Traveling in the winter

[Mary Ann in MN]

Do most of you have a furnace in the campers, or do you depend on sites with electric and use an electric heater? I sure don't like this nasty cold weather, I wish I could just pack up and run away.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by Mary Ann in MN

Do most of you have a furnace in the campers, or do you depend on sites with electric and use an electric heater? I sure don't like this nasty cold weather, I wish I could just pack up and run away.

I have furnace and have set my trailer up to be off the grid, no electricity other than battery, solar to recharge the battery.
When we camp in the winter we join some of your neighbors in places like Death Valley, Lake Mead, Big Bend Tx, Organ Cactus Pipe National Monument. Warmer places but the furnace still runs at night and when we wake up. It's nice to be able to reach the thermostat and warm up the trailer before getting out of bed.

[Jon Vermilye]

I do both. I have a low power propane furnace (1.8 amps) and a solar panel that lets me run it as much as necessary, but I also carry a small ceramic cube electric heater. When, like now, I'm in a park with electric hookups, I use them to save propane. While it is 60 degrees out this afternoon here at Buckskin Mountain State Park, AZ, it will get down to the low 40's tonight and heat will be appreciated!

[Carol H]

I use the propane furnace when off grid (small solar to recharge) and electrical when at a state park with power.

Jon, is the Christmas Arizona Round Up happening at the Buckskin this week? I attended it a couple of years ago and we all headed up for a fun day at the Desert Bar. Good memories of Buckskin.

[SRD]

Originally Posted by Jon Vermilye

I do both. I have a low power propane furnace (1.8 amps) and a solar panel that lets me run it as much as necessary, but I also carry a small ceramic cube electric heater. When, like now, I'm in a park with electric hookups, I use them to save propane. While it is 60 degrees out this afternoon here at Buckskin Mountain State Park, AZ, it will get down to the low 40's tonight and heat will be appreciated!

We're considering going to Buckskin before or after our stay in Quartzsite. What's the park like? Preferred sites?

[Carol H]

Its a pretty nice little park. Sites 66, 62 & 58 are the closest to the water with nice views - they also have some picnic/cabana type sites on the left as you come into the park that people like in poor weather.

[Jon Vermilye]

I'm in Site 2 on the Ranger Road. While it isn't on the river, it was one of the few that was available for a 2 week reservation. Not sure why since the park is pretty much empty.

My site is close to the bathroom, however it is unheated, and only the sinks & showers are available until they get the drains fixed. Great views of the California side mountains, a fun & easy hike to some abandoned copper mines, etc. Some photos on my travel journal at 2014 Trip.

I'll be there until the 23, then moving to Cattail Cove State Park about 11 miles up the Colorado River until January 6th.

Carol - the roundup was last week while I was still at Lost Dutchman. I met one hanger on that left the day I arrived.

On Edit - I missed the "Christmas" in your question - there was an antique trailer gathering here last week that included many fiberglass railers, however I haven't heard about anything around Christmas...

[honda03842]

Mary Ann,

Ginny likes electricity when it's cold and that's just about everywhere this year except Florida; in reality Ginny would prefer FL this year.

We have been hugging the Tex/Mex border and most nights have been below freezing.

[cpaharley2008]

We have been hugging the Tex/Mex border and most nights have been below freezing.
I hear if you hug one another it will help keep you warmer…

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Jon Vermilye

Carol - the roundup was last week while I was still at Lost Dutchman. I met one hanger on that left the day I arrived.

On Edit - I missed the "Christmas" in your question - there was an antique trailer gathering here last week that included many fiberglass railers, however I haven't heard about anything around Christmas...

I think they called the December meet the "Christmas" meet or at least they did last year.

[Mary Ann in MN]

Originally Posted by Mary Ann in MN

Do most of you have a furnace in the campers, or do you depend on sites with electric and use an electric heater? I sure don't like this nasty cold weather, I wish I could just pack up and run away.

I think my post got high jacked. Thanks to those who posted about your heaters.

[honda03842]

Mary Ann,

Like most people when it's cold our primary heater is a small 1500 watt electric heater, $15 at Walmarts. We do have a propane heater but rarely use it. The electric heater seems to be capable of keeping us comfortable to the teens. We also use a twin sized electric blanket on our bed.

[rgrugg]

When our trailer was all electric we had to stay in motels until we were far enough south to find campgrounds with electric. Our trailer has since had a propane furnace and cooktop installed. When I leave my son's in Indianapolis on Dec 29 I'll have my furnace on low. Pretty hard to climb in a bed that's been at below freezing temps all day. In parks/campgrounds I'll use the electric heater or the propane furnace depending on the situation.

[cpaharley2008]

So, you are going to tow the trailer with the propane heat on low while empty? Seems wasteful and dangerous, particularly when pulling into gas stations.
Seems to me the heater will heat the trailer real quick, in a matter of minutes, once you turn it on at your destination.

[stevebaz]

Last October 2012 I gave up tents and bought a used Scamp 13. The first thing I did was install an Atwood 2 heater. I left the tent behind to get out of the cold and I wasnt going to camp in an Icebox so the heater was the first install. 2 months later we were camping in Quartzsite in the low 30's at night. Never would have done it in a tent. Even here in SO CAL us sissies dont like to be cold but cold to us is tee shirt weather for people up north. Get a heater in that trailer and go enjoy the outdoors.

[Jon Vermilye]

Have to agree with Steve - Heat is nice, although my primary reason for moving from a tent to a trailer is fore the bathroom in the middle of the night!

[Big O]

I use a small electric heater when hooked up. Tonight I'm Boondocking near Tucson and am using the furnace.

I've been on the road since early November and have had the heater in too many nights. Hoping for warmer weather soon.

Tonight is the first night in over a week that's not in the thirties.

[Wallo]

I was at Buckskin Mtn, AZ last weekend and it was cold at night, down in the 30's. I warmed up the 13' Scamp with the furnace, turned it off, jumped in bed inside my Havensak. Sleep nice and warm till morning. Looked at the thermometer when I woke up and it was 42 degrees. The Havensak was nice and toasty. Took about 10 min to warm the Scamp up to 65 degrees with the furnace.