A Full-Time Mountain Winter in The Aluminum Tent 3!

[pcskier]

Originally Posted by westcoastas

I don't know why, but the Endurance came to mind. Tighten up those stabilizers!

Have fun on those days full of pow at Deer Valley!

Jeff, I put the rears down but not the fronts...I leash parley to the front steps and he tangled in the right front stabilizer, he's blind as a bat. So the front of the trailer just rests on the tongue jack.

[OTRA15]

"A chain is only as strong as its weakest link."

Wind is your primary enemy here IMO. Find the plumbing location that is the weakest link in your "liquid water chain" . . . be it exterior shower, H/C feeds to interior shower, toilet supply, etc..

With Airstreams being minimally insulated, in bitter cold with a strong wind blowing directly on that location you found above, the pipes will freeze no matter how warm the interior is! [IMO]

Assuming your location would not approve the following ideal solution?

Originally Posted by andyherman

. . .
. . . I bought a metal carport the second year and that's made a ton of difference.
. . .

Lots of good advice here . . . hmmm . . . this is likely going to be a very labor-intensive adventure!

Please keep us updated . . . this will also be a good learning lesson for future dreamers.

Good luck,

[TouringDan]

I like your idea of insulation batts against the belly pan and making some plastic storm windows. Please post photos when these are installed.

I also like natural light, but I would design and install some insulated window coverings to use when it is dark out. I read once where windows were considered a hole in the insulation and I agree with that statement.



Looking forward to following your experience.



Dan

[skyguyscott]

Originally Posted by westcoastas

I don't know why, but the Endurance came to mind.

It will be challenging, but nowhere near a Shackleton-level ordeal. Doing this in an iconic Airstream, a trailer built to go “glamping” is a bit like going off- roading in a limo.

[Coloradobus]

I wintered in my 1970 Overlander years sgo. As cold as -27 degrees. If new trailers were built as they were in the 60’s and 70’s i wouldnt hesitate again. Those trailers had tanks in the frame rails not hanging out like todsys traikers
Also sewer system wasnt exposed either
There was access hole under kitchen on mine to fresh tank wherevi placed a 100 watt lightbulb. Also placed 100 watter in bumpervwhere sewer exited, and one in rear trunk
Only issue, which wasnt during the coldest night, wasv, shower drain became slushy even with RV antifreeze
Why sewer dump valve woyld not open, all i dud was pour hot water into sewer hose, held it up in air so hotwater backfliwed to spade, presto, freed up
With ice build up from snow melt off the roof, did have issue of ice build up freezing door shut. Had to have neighbour at time pour hot water on doorknob sidevofventry to melt ice.
How todays plumbing is desgned i would be,iberal with heat tape on water hose if you stay connected, and figure way to dangle heat tape down inside sewr hose

[Lily&Me]

We learned to drink hot whiskey in Ireland many years back, and have found it particularly effective in staving off cold and chills.

I always carry Jameson during winter travels, and if I don’t have fresh lemon then a squirt of lemon juice and a few cloves do quite nicely...tho fresh lemon is best.


Hot Whiskey

I good pour of Jameson in a heat proof glass or mug

Lemon slice(s) studded with cloves

one or two sugar cubes

Boiling water to fill

Stir well, let steep a few seconds, then enjoy.

[skyguyscott]

Do you have to go winter camping to enjoy this delicious sounding drink?

Also, a piping hot mug of warm cocoa, or a cinnamon cappuccino with some freshly baked coffee cake while you watch the falling snow is sublime - and a hot cider, too often overlooked and criminally underrated, should never be forgotten.

[rmkrum]

Our absolute favorite when the kids were young and foolish was to take our homemade van conversion up above the snow line, and watch them play in the snow.

DW and I would warm up a big pot of homemade chili and all the fixings. Once the boys were sufficiently wet and frozen, they would come inside, change to dry clothing, and chow down.

Made for a great day in the outdoors in San Diego’s local mountains. Then we would go back down the mountains to the beach, have a campfire, and make dessert. S’mores, of course!

[OTRA15]

Now there's a perfect SoCal "winter trip!"

[rmkrum]

We didn’t do it, but you could also head out to the desert on the same day as well. We lived in San Diego for many years. Totally spoiled our family, but the area has gotten way too expensive to try to move back there. [emoji20]

[Ketchumtom]

I did this in Hailey Id (Sun Valley Area) while we were building a home during the most server winter we have had in 27 years. Our 2005 25 ft Safari Temps were below freezing for over 40 straight days at one point
We did the following:
1. did a skirt around the bottom from the kitchen to the bath where all the piping is used 2 in blue insulation and hay bales
2. placed a remote thermometer in the skirted areas so we knew if the temp dropped below freezing
3. placed a small eclectic heated in the "craw space"
4. heat taped the water line and really insulated it with layers of piping insulation it looked like a Python with all of the layers. Had to increase it once as we did not do enough on the first go round
5. put heat blankets on the tanks
6. heat taped the drain lines
7. We did not have sewage hook ups (water and electric) so we had a waste company come in once a week to empty the tanks ($35.00 each time) sometimes when the gray water tanked filled we dumped on the ground
8. condensate was an issue that was taken care of by running the bath room exhaust fan for a time during after each shower.
We made it, I worked full time out of it. We are still married and found we could live for 11 months in about 170 sq feet with out bruising or killing each other.
Good luck.

[Monza]

Originally Posted by daleyocum

I just stumbled across this inflatable skirting system which I hadn’t seen before. An interesting idea especially for those not in a long-term situation. https://www.airskirts.com/

Has anyone tried this?

Which got me thinking about, again for a mobile application, using a tall air mattresses under the tanks. Maybe something like this.

Those look interesting, anyone here use them are even see them in use?

[kavosCCD]

We live in the pacific Northwest and do a lot of winter camping (lots of rain and very high humidity). We've found that having a dehumidifier in the AS really keeps moisture down and provides a warm dry environment. Bath towels actually dry in a few hours, not days. It has also dramatically reduced condensation on the windows and the opportunity for mold under the mattress. We purchased the Frigidair Unit linked below about two years ago and LOVE it. Very quiet and provides a small amount of heat. https://www.amazon.com/Frigidaire-Mo...11&sr=8-5&th=1

[Mikebrady62]

Enjoy your winter experience! Hose tape and electric warming pads will be very Handy. I've made every season there this year and hope to do winter 1 more time. Hopefully you can run electric heater, a small dehumidifier and coffee maker at the same time.
Deer Valley in the background.

[RosenBob]

Best of luck. Very interested in how this goes!

[Dennis C]

I'll be very interested to follow your progress too. I only use my Airstream for recreation, but it pains me to put it away for the winter months. I'm considering using it in RV parks this winter near the Summit County ski resorts in Colorado, but not using the water. There are options that would give me electrical hookups and I could use the restrooms, etc. at the campground. My biggest concern is the amount of LP gas required to keep the Airstream warm. It got down to 26 degrees when we camped last weekend, and even with the thermostat set at 55 degrees, the furnace ran more than I expected.

[HappyNomads]

Before applying the house insulation (14 inches of fiberglass?) to the belly, installing some heating wire or pads against the tanks / lines might be worth it for peace of mind comes the cold and sparkly clear night you discover the insulation has lost temperature faster than expected and you have to act fast to deal with it. Being able to flip a switch might be a valuable luxury for those two or three weeks of really cold nights.

[Goal2027]

Originally Posted by pcskier

Well, I'm committed! After selling my home in April just in time for the Covid-19 quarantine, it's been six months of full-time living, both on the road, as well as 'in-place' for the summer (still have to work!) in the Park City, Utah area. So far so good, but here comes the true test of my hardiness and resilience--spending the winter with Parley, my sheltie, in my 2014 23d/cb Flying Cloud!

I'll be in an RV Resort near Park City, Utah, with full-hookups, and am in the planning stages for the various projects needed to get through a long cold winter as comfortably as possible, including skirting/insulating, protection of water supply and dump hoses/valves, interior temperature and humidity management, etc.

I'll be updating this thread fairly often with updates on how I prepare, how I am making out, and what expected or unexpected challenges I encounter.

Wish me luck!
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Luck!

[Bill M.]

Look for an apartment sublease or something.

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by Bill M.

Look for an apartment sublease or something.

Hmmm . . . where's the adventure in that?



Happy ski trails, Peter!