Forum Discussion

MDKMDK's avatar
MDKMDK
Explorer
Jul 03, 2020

Full Timing in Canadian Winter if the Border is still CLOSED

Anyone on here a full timer that's figured out how they will full time in Canada this winter, considering not all rigs do well in below freezing temperatures for extended periods. Plugged in with tank heaters, and space heaters? Head west to the coast for somewhat warmer temps? Both?

I mention it because the US/CAN border may still be closed.
If it's opened before November, the point becomes more moot, as most would probably return to following the warmer weather as it moves southwards.
  • We have an RV lot in the West Kootenays, but are choosing to remain in North Central Alberta, close to Edmonton for this winter. We've spent 5 years living in our rig, all year round in Canada. But this year will be more of a challenge. We actually have a youtube channel showing the different ways we've dealt with the Canadian Winters. Heaters, Window Plastic, Skirting, etc. Hope you find it helpful. Winter RV Life in Canada - Full Time

    MDKMDK wrote:
    Anyone on here a full timer that's figured out how they will full time in Canada this winter, considering not all rigs do well in below freezing temperatures for extended periods. Plugged in with tank heaters, and space heaters? Head west to the coast for somewhat warmer temps? Both?

    I mention it because the US/CAN border may still be closed.
    If it's opened before November, the point becomes more moot, as most would probably return to following the warmer weather as it moves southwards.
  • We are spending this winter in Alberta....brrrr.....we just bought custom skirting for our latest rig. Big expense. On our last unit, we also had custom skirting and the one before that. We sold it with our last unit, so we had to start again. It's costly but convenient, as we are full time but still travel. So in the winter we put it on and in the spring, we store it. This is a short video showing all kinds of skirting, from tarps to OSB to rigid foam to custom. Hope that someone gets some useful information from this. https://youtu.be/vfv9JRUn88Q
  • Get an apartment or get your reservation in now for a spot in SW BC.
    Seems like the 2 most appropriate options to me.
    Full timing in real winter weather is an effort in futility and a desperate move.
  • We are thinking that BC will be overflowing with Snowbirds this winter. Hubby and I were just saying if we didn't have our home base to come back to we'd for sure be renting something. If SARS took 2 years and the Spanish Flu 3 years, we aren't speculating but how long this could last might be longer than one winter.
  • We wintered in north central BC last winter where the coldest temp was -20C, or about -4F. Our Wilderness was very good down to -12C or so, but we used lots of propane along with a couple of cube heaters to maintain a comfortable temp. In spite of having a heated water hose, the connection froze just inside the wall of the trailer, but we had filled our onboard tank a few days before, and with heated underbelly, we had no problems.

    For a little added protection from the cold, we used skirting and had a 500 watt work light set up which made a big difference in temperature control inside and kept the dump valves from freezing. They are insulated, but you can never have enough insurance.

    We kept our grey/black dump valves closed until the tanks were full and dumped as necessary. Never had a problem with discharge hose freezing which could happen if the grey was left open.

    I would recommend to anyone who is going to full time in cold weather to invest in a dehumidifier for sure. Keeps the windows clear and helps prevent mildew. Oh and make sure the RV is water tight. Freeze/thaw can do lots of damage.

    We have not decided yet whether or not we will winter in our home, or on central Vancouver Island in the RV. Time will tell.

    MORLEY is right in that the south coast of BC is fairly temperate. Victoria has the warmest average winter temperatures in Canada, I think, but please don't tell anyone.
  • JaxDad's avatar
    JaxDad
    Explorer III
    Based on what the ‘smart people’ are saying, what we’ve seen so far will pale in comparison with what’s still to come.

    Anyone who plans on spending this coming winter anywhere other than home needs to fins a place to rent soon, like yesterday.
  • Our backup plan if we aren't allowed out of Michigan is to get an apartment for the winter.

    We've been down to -5F in the RV and you can survive but it's not fun.
  • Some people try Nanaimo or other spots on Vancouver Island, ferry ride over is quite pricey but what isn’t these days. Weather on a normal year is pretty respectable on the southern part of the island.
  • not in that position but id be looking for a cheap apartment month to month and winterizing the trailer