Fairbanks Alaska Full time??

[sldrplvr]

Hello Everyone,
My husband and I are considering living full time in our 5th wheel to save some money and pay off some debt. We are getting ready to move up to Fairbanks Alaska for my husbands job. I've researched cold weather and winterizing, our camper has the all weather guard and we would line the underneath with straw and put a skirt around it, line windows, etc. My problem is I can't seem to find anywhere that seems to be open year round up in Fairbanks Alaska. We've stayed in the camper at -20 before and everything was fine and it WASN'T lined or winterized, so the harsh -40 I think we would be fine.
Are there any places that anyone knows up that are open up there in the winter? Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Nichole

[sldrplvr]

Thank you Trackrig 🙂 I did get a hold of an owner of an RV park up there and she was SUPER helpful. She said there is one that stays open all winter but she wouldn't recommend living in an RV through the winter months. SIGH. Rent up there is insane which is why we were thinking about it in the first place. Then on top of that you have to heat the house for 600+ a month.

Rexlion- he's an aircraft mechanic for the army. Good ol army said "you must move from southern arizona to fairbanks alaska"

[rexlion]

Aw shoot, just use a tent and a Buddy heater, you'll be just as warm... LOL 😄 I'm curious, what kind of work does your husband do?

[Trackrig]

You'll notice that no one from Alaska has replied yet - probably all of us are just waking up and can't wrap our head around your idea....

The short answer is NO.
And the long answer is No, DON'T DO IT!

The RV parks shut down tight because there isn't enough business to keep them open, both due to winter operating expenses and lack of people staying in them. In Fbks, even some of the hotels winterize and lock up tight for the winter.

Bring the 5th up and stay in it for half of the year. But then find a place you can rent from Oct through probably May. RV parks should open some time in May. It depends on what the show level was for the winter which in turn effects how deep the frost level went into the ground which effects when they can put water in their water lines and keep them along with the sewer lines from freezing. They could still operate in Oct and maybe Nov because the ground isn't cold soaked yet, but almost all of them close down right after Labor Day due to lack of business (and maybe wanting to go south for the winter?).

Bill

[sldrplvr]

We've never been up there, that's why I'm asking. LOL. We may just have to do it for the summer and buckle down for the winter. Appartments are expensive which is why I was thinking maybe the RV would be better... Research first 🙂 I've only been to Alaska in the summer and it is beautiful. -60 terrifies me... Not sure we could get through that. I was wondering if I just wasn't searching the correct web sites for camp sites or if they really were all closed for the winter. I'm excited to move up there, but, we've only wintered through in Colorado and Upstate New York, never anything THAT cold. Thanks everyone!

[obgraham]

This reminds me of the guy who wanted to live in his Class C on the streets of Manhattan.

Sometimes a plan makes no sense. This is one of them. There's a reason the RV parks there are not open!

[4X4Dodger]

I have been in Fairbanks when it was nearly -60 yes, Sixty BELOW. and it can be -40 for weeks at a time.

Now here in ND people are living year round in all types of RV,s but it's never that cold (-60)

It would take a lot of extra work to protect your RV from that, Electric tape on the pipes might not even work at that temp. even with a skirt.

You may have to skirt it and run heaters 24 hours UNDER the unit. And at Fairbank's electric rates that would cost you about the same as an apartment.

I think this comes under the heading of Penny Wise and Pound Foolish, but good luck!

[azrving]

I was going to post and say "Oh my god here we go again" but I couldn't answer your question so I didn't post. I can't tell you of a park but I'm laughing because I imagined your post getting off track and into the "YOU CANT LIVE THERE IN THE WINTER" type conversation.

But, you did say you have been in it at -20 so you know more than a bunch of us I guess. Sounds like a challenge to me but I wouldn't say it's impossible. It's just a matter of energy use vs ability/willingness to pay those costs vs renting. My basic stance is I'd probably lean toward making an RV work compared to an apartment. I dont know Alaska but it's probably hell in the winter and a real beauty in the good months.

[sldrplvr]

No, seriously lol... We're crazy, right?

[2oldman]

I get it.. this is a joke. Interesting first post.