"Dry" Camping - Cold Weather

[MTBob]

For the first time we are "dry" camping - that is we did not load our camper with fresh water for this trip. We have been traveling from Montana to southern Utah and will return to Montana in about 2 weeks and will likely see night time temps down in the teens when we go through Jackson, Yellowstone and back into Montana.
The camper was previously winterized in Montana since we had subzero temps there before we left, all water lines are blown clear, hot water tank is empty.
So, what we've done is carry 4, 1 gallon water containers for potable water use, using them and filling as we go. We are using both the grey and black tanks for appropriate uses. When we get back to cold country I'll add a liberal amount of Pink Antifreeze in both tanks and keep the sink traps filled with it too.
Hopefully, when we get home the temps will be sufficiently high (above 20 degrees, or so) to allow me to dump the grey and black tanks. If not I suppose I'll add a bit of warm water to the tanks to get a dump.
I think I'll also leave the dump valves open ... at least the grey tank to make sure the dump valves don't freeze during the winter.

Any thoughts on how you folks "Dry" camp?

[d3500ram]

2oldman wrote:
...Reminds me of something I saw in a coffee shop in small farm town. "Decalf" coffee.

I have a contractor friend who, in a meeting, I happened to see his grocery shopping list. Right next to the peanut butter was "grape jamb." LOL

[2oldman]

d3500ram wrote:
Opps! No I did not install any cattle in my camper...LOL

Reminds me of something I saw in a coffee shop in small farm town. "Decalf" coffee.

[bighatnohorse]

Buzzcut1 wrote:

bighatnohorse wrote:
Camping is supposed to be fun. Not a test of endurance.

It a ton of fun to be the only folks out there and to be able to strap on the snowshoes or xc skiis and head out from the back door of the TC. I do it every winter. My wife and I love it.

Obviously, you don't have any lower back problems. I'd love to do that, but the pain and test of endurance kind of takes the fun out of it.

[rider997]

With our Arctic Fox, "winterizing" simply consists of keeping the thermostat above 40 degrees as long as the outside temperature is above 0 degrees F. The tanks won't freeze down to about -15F, but some of the PEX piping in various cavities will freeze (relatively harmlessly).

I would think that if you are keeping your small jugs of water from freezing, then the fresh water tank would not freeze either, with even a small amount of air circulation from the habited portion of the camper. If your waste tanks aren't heated, the place you need to be using propylene glycol (pink antifreeze) is in the grey and black tanks. If you allow them to freeze while moderately full, you could certainly crack them.

[woodhog]

Biggest problem in cold weather for us is condensation everything can
get quite damp very quickly.

[pianotuna]

Hi,

I've camped at -37 c (-34 f) there is a great thread in the full time rv'er forum on winter camping. I suggest you read it.

[beachbum2011]

You have a four season camper with Northernlite.
Fill the water tanks ,turn on propane heat and water heater leave thermostat set to 50 degrees
while traveling.
Ive have traveled out of newengland in January no issues .

[Buzzcut1]

bighatnohorse wrote:
Camping is supposed to be fun. Not a test of endurance.

It a ton of fun to be the only folks out there and to be able to strap on the snowshoes or xc skiis and head out from the back door of the TC. I do it every winter. My wife and I love it.

[jaycocreek]

I camp as the op does alot whether it be snowmobiling/hunting or Stealhead fishing.Depending on the camper I have at the time,we use porta-potties/bottled water and a catalytic heater to stay warm.

My Lance is winterized right now but ready to be camped in.I have not measured the bathroom for a porta-potti yet(probably to cramped to use) so we would use the toilet with rv antifreeze and or rock salt,which works also.As for showers as mentioned above,there are lots of ways to clean up in the shower space provided without onboard water.We usually use creek water for that.

We rarely stay at an RV park either..99.9% boondocking in the mountains of Idaho where we live and play.

[sbryan]

Camping in cold weather is pretty simple IF you have a cassette toilet. Black water dump stations become harder to find in the winter. We have a Northstar Igloo and have camped around zero with no issues. Water lines are all inside the camper envelope so freezing them is a non-issue and we use RV antifreeze in the cassette toilet. Biggest issue in cold weather is keeping the grey water tank and the exposed dump valve from freezing up. Antifreeze in the gray water tank helps to keep things "slushy" and a hair dryer on the dump valve thaws it out. A black tank might be more of a challenge but I would never keep the black tank empty as the solids will become a real issue very quickly.

And yes camping should be fun so having a properly prepared camper is key to having fun in cold weather.

[sljohnson1938]

anything below 70 degrees is cold. I camp in the house and watch tv.

[narcodog]

Here's something you could try. I have and have used it several times. I don't remember what the brand name is but what it is is a collapsible container that attaches to you gray valve out let. Then you can use that gray water to flush with.

[d3500ram]

Opps! No I did not install any cattle in my camper...LOL
fat fingers with letters next to each other on the keyboard...

[2oldman]

d3500ram wrote:
I have added calves to isolate the city water inlet and outdoor shower valves so that no fresh water gets to those components on the exterior wall.

Good typo.