest difference in our winter camping.

Go for it and have fun!

robert claus · 10-03-2013, 08:48 PM

When it's really cold, the worst things are the cold coming through the single pane windows, the humidity build up, and the metal interior walls if you have a CCD (you don't want to roll over into one - it'll wake you up in a hurry, plus they sweat). The recommendations for installing insulation in the windows and a small dehumidifier are seconded for cold weather use.

TG Twinkie · 10-03-2013, 10:50 PM

If you are staying at the KOA, just use their facilities.
We camped in Loveland and Cheyenne in February of this year. Used 2 electric space heaters, one at each end of our 26' Argosy. We stayed warm all nights. The furnace pilot was lit and thermostat set at 65. It rarely came on, then ran for only a few minutes.
It was 7 above zero in the mornings with 4" of snow on the ground.
The dump valves on our coach are in the trunk, which is not heated.
These valves will freeze if not winterized. Adding any water to the waste system, will cause the anti freeze to be diluted and will freeze at higher temperatures.
If you have access to a sewer connection, you could use the grey water system as long as the hose is sloped enough to where water won't accumulate and freeze. Leave the GW dump valve open and the water will run thru the tank and out.
Again, use the facilities at the RV park for anything black water. A port o potty could be kept in the warm space of the coach for night time use..

Gringo · 10-04-2013, 07:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robert claus

When it's really cold, the worst things are the cold coming through the single pane windows, the humidity build up, and the metal interior walls if you have a CCD (you don't want to roll over into one - it'll wake you up in a hurry, plus they sweat). The recommendations for installing insulation in the windows and a small dehumidifier are seconded for cold weather use.

The morning we woke up to a foot of snow and sub freezing temps in CO, I climbed out of bed in my usual sleeping ensemble ( a wristwatch) and bent over to pick up my overalls from where they had slipped to the floor. One of my transom cheeks happened to press against the inside surface of that aluminum Airstream. It felt like someone had sprayed a two inch spot of my bare slom with liquid nitrogen.

We spent three days and two nights in those conditions.. 17 deg. low, high just at freezing, no power or water at the campgrounds.
The tanks in the AS didn't freeze. We survived.

John&Vicki · 10-04-2013, 11:01 AM

Goldberg (Gringo)..,

Just spent the last four hours of my life on your amazing blog. Why in the world is an Island Man like you trying to figure out how to camp in cold weather?

Poppy

Gringo · 10-04-2013, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Birdmaestro

Goldberg (Gringo)..,

Just spent the last four hours of my life on your amazing blog. Why in the world is an Island Man like you trying to figure out how to camp in cold weather?

Poppy

Thank you for the kind words. Glad you like the blog. And you are wondering why we'd trade views like this...

For things like this:

(these photos are from two trips back, our AS, rented truck, in Lakeside KOA near Fort Collins)

and that's probably a good question.

The answer, in this case, is that for the past 8 years we have brought some combination of our five sons in the US, along with various friends, down here for the holidays. This year, my oldest stepson in Colorado is expecting "our" first grandson, due the first week of January. They weren't going to travel. We had already decided that we could use a break, and were already planning to spend the holidays in the Rockies. Then this grand kid thing cropped up. Its' turned into a pretty big deal for us. We got one kid coming from California, two from Massachusetts, and us all converging in CO.

And while talking about our need to finally get our own tow vehicle, La Gringa got this bug up her blanket about using the Airstream for the two of us. With me seeing this as an unexplained justification to go buy a new toy ( Excursion), it's snowballed, as the phrase goes.

And there we are.

My stepson just skyped us this morning, with views of his back yard in Highlands Ranch CO. Two inches of fresh snow. Today. ouch.

John&Vicki · 10-04-2013, 05:55 PM

A new grandchild would pry me loose from even Eden - every time.

Poppy

Gringo · 10-04-2013, 08:38 PM

This one is our first, and the first of his generation in the family.

I am amazed at the quality of the ultrasound these days. Nice processing.

cwf · 10-04-2013, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Birdmaestro

A new grandchild would pry me loose from even Eden - every time. Poppy

Yup.

John&Vicki · 10-04-2013, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gringo

This one is our first, and the first of his generation in the family.

Awesome.

Just so you know, Poppy is already taken. Maybe Grandpa Gringo? I like it.

Poppy

Gringo · 10-05-2013, 06:58 AM

well, technically, I'm not his grandpa. Step-grandpa. He has two natural grandpas, so whatever I end up being in his world, it will be something different than grandpa.

Len n Jeanne · 10-06-2013, 11:50 PM

We've camped in winter months in sub-freezing temperatures, though thankfully without snow. We don't mind snow per se, but we just don't want to tow a trailer in it.

We always winterize till we're think we're not going to encounter any seriously freezing weather. We use water bottles for manual flushes and sink use, but we put windshield washer fluid down as a chaser to prevent freezing of waste-water.

The big problem mentioned above is interior condensation. If you keep the roof vent slightly open and your heat source on, that helps a lot. We also try not to store anything damp in the Bambi: wet jackets and towels go in the truck to dry out.

If we have a plug-in, we use a small space heater-- but only when someone is inside with it. Ditto for the propane furnace. It works pretty well.

Once we were de-winterized and didn't reaize how cold it might get outside at out campsite. We forgot a plastic dish tub on the picnic table with a little water in it overnight, and when we found it in the morning it had half an inch of ice on it! The furnace kept the lines toasty, however. We would definitely use the furnace instead of a space heater if there were any danger of frozen lines, and leave cupboard doors open if any pipes/lines are behind them.

Protagonist · 10-07-2013, 05:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Len n Jeanne

The big problem mentioned above is interior condensation. If you keep the roof vent slightly open and your heat source on, that helps a lot.

That is kind of counter-intuitive, to keep a roof vent open. I'd keep a window cracked open instead, and the roof vent closed. Since heat rises, keeping the roof vent open causes the loss of a lot of heat.

Another thing that might help is a canvas cover over the rooftop A/C unit, and/or plastic sheeting taped over the air conditioner vents inside. You can lose a lot of heat through the a/c plenum.

Gringo · 10-07-2013, 05:34 AM

Would be nice to just put a big knitted cozy on top of the whole thing, wouldn't it.

Can you walk on the top of these things? I'm 230 lbs. I have this mental image of stepping on a Coors can....

So, you don't use the heat strip in the ac unit as additional fan/heating?

xrvr · 10-07-2013, 05:35 AM

. Buy a porta potty from camping world to use. If you do not want to use the trailer water then keep a wash bowl in the bathroom and kitchen. You can fill these with melted snow. Keep a good battery or battery's at all times. A generater is useful. Watch your propane use carefully to not run out. This way the trailer can be fully winterized, no outside water usage, by draining the water tank. I am assuming you have an outside water source such as at a campground. Jim

Gringo · 10-07-2013, 06:31 AM

Well, we do have a 39 gallon fresh water tank, insulated and tucked up under a pan. I was wondering about dumping something like five gallons of antifreeze in there, as we don't use that water for drinking anyhow. We do use it for showers, normally, but that's the kind of thing it might make sense to use the campground facilities for during winter camping. That also helps some of the wet towel issues with humidity. Just don't take them back into the trailer wet. Things dry quickly up there outside, anyhow.

With antifreeze in the base trailer supply, then antifreeze would also be going into the gray and black water tanks. Would this be workable? Wal Mart has plenty antifreeze.

PhilipKS · 10-07-2013, 07:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TinLoaf

I camp during the week of deer season in Wisconsin every year in late-November. There's no electricity and it get's cold, but it's some of the most enjoyable camping of the year. There's something magical about sitting in a cozy trailer and watching the snow fall.

Adding extra insulation makes a huge difference. I bought a roll of Reflectix from Home Depot and cut it to fit the windows on my North and West sides and I park so my largest windows soak up the sun.

Covering the roof vents with foam works wonders. Notice there is condensation on the wall next to the window. That's a big problem in the winter needs to be controlled with ventilation. It may sound counterintuitive, but cracking the window over the bed and cracking one of the roof vents helps prevent condensation accumulation at night.

I've camped right down to 5 degrees comfortably, and without frozen pipes.

I do all of this for the SW Summer, too (except leaving the big windows clear for sun exposure...that is winter only). I take the reflectix out of windows for April/May, September/October. I generally leave the kitchen window uncovered, and use it to vent when more than the bath vent is needed. The bath vent has a vent cover, so I don't worry about rain/snow (although not much snow here, at 4500'. Budget for propane! Someone said in a later post to cover the AC Unit, but if you have nicer afternoons that reach upwards of 40, that would limit the use of the heat pump. I don't know anything about the heat strips. I don't recommend getting on the roof unless you can see the rivets for the ribs...the safer places to step. Do not use the lengthwise rivet lines to step.

Have fun! Philip