Not a four season trailer?

[brokeboater]

There actually are four seasons campers and they are vastly different than Airsteams. There is no doubt you can camp in pretty much anything in very cold or very hot weather but that doesn't make the rig four seasons.

[skyguyscott]

Here is a blog about camping the PNW in an Airstream, with pics!
http://just5moreminutes.com/blog/win...rstream-style/

From Airstream, you can order a winter camping guide here:
https://www.airstream.com/community/...inter-camping/

And, also from AS, 5 tips for winter camping:
https://www.airstream.com/blog/5-tip...iveted-winter/

and a generic article on winter camping in an AS
https://camperreport.com/can-airstre...sed-in-winter/

And YouTube! (but it looks more like fall camping to me)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8BA6s0APVU

Can it be done? YES! Can you winter camp in a tent? YES! Can you camp in a tent on the unforgiving slopes of Mt. Everest? YES! Can you camp in your AS on Mt. Everest? Nope. Is it easy? Nope. Is it glamping in comfort and style? Nope.

[Read]

What are the 4 season campers? Oliver suggests they are 4 season. Any others?

[PKI]

Google four season RVs. Look at Grand Design and Outdoors RV .....

[brokeboater]

Originally Posted by Read

Any others?

Besides the already mentioned, I'd add Bigfoot and Northwood. If you're rolling in cash take a look at New Horizons.

[Rocinante]

When we winter camped in the PNW after winterizing the trailer, we used it like a “tin tent.” We left it winterized, and used campground bathrooms / showers. It was warm and comfortable, especially when compared to an actual tent, and we didn’t have to worry about anything freezing. Just one more possibility.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

I've done tents in the dead of winter lots of times. The AS (with care) is *way* more comfortable than a tent when it's below zero out.

Bob

[Adventure.AS]

Love winter camping.

[Caffeinated]

Originally Posted by Oregon Ms

On the way from Orlando to Anacortes two winters ago I thought I was smart and safe taking the southern route home. On the way heading north there was a horrific storm in Reno/Tahoe so I skirted around. Long story short, i was snow/ice bound in Winnamucca, Wells and Boise for two weeks. The temps went down to negative 19 degrees. I toughed it out and survived just fine with the help of the furnace (on and off) and two space heaters. There was a thick frost on the walls in the mornings.

It was too late to even consider winterizing. I opened the cupboards at night to protect the pipes, the pipes still froze.

In the end I thought the rig escaped unscathed, not true. Luckily Airstream in Covington found broken pipes in the walls before any damage could be done. I was lucky that it was discovered because had it not been there could have been bigger problems down the road. The Airstream guys said they see people who get frozen pipe damage from a simple trip across the pass.

I use my rig year round, last winter we winterized.

What time of the year was this?

Mike

[J. Morgan]

Once when my Airstream was new to me we had to make a snap trip to Lubbock Texas. The first night we drove to Abilene Texas, parked, went to sleep, and then woke up to a half a foot of snow on the ground and mid teen temps.

Everything was functional no problems. Me thinking that "hey were in the desert, it will warm up" were drastically misplaced and we picked up and drove toward Lubbock. About half way there I stopped along the way and figured out that I should have left the furnace running while traveling, the water was frozen.

The short version of the story is that it hovered right around zero degrees F for four or five days. I spent the better part of the first day thawing everything out with space heaters and a halogen light, but once thawed out, everything was ok, and we were comfortable for the rest of our stay.

The moral for me was this, if you're traveling in very cold weather, have plenty of propane and leave the furnace on while moving.

[Oregon Ms]

Originally Posted by Caffeinated

What time of the year was this?

Mike

January, a couple of years ago. I was on my way home from spending Christmas at Disney's Ft Wilderness with my family. The day after I made my break up I-82 from Boise (I 82 had been closed) there was a massive multiple vehicle wreck where I had passed through the day before, I consider myself lucky (or stupid) or both. Drove out on ice roads and "ice fog" (never heard of it before then) for fifty miles.

The huge storm went from Northern California/Nevada to Washington...maybe BC. Went on for weeks. Reno was flooded.

BTW, my last rig was a Bigfoot motorhome. It was truly a four season camper, sometimes I miss it, particularly in January. They don't make them anymore (the motorhomes anyway), just trailers and truck campers as I recall.

[PKI]

The Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles as well as Southern Kansas are not to be considered sun belt areas. In Fall, Winter, Spring it just takes a couple of days for interesting weather to blow in from the North. You can blame Colorado, but it does not do you much good.

The other gotchyah is altitude. What is nice and sunny can drop to the bottom of the scale when the sun goes down. Yellowstone, Colorado and to our chagrin the Sieras above Auburn all have cold snaps to keep you on your toes. What was a complete surprise was hail South of San Jose, but that high in the sky altitude can cool rain and make it rather solid when it does come to earth.

The good thing about not being a four season trailer is the inside heat escapes to the pipes and keeps them from freezing if the furnace runs regularly. The bad thing is the propane required to keep all warmer than the prevailing temps.

Keep your weather radio warmed up and check it regularly. Pat

[rmkrum]

One of our trips in our old Volvo station wagon with three kids was driving around Crater Lake on the 4th of July, 1982 or so. 12 feet of snow on the ground...nothing on the lower elevations.

[D44]

This past May at the Grand Canyon - the week before Memorial Day

[rmkrum]

Yup. The joys of the ‘Mountain West’.

It always blows me away that you have to climb to a rather high altitude just to look down into the Grand Canyon.

[Msherw]

Just left Leadville, CO (10K ft elev.) 2 weeks ago. 82º days but nights in July dropped to 28º. I chose to keep the LP furnace on to help keep the subfloor warm and never got the ceramic heater out of the cabinet. Due to the low humidity at altitude, the condensation was never a problem.

I agree with most of those here...ultra-cold (or ultra-hot) wx and we stay home. Our preferred date range for the Airstream is April - October in semi-temperate climates. High altitude camping is July-August. Desert dates are April-May.

I think there are plenty of better insulated rigs. My buddy has a Jayco with the thermal package and all ducted AC and floor heat. It is really a good product and is made by THOR (AS parent).

[Isab]

I have been very lucky. And learned a few things about surviving in an Airstream in cold temperatures.
First and foremost. Carry an air compressor and blow out your lines, if you are going to be traveling into the cold. You are not going to have all the comforts of home if you want to save your pipes.
Empty your water heater first of course.
Second, if humidity is a problem, which it rarely is in the west, get a table dehumidifier, plug it in, and empty it as needed,

I heat the trailer up with the propane, and then turn it down when up to temperature, at which point the ceramic heaters take over, and maintain. Good idea to turn the furnace one a while before you actually stop for the night if you can

Travel with a generator, a gas can full of no ethanol gas, and an extra bottle of propane. I keep those in the bed of my tow vehicle.
The generator should be big enough to run your furnace, and dehumidifier for at least 24 hours on half load.
There are also things that can be done to insulate the floors and walls under the bed. I’m working on that part, and upgrading to a double battery box this fall.

Electric blankets are your friend.

I have likened the Airstream to a giant wine cooler. If you are traveling through wind and cold, it is quite possible for the temperatures to be colder on the inside than on the outside, and heat works the same way.

I have only once been uncomfortable at night. Pulled into Albuquerque during a horrible wind with below zero wind chill. Wind was rocking the trailer, and the furnace and the two ceramic heaters really couldn’t keep up, which is why one of these days, when my truck is paid for, I am selling the airstream and buying a Big Foot. Tired of jury rigging stuff to keep the trailer comfortable.

Another lesson learned. If the temp is going to drop below 20 degrees, the valves on your propane bottles will likely freeze. Better that you keep those valves open, rather than shut if that is going to happen. This happened to me at home, and I ended up wrapping the tanks in an electric blanket to get them going again.

[2000 Excella]

I have camped many times in Colorado's high country "Leadville" and get along fine with catalytic heater and intermittent use of generator in the day time for the furnace. I have experienced mid teens more than once in the spring at that altitude. Condensation control is key by cracking a few vents. I also remove moisture from windows daily if the sun is not shining. It can be done especially if you are inclined to enjoy colder weather camping.

[brokeboater]

Originally Posted by Isab

buying a Big Foot.

Nice rigs. Good luck in making that transition. I like a really cool, style wise, trailer and I like a four season trailer. Bigfoot is one of the very few makes that I think does both. An Oliver probably. I think I could be happy with a Bigfoot and just a Bigfoot. The Airstream fills one need for me and the Arctic Fox fills another. Cold camping in a rig that's made for it is delightful. In a rig not made for it, not so much.

[Rob Cope]

I live year-round on San Juan Island where the day temperature in winter is usually about 40F and perhaps for 2 or three weeks in the winter expect about 25F at night. I have one of those oil electric heaters warming the front living area -- positioned under the table. A ceramic heater at low low temp is next to the toilet. Both 24/7. The underside is 'blanketed in' to reduce air flow. Electric warmers on low are placed where they might be needed to protect pipes. As only one occupies the AS condensation has been no issue. Hope to learn someday what a 'fellow' Washingtonian learns.