Winter living In Wyoming

[cusoon53]

Has anyone lived in central Wyoming in a 5th wheel during the winter? We are trying to prepare for winter & do not want to leave anything out. We have a 2014 Big Country 5th Wheel & live on 5 acres & wide open to the elements. Just moved & were hit by an Artic Blast this week. Temps below zero. Would appreciate tips on survival of the Fittest!!! :h

[kakampers]

As for skirting...saw one guy who used corrugated plastic, with metal rails nailed to the ground and pipe insulation on top to protect rig (was not attached to rig) and then bungee cords underneath to pull the skirt snug against the RV.

Not only did this look really good...it was a heck of an insulation/wind block and then you can place work lamps underneath to help heat the area.

[kakampers]

cusoon53 wrote:
We are really frustrated. Our refrigerator is not working. In reading the manual it says that can happen in freezing conditions. Has anyone had that problem?

Not uncommon...when it's too cold on the coils it "thinks" it does not need to cycle. Either seal up the rear vents to keep warm or place a low watt light bulb behind fridge to warm the coils.

[kcmoedoe]

cusoon53 wrote:
We are really frustrated. Our refrigerator is not working. In reading the manual it says that can happen in freezing conditions. Has anyone had that problem?

Yep, very common and there really isn't a solution except get to where it is warm. RVs of any type are not designed for the type of temperatures you are going to incur in Wyoming in the winter. This will be just one of many systems that will falter and fail. You can fight it like others said with skirting, heat tapes, space heaters, sheltered locations etc. etc. etc. but it really is wiser to just live in a 4 season structure like a house or apartment. Thermopolis isn't an expensive place to find rental real estate. That would be a better option than fighting the good fight against the unbeatable foe which is a Wyoming winter.

[cusoon53]

We are really frustrated. Our refrigerator is not working. In reading the manual it says that can happen in freezing conditions. Has anyone had that problem?

[Hazema]

We spent two years in Meeteetse living in our Sunnybrook most of the time. We were fortunate enough to be able to set up in a back yard which shielded us from a lot of the wind, and the daytime highs were better than you will have in Thermopolis. We had our water line insulated and heated, plastic over the inside of all the windows, but didn't close in the bottom. We would go to Worland to spend a few days a week with my wifes mother, then I would blow out all the water lines and drain the hot water tank. Other than taking a while to warm up the bed, it wasn't too bad. We did eventually get a heated mattress pad which made a world of difference. We used an electric heater whenever we were there along with the furnace.

[cusoon53]

Thank you all for the great info. We live in Thermopolis on a bluff.

[Itchey_Feet]

You do need to enclose the lower part to help keep out the wind and snow. Have seen various types of enclosures from hay bales (not the best in case they catch fire) naugahide skirting, to fully built walls of plywood W/ 2x4 studding. Probably the best is the styrofoam sheeting with proper supports to hold it in place. The kind that has aluminum foil on one side. With the under side enclosed you can use elect. heater underneath to help when it is below freezing. We have put reflex insulation under our mattress. Do not close up the 5er too tight or you will be having frost problems inside from cooking and just breathing so leave a vent cracked or window slightly open to let moisture out.
Have lived here all my life except for when we are on the road seeing the West.

[WyoTraveler]

n7bsn wrote:
a wealth of info here

Good info but I think they are over their head in this. My 5ver actually blew off the jacks with slides closed. if left open probably wood have rolled over. I went out in 20 below weather and placed my PU on windward side which helped.

[n7bsn]

a wealth of info here

[gafidler]

It will only get worse, head south for the winter.

[WyoTraveler]

What part of WY? Central does't pin down very much. Some areas are worse than others. Use plywood around bottom of 5ver or straw bales. You probably know by now most of the winter problems in WY is wind. When I was in WY with my 5ver in winter tue biggest problem was when the wind blew at 60 or 80 mph I had to pull in my slides because it rocked too much. The wind can get fierce in the winter months. We are not in the winter in WY yet.