Cold Weather Living (Interstate)

[InterBlog]

In the spirit of the epic thread “Small space living”, and in juxtaposition to another comprehensive thread “Declaring war on Interstate heat gain”, I’m hatching a thread to consolidate cold-weather living tips for those of us who spend long periods in the Interstate van.

Because of a number of unrelated factors, this fall and winter, I’ve been spending more time in our Interstate than I have at home - this is a first for me, despite 5 years of Interstate ownership. I’m not quite full-time, but I’m close. Although that time has been almost entirely in Texas, it does get cold here - we just had our 16th cold front of the season, and temps as I write are in the high 30’s, and will fall into the 20’s for the next two nights at least.

Some suggestions will perhaps be equally applicable to Airstream trailers as well as motor homes. But the Interstate is particularly noteworthy in terms of its cold challenges because of its small size. For the techies among you, this is partly an issue of surface area to volume ratio, which in the Interstate’s case is very large. It’s easier to heat a large trailer than a small trailer or van.

So, what are your tips for cold weather management? Here are a few of mine to kick it off:

1. Goose down, goose down, goose down. I have a special down sleeping bag, a down Rumpl, and two synthetic Rumpls on top of that. I also wear a down jacket. If I had known in advance that I would be spending this much time in the Interstate in cold weather this season, I would have also invested in down pants (expensive - about $200).

2. Sheep skin slippers. I sleep in them as well as wear them in the van. They squish down for storage the way solid shoes do not.

3. Lots of fleece, long underwear (layered), leg warmers under the fleece because the floor of the Interstate can be 30 degrees colder than the space near the ceiling no matter how much heat is running, and I also have an alpaca wool poncho for when I need a break from the informal goose down (such as, if I’m going out for a business meeting). Few things on earth are as warm as alpaca.

4. Right now I’m balancing the use of a Vornado counter-top heater with the onboard propane furnace. Husband and I both hate the noise the furnace makes. Furthermore, the Vornado is too cheap and has begun to make all kinds of vibrational noise - I would love to invest in a GOOD QUALITY QUIET portable 110 V heater, but mostly what we have found on the market is crap. If anyone has any suggestions, please list them.

5. If we fall into the 20’s, I do use Reflectix window coverings to slow the heat loss. I also have a high-thermal-efficiency slider window cover that I DIY’d, and that’s featured on the sewing thread, but given that I hadn’t faced CHRONIC cold weather prior to this season, I had not gotten to the point of making thermal covers for the other windows. That’ll change eventually.

Here’s a 14-second video below of the Vornado’s irritating behavior (I’d enjoy smashing it to bits with a sledgehammer but I need it). I’m on my iPad, and it may not embed as a YouTube.

https://youtu.be/5qBLGOqOo6A

[nateallen80]

Seems like a timely topic. Thanksgiving week we traveled from Iowa through Nebraska, Colorado, Eastern Utah, Northern Arizona, North Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, Missouri and then back to Iowa, with daytime temps typically in the 30's to 50's, but night time temps down into the upper teens. We were at full service campgrounds for 2 of those nights where we used a typical 1500w ceramic heater for warmth very successfully. The remaining nights we were without hookups, using the propane furnace. We stayed pretty warm with engine heat and the greenhouse effect of the windows during the day, with the heater/furnace at night. I had the tank heaters on the entire trip, which my 200 ah battleborn Lifepo4 batteries supported just fine.

My real concern was with the water heater. We ended up traveling with a full fresh water tank the whole time and only flushing the toilet with winter windshield washer fluid as I was concerned that with the night-time temps dipping so low, the water heater full of mostly cold water may have issues, as we weren't planning on showering each day. I suppose it would have been fine, and I could have fired it up each evening on propane just to keep the water temp up overnight, but I didn't. I wish now that I had and we would have been cleaner more often as a result. Oh well, we saw 4 national parks and 1 presidential library in the span of 4 consecutive days on that trip, so it was a success anyway.

[85MH325]

I actually have two "plans," one for COLD weather travel where the temps are consistently below freezing and into the teens, and one for merely cool weather where it occasionally dips below freezing for a couple of days.

The off-grid plan for COLD weather travel is pretty simple.

Last time I drove to SoCal in January of '17, I just missed the HUGE ice storm that covered the central US by 50 miles. I went west on I-80 to I-35, turned left and drove like h*ll until I was well below the storm's reach in southern Oklahoma. It took two HARD driving days, and a couple of cold nights... the first I spent in Kansas City at a WalMart lot in 14* low temps with 50mph wind gusts. It was COLD.

I had my Coachmen then, not the Interstate, but the plan for keeping warm is the same. Point the front of the van away from the wind. Turn the dash vents to 'off.' That's important. Without that, cold air will pour in from the wind. Insulate the front windows and windshield. Most of your heat loss is through the glass and the front of the van has no insulation at all. The rest of it doesn't have much either, but the front end is the worst. Insulate the glass to the best of your ability. If you can insulate the glass AND have a heavy curtain that closes off the cab, that's about as ideal as you can get. I had heavy fabric curtains to cover the windshield and windows which helped, but reflectix helps even more. I now have several large pieces of reflectix that I plan to cut to size for the Interstate windows. I have a "Heat Shield" brand sun reflector for the windshield of the Interstate that does a remarkable job of insulating the cab from the glass.

I not only ran the propane furnace, but the gasoline Onan 2800 with a 1500 watt heater. I was able to keep the interior of the van in the mid-50s.

Last, in COLD weather travel is to make sure all of your plumbing is fully winterized and just don't use it. Basically your van is a comfortable, hard-sided tent. I carry a porta-potty on the floor of the shower. I "flush" it with bottled water. I carry bottled water and heat it on the stove for washing up or dishwashing. I carry a dishpan for use as a sink, and waste water gets thrown out into a snowbank, lawn or whatever is available. It's amazing how little water you can get by using when you need to. There are always showers available when you need them at truck stops, open campgrounds, some municipal swimming pools with indoor faciilities, and so forth. Keeping the fridge from turning into a deep freeze is probably one of the bigger challenges.

Merely "cool" weather travel isn't so difficult, and I generally try to find an open campground for 110 AC. One or two 1500 watt heaters will keep the van nice and warm, and your shower and toilet needs are provided for. You may (or may not) need to winterize your plumbing, but it's really not a big deal.

[Lotus54]

You have a much different model of Vorando heater.
The one I have I Have used quite a lot- often leaving it on the lowest setting in the driveway to keep the van a bit warmer. Sometimes just to help dry everything out if it has been raining and cold a lot.

I’ve never had any issue at all, still really quiet and keeps heat levels quite well.
This model is also quite a bit larger though- but I leave it on the floor outside the bathroom door (mid-bath) and it works great.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I use down booties a lot (I have Reynaulds and feet/hands get cold really easily)- generally cotton lined sleeping bag that is pretty thick (so comfy on the seats)- but use down comforters on top. Seem to stay plenty warm.

Yes, the propane heater is fairly noisey and the outlet is below the bed in our model. Works great when sitting on the seats though.
(my propane heater has a bad bearing that makes noise sometimes- but I have not pulled it out to fix yet).

[nateallen80]

Originally Posted by 85MH325

Insulate the front windows and windshield. Most of your heat loss is through the glass and the front of the van has no insulation at all. The rest of it doesn't have much either, but the front end is the worst. Insulate the glass to the best of your ability. If you can insulate the glass AND have a heavy curtain that closes off the cab, that's about as ideal as you can get. I had heavy fabric curtains to cover the windshield and windows which helped, but reflectix helps even more.

I had forgotten to mention that I used some larger irwin spring-loaded clamps to clamp a moving blanket up to the grab handles up by the sun visor on each side of the cab. The kids stayed very toasty in their bunk system in the cab area of the AI.

[Passin Thru]

We too traveled thru New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Idaho in the week before thanksgiving. One additional thing that we did was to winterize the macerator and pump out hose after each pump out since it is so exposed to the cold. I insulated the water tank before we left. On the cold nights we did use the tank heaters.

Otherwise we just used a 1500w floor heater and the propane heater. I might be a weird one but I enjoy the white noise of the propane heater.

As a side note we traveled a distance on snowy, icy roads pulling a toad and the coach did great - but I did grow up in Montana and now live in Idaho....

[InterBlog]

Good replies.

I cannot block off my cab - my ancient dog sleeps in the footwell of the passenger seat, which we have swiveled around so that her bed platform can be placed there. She’s old at this point (shelter dog, so we don’t know how old, but we have had her almost a decade) and being a southern dog to start with, she doesn’t take the cold well.

Good point about the water heater - I’m running mine as we speak, so that it will stay warm as we fall down into the 20’s tonight. The water heater probably would not freeze, but why take a chance - I can heat it up and let it just sit there overnight.

The good thing about the part of Texas I’m in right now is that there are rarely any sustained freezes. We reached about 40 degrees as a high temp today, however briefly, and we will be in the mid to high 20’s tonight, but it won’t stay there long enough for me to need to winterize. I crank the noisy Vornado up during the day to get it as warm as possible so that the warmth will permeate the fixtures of the van. So far, the lithium battery has not fallen below 10 degrees C because there’s a ventilation grate open to the heated interior, even though the butt end of the battery is close to the exterior wall of the van. Of course, the lithium battery cannot be allowed to fall to the freezing point at all.

[AKmtnpilot]

Use a good quality wool watch cap when sleeping. You will be amazed how much warmer you will feel. A persons head loses a great deal of heat. Also sleep with good wool socks on. Also use a bivy bag. A waterproof bag to put your sleeping bag into. Will make it warmer. A good sled dog covered in wool blanket will also help.
Just use on that doesn't snore

[BoatNutG2]

The best thing we purchased was an under carpet heating pad to keep the floor and our feet warm. You do need shore power but it is a godsend.

[rucos]

you need have to be using power but an electric blanket between the sleeping pad and mattress is a great pre heater during the evening ....or all night if you have connections.

[pteck]

I've never used one, but as you have 120V power, I'd imagine a heated rug would be pretty epic to have? Warm, radiant, heated floors.




https://www.amazon.com/Woo-Warmer-In...2s9dHJ1ZQ&th=1

[Mike1997]

Not in an Interstate but am in a Land Yacht motorhome full timing in West Virginia for the winter. Tonight temps into 20's but expected to be 15-18 tomorrow. I have a propane furnace, 2 roof top units with heat strips, and 1 portable small heater that stays in the drivers area between seats on the floor. Like someone else said, front gets colder. From the bedroom up to the galley area its warm and furnace heats floor and tanks. At one point I did get a feeling of cold air and it came from the oven exhaust vent. All I had to do was close and lock the flap. All shades are closed at night to help insulate windows and I leave my kitchen and bath cabinet doors open for warm air circulation to the water lines.

Daytime while working, I use the rooftop units and it stays around 60-65 inside. Always shut off small heater. At night, switch to the furnace and small heater. Roof units off. Do not have a skirt but might consider it as most I saw at the AF Academy Campground in CO did that to their RV's. Not pretty but it works.

I also have extra blankets on the bed and sometimes need to deal with a sketchy furnace. Replaced everything on it before we finally disconnected it from the 4 button Dometic tstat. Works perfect now.

As far as propane, the big tank is 17 gals but I added an adapter so that portable tanks can be attached. It also keeps me from driving the AS to Tractor Supply. A small 5 gal tank lasts about a week and I also have a gas water heater. Furnace uses a lot. I went all summer in FL taking daily showers and only used 1 big tank of propane.

Needless to say its manageable and I feel even as old as my AS is, its 100x better built than some Prevost I see on the road. Seems they always got something wrong with them

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by BoatNutG2

The best thing we purchased was an under carpet heating pad to keep the floor and our feet warm. You do need shore power but it is a godsend.

Oooooooh, I like that suggestion, and it's one I had not heard previously.

Anybody have any favorite brands?

At first glance, some of the products on the web are too wide for the Interstate's narrow hallway. But it would be good to have one that stretched across at least part of the length. That would help the all-the-warm-air-rising-to-the-ceiling annoyance.

Not a staged photo - here are my feet as I type this. The floor is SO COLD that I took off my sheepskin and set the Vornado to blast warm air directly onto my feet. It was 27 degrees outside when I woke up this morning, but thankfully, temps will moderate between now and Christmas.

[juliesAS22]

About this cold weather living/traveling... this newbie is wondering if anyone who pulls their AS in the cold (mine is a 23FB), runs their propane furnace while driving? My fresh water/grey/black tanks are always empty while driving. I am concerned my plumbing inside the camper could freeze. Thoughts?

[85MH325]

Originally Posted by juliesAS22

About this cold weather living/traveling... this newbie is wondering if anyone who pulls their AS in the cold (mine is a 23FB), runs their propane furnace while driving? My fresh water/grey/black tanks are always empty while driving. I am concerned my plumbing inside the camper could freeze. Thoughts?

The last B-Van I had before my Interstate was a Coachmen RD-19 and the water heater tank was ruptured when I bought it from not being winterized. That was one of the first repairs I had to make.

Of course, the caveat is always "how cold for how long?"

But generally speaking, the furnace cannot keep up with freezing temps while you're going down the road. Your trailer just isn't that well sealed or insulated. Your furnace will run constantly, you'll burn through your propane in short order, and if it's cold enough, the interior may still freeze.

If it's cold enough for you to be concerned, winterize. It only takes a few minutes and a gallon of pink stuff in most RVs. It takes just a few minutes to de-winterize it when you're in warmer climes. It's a LOT cheaper than repairing broken plumbing or water damage from broken plumbing.

[BoatNutG2]

We use the 22" by 7' in our FC28 under a 24 inch carpet runner Not sure how wide the aisle is on the interstate. https://cozywinters.com/shop/rug-hea...iAAEgI2afD_BwE but there are others smaller ones out there.

[Hawk-ination]

We happened to have a Dyson purifier/heater so took it out to the AS when it got cold in the fall. Takes an hour or so but warms the airstream right up. We were actually hot when sleeping on a 40 degree night. 20s or 30s are not that much colder in numbers but can feel much colder and harder to keep anything feeling warm.

I did take it out when it was around 34 just to test it and it maintained high 60s after getting warmed up.

Nice thing is it kicks back on when the temp drops. We set it on a wire shelf I bought so we can have storage under when parked. Also much quieter than the fan on the Airstream heater.

Downfall...really need to be plugged in to use it.

[Protagonist]

I spent most of this fall and winter camping in Arkansas in my Interstate (about three weeks out of each month from early October through mid-February), with overnight lows sometimes getting into the 20's, and daytime highs sometimes staying in the mid 30's. I was almost exclusively at Corps of Engineers campgrounds or Arkansas State Parks, and generally had hookups.

I supplemented my propane furnace with a desktop electric heater that I set on the floor (https://www.amazon.com/HOME-CHOICE-O...248415&sr=8-14). I use a desktop heater because it has a tip-over switch on the bottom, and it will shut itself off if one of my cats knocks it over. Even on the coldest nights, the interior temperature in my Interstate stayed in the low 60's or higher when using both heating sources together.

I covered the floor by the bed and wet bath with a microfiber bath mat from Amazon that's 16"×47" (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1). Works very well to insulate a cold floor. My cats love to sleep on it.

I used an interior windshield cover by Outside Vans, installed backwards (shiny side in) because the quilted cover works best when the shiny side faces the warmer side of the windshield and windows (facing out in summer, facing in in winter). I could have supplemented that with my canvas exterior cover if the subfreezing temperatures had lasted longer at a stretch; layering ought to work for vehicles the same way it works for people, don't you think?

The other windows were covered with Reflectix. But I do that all the time, not just in winter, again because of my cats. The pleated shades that came with the Interstate are anything but claw-proof and didn't last long once I got my cats. The Reflectix covers aren't claw-proof either, but are much more easily replaced when shredded.

I ran the furnace and the water heater on propane, which was a mistake on one trip because I ran out of propane too soon; I should have run the water heater on electricity since I had hookups. I also used the tank heaters. I never hooked up the water; instead I filled the fresh tank and used water from it because I have a heated fresh tank and that way I didn't have to worry about a freezing water hose. Heated hoses have one distinct drawback— they don't heat the faucet on the service pedestal, so the outside water supply can still freeze. I didn't bother with bottled water because tap water from the "diamond lakes" region of Arkansas is some of the best-tasting water to be found anywhere. If I was camping in a different part of the country I might have kept a supply of bottled drinking water as well, though.

On the coldest nights I used a hooded sweatshirt as a sleep-shirt, because heat loss through my poor bald head can be fierce.

One thing I've done before, but didn't need this winter, was to place a Mylar space blanket under my bedding to reflect my body heat back toward me. It makes a crinkling sound when one moves in one's sleep, but I don't move much in my sleep so it doesn't bother me too badly. I quit using it because it worked too well last time, and made me sweat in my sleep. But I offer the suggestion because your mileage may vary. People who really like to sleep warm could use two space blankets, one above and one below, and make themselves into a Mylar sandwich.

I have an automotive clothes rod that will reach across between the Mercedes OEM clothes hooks on the front door B-pillars, that I can use to hang a curtain to separate the cab from the rest of the Interstate, either for privacy or to reduce the heated volume on really cold nights, but I didn't use the clothes rod this winter except as a towel drying rack.

[Stak]

I am considering making modifications to my 2015 Interstate to enable 4 season travel. I am going to add a diesel fueled air heater. I'm thinking about enclosing the water, grey and black water tanks with some sort of insulated material and ducting warm air into the enclosures. Has anyone done this or know of anyone? I'd like to leverage any experience out there before engineering this myself. Thanks, Steve

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Stak

I am considering making modifications to my 2015 Interstate to enable 4 season travel. I am going to add a diesel fueled air heater. I'm thinking about enclosing the water, grey and black water tanks with some sort of insulated material and ducting warm air into the enclosures. Has anyone done this or know of anyone? I'd like to leverage any experience out there before engineering this myself. Thanks, Steve

If your diesel-fueled heater will be drawing from the main diesel tank and not from a separate tank, you may want to follow the example of larger motorhomes that have diesel generators— namely, make sure you tap the main diesel tank such that you only draw from the top half of the diesel tank to fuel the heater. That way, you can't strand yourself by running out of diesel for the engine while running the heater.