Best Truck Campers for Winter Camping

csh_2088 wrote:
Thanks for the responses. Just from going from what I have read on the internet it seemed that Northern Lite was the best for winter but reading the responses here I see that Bigfoot and Citation may be better. Glad I asked. I have never heard of Citation until this thread and tried to google it but couldn't find much but will keep looking.

I live in Colorado. We do get a lot of snow but the temperature does stay above 0 Degrees Fahrenheit for the most part.

lol, you do understand that this is still the internet???

Lot's of choices out there.

Thanks for the responses. Just from going from what I have read on the internet it seemed that Northern Lite was the best for winter but reading the responses here I see that Bigfoot and Citation may be better. Glad I asked. I have never heard of Citation until this thread and tried to google it but couldn't find much but will keep looking.

I live in Colorado. We do get a lot of snow but the temperature does stay above 0 Degrees Fahrenheit for the most part.

cubbear wrote:
We love our AF 990 we have camped in -30 weather with full water without any problems.

It would be helpful if you could expand on that a little more , -30 is pretty darn cold . Is -30 F or C ?

Stayed at 3 degrees 1st night, 7 the second and 9 the third coming thru Canada last October no problems, I have an Adventurer TC and no slide. I'll be headed back this month but it will be winterized.

We love our AF 990 we have camped in -30 weather with full water without any problems.

My NL does pretty well with the propane furnace or with an oil-filled heater if we have shore power. Can't speak for any of the others because the NL is the first and only TC I have owned.

As Jeffe stated above there is more than just the build of the camper. I loved my Northern Lite BUT it did not have thermal windows and that caused a lot of cold. If you can have one built for your needs and the temps that you want to camp in.

The obvious answer is to pay attention to the sum of its parts.
Wood frames do not transfer as much cold as aluminum frames. Wood frames can rot or dry rot. Aluminum frames cannot. Take your pick.
You will need more interior space in winter than you need in summer
No roof air conditioner, or a tight fitting exterior AC cover
No slides
The thickest (highest R-value) and 'best installed' block closed cell foam insulation with a reflective foil skin and the best seals on all joints
Maybe have the camper sit on a 2" closed cell foam base
Minimum amount of windows
Double pane windows and thermal curtains or inserts
Block foam or snap in insulated vent covers
Basement with heated tanks
Enough propane capacity, maybe two tanks
As many solar panels that will fit on the roof
Maybe add a Honda 2K genset which you can bicycle lock to your bumper if needed.
YOUR ability to 'vent' your TC for winter use. If you spend a lot of time inside, which is common as the temp drops, you do run the risk of damp walls, dripping ceilings and mold.

My Adventurer claims to be 4 season but I guess that depends where. We've stayed in it down to -20C and it the furnace was able to keep up but it ran a lot.

That was just with reflectix in the windows, I've since added insulation batts behind compartment doors hoping that will help a bit.

NEOK wrote:
We've been very satisfied with our Bigfoot. The coldest temperature we have b3n in with was 9 degrees in Williams Arizona one January. The TC had water in the tanks and was not winterized since we were using it to travel from Reno, NV to Oklahoma. We did watch the temps closely in case we needed to stop and drain the tanks and winterize it during the trip. The tanks are heated and we had no problems.

NEOK I'm headed your way next week for the annual Chili Bowl. The Tulsa weather forecast has changed from overnight in mid-teens to mid 30's. Full hook ups at the Expo Center makes it easier.
This is the first trip there for the Bigfoot. I expect no issues.

"Take me back to Tulsa"