New to the 5th Wheel world, Colorado

NP Just PM Me when you get a chance. I went and looked at all the RV Parks in the are before deciding on one.

thanks for the detailed info guys, Lyle, I'm sure I will be thanking you when I show up prepared instead of trying to figure it there. Ty I have a few things to look into but I will be hitting you up for some more info soon. Thanks again.

I lived in my 38Ft Toyhauler in the Colorado springs area for 3 years.

As mentioned above it can be done and really is not that bad. I lived up in Woodland Park so it was a lot colder than the springs. I did that because there are not a lot of good reasonably priced RV Parks in the springs.

I had a wife two kids 2 and 3 years old at the start and 2 dogs. I still enjoyed myself and the family looks back on the experience with some fond memories.

I had a toyhauler with an open underbelly, which I would recommend over the heated and insulated ones. I added a tank heating pad onto the black tank and did some of my own insulation around that. I tried skirting and not skirting and to be honest did not notice a significant difference. I big propane tank is a big time and money saver so plan on that. PM me if you want more info.

In all seriousness - rent an apartment.

A 40 footer with a slideout or two will give you about 400 square feet of floor space. The good thing about a toy hauler, the garage area provides flexibilty for the space...once the toys are out it can become a bedroom, mancave, office, living room...etc. You'll have 3 areas to get away from each other if needed, Bedroom, living room/kitchen and the garage area.

Good luck in this new adventure.

BretF350 wrote:
I'm researching 5th wheels and could use some advice from some experience. I am looking to use the trailer as living accomidations temporarly, a year or so, until I can get my business started.

I currently live in El Paso TX where it never really gets cold but I will be moving to Colorado Springs and will have to deal with snow and the cold. I'm looking for advice from people that have lived in a 5th wheel in the cold on what things to look for in a trailer, if the insulation on a standard trailer with a 4 seasons or similar package is good enough for the cold or what kind of tricks have helped people.

I'm looking at a raptor, open range, or road warrior 40+ foot toy hauler, going to be 3 adults, a dog and 2 cats so any thoughts on if that's possible without falling all over each other.

I will also be pulling this trailer with a 2012 Ford F350 diesel SRW, I know the dually would be better but as of now can't afford the upgrade and a 5th wheel.

Thank you in advance for any advice to a newbie
Bret

You're going to need to skirt the FW. If you can, try and skirt under the hitch area and under the slides, too. Add extra throw rugs on all the floors. You'll want heat tape on your water line. You can supplement the gas heat with electric, but you have to remember that the furnace has to run to circulate air into the belly area. Putting a couple 100w incandescent bulbs under the trailer can help keep tanks and plumbing from freezing. On especially gold days, you might want to keep cabinets in the lavatory and kitchen open to allow air to circulate underneath. The big rear door would probably need to be sealed better. I might even go to the point of getting a big, decorative, blanket to hang up on it for an extra layer. Be prepared for frozen pipes, in and out; a lot of people will keep the fresh tank topped off in case the city water freezes. Think about renting a big propane tank so you're not having to schlep around the 30# bottles every couple days. You will likely have condensation from the propane heat, so a dehumidifier might be a good idea. Don't forget to use your top vents to let some of the moisture out. Make DAMN sure your gas and smoke detectors are up-to-snuff. If they're more than 5 years old, replace 'em; don't even think about it. New batteries, too. Read, read, read; here, and other RV forums about winter camping, to pick up tips.

Lyle