Michigan State Parks open for winter camping
Several forum members have asked me which Michigan State Parks are open for camping in the winter? Here's the DNR list copied and pasted: Michigan State Parks open for winter camping: Park Cou...
Forum Discussion
GordonThree,
Undoubtedly there are times after a heavy snow that they do not have everything plowed yet. We just have never seen it happen yet in our more than a dozen trips with our TC up there in winter but looks like you have. It can get very cold in the U.P. as we have seen. -30F at night once in the 1st week of February when on Drummond Island for snowmobiling in their homecoming poker run weekend (very popular!) and were staying in our Lance TC. Never even got up to zero F the next day but nothing at all froze inside the TC as we had all cabinet doors left open a little and the bathroom door also. The Lance has heat from the furnace ducted up to the cabover bed area and that's a huge help.
I always take the TC toilet out for winter camping (2 nuts and disconnect the water supply hose - 10 minutes max) and put a tall Porta Potti (5 gal waste tank) where the toilet was and fill the rinse tank with windshield wash anti-freeze solution that's good to -25. The blue stuff from Meijer - very cheap and always works fine and never freezes even between trips at home when the heat's off. Been doing it for over 30 years now and NO issues ever! Dump in any gas station or public toilet, add new chemical and you're back to square one! Very seldom put water in the freshwater tank tank when it's real cold (-5 F or lower) and use a simple plastic 2 and 5 gal water can/containers and sponge bath/wash hair. Heat the water on the propane stove. Even at -30F, the TC furnace didn't run constantly as it cycled roughly in 20 minute intervals. Kept the inside at 70F and just like home.
We do have storm windows and added Astrofoil under the 8" air mattress and have a mattress heater on top. Always bought out TC's new and add the Lance Arctic pack and then further seal any air leaks etc. The 3 Group 31 deep cycle batteries having 225 minutes of draw at 23 amps each does the job so no dead battery issues. The Lance has two 30 lb propane tanks so that's more than sufficient. Also take our Honda EU 2000 along and have dual alternators on our GM diesel truck. We have plenty of propane, 12V and 110 AC with the 1500 watt inverter, the generator and the dual alternators, so it's very comfortable always in the TC and give several back up choices if one should fail.
We love winter RV camping just as much as Spring, Summer, and Fall camping. 12 months a year is great and all 4 seasons are fun in our state!
Undoubtedly there are times after a heavy snow that they do not have everything plowed yet. We just have never seen it happen yet in our more than a dozen trips with our TC up there in winter but looks like you have. It can get very cold in the U.P. as we have seen. -30F at night once in the 1st week of February when on Drummond Island for snowmobiling in their homecoming poker run weekend (very popular!) and were staying in our Lance TC. Never even got up to zero F the next day but nothing at all froze inside the TC as we had all cabinet doors left open a little and the bathroom door also. The Lance has heat from the furnace ducted up to the cabover bed area and that's a huge help.
I always take the TC toilet out for winter camping (2 nuts and disconnect the water supply hose - 10 minutes max) and put a tall Porta Potti (5 gal waste tank) where the toilet was and fill the rinse tank with windshield wash anti-freeze solution that's good to -25. The blue stuff from Meijer - very cheap and always works fine and never freezes even between trips at home when the heat's off. Been doing it for over 30 years now and NO issues ever! Dump in any gas station or public toilet, add new chemical and you're back to square one! Very seldom put water in the freshwater tank tank when it's real cold (-5 F or lower) and use a simple plastic 2 and 5 gal water can/containers and sponge bath/wash hair. Heat the water on the propane stove. Even at -30F, the TC furnace didn't run constantly as it cycled roughly in 20 minute intervals. Kept the inside at 70F and just like home.
We do have storm windows and added Astrofoil under the 8" air mattress and have a mattress heater on top. Always bought out TC's new and add the Lance Arctic pack and then further seal any air leaks etc. The 3 Group 31 deep cycle batteries having 225 minutes of draw at 23 amps each does the job so no dead battery issues. The Lance has two 30 lb propane tanks so that's more than sufficient. Also take our Honda EU 2000 along and have dual alternators on our GM diesel truck. We have plenty of propane, 12V and 110 AC with the 1500 watt inverter, the generator and the dual alternators, so it's very comfortable always in the TC and give several back up choices if one should fail.
We love winter RV camping just as much as Spring, Summer, and Fall camping. 12 months a year is great and all 4 seasons are fun in our state!
