Best Truck Campers for Winter Camping

adamis wrote:
I've not been in super cold weather yet with my own Bigfoot, probably in the 30s is the coldest yet. For those with Bigfoots in extreme cold, are you doing anything in particular to protect your batteries? On my 10.6E model the battery compartment is exterior with no insulation and no hot-air circulation from the interior. Basically, it's sitting outside.

In my own setup I added two 6v AGM batteries saddlebag style in the front bed of the truck and connected in series to to the camper with heavy wiring. I don't anticipate attempting cold weather unless it is forced on me but I think I may want to come up with some thermal insulation wrap or something for the batteries as a backup.

I like to boondock in shoulder season, so the batteries are very important to me in order to run the heater. I have sealed and insulated the exterior battery door with one inch polystyrene foam, and then cut approx. 3 inch holes in the sealed plastic battery enclosure (its not insulated) and put a small computer fan in one of the holes. I should mention I run agm batteries. I found a huge improvement in the ability of the batteries to deliver its amps and to quickly recharge now that they are heated. I also have a 4 gauge wire running from the truck to camper, so there is a 40 amp charge rate after a cold night and a lot of heater use.

One issue I have yet to address is I have found in very cold conditions 0 degrees F and lower the large 34000 btu furnace in the Bigfoot will run the propane pressure line pressure down so that the btu's getting to the furnace are reduced and the furnace runs longer than need be which depletes the battery amps faster. I believe I may remove the propane auto switching valve and just tee the two tanks together and keep both tanks open on cold nights. I hope that two tanks will evaporate enough propane to keep line pressure up.