Visit our Popular Forums

MikeandCarol · 07-28-2019, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brokeboater

An Oliver probably.

An Oliver Yes. Oliver advertises 4 season capability. Plumbing and electric are between hulls, insulated with heat ducts. We haven’t been in single digits but have plenty of time in the teens. We still have to take precautions, no trailer will be impervious to extreme cold.

Rollinstone · 07-28-2019, 02:43 PM

We've taken our fully winterized trailer up to Crystal Mountain, WA in the middle of winter for a couple of days of skiing. Night temps are routinely below 20F. There are 30-amp hookups. We run a small ceramic heater to keep the interior nice and warm. Since we're winterized the water systems are not used. We heat water on the stove for sponge baths. It's a great winter camper with just a few limitations.

sarge12212 · 07-28-2019, 05:10 PM

When I planned to spend the winter in my '77 30' Exsella 500, I completely repiped the plumbing. The charge controller makes a lot of heat and vents it down the passenger wall. The kitchen and shower, toilet and water heater are all on that passenger wall. But for some unexplainable reason, the incoming water line came in from the driver side rear corner and ran down the driver side before crossing over to the passenger side. Just begging to freeze up in colder weather! I relocated the incoming water to the charge controler heated passenger side section and eliminated that issue. Most campgrounds have the water spigot on the driver side, so I just run the hose around to it and remove and drain the hose overnight.

uncle_bob · 07-29-2019, 07:55 AM

Hi

If you *are* going to the trouble of re-piping a trailer for winter use ..... Going with PEX piping and fittings is probably a good idea. The stuff does appear to be freeze proof ( = I've frozen it a number of times back in Kansas). I'm not suggesting you *depend* on that. Only that it is useful "just in case".

Bob

rmatkovich · 07-30-2019, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alreddawg19

We just got a 23FC RB bunk that we love. It was slightly used 2018 model. One thing I was curious about that I hear often is that AS is not a four season camper.

What exactly does that mean?

We do plan to go camping in the winter in the PNW assuming we get a couple of non rain days...does this mean that we may be colder than normal or does this potentially mean that we may damage the camper, etc..?

Hello and yes the trailer is only a maybe 2 season trailer. With a R-7 insulation that is nothing, might as well be in a tent. Ask why does a 30 foot trailer need 2 air conditioners, answer because you are like being in a tent. Your trailer is good for about 30 degrees and after that your furnace will run ????? to try and keep it warm You will be heating the outside. Windows are single pain. Trust me we do have some cold weather in FL. in Jan and good thing it warms up in day light hours because if it did not BRRRRRRRRRR.
I have owned 34' AS trailers since 1990 and we have been in snow a time or so for a short time and watch it melt off the trailer. No one know why AS does nor use a better insulation but they use anything that is not expensive.
Jim

uncle_bob · 07-31-2019, 06:08 AM

Hi

If you want to insulate an Airstream better, get rid of the great big windows and make the walls 4" thick. Then do something about the floor. That's going to be a very different trailer when you get done ....

Bob

Ray Eklund · 08-01-2019, 10:41 AM

Tent camped in the Gila National Forest of New Mexico this May and later in June of this year. Dog's water bowl outside the tent froze to the bottom. Second month, frost on our foldout table.

We did not need a furnace. We did not need anything but added an extra sleeping bag for extra 'insulation'. Each Blue Heeler received a small blanket they could snuggle into within their side of the tent.

Airstream and trailer owners need what to stay... comfortable?

What a bunch of sissies. Spend a few Spring evenings in a tent. Figure out how to easily manage cold. It is HOT that is difficult to manage for a tent camper. Then Airstream owners argue if ONE or TWO air conditioners are enough.

We spent ZERO to enjoy the outdoors... now. Anyone who cannot handle the elements within a home on wheels with AC and Furnace... take a deep breath. The American Indian did it for thousands of years. Now they are sissies.

Eskimos... lived in an Igloo, for heaven sake, for centuries.

We have become soft. Lazy. Complain about everything but ourselves.

Sit down and reconsider if you are able to subsist in a modern trailer with all of the comforts of home. We get by just perfectly. Try it some day before criticizing the crazy neighbor in the tent. You are in an Airstream... not bushing it in a sleeping back under a tarp.

My complaint on our last trip to the mountains of Utah, Wyoming, Colorado and Nevada tent camping... I forgot my small radio and headset. I am still looking for it. Either still among the camping gear or misplaced at home. THAT I missed.

Don't say you 'deserve these comforts'. Not if you are complaining about them. Get real.

The rest... I am happy to say that the conversion from Airstream comforts back to tent camping was an excellent choice for... US. Maybe not for some of the whiners who need all of these comforts to enjoy the... outdoors. That is why there are so many television programs about the outdoors. Travel without any discomfort sipping on a mixed drink... needing to turn up the volume of the two televisions in your trailer.

The Grand Canyon looks wonderful, while camped at an RV Park in Columbus, Ohio.

Tim A. · 08-01-2019, 02:55 PM

I am happy, even proud, to be a sissy. One of the reasons we have an Airstream is the comfort factor. Not that I have anything against those who enjoy tent camping. I just don't have any desire to do it at this stage in my life.

Soon this sissy, his wife, and the dog will be heading off to West Yellowstone where we know the nighttime temperatures will get well below freezing. We do so like being cozy and warm inside at night and then dress for and enjoy the out-of-doors during the day.

Tim

Alreddawg19 · 08-01-2019, 08:58 PM

Fwiw, my goal of this thread is not comfort, I can handle the cold. I just don't want to damage the airstream

GMFL · 08-01-2019, 09:15 PM

Run the furnace and you can camp in the cold.

Tim A. · 08-01-2019, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GMFL

Run the furnace and you can camp in the cold.

Yep!

mefly2 · 08-01-2019, 10:25 PM

We camp from February to November in our AS ...but with the water drained and winterized when the temps are near freezing. Still have a great time! Sometimes we are parked on 5-6 inches of ice ... keep the propane topped off for the furnace.

rmkrum · 08-02-2019, 12:55 AM

Raised three Eagle Scouts the hard way. Went camping and hiking with them and their buddies. Backpack, good clothes, and several decent tents. Hard ground, freezing weather, bring it on. That was then, Airstream is now.

Can’t conceive of going back to tent camping nowadays, but many happy family memories of camping in the redwoods out of the back of a Volvo station wagon when the youngest was only 8 months old.

They all grew up and moved on, but youngest passed on his 22 footer Airstream to us parents when his little family outgrew it. We will care for it and return it when we can no longer travel...and he needs to travel sans kiddos.

OTRA15 · 08-02-2019, 04:39 AM

To review the OP's posts:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alreddawg19

We just got a 23FC RB bunk that we love. It was slightly used 2018 model. One thing I was curious about that I hear often is that AS is not a four season camper.

What exactly does that mean?

We do plan to go camping in the winter in the PNW assuming we get a couple of non rain days...does this mean that we may be colder than normal or does this potentially mean that we may damage the camper, etc..?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alreddawg19

Yeah I think we would only camp in the winter when the highs are in the upper 40s at the minimum.

Mostly we are thinking about camping near the coast or islands around the Seattle area. (Fort Casey, Fort Flagler, etc...)

Other than killing the propane tank, should I worry about anything else if the temp gets above freezing and in the 40s during the day or should I still take extra precaution.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alreddawg19

Fwiw, my goal of this thread is not comfort, I can handle the cold. I just don't want to damage the airstream

Wondering if you got your answer? [I have not read all the posts carefully]

Even in your location, any prolonged below-freezing weather, especially with strong winds, can cause freeze-ups in the darnedest of hidden locations. This can happen in a couple of hours during a cold windy night, for instance. Don't ask how we know . . .

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

Are you planning on boondocking, or will you have electricity available? That is important to know, in order to answer fully. As earlier posts have suggested, winter use can range from the AS being an aluminum tent without any water . . . to a fully functioning trailer with full water use [if you adjust to the actual weather conditions, and then proactively protect your investment]. Please add more details about your worst-case-scenario camping conditions.

Good luck,

Peter

PS -- The search function in the blue box above works great on the desktop version of this site -- not as well in the App IMO. Put in "Colorado winter" and some earlier threads will come up. Gotta run now -- more later.

Ray Eklund · 08-02-2019, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alreddawg19

Fwiw, my goal of this thread is not comfort, I can handle the cold. I just don't want to damage the airstream

*****
Of course my previous post is to get a point across.

Dry Camping in your Airstream is learned from experience, not from some people patting you on the back and waving as you leave. It takes more than some short post telling you how nice and comfortable this experience will be.

Just plan your trip as if you are tent camping. The tent is your trailer. The same to me. Water in your water lines and pump are your biggest liability if they freeze and you need to pull stuff apart to replace. Water lines will begin to freeze inside the trailer when temperatures drop below 25 degrees. How will you know... if your water pump does not engage... even it is frozen. Even with your cabinets open to warm the water lines just will not be enough, but gives you some slack.

A hair dryer if you have electricity is handy.

Just avoid water in the water lines. Just avoid using your toilet. Vent the interior to avoid moisture buildup... when your clothing feels heavy, your bed coverings are damp feeling... you are already in trouble.

I would expect where you will be is not as big an issue as in the Rocky Mountains, where it can get below 20 degrees in the Summer at elevation. You will just be cold and wet...

You will have a steep learning curve. We all have gone through it. Some with massive problems and some glided through from previous experiences.

You are not in a skirted trailer in a trailer park with a storage shed. No comparison.

Avoid anything having to do with your water system... the first time. Ignorance is very expensive. Unless temperatures get low enough for a hard freeze... you will be good. Otherwise, caution is my advice and work from there.

Isab · 08-02-2019, 11:16 PM

“Just avoid using your toilet. “

Not necessary. Just avoid flushing your toilet by putting water thru the lines. Keep them blown out. I keep a gallon jug of water in the trailer for flushing. Also a good idea to travel with a bottle of the RV safe antifreeze. Use it to force any water thru the drains and into the waste tanks which should be kept relatively empty when it is cold.
The vulnerable points in an Airstream with the pex lines is the valve in the toilet, valves in the two sinks, and the water heater. The pump to a lesser extent.

OTRA15 · 08-03-2019, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OTRA15

. . .
. . . Put in "Colorado winter" and some earlier threads will come up. Gotta run now -- more later.

Here are those search results which lead to some threads about cold-weather camping:

https://www.google.com/search?q=Colo...com&gws_rd=ssl
"winter camping" -- https://www.google.com/search?q=wint...=airforums.com

Your cold nights in the PNW would not be anything like winter in Colorado, of course, but there are still some "weakest link in the chain" lessons to be learned IMO.

Good luck,

Peter

**Rocinante** · 08-04-2019, 06:56 AM

Voce of experience from winter camping in the PNW: if you winterize, camp winterized, and use the campground’s toilets, you will have no issues that cannot be easily remedied with open roof vents or a small dehumidifier, warm blankets, and a fair amount of propane. If no shore power, carefully steward your battery charge to maximize the time you can stay. Simple and far more pleasant than tent camping there in winter. [emoji4]

uncle_bob · 08-04-2019, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Isab

......
The vulnerable points in an Airstream with the pex lines is the valve in the toilet, valves in the two sinks, and the water heater. The pump to a lesser extent.

Hi

I would add the back flow / pressure regulator on the city water supply to that list. Also the valves on the indoor shower and outdoor shower if your trailer has one.

Bob

Jaxon · 08-04-2019, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Read

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

.
Oliver's are extremely well made and a real four season camper.

https://olivertraveltrailers.com

I toured one an acquaintance had and was impressed at the quality and solidness of the trailer - it is what Airstream claims to be. Top price new for a 21' is close to $65K. You'll rarely find a used one for sale.
.
.