Define ''All Season'' campers please
So what is everyone's view point of ''All Season'' qualified campers? Reason I ask is this weekend we camped up at Leavenworth, WA in our 2011 Arctic Fox 1150. We kept the furnace heat on from lea...
Forum Discussion
Storm windows or GOOD dualpane windows are a must for very cold camping (+10F or much lower). Add insulation everywhere with AstroFoil or Reflectix that's double stuck taped or Gorilla taped 360 degrees around the edge of the fitted piece so all air is trapped. Stuff all voids with fiberglass etc including around all appliances that are exposed to the outside. AND: Caulk, caulk, caulk!
Insulate the propane tank compartment with the bubble wrap mentioned on both sides of the compartment walls if you can get to the inside the TC walls. Must seal the edges and joints to prevent air flowing. One added layer inside the compartment is much better than none if you can't get to all the surfaces inside the TC. 2" sponge foam cut an inch min bigger than the vent housing and stuffed inside a small white plastic garbage bag keeps it stuck in there and it won't fall out but is still easy to remove if you want to open the vent. I even bubblewrap and tape the inside of the storage doors as they have minimal insulation qualities. Good under dinette seats outside walls too and inside the sink cupboard outside wall or other areas.
Seal tape the bubble wrap tightly around the inside your shorepower storage box and also on the inside the TC surfaces of the the cord box. Cover the A/C return vents with plastic baggies and put them back in. Seal the rangehood outside vent. Easy to Scotch tape the excess plastic bag on the back side so the side you see looks smooth and you can't notice it's even bagged.
Vinyl floors are a huge source of cold transference. Cut to fit good thick carpet solves that and using a runner down the main traffic area keeps the carpet clean. The runner can be washed easily and also adds insulation to that area of the floor. Vinyl is slippery when wet and like ice skating with snow or ice from shoes or boots. Also, very slow to dry any water on it compared to carpet which wicks to the passing air and dries much faster. The runner can be taken outside and shook out!
Each of our 3 Lance TC's have been used for winter camping/travel in deep winter in Michigan's U.P., Drummond Island, and in Canada. Many days never getting to as much a zero F and lots of nights of way below zero. It did hit -30F at Chapleau one night according to the people in the restaurant we had breakfast in but we read only only -13 when we hit the sack and -19 when we got up at about 8:30am.
Our electric blanket which is under the mattress pad and runs off the inverter kept/keeps us toasty warm and the TC furnace thermo is always set to 70F. 60F even when traveling. Takes way too long to get all the wood etc and the inside warm if you let it get cold. Of note! Heat rises! Heat also rises when the electric blanket is on top of you and your bottom side gets dang cold! An electric blanket or an electric mattress pad is on ALL our RV's and won't leave home without it! The RV furnace is always set to 70F when we're in it but the cabover bed gets NONE of that heated air under it. Always have a layer of AstroFoil under the mattress and that is a help and also stops the sweating on the bottom of the mattress which will later turn to mold.
NEVER once have we had any lines or freezing up in any of our Lances or out Carriage 5th wheels when in very cold temps. Including at our acreage we own in Northern Michigan where we had at least one of our RV's at for snowmobiling from 1987 until 2007 when our age and wife disability along with a falling tree that finally smashed our 36' carriage 5th wheel. We still own the acreage but only use our TC on it in winter for a winter getaway but don't have any snowmobiles now.
Like my 82 year old Grandpa used to say: Vut vee r u vill b sumday! He was so right!
Insulate the propane tank compartment with the bubble wrap mentioned on both sides of the compartment walls if you can get to the inside the TC walls. Must seal the edges and joints to prevent air flowing. One added layer inside the compartment is much better than none if you can't get to all the surfaces inside the TC. 2" sponge foam cut an inch min bigger than the vent housing and stuffed inside a small white plastic garbage bag keeps it stuck in there and it won't fall out but is still easy to remove if you want to open the vent. I even bubblewrap and tape the inside of the storage doors as they have minimal insulation qualities. Good under dinette seats outside walls too and inside the sink cupboard outside wall or other areas.
Seal tape the bubble wrap tightly around the inside your shorepower storage box and also on the inside the TC surfaces of the the cord box. Cover the A/C return vents with plastic baggies and put them back in. Seal the rangehood outside vent. Easy to Scotch tape the excess plastic bag on the back side so the side you see looks smooth and you can't notice it's even bagged.
Vinyl floors are a huge source of cold transference. Cut to fit good thick carpet solves that and using a runner down the main traffic area keeps the carpet clean. The runner can be washed easily and also adds insulation to that area of the floor. Vinyl is slippery when wet and like ice skating with snow or ice from shoes or boots. Also, very slow to dry any water on it compared to carpet which wicks to the passing air and dries much faster. The runner can be taken outside and shook out!
Each of our 3 Lance TC's have been used for winter camping/travel in deep winter in Michigan's U.P., Drummond Island, and in Canada. Many days never getting to as much a zero F and lots of nights of way below zero. It did hit -30F at Chapleau one night according to the people in the restaurant we had breakfast in but we read only only -13 when we hit the sack and -19 when we got up at about 8:30am.
Our electric blanket which is under the mattress pad and runs off the inverter kept/keeps us toasty warm and the TC furnace thermo is always set to 70F. 60F even when traveling. Takes way too long to get all the wood etc and the inside warm if you let it get cold. Of note! Heat rises! Heat also rises when the electric blanket is on top of you and your bottom side gets dang cold! An electric blanket or an electric mattress pad is on ALL our RV's and won't leave home without it! The RV furnace is always set to 70F when we're in it but the cabover bed gets NONE of that heated air under it. Always have a layer of AstroFoil under the mattress and that is a help and also stops the sweating on the bottom of the mattress which will later turn to mold.
NEVER once have we had any lines or freezing up in any of our Lances or out Carriage 5th wheels when in very cold temps. Including at our acreage we own in Northern Michigan where we had at least one of our RV's at for snowmobiling from 1987 until 2007 when our age and wife disability along with a falling tree that finally smashed our 36' carriage 5th wheel. We still own the acreage but only use our TC on it in winter for a winter getaway but don't have any snowmobiles now.
Like my 82 year old Grandpa used to say: Vut vee r u vill b sumday! He was so right!
