cold weather camping
How many out there camp in sub freezing temperatures?
Forum Discussion
We camped in below zero F a lot in the U.P. of Michigan and in Ontario Canada in winter and have for over 40 years in our several quality built truck Ccampers. Still do some! Had a 36' Carriage 5th wheel on our acreage in Northern Michigan for 16 years and we used in winter for snowmobiling and a weekend getaways. A falling tree totalled it so we use the Lance TC now. Still own the acreage but due to my wife's disability now we go south (west of Gainesville, FL) with our other 5th wheel from about mid January till mid March the last 7 years since we'd sold our place down there in south Florida in 2007. A royal PIA and very expensive to have a nice place in S. Florida and keep it and the property maintained 12 months a year and only using it about 1 to 2-1/2 months a year!
The coldest temp we had in winter when in our RV's was -30F but it was only that cold for a few hours before it warmed up to around zero F during the day. That was on Drummond Island in the U.P. of Michigan on the far east side in our Lance TC. -13 F night and -5 F daytimr steady temps is about as cold as we were in for several days in the Lance and were very comfortable. Still own the acreage but due to my wife's disability now, we go south with our other 5th wheel about mid January till mid/late March so she can get away from ice as falling for her is not an option.
Below zero in and RV can be very comfortable, warm, and enjoyable if you have an upscale well insulated RV with storm windows etc and had sealed any and all cracks and/or air leaks properly. Never had our RV water/lines freeze yet. Use a couple gallons of -25 to -35 degree windshield washer fluid in our holding tanks or in the Lance TC use the tall Porta Potti with windshield low temp fluid in the rinse tank and dump at home or any bathroom or even a pit toilet. Yes, when it's really cold, we use the sponge bath method and it's works fine for a week or so. Yes, you can wash your hair too when wanted. You just don't waste water and use it wisely.
Has never frozen yet even when the heat is off or traveling. Also, I installed a sewer dump line in our home's backyard to dump our RV tanks into when desired or wanted. We could care less if the dump station are closed for winter, ours at home is always open! We love winter camping as it's gorgeous scenery and the deer/animals can be seen right from the RV or when snowmobiling/crosscountry siiing since the leaves had fallen in heavily forested Michigan. The cheapies in RV's don't do well at all in even +10 to +15 F as they are poorly insulated on all 6 sides and like virtually being outside with the drafts and cold. Feet freeze and your head boils and any liquid in the cupboards freezes. No thank you as we'd learned many many years ago and got wise!
The coldest temp we had in winter when in our RV's was -30F but it was only that cold for a few hours before it warmed up to around zero F during the day. That was on Drummond Island in the U.P. of Michigan on the far east side in our Lance TC. -13 F night and -5 F daytimr steady temps is about as cold as we were in for several days in the Lance and were very comfortable. Still own the acreage but due to my wife's disability now, we go south with our other 5th wheel about mid January till mid/late March so she can get away from ice as falling for her is not an option.
Below zero in and RV can be very comfortable, warm, and enjoyable if you have an upscale well insulated RV with storm windows etc and had sealed any and all cracks and/or air leaks properly. Never had our RV water/lines freeze yet. Use a couple gallons of -25 to -35 degree windshield washer fluid in our holding tanks or in the Lance TC use the tall Porta Potti with windshield low temp fluid in the rinse tank and dump at home or any bathroom or even a pit toilet. Yes, when it's really cold, we use the sponge bath method and it's works fine for a week or so. Yes, you can wash your hair too when wanted. You just don't waste water and use it wisely.
Has never frozen yet even when the heat is off or traveling. Also, I installed a sewer dump line in our home's backyard to dump our RV tanks into when desired or wanted. We could care less if the dump station are closed for winter, ours at home is always open! We love winter camping as it's gorgeous scenery and the deer/animals can be seen right from the RV or when snowmobiling/crosscountry siiing since the leaves had fallen in heavily forested Michigan. The cheapies in RV's don't do well at all in even +10 to +15 F as they are poorly insulated on all 6 sides and like virtually being outside with the drafts and cold. Feet freeze and your head boils and any liquid in the cupboards freezes. No thank you as we'd learned many many years ago and got wise!
