Winter,
Cold Weather Camping
Hi, I'm
hoping the group can give me some insights (check list) on what
I need to know about "Winter, Cold Weather Camping"
with the Casita. I have a 17' and was born and raised in Southern
California. Cold to me is anything below 40*.
Some concerns:
1) What
about freezing pipes?
2) What
do you do about propane?
3) What
about holding tanks and emptying them, do they freeze?
4) Towing
in ice and snow?
What else
should I be asking?
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We're in
Illinois ... and camp year round, rain, sleet or snow. But there
are some precautions you need to take.
1. If it's
just going to dip into the low 30's or high 20's during the
night, you probably don't have much to worry about. The white
and black tanks are located inside the Casita. The gray hangs
below, but is under no pressure, etc. Hate to be scatological
here, but since you're constantly adding 98 degree body fluids
to the black, and running room temp water into the gray, you
don't have much to worry about.
2. If you're
headed into an extended below freezing period, then you'd be
better served to winterize your Casita with RV (Not Auto) antifreeze.
I know, I know, the water lines, white and black tanks are still
inside with you, but what happens if you lose power or run out
of propane?
3. We regularly
camp in 10 to 20 degree temperatures, with snow flying sideways,
loving every minute of it. But our Casita's winterized, protecting
the white tank/water pump/water lines with antifreeze. We then
pour a half gallon or so of RV antifreeze into both the gray
and black tanks at the start of a weekend. We then use jug water
for drinking, cooking or "flushing" the toilet. Occasionally,
when it's really cold, the dump valves will freeze up, particularly
during the night. If you have electricity, you can thaw with
a hair dryer. As a matter of fact, if it's snowing or sleeting,
then turns cold, you'll occasionally find yourself "trapped"
in your trailer, cause the water freezes the door gasket to
its frame. Use a hair dryer to thaw from the inside.
4. State
Parks in Illinois have electricty, so we don't use the propane,
which at extremely low temps, doesn't burn correctly as you
know. We use an electric 6-inch ceramic cube heater to heat
the trailer (and the heat will chase you out, it does such a
good job.) We also have an electric hot plate, on which we cook,
heat water for a military shower or tea, so we can avoid using
the propane. The refrigerator is on electric also.
5. Problem
where I'm from with winter camping is the return trip. Things
are all warm and toasty inside the trailer when camping, but
if you have a 4 or 5 hour trip home, it gets pretty cold inside
the trailer. That's why we winterize along about the middle
of October and follow our winter camping procedures till we
head for Florida at Easter.
Hope this
helps.
Years ago,
we bought a little 6-inch cube ceramic heater.
Charles
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This may
be a dumb question for you folks that do it all the time, but..
"RV
antifreeze" sounds like bad stuff. Do you flush the tanks
before ever using it for drinking water again?
Michael
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RV Antifreeze
is not bad stuff ... obviously safe for human consumption.
Steps:
1. Turn
water heater to bypass mode. Drain Water Heater.
2. Drain
white (fresh) water tank until almost empty.
3. Connect
blow-out plug to city water inlet. Blow out water lines with
air compressor (doesn't have to be industrial strength air compressor
... a little electric air compressor will work ... even a "strong"
12-volt air compressor is enough to put pressure into the lines
to blow out the water.
3. Pour
3 gallons of RV antifreeze into the white (fresh) tank. Use
water pump to pump antifreeze (RV not Auto) through water lines
by systematically turning on hot/cold water faucets. Remember
to run antifreeze through the hand-held shower and line. Make
sure you flush toilet until pretty pink antifreeze runs into
toilet. Make sure you fill all traps (including shower drain
trap) with antifreeze.
4. You're
good to go.
As I said,
we often winter camp, using jug water to cook and "flush"
the toilet, leaving the water lines, faucets, toilet, etc protected
with antifreeze.
In the spring,
I just flush the system with clean water. If the spirit moves
me, I'll put some a little bleach in the fresh water tank to
sanitize it. And then next tank, put a little baking powder
into the tank which neutralizes the bleach taste.
There are
people who say the RV antifreeze leaves a taste. I even took
a taste right from the antifreeze jug (it's safe for humn consumption)
without ill affects. People who say it leaves a taste use compressed
air to blow out lines, but trouble with just compressed air
is water is left in line between fresh tank and water pump ...
and water is leave in pump, so you have to disconnect and drain
these prior to the onset of winter.
But, I have
to tell you, we love to winter camp! We usually have most campgrounds
to ourselves. It's so neat to set around a campfire or inside
the Casita and watch everything get covered with snow and turn
white.
Even the
Casita turns white. Hmmm, guess it's already white.
Charles
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RV antifreeze
is non-toxic, it's usually based on "food grade" propylene
glycol with added lubricants and mild rust inhibitors. I imagine
it doesn't taste very good, though, and you do have to flush
it out.
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