Updated 10/23/01

...winter RVing in the northern states.

Wintering in Alaska

Once again, we are winter RVing in cold climate. This year we are semi-settled near Seward, Alaska. Folks here tell us that if we could manage RVing in South Dakota last winter (see article below for more info on that) that we will do fine here this winter.

We are doing some things differently this winter. Partly, this is because we learned from our experience last year, but mostly it is because circumstances are different this time. Not wanting to make an employment commitment this winter, not even a caretaking commitment, we have rented a site in a mobile home park. Here we have full electric, water, and sewer hook-ups, things we did not have last winter. We also have a different trailer this winter. Instead of our Holiday Rambler, we are staying in the smaller, lighter, less costly, and not as well insulated Forest River Wildwood that we bought for this Alaskan trip. And, we are using materials commonly available in Alaska.

As a side note – we are very pleased with our Wildwood. Although it is an inexpensive trailer, it is holding up extremely well to the demands of full-time living.

Bob put heat tape around the fresh water riser (the part that comes out of the ground) and around the fresh water hose, and insulated them. He also heat taped the exposed gray and black water lines and valves.  

Because electricity is less costly here than propane, we are using a small electric heater for supplemental daytime heat inside the trailer. We are considering putting an electric heater underneath the trailer, because our gray and black water tanks are exposed beneath the trailer.

Bob put a layer of two-inch thick blue foam insulation board under the trailer. He also built siding from the foam, attaching it to the trailer using a wooden framework. He caulked the seams of the skirting to keep out the cold wind.

He’s also been adding insulation to the inside of the trailer. We don’t have a front window, so he covered the entire front wall with half-inch foil covered foam board and topped that with paneling. He also cut foam board to fit one window, filled it in, and then covered that entire wall with another piece of foam and paneling. Those walls run along the head and side of our bed and we can already tell it makes a huge difference in nighttime temps. He also is adding foam board insulation to the ceiling and outer facing walls inside the cabinets, which helps in regulating interior temps – but also is keeping moisture from building up inside the cabinets.

We bought insulating pillows to plug the ceiling vents. We still need to do something to cover or insulate the remaining windows. This trailer does not have a shower skylight, so we don’t have that to contend with.

I’m not sure what else we will do to winterize. Much will depend on how the winter develops. As I write this on October 23, 2001, it is about 26 degrees Fahrenheit outside and we have about an inch of snow on the ground.

Deciding to Winter in the North in the RV

(Written in the fall of 2000)

We’ve decided to spend this winter in the northern states. We will have temporary headquarters in western South Dakota, and plan to make side trips to Wyoming, North Dakota, eastern South Dakota, and Minnesota.

I suppose the obvious question is, “Why?”

These are some of the factors that entered into our decision:

1. We plan to go to Alaska in the spring; wintering up here will give us a head start, both time and mileage wise.

2. Since we’ll likely be playing (and not working) next spring, summer, and fall, it is financially prudent to cut our winter expenses and increase our winter income. We can achieve both of these goals by staying here, with Bob continuing to work at the railroad.

3. We are buying a new trailer for our Alaskan trip and we need time, and a place, to work on it – doing the regular renovations that change a trailer from a camper to a home.

4. We are ready to try something new and we’ve never spent an entire winter cold-weather RVing.

Preparing for Cold-weather RVing

This is being written as a journal of sorts, describing what we are doing as the weather gets colder.

August and September 2000:

It is getting colder at night. Our windows have the day-night shades on them, the pleated, two-layer kind, one layer intended for privacy and the other for filtering out light. We find that closing both layers helps maintain the temperature inside the trailer. As the nights get colder, we more consistently pull the shades in the evening.

We buy sleeping bags – two that zip together to make a double bag. We aren’t sure if we will like the coziness of being zipped in or if it will be too confining. I can’t see spending the money for specialty RV bed sacks when for about $60 the sleeping bags give us the same effect.

We send our catalytic heaters in to be serviced and to have new pads put on them. They still work fine, but we’ve had them for years and since we will be using them extensively this winter, we want to have them checked. We send them to Arnie Lind of A & L Enterprises, http://www.omnicast.net/arnie, he does the service and sends them back. Bob re-installs them and we use them enough to see that they are working.

September 28:

We buy a 40-pound bag of cattle salt at the farm supply store.

We also buy an extra long hose for one side of the propane regulator to use with a 100 pound propane bottle. We aren’t sure if we will switch to a larger bottle or not, but the hose can also be used with the existing 30 pound bottle.

October 1:

We clean our furnace vents, wash the filter, and check to see that the furnace runs. I don’t like the RV furnace – it is noisy, inefficient, and I don’t trust it. However, since we have it, we might as well make sure it works – especially since it heats the underbelly of the trailer where our black, gray, and fresh water tanks are located.

After macerating and rinsing the tanks today, Bob closes the gray water tank valve so exiting water doesn’t freeze.

October 3:

Bob digs an eight-inch deep trench between the trailer and the shop, so he can bury our electric cable, as we will have an electric hook-up. He plugs in the trailer for the first time in months. We usually rely on our solar system because it is normally the power source that is most dependable, convenient, and economical for us, but we have no problem using shore power when it becomes a practical option. The shore power will be used in conjunction with our solar.

October 6:

Bob makes an errand run to pick up winterizing supplies – anti-freeze, lights, and sheets of insulation board.

He does routine service on the tow vehicle, checking belts and such. He also winterizes it, making sure the anti-freeze is good to at least 20 degrees below zero. He fixes the windshield washer pump and fills it with winter-grade washing fluid.

Hidden under years’ worth of accumulation, he finds an ice scraper in the glove box.

We check the truck for things that we think will freeze and break. We believe in buying groceries in quantities when they are on sale (yes, we buy rice in 20-pound bags) and have a shelf in the truck where we keep the extras. Consequently there are two large boxes of food that need to come in the house. Our plan is to bring in only bottles and jars, with the idea that cans can withstand colder temperatures before breaking. We decide to bring in all the wet food items, though, leaving only dry foods such as macaroni and oatmeal. Not having room in the kitchen for these items, the boxes get slid into the walk-around space at the end of the bed.

October 7:

This morning the temperature is six degrees Fahrenheit. I’m glad we have some of our winterizing done.

Bob cuts foam insulation board to fit in three windows that we seldom use, in the three ceiling vent openings, and for the bathroom skylight. The skylight gets a double layer, with a couple inches of airspace between them. We already have foam pillows for the vents; they fit over the foam boards. This is the sheet insulation with foil on both sides. He wraps the edges with duct tape to protect them and make them look neater. They stay in place because of a tight fit. The vent pieces have a duct tape handle, so they can be taken out if we want to open the vents.

Bob finds our tire chains and checks that they are in useable condition.

Because we use a macerator, we empty our black and gray water tanks through a common garden hose, partially buried and running the distance between the trailer and the drain. Bob put a valve in a five gallon bucket and marked the bucket with lines that indicate the volume of water needed to fill that length of garden hose. Into the bucket goes a thick salt and water solution. The end of the hose can now be attached to the valve and the salt water drains from the bucket, displacing plain water left in the hose after macerating. The salty solution prevents the hose from freezing and splitting.  

October ?:
Bob installs lights in the water pump compartment to keep them from freezing. We took this idea from John of RV Design. You can get John's first hand description -- and pictures -- on his General Fixup section, about two-thirds of the way down the page. http://www.worldwideclassified.net/rvdesign/nuindex.htm 

October 24:
The foam insulation board in the windows and shower skylight make a huge difference in how much cold is entering the trailer. 

We are using the sleeping bags and turning the thermostat down to about 56 degrees at night. That is comfortable for us. When we leave the thermostat set higher than that, we are too warm in the sleeping bags. 

Update:
Quite simply, while I had good intentions, I neglected to update this page throughout the winter.

We lived comfortably through some very cold times -- a couple of mornings the thermometer read 38 degrees below zero, Fahrenheit. 

A couple mornings, when I first turned on the water faucet, instead of a steady flow, there was a sputtering, caused by ice crystals blocking the little screens in the faucets. Letting the water run for a few seconds took care of the crystals. 

We occasionally ran the furnace for a while in the evenings. It added heat to the trailer underbelly, helping to keep the tanks from freezing. It removed humidity from the trailer, helping to prevent mold and mildew growth. It also created the uncomfortable, typical, forced air furnace cold draft.

The catalytic safety heaters kept the trailer comfortably warm. 

Sometime in late fall, Bob skirted the trailer with foil backed bubble wrap. We know that helped immensely in both keeping the tanks thawed and keeping the trailer comfortable. Our propane usage was reasonable -- less than we expected it might be.

Wintering in the Black Hills was beautiful. It was a terrific experience. I'm not saying we want to spend every winter in cold climate, but RVing in cold weather is not only do-able, it can be enjoyable. 

Reader Tips

From Nancy: Last winter we stayed in Minnesota until Jan. 10th, others in our campground stayed all winter. We have an electric mattress pad on our bed and have found that excellent warmth, as our bedroom doesn't get as warm as the living room. We use less LP that way too.

Keep warm with cozy, comfortable, and practical clothing. Gifts from the heart, distinctive women’s apparel, accessories and home accents. This holiday, discover Coldwater Creek.

Links to More Cold Weather RVing Info

RV Living -- Canadians Peggi and John McDonald tell of their winter adventures in Ontario
http://www.rvliving.net/advice.htm 

The RVers Corner -- Winter living advice from RV technician Les Doll
http://www.rverscorner.com/articles/winter.html