Forum Discussion
Deb_and_Ed_M
Nov 11, 2014Explorer II
Ranch Hostage (I love your name!) - we too travel a lot in the winter when business is slow; and even last winter while in mid-Florida, there were some nights when we had to re-winterize. If you don't have a 3-way valve at the front of your water pump, so you can suck RV antifreeze directly out of the bottle - you'll want to! We can be winterized in about 10 minutes flat....LOL!
I cut Reflectix (foil-covered bubblewrap insulation) to fit my windows; and with the overhead vents filled by insulating pillows, we camped several nights in single-digit temps and stayed comfy utilizing our electric heater, and the furnace set to back it up if the temp inside fell below 64 or so. Normally, in "warm" cold weather (mid-20;s and above), we used the toilet, just adding pink antifreeze rather than water to flush. But last year, knowing we were going to be traveling in bitter cold, I did a bit of research and discovered that urine can freeze in the mid-20's. So last year, we utilized a porta-potti for those nighttime "visits"; and the RV park's restrooms for showering and anything else.
We've driven through some seriously rotten weather - either ice storms or near-blizzards; and while it's not fun, the RVs seemed to handle it OK, as long as you're cautious and leave plenty of room. Always leave a few extra days of down-time, in case you need to sit out a storm. Last winter, we were literally dodging storms like you'd cross a busy street: let one go by - then race to cross ahead of the next one. I'm PRAYING we don't have a winter like that again.
I'd still rather stay in my own bed and "home", than a hotel
And lastly, keep the fuel tanks filled. Drive on the top half of the tank, not the bottom. More weight for traction - and plenty of fuel for the generator if need be.
I cut Reflectix (foil-covered bubblewrap insulation) to fit my windows; and with the overhead vents filled by insulating pillows, we camped several nights in single-digit temps and stayed comfy utilizing our electric heater, and the furnace set to back it up if the temp inside fell below 64 or so. Normally, in "warm" cold weather (mid-20;s and above), we used the toilet, just adding pink antifreeze rather than water to flush. But last year, knowing we were going to be traveling in bitter cold, I did a bit of research and discovered that urine can freeze in the mid-20's. So last year, we utilized a porta-potti for those nighttime "visits"; and the RV park's restrooms for showering and anything else.
We've driven through some seriously rotten weather - either ice storms or near-blizzards; and while it's not fun, the RVs seemed to handle it OK, as long as you're cautious and leave plenty of room. Always leave a few extra days of down-time, in case you need to sit out a storm. Last winter, we were literally dodging storms like you'd cross a busy street: let one go by - then race to cross ahead of the next one. I'm PRAYING we don't have a winter like that again.
I'd still rather stay in my own bed and "home", than a hotel
And lastly, keep the fuel tanks filled. Drive on the top half of the tank, not the bottom. More weight for traction - and plenty of fuel for the generator if need be.
About RV Newbies
4,026 PostsLatest Activity: Jun 15, 2017