cold weather camping

[larryherrington]

My wife is going to a conference in Lafayette, Indiana the 2nd week of February. I would like to take her and stay in the our 27' coachman freelander. I have never camped in cold weather before. What do I need to know?

[pnichols]

.

[maddog348]

pnichols ~~ That lady who went fishing made a Great choice when she picked her feller. Need more of 'em.

JM2¢ ~~ YMMV

[K3WE]

cross21114 wrote:

RGar974417 wrote:
Don't listen to the negative Nellies. We have often camped in cold weather. Bring small electric heaters to suppliment your furnace.Fill water tank and use that. If you leave the hose on over night it could freeze. Don't leave sewer hose hooked up.Use it only when you need to dump.We also put a large pot of water on low to put some humidity into the air. Of course only do that while you're awake.Have fun.

I agree with this. Can be fun as a challange. Just don't put water in the lines. If you use electrical heaters or a blanket, don't plug them in to the inverter circuit. Use circuit fed directly from shore power.

Don't drive unless roads are prefectly clear.

Have a good time.

SHOULD the OP do it? WOULD it be a good time for him? ONLY the OP can answer that for himself.

CAN he do it, COULD it be fun. Yes!!!!!

[pnichols]

wa8yxm wrote:
There is an old joke about a couple who had been married for like 60 years. Someone ask them "What is the secret to your long happy marraige"

He responded: Well. we take two vacations every year.

OH how does that work
This year I'm going to Las Vegas ahd she is going to the Caribbean.

So that last suggestion... Thumbs UP!

Hmmmm .... I recenlty spent some time in Alaska staying at a remote lodge for the purpose of salmon fishing every day. One of the other lodge guests who was in our fishing group was a woman from Florida who was there without her husband.

Her husband hated fishing but she loved it, so her husband had sent her on the trip as a wedding anniversary gift!!

[memtb]

cross21114 wrote:

RGar974417 wrote:
Don't listen to the negative Nellies. We have often camped in cold weather. Bring small electric heaters to suppliment your furnace.Fill water tank and use that. If you leave the hose on over night it could freeze. Don't leave sewer hose hooked up.Use it only when you need to dump.We also put a large pot of water on low to put some humidity into the air. Of course only do that while you're awake.Have fun.

I agree with this. Can be fun as a challange. Just don't put water in the lines. If you use electrical heaters or a blanket, don't plug them in to the inverter circuit. Use circuit fed directly from shore power.

Don't drive unless roads are prefectly clear.

Have a good time.

Well that “pretty much” eliminates all the fun and challenges of Rv’ing! ??

[cross21114]

RGar974417 wrote:
Don't listen to the negative Nellies. We have often camped in cold weather. Bring small electric heaters to suppliment your furnace.Fill water tank and use that. If you leave the hose on over night it could freeze. Don't leave sewer hose hooked up.Use it only when you need to dump.We also put a large pot of water on low to put some humidity into the air. Of course only do that while you're awake.Have fun.

I agree with this. Can be fun as a challange. Just don't put water in the lines. If you use electrical heaters or a blanket, don't plug them in to the inverter circuit. Use circuit fed directly from shore power.

Don't drive unless roads are prefectly clear.

Have a good time.

[wa8yxm]

There is an old joke about a couple who had been married for like 60 years. Someone ask them "What is the secret to your long happy marraige"

He responded: Well. we take two vacations every year.

OH how does that work
This year I'm going to Las Vegas ahd she is going to the Caribbean.

So that last suggestion... Thumbs UP!

[shelbyfv]

Put her on a plane, "let" her stay in a nice hotel with her associates. You can stay home and watch all the Netflix shows that didn't interest her. Vacation for both of you.

[K3WE]

Grit dog wrote:

K3WE wrote:

He wasn't scared off. He thanked everyone and decided, in light of what he has learned, to go the hotel route. His wife is attending a conference, it's not a camping trip.

Ok, campers cannot be used when attending conferences.

Must have missed that when I read the owners manual. Seemed like it could have been fun.

Or maybe you're ok with taking sponge baths parked in a truck stop at 10below zero, while trying to do your hair and makeup and put on your dress clothes to go to a decidedly white collar function in the middle of winter survival camping.
The best part is the OP appeared to not have much cold weather experience, so that could be even more of an adventure! From actually making the trip, to staying warm, to roughing it for a formal event.
Yeah that sounds awesome.......not.
He asked a valid question, got some good things to think about and moved on.
I'll sleep in my snowmachine trailer with a cot and buddy heater, pack into the backcountry and sleep in a hamkock with a tarp over me, camp with no water, wash up in the crick before and or after fishing in it. LOVE those type of trips. BUT when I go to a business event and have to wear a monkey suit for 3 days, the last thing in my mind is how do I keep the water from freezing in my camper!

You could run the furnace and solve the problem of doing your hair at 10 below...and maybe he has a winter camper where he could have running water. He asked for CONSIDERATIONS. I am disappointed when folks offer narrow opinions: That a camper can only be used for camping. Indeed there are some good posts. You’ll need to use a lot of LP. Campgrounds may be closed. Running water is an issue. Dressing up for a conference is a consideration. Conversely if it’s paired with some planning and fun stops along the way and the right food in the fridge, it COULD be fun. The wife could confer, hubby could tour and worry about the water.

I trust that the OP made a good decision, but I like seeing BOTH sides as opposed to “I would NEVER take a camper to a conference because you have to do your hair at 10 below”. Read the title (Cold weather camping) Other folks may see the title and wish to think about the pros and cons of other non- camping uses. The mother in laws driveway has made for some great Christmases- and yes, we burned some LP.

[BizmarksMom]

Grit dog wrote:

K3WE wrote:

He wasn't scared off. He thanked everyone and decided, in light of what he has learned, to go the hotel route. His wife is attending a conference, it's not a camping trip.

Ok, campers cannot be used when attending conferences.

Must have missed that when I read the owners manual. Seemed like it could have been fun.

Or maybe you're ok with taking sponge baths parked in a truck stop at 10below zero, while trying to do your hair and makeup and put on your dress clothes to go to a decidedly white collar function in the middle of winter survival camping.
The best part is the OP appeared to not have much cold weather experience, so that could be even more of an adventure! From actually making the trip, to staying warm, to roughing it for a formal event.
Yeah that sounds awesome.......not.
He asked a valid question, got some good things to think about and moved on.
I'll sleep in my snowmachine trailer with a cot and buddy heater, pack into the backcountry and sleep in a hamkock with a tarp over me, camp with no water, wash up in the crick before and or after fishing in it. LOVE those type of trips. BUT when I go to a business event and have to wear a monkey suit for 3 days, the last thing in my mind is how do I keep the water from freezing in my camper!

I have to agree. I love camping. I love my trailer. But if I'm at a conference, I'll take a hotel. Between the business breakfasts and networking dinners, and doing hair and makeup and looking professional... I'm not going to mess with the camper. Conferences mean early mornings and late nights, and I just want a made bed to fall into.

[pnichols]

dcason wrote:
We have a class C but it has the arctic package (I think that means it has inside water tank and water pump). We just came back from camping on son's land (he has not electric service or water) and had nights in the 14-19 range with no freezing. We left the cabinets open so that heat could get in. Heat on the wall, etc.

Have fun!

We also have a Class C with an arctic package, but I don't know what Winnebago included with that. It has 12 volt heating pads on the grey and black tanks. The entire fresh water system is in voids in behind the interior cabinets where duct tubes from the furnace run that feed the coach's distributed hot air duct outlets, so these warm duct tubes should pretty much keep the fresh water system tank, the pump, and water lines from getting too cold if we are using the furnace.

I'm curious, about how much propane did you use camping on your son's land in freezing temperatures?

[memtb]

dcason, We also have a class c, designed for cool weather. All tanks are in an insulated, heat ducted bay. The worst thing we experienced was last winter.....”de-winterizing” and filling the fresh water tank in single digit F temperatures. A real , pain in the uhh....fingers!

[dcason]

We have a class C but it has the arctic package (I think that means it has inside water tank and water pump). We just came back from camping on son's land (he has not electric service or water) and had nights in the 14-19 range with no freezing. We left the cabinets open so that heat could get in. Heat on the wall, etc.

Have fun!

[larryherrington]

It would have been fun, but I feel I probably need to get a little more practice under my belt before I try cold weather camping, but I do like the comments and the help.