De-winterizing in winter

[Bernie Seward]

Right now my trailer is in winter storage in Denver. But in early January I'm planning a trip from Colorado to California. I would appreciate the experience of others who have de-winterized in winter for a trip to a warmer clime.

My plan is go south on I-25 and then west on I-40. I thought I would de-winterize somewhere around Kingman, AZ, or Needles, CA, where the temps should be more moderate and less freezing. Until getting to a de-winterizing location, I plan to only sleep in the trailer using the furnace and not filling the water holding tank nor using any of the plumbing facilities onboard.

When returning, I plan to reverse the procedure and winterize in Needles or Kingman.

I would appreciate from hearing from others.

Bernie

[Donna D.]

I plan to only sleep in the trailer using the furnace and not filling the water holding tank nor using any of the plumbing facilities onboard.

I would appreciate from hearing from others.

Bernie

humm, so why are you de-winterizing? I'm assuming (don't you hate that!) you're talking about draining the antifreeze from the plumbing and since it doesn't sound like you're going to use the water/bathroom...why worry about it? Lots of people winterize their trailers and then use them for winter camping by taking bottled water, etc. instead of draining the systems.

Am I missing something

[Frederick L. Simson]

Until getting to a de-winterizing location,

Um, I think this is the missing piece...

I think he wants the full use of his facilities in sunny Southern California.

[Donna D.]

duh

[b]Until getting to a de-winterizing location, I plan to only sleep in the trailer using the furnace and not filling the water holding tank nor using any of the plumbing facilities onboard.

[George Cathcart]

Bernie, the California high desert can still be well below freezing nights in January. I'd closely follow the weather report and be prepared not to de-winterize before I got over Cajon Pass and into San Bernardino. Even there, I can recall the smudge pots going on cold January nights to warm the citrus groves. (Groves of course are now mostly gone, transformed into subdivisions, and the smudge pots are a relic of southern California history.)

Your Bigfoot is better insulated than most trailers, so you should be comfortable at any rate. Where are you heading in southern California.?

[Bernie Seward]

Bernie, the California high desert can still be well below freezing nights in January. I'd closely follow the weather report and be prepared not to de-winterize before I got over Cajon Pass and into San Bernardino. Even there, I can recall the smudge pots going on cold January nights to warm the citrus groves. (Groves of course are now mostly gone, transformed into subdivisions, and the smudge pots are a relic of southern California history.)

Your Bigfoot is better insulated than most trailers, so you should be comfortable at any rate. Where are you heading in southern California.?

My wife and I are actually headed initially for northern California -- Sonoma County -- to attend a camp put on by the Sonoma County Mycological Society. Then on up to the Fort Bragg area for more mushroom hunting. From there down to Orange County where we used to live before returning to Denver. I'll turn north out of Barstow and go up Hwy 99 through Bakersfield, etc. on the northern trip.

I'm not too concerned about temps in the CA desert when they are down in the high 20s at night but warm up in the day. All my holding tanks are heated from the furnace and, as you indicated, the Bigfoot is very well insulated and I have thermopane windows. It's in the teens and below that can occur in the high desert of New Mexico and Arizona where I don't want to de-winterize since the trailer will cool off significantly traveling during the day. I will definitely be following the weather very closely since I've experienced some heavy snow in the Flagstaff area. I thought of dropping even further south but that makes the drive to northern CA just that much further.