Slide cover for snowy weather

hilandfrog wrote:
Seems a few pieces of rigid insulation placed on top of the slide would be an easy surface to remove snow from and I think it'd keep ice to a minimum on the actual slider roof surface for easier retraction.

We've designed our camper for just this ski area parking lots. Though many ski areas are becoming dickish about camping in their lots.
Things you may or may not have considered...
-12V mattress warmers are the absolute DEAL, they don't eat more amps than they're worth in warmth and one can use them and not run the heater. they feel warmer, uses about the same amps as the heater ( a queen size both sides going) but saves the propane and the loudness of the heater kicking in.

-Blackout/ insulated curtains for windows, doors, roof vents, greatest sources of heat loss. Don't forget to leave one open.

-Max air vent covers (or the like) so the vents open anytime, not just when you clear the snow off the roof. Clear the snow off septic vents daily.

-If you can isolate the toilet from your water system and add a pump to just it, use RV antifreeze as the fluid source one can more safely enjoy septic system in cold WX, everything else is winterized. we tried using an on-demand hand pump for water but it became easier to just pour out of jugs.
We removed our P-traps and added these ventless/ waterless traps...
hepvo

- Using non-vented propane heaters (little buddy, wave) DUMPS water vapor into the air. Humidity is your enemy in cold weather RV camping, the vented stock heater will EAT your batteries alive... so plan on finding alternative heat sources or running generator a whole lot. venting another vented stove out a window with some metal work is our go around... looking at boating stoves, gas, oil, wood and wood pellet, just down to coast and desire.


- we use a large rafting cooler to keep things from freezing while out skiing, mainly drinking water milk, beer etc.... :)

We have studded tires on the camper, chains for 2 of the 4 tires and our little truck, Tundra, has 4x4 and chains IF needed.

-Sometimes talking with the local volunteer fire department can garner one a place to park and in some cases, an electrical plug-in. A bag of good coffee and a bottle whiskey go a long way ;)

have fun

-Repo

This is very helpful! You sound quite experienced. Unfortunately I don’t understand a lot of what you wrote.

Re: the mattress warmer, I bought that but our outlets don’t work when we aren’t hooked up to electricity, which of course we’re not when parked in the ski area parking lot. Do you have another solution, like a generator?

We have insulation for the roof vents but not the blinds/curtains. We don’t currently plan to ski camp more than 2 nights max, and our weather here is not nearly as cold as where you are. Typical nighttime lows would be in the 20s, teens at the lowest. We’ll keep the vent open and just keep the heat at low all day while skiing (and the slide closed), then open up and keep the heat around 60 at night. Hoping to keep condensation to a minimum while preserving LP for the 48 hour trip.

Our tanks and pipes are insulated and exposed to heated air, so I don’t think i need to do the type of winterization you’re talking about, right? How do you keep things from freezing up while towing/en route? I’m supposed to turn the LP and heater off, right?

Nearest fire dept is ten miles and a lot of traffic away... whole point is to wake up without having to drive anywhere as traffic can be a bit of a hassle. Right now I have to wake up at 5:45 and out the door at 6:15 to miss the worst of the traffic. That gets me to the slopes at 7:50-8 am, gets me parked into the main lot without having to take a shuttle, and on the slopes by first lift 9 am. but that’s a really early wake up call. My hope is to drive up at 6 pm the night before, hit the lot at 8 pm, have a little dinner and a beer, relax under the stars, and wake up at 8 am without having to drive anywhere. After skiing, ‘apres ski’ under the awning with the few other campers and a mostly empty lot; night skiing if I’m up for it; then a good night’s sleep and do it all again the next day.