need advice on rv purchase

What happens is the coolant separates in the extreme cold, and the system freezes up.
Bob's completely stopped working, so took his out and rolled it over and over (an old fix for absorption refers).

The usual prevention is putting a 100 watt bulb near the coils, but with those gone, and all "heating" blubs disappearing I don't know what the new fix will be.

thank you n7 i dident know that about the refer.... does it permanently wreck it ?

Read more cold weather camping thread

"Bobsyouruncle" just over-wintered in Alberta in his EEE, he plans to get an Arctic Fox for the next winter
Another poster here (who's handle I now forget) has done two in North Dakota in an Arctic Fox.
Both needed Propane fills every few days. The North Dakota (Oil-Patch) skirted his, plus ran heat-tape, plus put thermo heaters under the rig, plus, plus...

Both had problems with their refer. No RV refer made is designed to work properly with the exterior coils at a temperature colder then the inside of the refer. You actually have to HEAT the area around the outside refer coils to keep the refer from freezing up.

is it to much to ask for ....opinions on what brand is the best build quality, and for everyone to not worry about my propane cost and freezing to death.. ive survived -50 a lot of times in a kenworth that for some reason decided that 100 km in the bush it dident want to work anymore. and that helly hansen is the best freind you can have. you are just trying to help and thax for that so if i can re ask who has the best quality rv rating. and thanx for any suggestions

Good luck

thanks for the info i had a camp job before and there were people living in rvs and it got as cold as -45 quite a few times they had insulation taped to the outside but there were two that only needed to be skirted and 2 heat lamps underneath and i cant remember the models. i wont have to pay for lgp so no issue there

I don't see how you could carry enough propane to keep a rig heated in -30 temps. You'd need a large permanent outside tank or be able to run a line to a tank already in place, I would think. And if anything froze up it would get dangerous real quick.

I would not want that propane bill - seems like it would be cheaper to rent an apartment.

Saw an ad for one of those enclosed RV places - believe it was in North Dakota. Looked pretty slick actually.

Tim

Not trying to burst whatever bubble your looking into but no matter what your going to buy I think the extreme cold your wanting to winter through is asking too much of any brand, now I'm assuming your living way north of me and after last winter I doubt my fiver with the winter package it has would have done the job here in the farthest southern part of Canada let alone up near Barrie, forget Alberta and the like!! One viable option I saw was a enclosed rv campground, the place had large buildings so you could put your rv inside hooked up to power and water and sewer and live in them. I believe this was done up near the oil sands for workers who came from other provinces to work, pretty slick idea I thought but to try to winter like your looking at really could be flat out dangerous if not just one big P.I.T.A.

Red Green:
Some men look at a problem like this and try
to find a solution. I prefer to figure out whose
fault it is and let them take care of it.

I would check out arctic fox. They make a four season trailer and they make toy haulers. I do not know if their toy haulers are also a four season trailer but this company has one of the best reputations for cold weather camping. That said, camping in -30 is not exactly a realistic plan. I'm not sure your heater will be able to keep up and if it can, I don't want to see your propane bill. I know their are tricks using incandescent light bulbs to help keep the basement warm. Remember you are at risk of a fire using a heater or incandescent light bulb for any length of time like you will need to do. I just can't see any way to prevent your lines from freezing up, even with heated tape. Good luck.