Winter Camping

purplesuebug · 06-24-2007, 09:07 PM

Okay, I may be rushing things a little but we do most of our camping off season and Sue is planning our fall and winter trips already. The question I have is.............How cold can we go??!! As you may know, we are new to this TT stuff, we had a pop-up before. Since it had no toilet or water, we could go and go and go. I'm sure we can handle below freezing at night (or can we) as long as it warms during the day.............I do know I dO NOT want busted pipes or worse. Any help would be greatly appreciated.............Thanks,M&S

**Tweety** · 06-25-2007, 05:55 AM

The coldest we've been camping in is 40 during the day and 26 at night. I don't think it stayed below freezing for more than a couple of hours at night. The frist night we did nothing to prepare because it wasn't supposed to get below freezing....it did though and our outdoor hose was frozen. No other problems. I guess the heat being on inside kept everything else warm enough to not freeze. The next night we left the cabinet doors open so the heat would go in them. We disconnected and drained the water hose at night

(be sure to fill your coffee pot with water the night before!) I think DH opened the low point drain, but am not sure. We didn't have any problems staying warm, and we were using a little electric space heater. We do have those awsome insulating day/night shades though. In the morning as soon as I opened them I could really feel a difference in the inside temperature. It warmed up to above freezing during the day. I have pictures of the QUEtSE in the snow we woke up to on Easter morning - now that was awsome. But, when I try to create an album and post them it tells me they are too big

purplesuebug · 06-25-2007, 06:45 AM

Pam,
Thanks for the info and for the pictures..............I just went into Adobe Photo Shop (I think any photo editor wll work) and used the resize button. In fact, I just looked at Microsoft Photo Editor and under the image button, select resize. Under units, choose pixels. I changed the largest (either height or width) to no greater than 1500 pixels but You can make the picture any size you want here. The other (height or width) will change automatically to maintain the correct proportions.Just be sure to save it by another name or you will loose the original size. Then you should be able to upload. If you need any help, let me know.

**Tweety** · 06-25-2007, 07:39 AM

I have the pics on Kodak EasyShare and can't for the life of me figure out how to share

purplesuebug · 06-25-2007, 08:25 AM

Sorry.............no experience there. Marshall

**Sunline Fan** · 06-25-2007, 10:18 AM

Marshall,

I'm don't have a lot of cold weather experience, but I have heard a good tip. The only below-freezing experience I've had was when we were completely self-contained.

The tip is to open up a bathroom faucet at night (or kitchen depending on if the water bothers you), cold water of course. This keeps the water in your hose outside moving, so it won't freeze. That way, when you get up in the morning, you don't have to run out to hook up the hose. I suppose you'd want to keep the faucet running during the day too if the temps never go above freezing. If the outside temp goes really cold, let's say around zero or so, it would be a good idea to pull the hose in regardless.

Other than water, your coach is designed for four season use. If you really want to use it in the middle of winter, you could just keep the coach winterized and utilize the park facilities, assuming they are available. Most likely, if you camp in places where the temps are that low, the park will not even have water available. They will just shut it off for the winter and you are responsible for filling your fresh tank from a central spigot or using their facilities.

Jon

Honda03842 · 06-25-2007, 10:37 AM

Cold weather is a relative thing. In our experience the external hose is the most sensitive element to freezing. For shorterm stays we disconnect the hose at night. For longer term stays we carry electric heat tape for the hose and some foam pipe insulation.

Many people carry a small electric heater for internal heating but we have found that it's not the same as running the propane heater. On many rigs the propane heater uses ducting to move the hot air and this heats areas that the electric heater never reaches.

Many people add electric heating elements to their waste tanks, the flat kind that glue on. If I were at a full hook up site I would leave my tank drain valves open so the external drain could not totally fill and freeze. As well I make sure the sewer pipe was sloped so it doesn't fill anywere and freeze.

Norm
2004 Honda CRV
1982 15.5SB

niteowl · 06-25-2007, 01:41 PM

Thanks for asking this question. I am returning to the states next weekend to set up our T2363 for an extended stay of 14 months, right through the midwest winter. I am always looking for tips. I am cold sensitive!

Here are a couple of things I am planning on doing in anticipation of sub-zero weather at some point.

Hold tank heaters with both 12 volt and 120 volt elements.
A backup Yamaha generator (2400) able to run an electic heater in an emergency.
Spare propane in the back of the pickup truck. My bottles on the trailer are 30 pounds each. Probably a couple more in the pickup, just in case...
Electric blanket
Putting shrink plastic over windows.
Insulating the doors somehow.
Putting carpeting down throughout the trailer

I wintered in Chicago about 30 years in a slip in camper. Frost formed a half inch thick on the inside wall by our bed. But, because of the limited area, we could keep the unit warm -- you just didn't get close to the wall. Until the single propane bottle ran out, that is! We used a porta pottie and a five gallon water jug and didn't use the units water system.

If anyone is interested, I might post pictures and I made the mods.

Best wishes.

**Tweety** · 06-25-2007, 02:59 PM

niteowl, Just curious - Are your speaking engagements about your missionary work and are they open to the public?

niteowl · 06-25-2007, 03:55 PM

Yes, we will be presenting the missionary work we are doing in Africa. Definately open to the public. (I never experienced a church that turned a visitor away) If it works out for our paths to cross, wonderful. We will be in PA in the fall. I will be posting our speaking schedule at some time soon on our website. It is sore need of updating... (I am new to "posting" and don't know the rules on this but here it is: www.joyintheharvest.com I ask for forgiveness if I made a mistake -- sometimes forgiveness is easier to get than permission) Love to meet you in person. Please identify yourself as a Sunline owner!! That will make you stand out!

I just love this website. The people here are all kind and I never noticed any nastiness you sometimes see elsewhere. Really is an enjoyable site. I think only the nicest people camp in Sunlines!

Thanks for asking.

**Sunline Fan** · 06-25-2007, 04:13 PM

Lowell,

You did it perfectly! There are two ways to post a link: First, you can just type the link in like you did (www.joyintheharvest.com), which is what most people do, and second, you can
make text link you to a website

The second choice is obviously a lot more complicated, but it's helpful if there's a really long link, such as a specific item on a specific page of a website.

Jon

Mark · 06-25-2007, 09:33 PM

Perhaps you might want to think about a radiant (oil- filled) heater as well. In that way, it warms the surface of floors wall etc., instead of just making the air warm.

emam · 06-25-2007, 10:13 PM

We have a little experience in camping in the winter.

The one thing we found is, you're going to drain your batteries if you're trying to boondock and still use your propane heat. Between the tank heaters and the propane heater running, our four batteries would only run for one full day without the sun to recharge our house batteries. This was in 20 degree weather in the daytime.

If you're staying at a spot that you can be plugged in to electric and water, use a ceramic heater or two inside the caoch to save propane, and unhook the city water hook-up at night or your incoming line will freeze. We learned this the hard way.

If you dont have tank heaters, then I wouldnt really recommend winter camping unless you dont plan on using the water. Another thing we found out the hard way, was Electric Blankets are next to impossible unless you're hooked up to a strong 30amp current. We popped a 30 amp fuse one night with a electric blanket when the volt meter was a little low to start with. A call to our installers and we found out that electric balnkets are almost as strong as teh micorwave in power consumption.

Winter camping isnt fun, and although we did it when we needed to, it makes for a short night of sleep. The only thing I'd recommend is lots of Bourbon and a good shuggle partner.

Pat

purplesuebug · 06-25-2007, 10:37 PM

OKAY............Looks like we'll be heading south for the winter trips and leave New England and the Dakotas for spring and fall. Thanks to all for the great advice. Pat, I agree, winter camping is no fun.........I froze my hair to the side of the tent one night in the pop-up............but that one morning you wake up to find a fresh layer of snow with the sunshine sparkling on the surface makes it all worthwhile. M&S

emam · 06-25-2007, 11:59 PM

I'll agree, there is soething magical about waking up with a fresh layer of snow, especially if you're into sking.

Cindy and I have slept in the bed of our truck in the winter, woke up with icycles hanging off the ceiling of the Truck Cap next to our faces, and tent camped at -4 in Colorado. Thats one of the reasons we own a Sunline now

We're trying to figure out how to be in Yellowstone for the late fall photography possibilities, and I'm trying to talk Cindy into the trade off of what the beauty will look like for the cold weather. Right now she's not buying it

I'll let you know how it goes

Pat

**JohnB** · 06-28-2007, 07:30 PM

DW and I do camp all year round here in Central Ohio and we really enjoy it. No bugs, no crowds and helps cure the winter blues and camper fever. If there is a open weekend where it is not miserable, we are out! Mid December or January no problem, again providing it is not miserable.

If during the day the wind is not blowing much, Sun is out and at least above freezing at the high point, we are gone. At night it can get down to the teens and that is OK.

At this point we are fully winterized on the plumbing. We bring water in jugs inside and have a small porta potty left over from the PU for that mid night run…..

We use a ceramic electric heater and have the ability to bring a separate power cord into the camper for a 2nd one if we need it. We have devised a way to get the heat when sleeping fairly evened out. We can roast if we want, but that is no fun, covers on, then off then on etc. So we sleep with it cooler but not cold.

Some tips:

At night when you go to sleep, open a roof vent. This can be on the other end of the camper but it needs to be open a good 1” up on the opening end. If not you will wake up to soaking wet walls, ceiling, windows you name it. The amount of moisture that comes from DW and you breathing at night is truly unbelievable. I have tent camped to 15 below F and this is critical in a tent. Same thing in a camper, just bigger.

Our biggest issue is, Central Ohio weather is really flakey and worse in the winter. Getting the combination of Sun, low wind and at least above freezing is complex. But even if we only get out once a month in January, it helps with the camper fever.

Here are a few cooler weather camping pics, You generally have the entire park to yourself or only share with about 2 to 6 other campers

The weekend after Thanksgiving.

A January get away

March that just broke the winter blues

And April, Spring. Mother Nature can do what she well pleases.

Give it a try. It can be fun

John

**Sunline Fan** · 06-28-2007, 07:49 PM

John,

When you said no bugs and no crowds, you really meant it from those pics! It looks like there's no other sign of life whatsoever.

Jon

purplesuebug · 06-28-2007, 08:07 PM

That looks GREAT, I like the idea of no crowds. Do you have problems finding places open and offering electrical hook-up in winter when they know you are going to spin the meter on those cold nights. M&S

**Sunline Fan** · 06-28-2007, 08:10 PM

You will have trouble finding places open if you come to Michigan! I only know of one that's open year round.

Jon

Al in PA · 06-28-2007, 08:15 PM

John, you make a very compelling case for year round camping. Back in the 60s, we used to go from early spring through late fall in a tent trailer with a propane heater: You brought back some good memories, thanks. Lately, we've extended our camping season through the end of October, but that's as late as we've gone. I would hate to tow my Sunline if there was the slightest chance of snow - talk about a white knuckle trip! Two of the worst blizzards I've ever experienced occurred in the month of March. I must say I admire your sense of adventure.