1st time RVer

[All_Things_Vain]

Newcomer to the RV/travel trailer community. We just bought a T241BHXL for our cross country trek from California to North Carolina starting in late December.

Hope to get some insight from the more experienced crowd about pulling a TT in the winter (we're taking a southern route from California - but will still hit some wintery/snowy areas).

Any do's/don't as far as not allowing the pipes/tanks to burst/rupture from the potential freezing temps while camping?

Also - our TT didn't come with a TV, so I'm currently researching a proper mount and TV size for it. It is odd that they include a mount on the outside but not on the inside (pretty sure it's a PAW mount).

Open to all suggestions and tips.

Thanks.

~ATV

[mwdilday]

Traveling in winter can be a little difficult. The wind chill at 60 mph is very intense and will freeze any pipes that are exposed including gray and black water drain pipes. Make sure your tanks are empty and any pipes that are outside are either empty or winterized. I would probably keep my heater on a lower temperature while on the road. Driving in snow, especially in the mountains, take it slow. Ice is a no go for me.

[TheWolfPaq82]

That PAW mount ? I only put a small 14" TV on that thing in the Grandkids bedroom. I removed the PAW mount in the living area and replaced it with a regular basic pivot/tilt mount capable of holding a 40" TV. Worked great in our 2018 Cherokee, rock solid, and never bounced it off the wall during travel.

[wmtire]

Welcome aboard. This thread link may be of assistance on other matters


http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ts-157524.html

[Kimber45]

welcome. cold weather camping can be tough. just depends on temp, wind chill and for how long of periods those temps continue without a warm up. a lot of units I have scene have an area marked reinforced for a mount. things like tank heaters, enclosed underbelly or heat in basement/storage area help

[CurtPutnam]

Welcome from SoCal!

[Reverse_snowbird]

Originally Posted by All_Things_Vain

Hope to get some insight from the more experienced crowd about pulling a TT in the winter (we're taking a southern route from California - but will still hit some wintery/snowy areas).

Any do's/don't as far as not allowing the pipes/tanks to burst/rupture from the potential freezing temps while camping?

Thanks.

~ATV

Which southern route? It might be a bit out of your way, but taking I10 will keep you out of most of the snow.

Personally, I'd winterize that rig and use bottled water for drinking and shower in the campground facilities.

Give yourself plenty of time and if the roads are bad and the winds are high, stay another day at the campground til the weather clears.

[tomkatb]

Us folks in the Midwest who camp more often than others buy rvs prepared for cold weather.

Like enclosed underbodies. Tank heaters. Pipe in heated areas.

If you do not have one of these types you have to be cautious. No water traveling in the tanks. empty pipes.

We travel in the Midwest in December and March. We carry several gallons of drinking water in jugs in the fridge. Can accommodate most everything. We tend to winterize before returning in January to be safe. Unless we are sure of the weather.

[CedarCreekWoody]

"Personally, I'd winterize that rig and use bottled water for drinking and shower in the campground facilities."

This is good advice from reverse-snowbirds. You should seriously consider it.

[All_Things_Vain]

Originally Posted by Reverse_snowbird

Which southern route? It might be a bit out of your way, but taking I10 will keep you out of most of the snow.

Personally, I'd winterize that rig and use bottled water for drinking and shower in the campground facilities.

Give yourself plenty of time and if the roads are bad and the winds are high, stay another day at the campground til the weather clears.

Our route will be from the Bay area California to Vegas, down to Grand Canyon, then over through NM/TX and then we have to divert north through OK/MO and KY/TN to visit family before heading to our new home in NC.

Sounds like a tank heater and the heated drinking hose may not be conducive to using it in colder temps that i'm sure we'll see in MO/KY?

[All_Things_Vain]

Stupid question - if we winterize it during our travels from West to East...can we still utilize the waste tank/toilet for number 1's only and drain it when we depart the campground? I'm just thinking if we winterize it to limit our water usage within the tanks/pipes - the wife or kid might have to go #1 during the night.


i appreciate all of the feedback so far.

I still have a lot of research to do - right now i'm digging into the generator vs solar power discussion and which is better to start out with.

[5picker]

Don't get too discouraged until you start reading the links and other posts about cold weather camping. It can be done, it just takes some planning.

As mentioned, in areas where the temperature is below freezing for many days you are going to want to drain your plumbing and tanks. In areas where you might encounter a night below freezing, that doesn't dictate the same measures. You will learn as you read.

Yes, you can still use your tanks for #1 (and #2 with carrying some water) and flushing with R/V antifreeze. The R/V antifreeze will keep the tank from freezing until you can dump.

Many R/Vs have tank heaters and/or an enclosed underbelly to help with that too.

R/V furnaces use more propane than anything else in the R/V.
Be prepared to monitor how much you use if you like it really warm inside.

We can go on and on with this, but until you read up, don't get too discouraged that you can't do this.

As for towing in the snow... be careful, especially if this is your very 1st R/V. (your subject line said 1st time RVer!) Do you have a 4x4 or all wheel drive tow vehicle?

That is a LOT of weight back there behind your tow vehicle to push you around in slick conditions. If there is snow on the roads you are best staying right where you are until they clear.

[Tundra 2014]

The solar is good for recharging. If you want to run microwave or A/C you will need a generator. The furnace fan uses about 7 amps per hour on our trailer. Depending your battery bank and usage,, that will give you an idea how long you can run furnace on battery. Also consider, you do not want to take battery below 50% at risk of shortening life. TV puts only a small charge back into trailer battery. Consider tank heaters will drain batteries quicker than TV can put a charge back into battery. You can always put a gallon of RV anti-freeze in the toilet and use if necessary. If you are planning your needs, a Kill-A-Watt meter comes in handy-$20 on Amazon. You can plug into trailer power cord w/ an adaptor and see your actual watt used to plan needs. Things to consider.

[Teetime]

Originally Posted by All_Things_Vain

Newcomer to the RV/travel trailer community. We just bought a T241BHXL for our cross country trek from California to North Carolina starting in late December.

Open to all suggestions and tips.

Thanks.

~ATV

Wondering what your towing experiences are, since you mentioned that you are new to RVing.

With a new rig and new TV, you may want to review some other threads, tires, WDH, towing capacity, going to a CAT scale, etc. before you get on the road.

A couple of short day trips towing would at least give you a feel for what you are getting into.

The weather and roads are another thing...

Be Safe

[dbledan]

I have camped borderline times and well below freezing. For times when it is 22 out I don't dewinterize and I only use the toilet if I know I can dump the tanks before traveling. Below that I tend to use the 5gal bucket with a seat (lugable loo). Try to stay away from #2 and use campground toilets because you will not use enough water to keep the tanks clean without water in the tank. I have slept at 24hr walmarts and use their bathroom and just buy things to support the stay when traveling but it does not offer the flexability to stay another day if a storm rolls in so get a reservation or site for nights before or with storms.

I usually plug in at the campground as power is not a problem and keeps battery charged. If borderline I may put some water in the tank to use and drain the next day. I have a heated hose but prefer to put water in the fresh tank (do NOT fill it maybe half full) to prevent freezing the pipes or connectors. I have enclosed underbelly and the furnace will blow in there to keep it from freezing when stopped. I will drain the lines if leaving with low point drains. If lower than 30 I will either bring in new antifreeze or blow them out with my compressor so I dont have to sanitize anything.

On a standard group24 battery the furnace fan will drain your battery if it runs all night without a plugin so I just use blankets and set it pretty low in the 40s if I have water otherwise I just use lights and no water.

The furnace will burn through a 30gal tank as quick as 3 days so watch it closely until you understand your usage. Campgrounds open year round usually sell propane. You can always get a 20lb tank anywhere and swap them or find a menards or uhaul to refill what you have on board if not.

It takes some planning but very possible to do even on a stock battery and no major enhancements you just have to be prepared and know what to expect.

[AFDON]

As mentioned in post #15, set your furnace low and use blankets to stay warm. However, if in a campground, run an 120VAC heater. Use your propane plus the electric heater, then after your cabin is up to a comfortable temp turn your 'tstat down to about 50, let the electric heater maintain your temp. Furnace will kick in if it gets too cold inside. Open your cabinets doors to let warm air get to your plumbing. We've camped in +15 with no problems. If its going to be down there for a few days then we head south! Expect snow at south rim and anywhere inbetween. Allow enough time to get off the road by 3pm this time of year. Look up an app called "Alstays". Sounds like you are military? If so, check out the famcamps along the way. Feel free to ask any questions of any of us.

[H20loo]

I would have Quartzite on my plan and avoid the higher altitude of Flagstaff. Then try out the hill in ElPaso, the traffic in Houston and about this point you will have the confidence to drive anywhere.
Quartzite would be awesome for picking up ideas and any accessories you need or want. Keep your cargo carrying capacity in sight when your wallet is getting depleted.
Good luck on your trip. I just returned from az toCanada and wish I were still down there, although I did drive in snow in Phoenix. I will be back in Quartzite in early January.

[All_Things_Vain]

Originally Posted by 5picker

Don't get too discouraged until you start reading the links and other posts about cold weather camping. It can be done, it just takes some planning.

As mentioned, in areas where the temperature is below freezing for many days you are going to want to drain your plumbing and tanks. In areas where you might encounter a night below freezing, that doesn't dictate the same measures. You will learn as you read.

Thanks for the encouragement.

Yes, you can still use your tanks for #1 (and #2 with carrying some water) and flushing with R/V antifreeze. The R/V antifreeze will keep the tank from freezing until you can dump.

Good to know - we'll minimize the #2, as the trailer is only 24'

Many R/Vs have tank heaters and/or an enclosed underbelly to help with that too.

R/V furnaces use more propane than anything else in the R/V.
Be prepared to monitor how much you use if you like it really warm inside.

we have an electric fireplace that seems to heat up the space fairly well - and i read that if need be, i can run an HD extension cord out to the power dock and use our household space heater (2' tall rotating tower version)?

We can go on and on with this, but until you read up, don't get too discouraged that you can't do this.

As for towing in the snow... be careful, especially if this is your very 1st R/V. (your subject line said 1st time RVer!) Do you have a 4x4 or all wheel drive tow vehicle?

. Our tow vehicle is an AWD QX80 (dressed up Nissan Armada)

That is a LOT of weight back there behind your tow vehicle to push you around in slick conditions. If there is snow on the roads you are best staying right where you are until they clear.

. Yea we definitely plan to minimize driving in wintery conditions if at all possible. I do dread cutting up into Missouri for this very reason, so our trip might be extended if it's too bad at the time of travel. I appreciate the advice!

[All_Things_Vain]

Originally Posted by Teetime;2231585[QUOTE

]Wondering what your towing experiences are, since you mentioned that you are new to RVing.

I've towed boats and had a 21' dove tail flat bed trailer that I hauled my GMC Syclone on a few years ago. But never towed a travel trailer until a few days ago when we picked it up and drove it 3 hours to the storage lot by our house. Getting used to the brake controller (and getting it set just right) was the biggest adjustment for me so far.

Backing it into our storage spot - i just made sure to take my time and had my wife outside to make sure i was within my lines and wasn't going to hit anything.

With a new rig and new TV, you may want to review some other threads, tires, WDH, towing capacity, going to a CAT scale, etc. before you get on the road.

A couple of short day trips towing would at least give you a feel for what you are getting into.

The weather and roads are another thing...

Be Safe

Excellent tips - my wife and I plan on doing some practicing before we begin our cross country trek...like you said, to get a feel for what we're towing and to practice backing up...even though most of the KOAs/campgrounds we're staying at have pull thru's. So far, the short 3 hour drive home - the w/d and sway bars seems to help tremendously.

[All_Things_Vain]

Originally Posted by dbledan

I have camped borderline times and well below freezing. For times when it is 22 out I don't dewinterize and I only use the toilet if I know I can dump the tanks before traveling. Below that I tend to use the 5gal bucket with a seat (lugable loo). Try to stay away from #2 and use campground toilets because you will not use enough water to keep the tanks clean without water in the tank. I have slept at 24hr walmarts and use their bathroom and just buy things to support the stay when traveling but it does not offer the flexability to stay another day if a storm rolls in so get a reservation or site for nights before or with storms.

I usually plug in at the campground as power is not a problem and keeps battery charged. If borderline I may put some water in the tank to use and drain the next day. I have a heated hose but prefer to put water in the fresh tank (do NOT fill it maybe half full) to prevent freezing the pipes or connectors. I have enclosed underbelly and the furnace will blow in there to keep it from freezing when stopped. I will drain the lines if leaving with low point drains. If lower than 30 I will either bring in new antifreeze or blow them out with my compressor so I dont have to sanitize anything.

On a standard group24 battery the furnace fan will drain your battery if it runs all night without a plugin so I just use blankets and set it pretty low in the 40s if I have water otherwise I just use lights and no water.

The furnace will burn through a 30gal tank as quick as 3 days so watch it closely until you understand your usage. Campgrounds open year round usually sell propane. You can always get a 20lb tank anywhere and swap them or find a menards or uhaul to refill what you have on board if not.

It takes some planning but very possible to do even on a stock battery and no major enhancements you just have to be prepared and know what to expect.

Appreciate the feedback - the wal-mart/campground bathrooms will definitely be utilized in cold weather areas.