WINTER AIRSTREAM Options... NONE

[wcrockett]

Been winter camping in Colorado and other cold climates for 7 years. I never winterize my trailer. I had one valve by the toilet freeze and crack the first winter I owned the trailer. After that I made sure temps in the trailer stayed above zero. I plug in when I can and I have never gone through two 30# bottles in a week.

[Life is a Highway]

Right on Ray. People buy a Airsteam if it’s delivered in winter it’s trash by the time you receive it.

Watching sales staff lie to your face saying “ohh no it will be fine silly boy.” Sign here


That is part of the situation. SALTed Roads and Salty water being tossed into every crevice and opening of your Salt Aversion Chemical Reactive Airstream. If you have ever seen a NEW AIRSTREAM at the Dealer's Lot towed from Jackson Center during sloppy highway winter conditions... the CORROSION is an Eye Opener.

[DebH]

Originally Posted by Ray Eklund

Nope. Never. Well... maybe in 2007 at Medicine Bow, Wyoming in an Ice / sleet /rain on an unpaved road north of town.

Storm began and we ended up with mud stuck to fender wells, rock guards and a filthy mess. What did not fall off when driving to Rock Springs... caught a big rain shower, rode back and forth across the water dips at intersections in town and... Lived happily ever after.

Cleaned up very nice and the running water cleaned the road, as well. Travel on unimproved Rocky Mountain roads during or just after a big STORM dumps inches of rain in one hour.

Some experiences in a 4x4 on muddy roads paid off to clean the Tow Vehicle and Trailer. Driving through a Heavy Rain Storm is a great car wash... if you avoid hydroplaning. But it works. Cleans out the tire treads as well.

When on a muddy road, your tire treads fill with mud... and now you have SKIS.

You do not want to, as well.

Muddy roads. Avoid it if you can. Never tow your Airstream on muddy roads after a rain, or worse, while it is raining.

Towing on any of the above, even with a 4x4... Don't.

Preaching to the Choir? I hope. I experienced an Exodus out of a compact dirt road... during a rain, drizzle, sleet and light snow among a group of Airstream owners. They voted to LEAVE as the weather was not up to... standard.

You know, sunny, warm and pleasant? Not.

This was the opposite. Rather than waiting it out to dry out some... the group voted to LEAVE NOW. A knock on my door, in my underwear... thinking someone needed medical attention. But finding a large group standing outside.

OK... so I warmed up the two vehicle, packed up the trailer and was gone in less than 15 minutes. That pretty much turned me sour about Off the Grid Boondocking with a group.

Sometimes... you have to comply with the crowd, but never again. Had one jack knifed and blocked the road... it would be all over. There were 12 to14 Airstreams. I sure did not want to be the trailer at the end... And these were better than most, as they were mostly dirt and rounded gravel imbedded into the puddles.

Just be careful. If a group wants to do something not to your liking... let THEM do it and use your Common Sense. It is NOT equally distributed.

Once safely back in Medicine Bow... stopped at the Virginian Hotel and had a great breakfast. This was our FIRST TRIP in the 2006 Safari... June 30, 2006. I liked the pancake substituted for... toast. Whooooo Hooooo

Top Photo: May 1, 2007 in our favorite OTG Boondocking New Mexico! Narrow roads make you use strategy when encountering oncoming cattle haulers. You... look for DUST up ahead and find a pull over. Over time you get... smart. But paid for from being not so smart.

Middle photo... central Wyoming near Rock Springs...

Airstreams can go to many places. You just have to know... when to Turn Around or back out and find another route.

Now that I have, no doubt, insulted most on the Forum... I am safe to travel ourselves in the comfort and safety we always enjoy. All of the time...

I have wondered what people are thinking when they are winter camping, intentionally or not. I'm from ND and well-versed in winter roads, paved or not, fall and spring snowstorms and other things folks have no experience towing a vehicle in.
Thanks for the very blunt post! I loved it 😁

[gypsydad]

There is a great winter Airstream camper/snow skier that I was following last few years, named Jihung Tang, on FB Addicts site. She was recently featured in AS magazine in her quest to ski a 1000 different destinations, many with her AS in tow. If you follow Airstream Addicts on FB, (I know many do not anymore) she took on all the raw aspects of camping in heavy snow while traveling to as many ski areas in North America as she can and documenting on FB. She camps in ski area parking lots and campgrounds; sometimes flying back and forth from Dallas, other areas for work each week. All the while learning how to camp in an AS with her daughter, asking questions, solving challenges and overcoming the odds. She has owned and camped in a 25' AS (Snow Queen) and also a Basecamp in these conditions; her trips and her ability to overcome while learning is impressive for a single woman...

Jihong Tang documents her adventures on the Airstream Addicts site. You can log into FB and look her up to see what/where she is this month.

[greghoro]

Stranded in campground near Atlanta while tow vehicle being repaired. Have suitable electrical hookup, a space heater and access to propane refills.


Going to have two instances of temps below freezing:
- 12 hours with low of 23 degrees
- 14 hours with low of 26 degrees


Plan to drain fresh water tank and unhook from city water, as we have 7 gallons of fresh water available inside. Will extensively use campground restroom and capture/dump gray water at the facility.



Gray tank has about 4 gallons, black tank maybe 10 and have no way to dump either. Also will be switching exclusively to propane furnace for heating during that time (can get propane refill 2 miles away).


Do I want to drain hot water tank if I can keep it heated (I'm thinking not)?
Do I want to blow out the water lines (big 12V Vair), circulate with antifreeze, open all faucets and low point drains or leave them as is?
Do I want to dump maybe a gallon of antifreeze into each waste tank?


Any other thoughts?




Greg

[n2916s]

If you are staying in the trailer and you are using the furnace (supplemented with your space heaters) to keep the temperature tolerable for humans, there is no need to drain the water tank or empty the grey/black tanks.

I worked in Yellowstone for many summer seasons. In May, we would encounter pretty much the conditions you expect — sub-freezing overnight followed by 40’s during the day. All I ever did was disconnect and drain my fresh water hose.

Just my 2 cents

[wulfraat]

Winter is fine. Towed out of Denver Sunday at 15 degrees or so. Headed south to Tucson for some cycling.

Had a flat tire the night before I left popped on the spare at dusk / 0 degrees F no problemo. Go with the flow. Put on a tuque and mitts if your cold.

Finally got around to washing the trailer today in 70 degree weather, pretty dirty as the first 9 hours of the trek was through snow and ice down i25. Bounced right back still looks like new.

All good. Headed back north on Monday.

[wulfraat]

Originally Posted by greghoro;

Going to have two instances of temps below freezing:
- 12 hours with low of 23 degrees
- 14 hours with low of 26 degrees

Do I want to drain hot water tank if I can keep it heated (I'm thinking not)?
Do I want to blow out the water lines (big 12V Vair), circulate with antifreeze, open all faucets and low point drains or leave them as is?
Do I want to dump maybe a gallon of antifreeze into each waste tank?

Any other thoughts?

Greg

That ain’t very cold. [emoji4]

Keep your water heater and gas furnace on. No need to drain anything. You’re fine.

[Ray Eklund]

When I would catch a trout fly fishing with lots of line out... much like those who say Winter Camping is just great... I am careful not to become over confident.

When poor judgment catches up... it will be more than losing an 18 inch trout.

Winter in Florida is not the same as Winter at elevation of the Rockies or Western Kansas. Frost Bite is Nature's fishing line... and you are the trout.

Weather is the fly... Snow is the line. You get caught... you are not in a good position to advise others to do the same. It takes more than reading an article in a magazine. They are paid to write it... once. They learned... too.

Your trailer will survive... but a bad experience may turn tragic for the ignorant.

Towing on SALTED Roads... your aluminum skin looks good temporarily. The rock nicks will corrode... and the belly and the hot water exterior metal and the Refer...

Wet at 32F or lower, out of propane... you are not writing posts on the Forum about how much fun you have having. You want someone to get your out of that situation.

Not worth it... and I know what I am doing. ... do not call me.

When you are buying an Airstream... look very close at the outside surfaces and frame.

[tjdonahoe]

Originally Posted by Ray Eklund

When I would catch a trout fly fishing with lots of line out... much like those who say Winter Camping is just great... I am careful not to become over confident.

When poor judgment catches up... it will be more than losing an 18 inch trout.

Winter in Florida is not the same as Winter at elevation of the Rockies or Western Kansas. Frost Bite is Nature's fishing line... and you are the trout.

Weather is the fly... Snow is the line. You get caught... you are not in a good position to advise others to do the same. It takes more than reading an article in a magazine. They are paid to write it... once. They learned... too.

Your trailer will survive... but a bad experience may turn tragic for the ignorant.

Towing on SALTED Roads... your aluminum skin looks good temporarily. The rock nicks will corrode... and the belly and the hot water exterior metal and the Refer...

Wet at 32F or lower, out of propane... you are not writing posts on the Forum about how much fun you have having. You want someone to get your out of that situation.

Not worth it... and I know what I am doing. ... do not call me.

When you are buying an Airstream... look very close at the outside surfaces and frame.

EXACTLY. I know what can happen. I read about it every day Been there and done that

[wulfraat]

Originally Posted by Ray Eklund;

... and I know what I am doing. ... do not call me.

Don’t worry I won’t call you haha.

[dbj216]

I drove over Vail and Loveland passes mid May in 2019. We had a snow squall going on up there that accumulated on the ground and trees. The temp was 30F and I was worried about ice. The highway was wet, so I figured the deicers were working and I might not slip into the ditch.

The truck and the trailer were a mess when we got home. So out came the power washer and brush. The truck cleaned up fine, but the trailer was permanently corroded. I had stripped and polished the trailer some years ago, so it was bare aluminum. Now I busy myself this winter polishing all the corrosion off the exterior.

Another reason not to drive through snow with an Airstream trying to travel in the winter.

David

[Ray Eklund]

We figured something out, once we became to realize, finally.... Seasons change... every year, about the same time. Imagine that? It was strange, but it is true.

Neanderthals figured, by accident some thousands of years ago. Human Beans... still are trying to figure it out that there are Seasons, too. They camp in the snow and wonder why they have frost bite. Duhhhh...

They make good pets... if they do not bite. The Human Bean's Blue Heeler dogs... that is.

YOUR money in the Bank is being loaned to Other People buying a second home and that home appreciates.

Your money... you do not even get to smell it, as if it has a smell. It is fine print on a sheet of paper... hmmmm. It is not real.. if you watch American Greed on television... some times the numbers on paper are not real. Or the guy in a cardboard box investing it for you... in HIS SECOND Home. Or third.

Wake up... like a Grizz in the Spring.

Find a 'vacation home' for yourself. A winter and a summer home. Makes no sense seeing someone else having a good time and you are changing a flat tire on the trailer (Marathon 14 inch) and they are having a Beer, watching you.

They come in different sizes and prices.

[pcskier]

Summer is easier but where’s the fun in that?

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by pcskier

Summer is easier but where’s the fun in that?
Attachment 411537Attachment 411539Attachment 411540

Where are you camping? That doesn't look like "fun" to me, but I could be missing something this year! Are you up in Utah camping or are you in a site for the winter skiing or something?

[majorairhead]

The only winter camping I'm interested in.....

[jondrew55]

Winter camping in St Augustine right now. It’s horrible. One day flip flops, the next day shoes and socks and a sweater.

[DaveP]

pcskier,

Are you still winter camping in SLC??

[pcskier]

Originally Posted by DaveP

pcskier,



Are you still winter camping in SLC??

The first couple pics were from October on property I will be building on outside of Park City. Last one is at RV resort in at for the winter in Heber City near Park City.

[tjdonahoe]

I know Ray is right….