Hi, I'm looking for some advice on getting a rig for up in Alaska. I currently live in the Palmer area, but I'll be moving up to Fairbanks next year abouts. I'm looking at 2 models, the Northwood Nash 22H and the Grand Design Imagine XLS 18RBE, and would like any advice anyone has to offer on whether these are good TTs to look at for full 4-season and extreme winter camping, what I could/should do to beef them up for the -40 temps I will experience in the interior, and any other advice you feel I need. I am a first time buyer. I have RV'd with family for years in Texas and summers in AK, but all of those trailers were fifth-wheels. I don't mind living small, and I'm used to dry cabin life, so going dry isnt an issue. I do plan to full-time for the next 3-4 years while I finish up my degree, but I probably won't be boondocking (moochdocking and rv parks for me).The biggest questions I have are about insulation, keeping the pipes from freezing, and maintenance.Thanks in advance!

Do a archive search for pianotuna who is knowlegable in this area.I'm doubtful that you will find any RV suitable for extreme cold temps. You're lilely better off to rent.

No offense meant, but what you’re considering is not a sound plan. Period. Especially if you are planning on moochdocking. RV parks ain’t open in AK in the winter. After living up there as you have, your consideration for this seems about as big a departure from sound reasoning and judgement that I can think of. Someone will come by here and tell you (and me) how it actually is possible. Well of course it is. It’s not truly 100% impossible. But it’s a very very poor decision.PS if you’re asking, open ended, what you would need to do to “beef it up” you’re already starting out way behind the 8 ball with respect to your knowledge and ability to even think about making it as that small fraction of 1% that may actually pull it off (at considerable expense and even more considerable effort).

It would be slightly and only ever so slightly different if you were able to park it permanently from about Oct thru April and build a bomber insulated skirt, have full time unlimited shore power and have no desire to have running water or wet tanks, at all.Wet is not even an option. But even though you say dry is fine you are asking about keeping pipes from freezing. Move on to your plan B and ditch this one like a chick with herpes…

There is a Facebook page dedicated to this topic. It's called "WINTER RVing - Let's Stay Warm Together!" There are some very knowledgeable people over there. IMO, you will be hard-pressed to find a "normal" RV that can withstand the winter conditions in AK. They're just not designed and built for that. There are a few companies making what are sometimes called "mobile man camp" trailers for the oil field and pipeline workers. They're pretty basic, but have what you would need for a winter in AK. RobRob

I can't imagine anything with wheels suitable or modifiable for the extremes of a Fairbanks winter. It takes a special breed of people to live in that climate no matter the accommodation.

Full-Time Alaska TT Living | Good Sam Community

Grit_dog
Navigator
Aug 26, 2023
Juno?
Spell much?

This is just getting dumb now. OP wants to use a travel trailer to winter over in Fairbanks.
Wasn’t a good idea when he first posted it and never will be. End of story.
JaxDad
Explorer III
Aug 26, 2023
theoldwizard1 wrote:
Grit dog wrote:
No offense meant, but what you’re considering is not a sound plan.

Well, maybe in Juno ! Large city, far south and near the coast.

I think you’d be shocked at how many people in northern Alaska and Canada’s Yukon Territory live year-round in something like this. Smaller footprint, smaller heat requirements.

I know dozens who live in stuff like this in Nome.
theoldwizard1
Explorer II
Aug 25, 2023
Grit dog wrote:
No offense meant, but what you’re considering is not a sound plan.

Well, maybe in Juno ! Large city, far south and near the coast.
Grit_dog
Navigator
Aug 25, 2023
Dang! I need to put up a yurt out in the woods behind the house and put it on Air BnB!
JaxDad
Explorer III
Aug 25, 2023
Grit dog wrote:
Would be cool to see some pics/details. I’ll never build my own camper from scratch. No interest, but I build about everything else and this is interesting.

I’ll ask for some pics, I just saw them on his phone.

I agree, I’m building a truck conversion (Super C) currently but what he built I would best describe as a homemade park model, not at all intended to be a ‘camper’ in the travelling sense of the term and of zero use or interest to me. Well, not other than what citiots pay for ‘glamping’ rentals that is. A neighbour is getting +$300 / night for a Yurt on his farm…..
Grit_dog
Navigator
Aug 24, 2023
Would be cool to see some pics/details. I’ll never build my own camper from scratch. No interest, but I build about everything else and this is interesting.
JaxDad
Explorer III
Aug 24, 2023
Grit dog wrote:
^Sounds quite optimistic on weight, but idk. I didn’t build it.
Is it fully finished inside or mostly a shell with minimal features/buildout?

I wondered about weight too, but then I looked up a local company that sells ‘Amish built’ sheds known to be sturdily built, they list an 8’ X 12’ (half the size) and with wood siding and shingles not steel as being 1,600 pounds, so that would be 3,200 pounds for 8’ X 24’ leaving about 1,800 pounds for insulation and interior finishing, etc, which seems reasonable.

I’ve not seen it in person, just in pictures, it’s an ‘open concept’ kinda thing, there is a pair of wing walls that divide the bathroom / bedroom from the kitchen / living area but not all the way up to the cathedral ceiling / roof level.
Grit_dog
Navigator
Aug 23, 2023
^Sounds quite optimistic on weight, but idk. I didn’t build it.
Is it fully finished inside or mostly a shell with minimal features/buildout?
JaxDad
Explorer III
Aug 23, 2023
Grit dog wrote:
JaxDad wrote:
TjMurphy002 wrote:
The biggest questions I have are about insulation, keeping the pipes from freezing, and maintenance.

Thanks in advance!

A pilot friend who lives in a very cold area of northern Canada finally gave up on commercially available RV’s and built his own. He says the difference is night & day!!

It is if I recall correctly, 8’ X 24’, built with a 2” X 4” frame with spray foam insulation, residential windows and steel cladding. Heat is from a pair of diesel-fired truck heaters. Plumbing is all PEX tubing designed to be blown clear on a regular basis.

He says from both a quality and efficacy point of view he has a *far* superior product and at a far lower cost to boot.

I’m sure it’s very cozy! And likely very well built.
But that’s a huge undertaking in the context of the OP and something I don’t get the feeling is a reality for him, on multiple fronts.
Big question is what’s your buddy’s camper weigh? I could see maxing out a 14k 24’ flatbed.
He built a tiny home and a good one by the sounds of it.
There are some good suggestions here, contrary to my last tongue in cheek response.
But unlike some who like to just come here to pontificate or think outside the box or not consider the whole picture when making a suggestion, I try to do none of those things as the most helpful response is the most honest thought out one!

It was built on-site by a local carpenter on top of a cut down 8’ park model frame, he said it weighs about half the GVWR of the frame, roughly 5k pounds. He said he was originally go with 8’ X 16’, the largest prebuilt garden shed available, but the carpenter pointed out to him that the over-priced commercial product would actually be more expensive than the 8’ (50%) longer custom built product.
Grit_dog
Navigator
Aug 22, 2023
JaxDad wrote:
TjMurphy002 wrote:
The biggest questions I have are about insulation, keeping the pipes from freezing, and maintenance.

Thanks in advance!

A pilot friend who lives in a very cold area of northern Canada finally gave up on commercially available RV’s and built his own. He says the difference is night & day!!

It is if I recall correctly, 8’ X 24’, built with a 2” X 4” frame with spray foam insulation, residential windows and steel cladding. Heat is from a pair of diesel-fired truck heaters. Plumbing is all PEX tubing designed to be blown clear on a regular basis.

He says from both a quality and efficacy point of view he has a *far* superior product and at a far lower cost to boot.

I’m sure it’s very cozy! And likely very well built.
But that’s a huge undertaking in the context of the OP and something I don’t get the feeling is a reality for him, on multiple fronts.
Big question is what’s your buddy’s camper weigh? I could see maxing out a 14k 24’ flatbed.
He built a tiny home and a good one by the sounds of it.
There are some good suggestions here, contrary to my last tongue in cheek response.
But unlike some who like to just come here to pontificate or think outside the box or not consider the whole picture when making a suggestion, I try to do none of those things as the most helpful response is the most honest thought out one!

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