Being from SoCal, I'm not well versed in colder weather camping. My AF is a 4 season coach. So what does that actually mean? At what temps do you become concerned about freezing (city water, tank fresh water, holding tanks, indoor pipes)? How does the underbelly get heated (is it ducted from the furnace)? Are there different strategies for dry camping vs hooked up? For example, I like to run a small electric space heater when hooked up to electric. But that won't heat the underbelly (except the heat that might radiate through the floor). I'm just looking for some advice for when temps get into the 20s and below (particularly overnight).

Did you order the AF with the heat pads on the tanks if not you will need to run the furnace to keep the underbelly from freezing. Dry camping will be hard on the batteries if you have no way of charging them during the day. On the AF the underbelly is heated by heat ducts from the furnace. I have done it for years but you need lots of propane and either large batteries or 110 hook ups.

Njmurvin wrote: I like to run a small electric space heater when hooked up to electric. But that won't heat the underbelly (except the heat that might radiate through the floor).I don't advise doing that. When it's much below freezing run the furnace and keep the WH on.

Njmurvin wrote:2011 Arctic Fox 27-5L In normal use I thought AF was good to at least 20 maybe even 10F.Does it have electric tank heaters? Use them.If you are off grid you will need to beef up your battery and still may need to run a small generator near continuous. I suggest an electric connection even if just 15 amps.

We have done a fair amount of winter camping, as long as you run your heater you should be ok, if you are cautious you could place a small heater on the lowest setting, or a high watt lamp in the basement to keep the pipes going, friends of ours use a base mounted work light. It all depends on how long your camping, and what kind of facilities you have (a f/h site, or primitive). Good Luck and happy camping!!

Just an fyi, I've done a bit of cold weather dry camping.. just enough to realize it's not at all fun.

Colder weather camping | Good Sam Community

35 Replies

2oldman
Explorer II
Sep 26, 2017
Just an fyi, I've done a bit of cold weather dry camping.. just enough to realize it's not at all fun.
md_procouple
Explorer
Sep 26, 2017
We have done a fair amount of winter camping, as long as you run your heater you should be ok, if you are cautious you could place a small heater on the lowest setting, or a high watt lamp in the basement to keep the pipes going, friends of ours use a base mounted work light. It all depends on how long your camping, and what kind of facilities you have (a f/h site, or primitive). Good Luck and happy camping!!
time2roll
Nomad
Sep 26, 2017
Njmurvin wrote:
2011 Arctic Fox 27-5L
In normal use I thought AF was good to at least 20 maybe even 10F.

Does it have electric tank heaters? Use them.

If you are off grid you will need to beef up your battery and still may need to run a small generator near continuous. I suggest an electric connection even if just 15 amps.
2oldman
Explorer II
Sep 26, 2017
Njmurvin wrote:
I like to run a small electric space heater when hooked up to electric. But that won't heat the underbelly (except the heat that might radiate through the floor).
I don't advise doing that. When it's much below freezing run the furnace and keep the WH on.
campinghut
Explorer
Sep 26, 2017
Did you order the AF with the heat pads on the tanks if not you will need to run the furnace to keep the underbelly from freezing. Dry camping will be hard on the batteries if you have no way of charging them during the day. On the AF the underbelly is heated by heat ducts from the furnace. I have done it for years but you need lots of propane and either large batteries or 110 hook ups.

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Colder weather camping

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