As much as I love my Tango, I have learned this week it ain't so great for winter weather camping. I have a project in Red Deer Alberta to build, so I brought my hotel with me. I found a really great place that is open year round! Westerner CG. Great people and a nice place to stay. So I arrive here, the nights are only dipping 6-8 degrees below freezing and I see a few issues. Ran water in the toilet yesterday and had a bunch of little ice lumps in the bowl. Hmmm... Furnace is working overtime to keep up. I am supplementing with a 750W electric heater. I guess the 12 foot slide doesn't help. My floor is very cold, I question the insulation factor.But! I was very happy to dewinterize in November and head out. So I burn a little more propane. Oh well, I'm warm, I'm in my favorite place, the RV, and I'm happy! Perhaps I should look at 4 season rated units. I won't buy a new one, prices are stupid. Maybe an Arctic Fox or something. But I like the Tango. I know they have a model made for winter, insulated underbelly etc.Life is good.

Yup, just look at wall thickness, single pane windows etc. Most RVs are definitely fair weather travelers.

6-8 degrees below freezing (even Celsius) shouldn't be an issue unless something is wrong.Are vents shut or blocked?Are hatches and windows closed?Is the furnace burning properly?Currently in a slightly smaller 25ft trailer and the 1500w space heater does the job down to around 20F. Below that the furnace will cycle occasionally. Only had this one down to around 15F.Prior 28ft 5er we had down to -5F. The furnace was running full time with the space heater but it kept up (burnt a lot of propane). Never had anything freezing inside.Neither are "4 season" units.

edit - missed the plot totally :)

Even our 4-season trailers were nothing to brag about in freezing temps. Winterize and make it work is a viable option. Oh, glad you're enjoying yourself.

Remember, if you get too cold there's always a Staybridge Suites in Red Deer . . . free breakfast and plenty of heat! :)

My TT ain't so great for winter camping.... | Good Sam Community

Darryl_Rita
Explorer
Nov 10, 2021
Checked into the Westerner for an overnight. We often use their services on our biannual snowbird migration so we can visit the middle kid and his family. Weather is looking to cooperate for a few more nights. Soon we'll be looking for AC, not heat.
Agree with the Citation/Corsair recommendation. They're heavy, but worth it.
Mike134
Explorer
Nov 07, 2021
If you want an RV truly 4 seasons it has to be built like your home.
IE 6" walls for R19, 15" of ceiling space for R38 insulation, thermo-pane windows, all the plumbing within the "building envelope" and a dual axle Kenworth tractor to pull its monstrous weight.
BobsYourUncle
Nomad
Nov 07, 2021
CavemanCharlie wrote:

Just don't drop a whole stick of butter into your heat vent !

LMAO, I'll never live that one down! :B:B
CavemanCharlie
Explorer III
Nov 07, 2021
BobsYourUncle wrote:
As much as I love my Tango, I have learned this week it ain't so great for winter weather camping.

I have a project in Red Deer Alberta to build, so I brought my hotel with me. I found a really great place that is open year round! Westerner CG. Great people and a nice place to stay.

So I arrive here, the nights are only dipping 6-8 degrees below freezing and I see a few issues. Ran water in the toilet yesterday and had a bunch of little ice lumps in the bowl. Hmmm...

Furnace is working overtime to keep up. I am supplementing with a 750W electric heater. I guess the 12 foot slide doesn't help. My floor is very cold, I question the insulation factor.

But! I was very happy to dewinterize in November and head out. So I burn a little more propane. Oh well, I'm warm, I'm in my favorite place, the RV, and I'm happy!

Perhaps I should look at 4 season rated units. I won't buy a new one, prices are stupid. Maybe an Arctic Fox or something.
But I like the Tango. I know they have a model made for winter, insulated underbelly etc.

Life is good.

Just don't drop a whole stick of butter into your heat vent !
ktmrfs
Explorer II
Nov 07, 2021
heat loss or gain is related to wall/ceiling/floor surface area. And trailers have lots of surface area for such a small inside volume. Couple that with minimal insulation, lots of window area and heat loss or gain gets pretty high in a hurry.

When it gets cold, plan on the furnace running a lot, and suplimenting with electric heat if needed.
memtb
Explorer
Nov 07, 2021
You have discovered what most rv’s offer for wintering capabilities! memtb
blofgren
Explorer
Nov 06, 2021
Glad to hear you fared OK! If you end up going with another unit look for a Citation Supreme or Corsair Excella; they were quality 4 season Canadian built units with good insulation, thermopane windows, heated tanks, etc. and are rated to be good to -30C. Plus there's plenty of them in Alberta. We have stayed in ours in temps similar to what you just did and didn't notice that it was cold until we had no water in the morning; the water hose was frozen! :B
BobsYourUncle
Nomad
Nov 06, 2021
Ah it's all good everyone!
This is nothing compared to the 2 Calgary winters I did in my old Triple E TT.
Somehow the old Topaz seemed to fare better. But! My Tango has twice as many windows, and a lot bigger ones too. And a 12 foot slide too.
So I burn some extra propane, it's ok, I don't mind.
The trip out to the hitch in my underwear 2 nights ago at 4AM to switch bottles was a bit nippy! Haha!

Yes I have all windows, vents etc closed, But as mentioned, everything is thin especially the single glazed windows. Furnace works like a champ.
Never too cold, I have blankets, and a finger to push the t-stat higher if I want.
I brought one 1500W heater, but one side burned out, it's only good for 750 now.

My gig here in Red Deer is up tomorrow, I'll stop by Wally World and grab a jug of pink before I head back to Calgary. Sigh.... That's it til next year.

Happy to be out here.

And if anyone wanders through here and need s place to to stay, The Westerner is open year round. I am surprised at how many rigs there are in here! Lots of them!
noteven
Explorer III
Nov 05, 2021
edit - missed it some more:)
time2roll
Nomad
Nov 05, 2021
Get an extra cylinder of propane to keep the heat on and a few area rugs to warm the floor a bit.
Good to go :)

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