RVing in the winter

[Cmccain13]

Hey all, so I'm a month in to living in my RV and loving it, the thing is I want to start roaming around out of Texas and I'm nervous about colder temperatures. There are a few places I want to go to but the temperatures will get into the high 20's during the night but get back up to the 45's ish during the day. When occupying the rig should I be worries about pipe freezes and stuff? what should I keep in mind? or should I even be concerned since it wont always be sub zero temps?

[m37charlie]

Re driving electric vehicle north from Fairbanks: you need to be aware that the Alaska electrical grid (NOT connected to Canadian or lower 48 grid) stops just north of Fairbanks, and the road to Deadhorse is ~500 miles; each way.

[DrewE]

Yosemite Sam1 wrote:

I am still thinking of RVing to visit all the national parks in Alaska.

And definitely it. won't be in a Unimog. I might have to wait very long to have the content provided with EV charging once I get my Cybertruck -- or just drop this dream Ring off my bucket list.

Anyway, excellent story and definitely NatGeo worthy.

You are aware, I assume, that the majority of the national parks in Alaska are not accessible by road at all. There are seventeen national parks in Alaska, and about three are accessible by road (and maybe three or so more relatively close to a road such that it might be practical to hike in or something similar).

Don't let that stop you from visiting the area, though. The parts and parks you can get to are spectacular enough to more than justify the trip.

[time2roll]

Grit dog wrote:
Yosemite, you’re actually serious about waiting until you can drive a cyber truck to all Alaska national parks? Roflmao.
Hope you’re a very young man, to think that may happen In your lifetime.

I can only compare to the "impossible for Tesla" continental US charging network.

I assume it will not be long for Tesla Semi to reach Deadhorse. CT will be a snap.

[TwistedGray]

2,700ft
40F
Mattress topper
Sheets (duh)
Thin blanket on top of sheet, duvet and comforter on top of that, and a quilt on top of that
We were HOT underneath all that while the RV's internal temp was about 55F without any heater running

[bobndot]

Geeze wrote:
We have a Coachman Leprechaun MB319 and ours is cold when the outside temps get into the 30's. We get a lot of cold coming in around the slides especially if the wind is blowing.

Downfall of a slide. Pull the slide in at night.

[DaCarmack]

I just did this for Thanksgiving in a Coachmen Concord 275DS. Went to Great Basin National park. Baker,NV was the town i stayed in, was in the low teens at night. Now the Concord in no 4 season coach, but did just fine with some planing. Heavy blanket over the cab, and a heavy blanket over the big rear window. I did run a 1500 watt heater up front just to help but it was not really needed. ( dry camped on the way home almost just as cold, coach heater was just fine) I have heated tanks and they work, but the gray is on the passenger side and its drain is on the left. so the tank was good valve was frozen.

[Geeze]

We have a Coachman Leprechaun MB319 and ours is cold when the outside temps get into the 30's. We get a lot of cold coming in around the slides especially if the wind is blowing.

[pnichols]

Yosemite Sam1 wrote:

pnichols wrote:

pnichols wrote:

m37charlie wrote:
Winter camping: ....
.....Spending time outdoors in near cryogenic temperatures especially when solar insolation is minimal (like around the solstice) isn’t fun except as a novelty. So even if one’s RV can theoretically “take it”, are you going to spend all the long nights inside and venture outdoors for 2 hours a day?
I realize camping in ~+20F with much longer lower 48 days is much different.
But there are very good reasons why lots of Canadians migrate themselves and their (somewhat cold capable) RVs to Mexico or the USA southern states in the winter if they are full timers.
Sorry for the lengthy post but the stories are true and the calculations correct.

Dr. Aarons,

A great writeup on your adventures in the extreme cold (that I referenced in part above)!!

And now ... going off topic regarding another ultimate RV'ing challenge ... in which neither more clothes nor nudity are a solution. What would you recommend for drycamping in above 100 degree F outside air temperatures?

The reason I ask is this: The DW and myself enjoy rockhounding using our small Class C motorhome as a base ... even if it takes us out into the U.S. version of The Far Side of Beyond. The good thing about doing this in the summer is the complete lack of any other people around. The bad thing about doing this is it's in the summer. Our worst case was way out there in the Texas Panhandle during August. We had to use both the rooftop A/C and built-in RV generator, plus the cab A/C with the engine idling - to keep from melting away after a few minutes outside. The complete serenity while walking around outside in lite clothing under umbrellas and cloudless blue skies was beyond priceless ... just us, the RV, and the Road Runners scampering about. 😉

Here's my answer to my own question above on high temperature boondock camping:

1. Inside the coach - use a high power 12V fan powered from the coach batteries for directed air right on you, and/or use the rooftop vent fan powered from the coach batteries set on high for circulation.

2. Inside the coach - use the rooftop A/C and built-in generator, while pressurizing the coach interior to keep all generator fumes from entering.

3. Outside the coach - sit under the awning and use a high power 12V fan on an extension cord powered from the coach batteries for directed air aimed right at you while sitting in a lounge chair. NEVER walk around outside not under the awning in high sun situations without being under a light colored umbrella.

For us when we're camping in the heat for a reason, we cannot move to another location to escape the heat. I'm curious as to how others deal with high temperature camping - without moving the RV out of the heat.

We simply went home.

I have to put ice cubes inside a towels on top of my head and back of the neck to prevent me from passing out or having a heat stroke, lol.

I've posted this before, but here it is again for what it's worth: We had a similar near heat stroke experience once with our RV when we couldn't go home. We were in the Texas Panhandle rockhounding in August in most likely triple digit outside air temperatures.

When we really got heated up and hungry in the middle of the day, we went back to the RV and fired up both the coach air conditioner/generator and the cab air conditioner/V10 engine. Triple digit outside temps were no match for double A/C's in our small Class C. We got comfortable very quickly and enjoyed a good lunch out in the middle of nowhere.

Needless to say we had the whole area to ourselves and our rig took care of us . 🙂

[Yosemite_Sam1]

pnichols wrote:

pnichols wrote:

m37charlie wrote:
Winter camping: ....
.....Spending time outdoors in near cryogenic temperatures especially when solar insolation is minimal (like around the solstice) isn’t fun except as a novelty. So even if one’s RV can theoretically “take it”, are you going to spend all the long nights inside and venture outdoors for 2 hours a day?
I realize camping in ~+20F with much longer lower 48 days is much different.
But there are very good reasons why lots of Canadians migrate themselves and their (somewhat cold capable) RVs to Mexico or the USA southern states in the winter if they are full timers.
Sorry for the lengthy post but the stories are true and the calculations correct.

Dr. Aarons,

A great writeup on your adventures in the extreme cold (that I referenced in part above)!!

And now ... going off topic regarding another ultimate RV'ing challenge ... in which neither more clothes nor nudity are a solution. What would you recommend for drycamping in above 100 degree F outside air temperatures?

The reason I ask is this: The DW and myself enjoy rockhounding using our small Class C motorhome as a base ... even if it takes us out into the U.S. version of The Far Side of Beyond. The good thing about doing this in the summer is the complete lack of any other people around. The bad thing about doing this is it's in the summer. Our worst case was way out there in the Texas Panhandle during August. We had to use both the rooftop A/C and built-in RV generator, plus the cab A/C with the engine idling - to keep from melting away after a few minutes outside. The complete serenity while walking around outside in lite clothing under umbrellas and cloudless blue skies was beyond priceless ... just us, the RV, and the Road Runners scampering about. 😉

Here's my answer to my own question above on high temperature boondock camping:

1. Inside the coach - use a high power 12V fan powered from the coach batteries for directed air right on you, and/or use the rooftop vent fan powered from the coach batteries set on high for circulation.

2. Inside the coach - use the rooftop A/C and built-in generator, while pressurizing the coach interior to keep all generator fumes from entering.

3. Outside the coach - sit under the awning and use a high power 12V fan on an extension cord powered from the coach batteries for directed air aimed right at you while sitting in a lounge chair. NEVER walk around outside not under the awning in high sun situations without being under a light colored umbrella.

For us when we're camping in the heat for a reason, we cannot move to another location to escape the heat. I'm curious as to how others deal with high temperature camping - without moving the RV out of the heat.

We simply went home.

I have to put ice cubes inside a towels on top of my head and back of the neck to prevent me from passing out or having a heat stroke, lol.

[ppine]

Cold is relative.
Short days are the biggest challenge.

[pnichols]

pnichols wrote:

m37charlie wrote:
Winter camping: ....
.....Spending time outdoors in near cryogenic temperatures especially when solar insolation is minimal (like around the solstice) isn’t fun except as a novelty. So even if one’s RV can theoretically “take it”, are you going to spend all the long nights inside and venture outdoors for 2 hours a day?
I realize camping in ~+20F with much longer lower 48 days is much different.
But there are very good reasons why lots of Canadians migrate themselves and their (somewhat cold capable) RVs to Mexico or the USA southern states in the winter if they are full timers.
Sorry for the lengthy post but the stories are true and the calculations correct.

Dr. Aarons,

A great writeup on your adventures in the extreme cold (that I referenced in part above)!!

And now ... going off topic regarding another ultimate RV'ing challenge ... in which neither more clothes nor nudity are a solution. What would you recommend for drycamping in above 100 degree F outside air temperatures?

The reason I ask is this: The DW and myself enjoy rockhounding using our small Class C motorhome as a base ... even if it takes us out into the U.S. version of The Far Side of Beyond. The good thing about doing this in the summer is the complete lack of any other people around. The bad thing about doing this is it's in the summer. Our worst case was way out there in the Texas Panhandle during August. We had to use both the rooftop A/C and built-in RV generator, plus the cab A/C with the engine idling - to keep from melting away after a few minutes outside. The complete serenity while walking around outside in lite clothing under umbrellas and cloudless blue skies was beyond priceless ... just us, the RV, and the Road Runners scampering about. 😉

Here's my answer to my own question above on high temperature boondock camping:

1. Inside the coach - use a high power 12V fan powered from the coach batteries for directed air right on you, and/or use the rooftop vent fan powered from the coach batteries set on high for circulation.

2. Inside the coach - use the rooftop A/C and built-in generator, while pressurizing the coach interior to keep all generator fumes from entering.

3. Outside the coach - sit under the awning and use a high power 12V fan on an extension cord powered from the coach batteries for directed air aimed right at you while sitting in a lounge chair. NEVER walk around outside not under the awning in high sun situations without being under a light colored umbrella.

For us when we're camping in the heat for a reason, we cannot move to another location to escape the heat. I'm curious as to how others deal with high temperature camping - without moving the RV out of the heat.

[m37charlie]

Sleep in a folding chair outside under an awning. Or start driving poleward. Or, seek higher elevation. The standard lapse rate is 3 degF/1000’

[Grit_dog]

Yosemite, you’re actually serious about waiting until you can drive a cyber truck to all Alaska national parks? Roflmao.
Hope you’re a very young man, to think that may happen In your lifetime.

[pnichols]

m37charlie wrote:
Winter camping: ....
.....Spending time outdoors in near cryogenic temperatures especially when solar insolation is minimal (like around the solstice) isn’t fun except as a novelty. So even if one’s RV can theoretically “take it”, are you going to spend all the long nights inside and venture outdoors for 2 hours a day?
I realize camping in ~+20F with much longer lower 48 days is much different.
But there are very good reasons why lots of Canadians migrate themselves and their (somewhat cold capable) RVs to Mexico or the USA southern states in the winter if they are full timers.
Sorry for the lengthy post but the stories are true and the calculations correct.

Dr. Aarons,

A great writeup on your adventures in the extreme cold (that I referenced in part above)!!

And now ... going off topic regarding another ultimate RV'ing challenge ... in which neither more clothes nor nudity are a solution. What would you recommend for drycamping in above 100 degree F outside air temperatures?

The reason I ask is this: The DW and myself enjoy rockhounding using our small Class C motorhome as a base ... even if it takes us out into the U.S. version of The Far Side of Beyond. The good thing about doing this in the summer is the complete lack of any other people around. The bad thing about doing this is it's in the summer. Our worst case was way out there in the Texas Panhandle during August. We had to use both the rooftop A/C and built-in RV generator, plus the cab A/C with the engine idling - to keep from melting away after a few minutes outside. The complete serenity while walking around outside in lite clothing under umbrellas and cloudless blue skies was beyond priceless ... just us, the RV, and the Road Runners scampering about. 😉