My wife wants to move to the Bitterroot Valley. She is from South Texas and has never lived through a real winter. I grew up in North Missouri and have worked in Siberia in the winter ! She needs some experience before we buy or build in Montana. We are considering making a trip out soon in the coach and parking in the Missoula area at a park, to spend the winter. I have found at least one park which takes crazies wanting to do this IF we will have the local propane company install a large external tank for us. I know for sure, I would buy an insulated hose to run to the water source. I do have a vent that runs to the basement when the propane heater is on. Anyone have any "survival" tips to avoid coach plumbing damage etc. should we do this ? Thanks.

Lots of solid info herePersonally, I'm from Montana, spent many winters there, if I wanted to "try a Montana winter" I would rent an place (not in Missoula or Bozeman though, due to the Universities) and NOT try it in an RV.One of my old college friends stayed in Bozeman and became a real-estate agent. She -loves- selling homes to people from "down south" that plan to "live in Montana" as she figures about 80% end up selling the home again the next summer.Montana winters can be hard.That being said, the Ravalli valley gets some of the mildest winters in Montana, lots of snow most years, but not as cold as areas east of there.

Living there in a Motorhome isn't going to give her any realistic / realivant experience unless you're trying to discourage her. Rent a place like you would live in full time.Bill

The problem with an RV is they are built to be light weight to drive on the highway. They have insulation, but not near enough for a Montana winter. What that likely means is your propane heater will come on and not shut off for six months! Or if it does shut off, it will be back on in less than ten minutes because that's all it would take for all the heat in the motorhome to leave.Looks like you got a 41 footer so I'm assuming you have two heaters. That's a good thing for cold weather. At least if one goes down you still have the other. Will the park allow you to use electric heat too? My preferred way to heat the motorhome would be with electric but it sounds like the park may not let you do that. Either way it's going to cost a lot of money to stay warm.

The BAKKEN OIL FIELDS located in NW North Dakota and NE Montanna has been a hugh demand on housing all over that area.Alot of oil field workers live in RV's parked any and everywhere allowed or not. Certainly would be something to consider when moving up that way...I would imagine even Bitterroot Valley housing is affected. I have heard it brings back the old GOLD RUSH days of Alaska...Roy Ken

City code might require you to skirt the rig as well.

Winter in Missoula in Coach ? | Good Sam Community

om
Explorer
Oct 11, 2014
Saw another post needing a house sitter of sorts in South Dakota. While it would not be Montana, it would give her a taste of a long cold winter. This was in today postings- watching vacation rental property.
sdianel_-acct_c
Explorer
Oct 11, 2014
another thing that happens in an RV in the winter is condensation. We've never stayed in Montana but did stay in Oklahoma City one winter for a week with snow, ice and 7 degree temperatures with wind. We had condensation on the windshield big time. We have a Hydro Hot diesel furnace and it did not shut off the entire week.
n7bsn
Explorer
Oct 11, 2014
RoyB wrote:
n7BSN - Been all over those hills in my working days (AF RADAR Mechanic)... I was just looking at the boundaries of the BAKKEN Oil Fields and noticed a local Company is planning to run bus line between Bitterroot Valley and oil fields in Williston ND.

Must be some sort of housing market to support that... ????

Roy ken

Name the company, put up some proof. Not feasible, it's a 10 hour trip from Missoula to Williston.

I grew up there. Went to school in Montana (kindergarten thru college)

Heck I worked for Boeing on a MinuteMan upgrade program at Malmstrom nearly 40 years ago (wow that long) and had to drive the entire Wing-One area as we worked on the silos.
tatest
Explorer II
Oct 10, 2014
Missoula has average lows below freezing October through April, average highs below freezing December through February. Elevation in the valley is about 3200 feet, rising to about 5000 in the surrounding mountains. Winter is fairly dry, averaging less than 40 inches a year, but accumulating most of that during the three months it stays too cold for snow to melt.

Wintering there will be an interesting experience for someone from the coastal plains of South Texas. I have family west of Missoula, ranching in the mountains, and friends in Billings, urban lifestyle. These people like it there, having either lived their whole life in the Rockies or moved there from parts of the Midwest with similar, maybe slightly warmer and wetter, winters.

Strategies for coping with the winter weather include enjoying it, with active outdoor winter sports, and hunkering down in their well insulated, well warmed homes. Having at least one room overheated by a wood fire is often part of that. Living like this might encourage someone to stay.

Living in a mobile home in a trailer park, living in a RV adapted to perform something like a mobile home, are both doable. Some RVs will be better at this than others. I would not try it in mine, I know how cold the walls and windows get in weather just close to freezing, and there is not enough heating to overcome that. But others do better.

The RV or trailer park life will be more like a survival mode. I would not make that part of the "adapting to Rocky Mountain winter" experience if I wanted the person to decide to stay. But I have friends who lived in Anchorage, in a trailer, and they stayed at least 20 years. But maybe Anchorage is not as cold as Missoula, though definitely wetter.
RoyB
Explorer II
Oct 10, 2014
n7BSN - Been all over those hills in my working days (AF RADAR Mechanic)... I was just looking at the boundaries of the BAKKEN Oil Fields and noticed a local Company is planning to run bus line between Bitterroot Valley and oil fields in Williston ND.

Must be some sort of housing market to support that... ????

Roy ken
snellville-dave
Explorer
Oct 10, 2014
I bet your out of there by Christmas, if your still in the RV. Get an extra propane tank. Dave
coolmom42
Explorer II
Oct 10, 2014
Two Jayhawks wrote:
You absolutely should take your wife to spend the winter in Missoula but rent real estate. Leave the RV stored back home for the spring.

I agree.

Is this Jim & Mary's RV Park that you were thinking about staying in? Very nice operation. I noticed when staying there a couple of years ago, that they were open year round.
naturist
Nomad
Oct 10, 2014
427435 wrote:
Trackrig wrote:
Living there in a Motorhome isn't going to give her any realistic / realivant experience unless you're trying to discourage her. Rent a place like you would live in full time.

Bill

X2

Better yet, find a snowbird there (that heads south in the winter) and house sit his home.

X3

Your wife is crazy, flat out crazy.

Garrison Keillor tells the tale of a family from south Florida who moved to Minnesota. First snowfall in October, they write to all the family "back home" about how lovely the snow is, how it coats the ground and covers the tree limbs, and just makes such a beautiful scene. A week later they write home about how they got another 4 inches last night. Another week goes by, and this time they rant about the (cursing deleted) 8 inches that fell yesterday, and the had to shovel out the car AGAIN . . . .

If your wife gets her fill that quickly, being able to flee quickly will be a blessing.
427435
Explorer
Oct 10, 2014
Trackrig wrote:
Living there in a Motorhome isn't going to give her any realistic / realivant experience unless you're trying to discourage her. Rent a place like you would live in full time.

Bill

X2

Better yet, find a snowbird there (that heads south in the winter) and house sit his home.
Two_Jayhawks
Explorer
Oct 10, 2014
You absolutely should take your wife to spend the winter in Missoula but rent real estate. Leave the RV stored back home for the spring.