Using camper in Winter

[mxdad]

Is anyone using their camper in the winter in sub-freezing temps? I am looking on tips on keeping everything working while using the unit in the winter. Thanks in advance!

[extxn]

From what I've read on a few of the other threads, seems the best mod we might do is to add some sort of a skirting around the bottom to slow down or stop the cold air. Seems as though this might be a good area for a commercial grade tarp attached via snaps (which can be attached to the trailer by screws) with commercial grade Velcro between the snaps. Would need to make wide enough to anchor to the ground with stakes and long enough to go down each side and across each end. Four pieces which could be attached at the corners. Just a thought. Might could add a couple of those milkhouse heaters under there to help out a bit?

[Stealth FQ2916]

If there's no access to power or water.
I'd just winterize it and pack your own water. For bathing I heat my water on a stove and add it to a pan of cold water to my liking.

[extxn]

Originally Posted by w00fster

If there's no access to power or water.
I'd just winterize it and pack your own water. For bathing I heat my water on a stove and add it to a pan of cold water to my liking.

I agree with you w00fster, easy enuff to do sometimes, but mxdad is normally on a full family blowout weekend or longer (hence the user name). Have chatted with him before only why I know. Trying to offer an ideal to keep things a bit warmer and useful for more than just 1 event. And as you said

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by mxdad

Is anyone using their camper in the winter in sub-freezing temps? I am looking on tips on keeping everything working while using the unit in the winter. Thanks in advance!

Define "sub-freezing"... there is sub-freezing aka below 32°F and then there is so darned cold that Scotch freezes -16°F! We won't discuss temps lower than that, 'cause I ain't a gonna deal with them!

We routinely camp in the mid to low 20's with no issues, usually day time temps will recover in the 50's.

Aaron

[merrykalia]

We camped for a week at Thanksgiving with lows in the mid teens and the highs in the low 40s. We had a blast, but...we unhooked the hose from the post each night after we had done the dishes, washed whatever needed it and we put water in the holding tank and used that at night to flush. We had no problem except the hose, which had been hooked to water would freeze during the night. We solved that problem by using two different white hoses. The unused one would stay in the basement and after the frozen one thawed the next morning, we would coil it up and put it in the basement and use the other. We had a quartz infrared heater that would keep it good and warm during the day and into the late night, but the furnace, which was set about 55 would come on about 2 am and again about 3:30 am. (It woke me up each time).

If we were going to be there for an extended amount of time, I would use some sheets of aluminum-backed styrofoam insulation to completely enclose the underside of my RV. This stuff can be quickly cut to fit and taped together using duct tape or gorilla tape to fit your RV and any slopes that exist underneathhttps://www.lowes.com/pd/Expanded-Po...875-ft/3365568 A 4X8 sheet is $14, so an entire trailer could be done with 5-6 sheets (according to how tall your RV underneath is).

[Stealth FQ2916]

The aluminum-backed styrofoam insulation seems like a lot of work to me, especially with the axels and wheels in the way.

I'm wondering how well some insulated concrete curing blankets hung around the outside would work. Just a thought

[Velosprout]

I will camp into the upper teens. Camper is already winterized, so we use a Thetford porti-potty kept from our pop-up camper days. Throw rugs help keep the floor warm. A dehumidifier helps keep the condensation down. Forest River heated mattress or an electric blanket is welcome at night. Cooking is minimal (microwave and stove-top), and we go to campgrounds that have heated, year-round shower facilities. Alternatively, we could use nearby truck-stop showers or sponge-bathe with stovetop heated water.

As I write this, it is currently 6 degrees out with 24 mph wind; minus 16 wind-chill. My camper is safely tucked into an indoor storage facility until early April.

[extxn]

33*F & rain up here this morning, calling for temps back around 10*F for high tomorrow and have about 10" of white on the ground! No chance to find indoor storage without worry of small creatures all around, so the 26RR is stored at home. I did find an on-line location and purchased a white polly tarp (flame suit on) which is wide enough to cover the top and awning roll and long enough to cover from garage door to down slope on the front (15' X 30'). Seems to be working well for the snow to slide off easier.

Don't know about scotch freezing (yuk!), can't force myself to enjoy that. Bourbon doesn't last long enough to freeze. BTW ~ the wind chill on top of Mt. Washington, NH was -87*F last Thursday night. Was around a -40*F at my house along the CT River Valley in north eastern VT.

Just hoping everyone is settled in somewhere and no one is involved with any of the auto piles being shown in the news.

[mxdad]

So, we have had a couple of days below freezing here (2 this morning) and I have found that using the water tank for fresh water is a no-go. Upon closer inspection, the supply for the pump is teed off of the drain, which is right on the bottom of the tank and really hard to insulate. However, since I have insulated all of the pipes and added a heating duct to the area under the sink to keep all those connections warm, using a hose connected to city water is working. I will have to get one of those heated hoses once we full time, but for now, letting it drip is working well.

As far as the inside, the space heater and central heater are keeping it pleasant inside. I have to get a dehumidifier to keep the big window from frosting over, but overall, he 26RR has been pretty good so far. I have been using the heater for about a week, and just emptied the first bottle last night.

[mxdad]

Originally Posted by merrykalia

If we were going to be there for an extended amount of time, I would use some sheets of aluminum-backed styrofoam insulation to completely enclose the underside of my RV. This stuff can be quickly cut to fit and taped together using duct tape or gorilla tape to fit your RV and any slopes that exist underneathhttps://www.lowes.com/pd/Expanded-Po...875-ft/3365568 A 4X8 sheet is $14, so an entire trailer could be done with 5-6 sheets (according to how tall your RV underneath is).

Thanks for the idea. I was already kicking around the notion of using fiberglass insulation and sheet metal to completely enclose the underside, but after reading this, I think I'll do both.

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by mxdad

Thanks for the idea. I was already kicking around the notion of using fiberglass insulation and sheet metal to completely enclose the underside, but after reading this, I think I'll do both.

I used hay bales, scrap blue board insulation and plastic wrap one winter. I was working in Central Ohio and the project ran way over. I was living in my Airstream when winter hit. The Airsream actually has an insulated belly (sort of) and by using hay bales and the styrofoam I was able to cut my LP usage by about a third and stay relatively warm even when the thermometer was pushing zero.

Aaron

[Stealth FQ2916]

Originally Posted by extxn

33*F & rain up here this morning, calling for temps back around 10*F for high tomorrow and have about 10" of white on the ground! No chance to find indoor storage without worry of small creatures all around, so the 26RR is stored at home. I did find an on-line location and purchased a white polly tarp (flame suit on) which is wide enough to cover the top and awning roll and long enough to cover from garage door to down slope on the front (15' X 30'). Seems to be working well for the snow to slide off easier.

Don't know about scotch freezing (yuk!), can't force myself to enjoy that. Bourbon doesn't last long enough to freeze. BTW ~ the wind chill on top of Mt. Washington, NH was -87*F last Thursday night. Was around a -40*F at my house along the CT River Valley in north eastern VT.

Just hoping everyone is settled in somewhere and no one is involved with any of the auto piles being shown in the news.

And I thought it was cold here.

[Nightrainzzz]

If the trailer plumbing is winterized, I heat water for washing and shaving by using my coffee maker. One hot pot full, one room temp in plastic wash tub.

[Bako88fan]

Just got back from a dry camping trip in the California high desert. Days were 50s and sunny. Nights were low 20s. We simply ran the heater non stop at night and kept the batteries topped off with the generator. It seems as though the heating ducts keep the underside and plumbing warm enough so as not to freeze.

In the morning, we made coffee with our Coleman camp coffee maker (propane & stovetop) and a big breakfast of eggs, hash browns, bacon and biscuits made in the oven and on the stove. Breakfast warms the trailer up enough that we turned off the heater and had to open a window and eventually a screen door. Cooking is actually part of our heating system.

On thing I was impressed with is how little propane we used. I've got two 10 gallon tanks and for the whole three days we only used 3.5 gallons of propane. We ran the heater, water heater and the fridge the whole time. Plus, we cooked two meals a day indoors on the stove or in the oven.

[KingFisher]

I just pulled my windjammer in from the St. Louis area, been up there since summer. My water hose froze the other night when it got down to 0 degrees, and I had it heat traced and covered in 3/4" armaflex. It froze right where it connects to the trailer.

The next day I used my heat gun and got it undone, then took my other hose and filled the fresh water tank and used it until time to come home. Also had my tank heaters on.

At zero degrees the furnace would only get the trailer up to 64 degrees.

Those were the only problems I had.