That Time of Year..........

[CumminsPuller]

New tennis shoes for both rigs! Ready for the camping season....Crossed the scale today, 16,580lbs with the trailer empty, almost a full tank of fuel and both the wife and I on-board.

 

[AH64ID]

We’ve been out 3 times so far this year. The covid campers ruined our season last year so we got an early start this year.

We are 17.5K on a empty truck and trailer, but that goes up to around 20K loaded.

 

[CumminsPuller]

Absolutely beautiful pictures. Thank you for sharing. Fairly new to this hobby, working up to the boondocking, etc. We appreciate this.

 

[AH64ID]

Absolutely beautiful pictures. Thank you for sharing. Fairly new to this hobby, working up to the boondocking, etc. We appreciate this.

You have a great unit for boondocking. Anything built by the Nash Family is top quality.

 

[STeichert]

I love those pictures! Especially the one without snow. I have a silly question though. How do you keep from freezing up the trailer water tanks and lines while camping in the winter? These Idaho winters go on forever and it seems like it's May before its warm enough to not freeze the lines. I would love to get out and do that in the colder months.

 

[Tuesdak]

@AH64ID camping in Texas, eh?

Those are some TDR calendar worthy pictures!

@STeichert Good question. You need a "4 Seasons" rated RV that has heated water tanks and good insulation. Generally the RV's heater has a air duct that also blows on the insulated tanks. I got caught flat footed with 30 weight oil in my generator at 20F. Higher altitude camping and going north when a cold front came south. So I run 15w-40 in it now as heat is more of a concern than really cold.

I find the water inlet and black tank flush need to be drained or blown out with air. I have found ice in them in the past, but, no damage. Running the heater at 52F in the RV when storing it on just few the days it gets close to 32F vs. winterizing it. (I winterized the RV this year.)

Ice that fell out when I opened these up 2 days before snow hit Phoenix Feb 2019.

After a hailstorm Navajo National Monument 2018.

 

[AH64ID]

I love those pictures! Especially the one without snow. I have a silly question though. How do you keep from freezing up the trailer water tanks and lines while camping in the winter? These Idaho winters go on forever and it seems like it's May before its warm enough to not freeze the lines. I would love to get out and do that in the colder months.

As @Tuesdak said it takes a true 4 season camper.

Heated/enclosed underbelly keeps the tanks from freezing and the pipes are all inside. This 5th wheel also has double pane windows which makes a huge difference on heat and condensation.

If we where to go for more than 2-3 nights at a time in the cold and snow we’d probably get a small dehumidifier, but for shorter trips it’s not needed.

 

[NIsaacs]

condensation.

Not always, but condensation is an indicator of oxygen being low in the rv.

 

[AH64ID]

Not always, but condensation is an indicator of oxygen being low in the rv.

Yes it can be, but when it's in the 20°s and humid outside it's more just the nature of the beast.

I will say that with dual pane windows the condensation is a fraction of what it was with single pane windows. It's really not much at all with the thermostat set to 73°-75°.

 

[STeichert]

Thanks for the info. I have always wondered that. I like to hunt in the fall, and we just get a motel because I don't know how to keep from freezing the trailer up. Mine sure is not a 4 season RV. Sooo Many places I want to go see too, thanks for sharing the adventures. 4 corners/ Grand Canyon is a place I want to see, and we are going to Glacier national Park in June.

 

[bcbender]

We’ve been out 3 times so far this year. The covid campers ruined our season last year so we got an early start this year.

We are 17.5K on a empty truck and trailer, but that goes up to around 20K loaded.

Those photo's are awesome... I wish I could get out there, is that WY, MT, ID? My 5er is not as tolerant of cold weather as I don't have heated tanks, but have been in snow over night a few times, but better insulation and double pane windows would make a huge difference., we just sit by the elec fireplace and get the blankets out

 

[AH64ID]

Those photo's are awesome... I wish I could get out there, is that WY, MT, ID? My 5er is not as tolerant of cold weather as I don't have heated tanks, but have been in snow over night a few times, but better insulation and double pane windows would make a huge difference., we just sit by the elec fireplace and get the blankets out

OR (no-snow) and ID.

One thing to remember when it's below freezing is that the furnace is more important than electric heat, at least on campers where the underbelly is heated.

 

[bcbender]

Yeah good point, my underbelly is covered, we run the house heat in the cold weather, knock on wood its been fine... I really miss actual mountains and starry nights...(neither of which exist on the east cost......). We used to camp alot in the Sierras up around Tahoe, and the Cascades in WA by my parents house. Looking forwards to my trip in June to MT, Yellowstone, badlands, MTRushmore...etc...My son will be 10y old and has only been to the real mts once right before COVID snomobiling so I think he will enjoy the mountain air, at least I will!!!! We will be staying a week in ID just outside West Yellowstone fingers crossed for some clear nights...........

Just out of curiosity, what kind of FE can I expect with this new RAM? I've been logging it since new, mixed use I am ~13mpg ave. Now that it has 2500m on it I plan to take the 5er out for a spin and see how it goes, I used to get around 9.5~10 with my 04 pulling ~70mph.. but seems like the 6.7 is a little more thirsty.. I am using 8 right now for my estimate / trip planning but thought Id throw it out there.. (44' 5er @16k lbs ) Maybe I should start another thread.. Looking forward to getting out of the house!!!

 

[AH64ID]

My 18 is only slightly more thirsty than my 05 was, and even then not always. ±5% is what I see compared to the 05, and the 05 was modded pretty well for mileage and power.

I get 9.5-10 at 70-75 with my '18 and ~10K 5th wheel most the time. It dropped to 9.1 towing from Boise to Hood River with a nasty headwind, which is my lowest tank towing...aside from dirt road stuff.

 

[bcbender]

Yeah, I would agree with that.. I never "really" tracked it but a few times but with a new truck, I decided to be more diligent in my record keeping (especially with a warranty)... My 04 was pretty good on fuel if I stayed out of it .. but I was rolling ~24K loaded with camper, dogs, kids, generators, ect... I don't really miss my 6spd yet, but we'll see how I feel after pulling grades, I assume I can lock it in 4th or 5th like I did my 04 to pull hills and let the EB do the work on the way down, Kinda miss having EGT gauge but that would be the only down side I see so far.

 

[Tuesdak]

4 corners/ Grand Canyon

If you can check out the "North Rim" rather than the more commercial and crowded south side. 4 Corners is a see it once thing where there isn't much to go back and see.

 

[Jim W]

Great pictures John of your trailer and truck with the background you have especially with the sunlight on the trailer.

I went and visited my trailer last week and I could not even get the trailer out if I wanted to due to our snowfall we have had this year. I was sitting in the truck when I took this photo. In order to clear the building I need to pull into this snow drift created by the plow truck. The low point of the pile is about even with the drive side lower window opening on my truck.