Camper and Skiing

[CptSydor]

Last summer, after spending many nights traveling around, mainly for mountain biking with our TT (300+ nights in 5-6 years), we wanted a bit less luxury and more flexibility/options and moved over to a truck camper. Ended up finding a 1983 Bigfoot which matched my F150 well (1000lbs stock/dry). It was a cheap experiment. I gutted it and rebuilt it as essentially a hard shell tent for basic camping (still in progress). It's worked well, the comforts are obviously down compared to our 25ft TT (that I had set up with SOLAR, etc), but the places we can access are incredible.

I think we are hooked on the camper life. Actually, I'd really like to get into the Van life, but having at least AWD, preferably 4x4 is essentially mandatory where I live and want to travel. After doing the rebuild of my camper, I am also not really interested in building up a van, even if I could find/convert something in AWD/4x4.

Last weekend we did our first winter camping trip for some backcountry ski touring and visiting friends skiing at a resort 5 hours up the road. It was great, but obviously heating/drying out stuff was tough. I had my small 1000w honda generator running a small space heater (on low) and a small buddy heater running before bed, or during breakfast. Nothing running during the night, mainly for security on the generator and even with a CO detector, wasn't a fan of the buddy heater running over night (being a voly firefighter and chemist). Condensation was a problem.

So moving forward, I'm seriously considering 'moving' up. That will be a F350/3500 SRW truck and buying an appropriate 4 season truck camper.
Just here asking for advice from those who travel during the winter months with a factory camper. Our winter trips would likely be 3-7 days.

How are you dealing with heating? Ideally we are camping without services, but obviously paying to plug in for a couple nights might have to be a reality (not that hard to find in ski towns). Biggest battery bank you can get to last 3-4 nights (400 amp/hr)? Solar seems to be very ineffective in winter. Install a secondary heater that doesn't require a fan? Ski storage? We aren't adverse to sleeping at below freezing (-10 seems to a limit), but we need to be comfortable and heat up the camper now and then, especially to dry stuff out.

Any advice is appreciated. Slowly combining everything I'm reading to make the best choices for us.

[burningman]

The Northern Lite have a big tray that slides out of the basement that would contain the water from wet gear and you can pull it out and dump it.
You could make such a thing for any camper with a basement storage compartment if it hasn’t already got one.
Luxury doesn’t require slides, which are great, when they aren’t leaking and if you don’t have to put them out just to get in or use the camper.

Class C motorhomes are generally lousy off-roaders. 4WD examples are rare, too.
I don’t see that working for your intentions. They have way too much overhang, lousy departure angle and clearance. And they don’t like being twisted.

If you’re getting a single-rear-wheel, it doesn’t matter if it’s a 3/4 ton or 1-ton. They’re really the same truck unless it’s a Dodge, don’t buy a late model 2500 Dodge for a camper, the coil spring rear suspension is built too narrow in the frame and it handles awful with a tall load.

[d3500ram]

@OP- you might want to consider a cassette toilet instead of fresh water commode. This type can allow you to have a working toilet while the rest of the domestic water plumbing can remain winterized. You can have warm toilet space to do your "business" and then use bottle water for other uses.

The separate cassette reservoir means you can use RVAF or windshield washer fluid (both of do not freeze) as the flushing fluid. It is separate from the rest of the camper water system so you can mange the water/plumbing needs and uses as you deem appropriate.

[CptSydor]

Thanks for the helpful replies. (And I can't remember where I got the 1000lbs dry weight for that 1983 Bigfoot 6.10, but I found something official online after much researching before I bought it. I could be under representing, but it was definitely low and a good fit for the f150 even before I gutted it).

I posted the pictures of my current rig, just to have pictures. People like pictures. It's not a long term, but rather a temporary solution until I sort out the next iteration.

Moving up, I don't need 'luxury', aka a slide and dually, I just want a stock camper that has a wet bath, stove, fridge, furnace.

Something like this....or another bigfoot, northernlite, artic fox.

https://www.oakcentrervmall.com/New-Inventory-2018-LivinLite-Trailer-CampLite-Truck-Campers-8-6-CampLite-Truck-Camper-Canada-3149427

Just looking to gather experience from people who are camping in sub zero temperatures, especially off grid and making it work (and making it work well).

And I'd really love a Van or small class C, but I really do need (need is relative I guess, more a really want) AWD or 4x4. I live is a small mountain town, lane way access to my driveways that are on the side of a hill. I have a FWD minivan with studded winters and need to rally that thing around our neighbourhood to get it into my driveway. If a storm cycle coming through and dumping serious snow, you don't venture out in a 2wd unless you are going to valley below and not planning on coming back up anytime soon.

[jaycocreek]

SidecarFlip wrote:
No way does that Bigfoot weigh 1000 pounds dry. Try 2500 pounds instead.

It appears to be just a shell with nothing else in it..

[SidecarFlip]

No way does that Bigfoot weigh 1000 pounds dry. Try 2500 pounds instead.

[jaycocreek]

Last weekend we did our first winter camping trip for some backcountry ski touring and visiting friends skiing at a resort 5 hours up the road. It was great, but obviously heating/drying out stuff was tough. I had my small 1000w honda generator running a small space heater (on low) and a small buddy heater running before bed, or during breakfast. Nothing running during the night, mainly for security on the generator and even with a CO detector, wasn't a fan of the buddy heater running over night (being a voly firefighter and chemist). Condensation was a problem.

For not wanting to spend anymore money on your unit,you already have the best alternative..To dry out stuff you need radiant heat such as the buddy heater or a wood stove...I use the buddy heater/catalytic heater when I snowmobile which much like sking,requires things to be dried out and the camper warmed up.Combined with the TC furnace,it warms up quickly..

With catalytic heaters cracking windows is important especially for condensation..With the direct radiant heat, which acts like a wood stove sorta,it makes drying out things easier but really wet stuff needs time to get them completely dry...I heat my house with a Blaze King wood stove and wet stuff needs time, even with it.

Another option is two honda's or one larger generator to run an electric heater on high...Candle type heaters do take the chill off but don't do much at -10..Kinda like the light bulb in the water pump area or under a skirted RV to keep the tanks from freezing.

I sleep with radiant heaters going when it is really cold..I crack/open the window several inches next to the bed as does my wife..Short of wood heat,a radiant heater is your best option...The Wave 3 heater would not do the job in sub zero temps in my Lance TC and that's with all the little things added for that weather.That's why I went to the small buddy heater,more juice..Combined with the TC furnace,it heats up quickly...

Another option is the old forced air furnaces,some like one model of the Atwood, only draw 1.6 amps off your battery,others are in the 3 amp draw area..The really old ones didn't use a fan and were true forced air furnaces without battery consumption...

Winter camping is a lot of fun but there is a learning curve for each RV and there weak spots..No two seem to be the same..

[jimh406]

If you want “luxury”, you will need a dually and a TC with slides. Otherwise, you’ll have barely more room than you have now.

You don’t mention how much you want to spend. That’s a big factor. You might also consider a Class C. They do pretty well in snow with the right tires. You can also get a lot more room for less than a big truck/big TC.

A lot of people like dry baths so they can put their snow covered skis and other snow covered equipment inside. I wouldn’t personally want to put snow covered skis in my basement, but then, my basement doesn’t have a slide area, either!

[burningman]

Stick with Bigfoot or Northern Lite.
If you get a newer “basement” model it will have a huge “ski locker” below the floor.
It’ll have that no-slide, two piece clamshell construction you’re already familiar with.
You need a well-built camper for your type of adventuring.

[CptSydor]

Photomike wrote:
Have you thought of a wood stove? Those little ones for boats are really cool and put out a lot of heat. You could keep your current unit, add a wood stove to heat / dry things out during the day and then use your furnace at night. If you have insulation in your current unit you are not going to get much better with anything else.

I went the van route and I do miss the 4x4 of the truck camper. As much for peace of mind as anything.

Here is info on my units.

Yes, I had certainly considering a mini wood stove for the current truck camper. But in reality, it's an experiment to test the truck camper combination out. After a couple issues with it, I drew the line and said no more money is going to be spent on it.

Ultimately I want a truck camper with all the proper amenities/creature comforts. We do travel a lot in the summer (just started winter), I'd like things to be a little easier/better set up.

[Photomike]

Have you thought of a wood stove? Those little ones for boats are really cool and put out a lot of heat. You could keep your current unit, add a wood stove to heat / dry things out during the day and then use your furnace at night. If you have insulation in your current unit you are not going to get much better with anything else.

I went the van route and I do miss the 4x4 of the truck camper. As much for peace of mind as anything.

Here is info on my units.

[TxGearhead]

I've had my Bigfoot in low to mid teens (F) the last 2 winters. I had full hook ups. I ran a small electrical box heater from WalMart (<$10). High humidity...sleet, snow, & ice. Furnace set pretty low. No condensation or other issues.