Winter camping

[Shadrach]

When camping in the cold do you have to worry about condensation in the trailer from using the propane furnace all the time? Shadrach

 

[Garlic]

Mine only seems to build up moisture on the windows. We go out every month and it's been pretty cold lately around here (for us any way). I can't imagine how cold it's been up there. When I store the unit I will open the roof vents to let it dry out. At 15% humidity it does not take long.

 

[JMetzger]

In all the years of cold weather camping I have only had condensation on the windows never on the walls. We bought a little cheap dehumidifier that we use. If you are camping without power you can use a generator or Camping World sells some pellets that you can use. They do not work the best in the world but they help.

 

[Jim W]

In the latest issue of Trailer Life January 2010 are three articles on winter camping. You might be able to review the articles from Trailer Life Magazine: Follow the Road to Adventure or at a bookstore near you.

In the article "On the Snow Road" they discuss what is needed for winterizing your camper for winter camping. This may help you. Good Luck

 

[Superdawg]

The answer is yes. I try to crack open a vent but when my wife notices, she closes it. Wipe the windows down with a towel and you should be alright. I like the idea of a cheap humidifier. I will have to look for one.

 

[LRutigliano]

We only have gotten condensation on the windows and only at night when the privacy shades are closed.



The interior surface of the windows gets cold enough behind the privacy shades to reach the dew point of the humid air.



Hope this helps,

Louis

 

[CRuth]

Humidity doesn't come from the furnace, it comes from you. Need to have a vent open.

 

[Shadrach]

What do you guys consider cold? This is my friends trailer and he stays in from time to time at a job site, unless it colder than about -25*C ( -13*F ) He has access to running water and a toilet in the shop, so he just uses it for sleeping and eating in. Shadrach

 

[jeepit]

I would like to try winter camping some year. Always concerned about this condensation thing happening.

I guess I would also have to leave camper out of the barn since I could not get it out due to depth of snow we have now.

There is a group of hardy people that camp at Kohler/Andrae State park for New Years and it looks like alot of fun to do.

 

[DWeiler]

What do you guys consider cold? This is my friends trailer and he stays in from time to time at a job site, unless it colder than about -25*C ( -13*F ) He has access to running water and a toilet in the shop, so he just uses it for sleeping and eating in. Shadrach

A little condensation on the windows and have a vent cracked all year long with vent covers. I have slept in mine(08 Glendale Titanium) down to -30 where it is parked at Gull Lake AB. The floor is pretty cold and it takes the furnace about 2 hours to bring everything up to comfortable levels with "Thermopane" windows---it is really only a 3 season trailer at those temps. It is not skirted in at the base cause i choose not to,i also have barn doors to the bedroom which i close at night and run a space heater. It has become too hot at times with the furnace/space heater running for the bedroom. During the day the rest of the trailer can reach 20C but the furnace runs a fair bit and can get costly(i have a 100 gallon propane tank). I built a bunk house(fully insulated R40 with power,10x13) for winter use now/no sense in heating a whole trailer,just use it for bathroom duties and flush with window washer antifreeze. PHOTO'S----#1 BUNK HOUSE,#2 BUNKHOUSE/GAZEBO-FIREPIT,#3 TRAILER/RV LOT with Partially finished deck cover. DW

 

[Shadrach]

It's nice to hear from a Canadian who understands cold :-laf His trailer is an old Holidaire which I'm sure has no insulation. I am looking for something newer for him. Shadrach

 

[NIsaacs]

Like CRuth said, the condensation on the windows is not from humidity. It is from lack of oxygen in the home. It is common with small airtight enclosures using steady heat. Open a window or vent.



"NICK"

 

[Slow Six]

We have winter camped for years, mostly at a ski hill in B. C. On units that did not have thermopanes or storm windows we used the plastic film that is applied with a hair dryer. Skirting or piling snow around the unit makes a big difference. We used some electric heat to supplement the furnace. We always left a roof vent open enough to prevent condensation on the windows and walls even in minus 35*. Friends of ours who paid no attention to condensation eventually rotted their walls. Some even had water running down from the roof panels. Be sure to use kitchen exhaust fan when cooking. It takes a lot of time to warm up a cold unit. It seems like it takes a day or two to get walls, cabinets and everything else thouroughly warmed up. We always tried to leave heat on when we were away as it took very little to warm up the trailer. We always used the oil filled electric heaters for this as they are safe to leave unattended. Another winter trick is to get methyl hydrate (gas line antifreeze) into the propane tanks before filling. This prevents regulators freezing, you get more heat and the bottles will empty completely. Propane and extreme cold are not a good mix

 

[Shadrach]

As usual a wealth of info on the TDR Thanks for all your help. Shadrach

 

[Hoefler]

Humidity doesn't come from the furnace, it comes from you. Need to have a vent open.

Exactly!! Unless you have a vent-less propane heater, you will not get any moisture from the furnace. The moisture comes from cooking, bathing, un-vented washer/dryer, you sweating, cook top/oven, and the list goes on. The worst part is you can not see all the condensation. It will get in between your walls and condensate on the outer skin. Many roof leaks are not leaks at all. It is a saturated area from the condensation. Things to do: open a power vent when bathing, use the hood vent above the stove when cooking or baking, do your laundry outside the coach, and as suggested above, get a dehumidifier.

 

[THoltz]

What do you guys consider cold? This is my friends trailer and he stays in from time to time at a job site, unless it colder than about -25*C ( -13*F ) He has access to running water and a toilet in the shop, so he just uses it for sleeping and eating in. Shadrach

Anything < 20 F is darn cold to me.

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

Oh... I thought perhaps you were thinking of this kind of winter camping, and yes, condensation is very much a problem. However, when it freezes on the walls of the tent one can readily shake it off in the frosty AM. I considered this seven day trip through the Teton Wilderness and YNP to be the last hurrah for this old dog. Temps ranged from -10F up to 35F. Now I just read TDR during the winter

 

[SBall]

Awesome pictures!
I'll bet you didn't have any problem with the mosquitos that time of the year, and you probably found some nice powder stashes to ski in once you retired the sleds for the day.
Regarding moisture when winter camping, I found out the hard way on my first winter ski touring trips (tent or bivy), that if I didn't allow my parka to fully dry off before going to "bed", the following morning it was hard as a shingle and impossible to put on. Perspiration and moisture control in a tent during winter presents unique challenges, that's for sure.

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

I did try out the use of the vapor barrier principle on this trip in 2006. After shopping around for vapor barrier socks, I decided to try heavy mill plastic gallon bags since it was an experiment. They worked tremendously well, my plastic boot liners and heavy wool socks stayed dry and my feet stayed warm. However, at night I when I was crawling into the sleeping bag I the light weight poly socks would be plumb wet with sweat. I'd put them between the 3/4 length thermarest and the ensolite pad to stay unfrozen. In the morning putting on the still wet liner socks at -10 to zero seemed counter intuitive to common sense. However after the plastic bag and wool sock were on my feet were toasty again. Since then I have scored some BD vapor barrier socks a the Jackson Hole thrift store.



I also have a full sleeping bag vapor barrier that I picked up at the thrift store. However, I just have not have the nerve to give the full body treatment the go.



When I was a pup I also traversed the Middle Fork of the Flathead and the South Fork of the Flathead in Montana. Also a number of shorter duration tours in the Middle and South Forks as well as the Tabacco Roots. Some folks just don't seem to be bright enough to come in out of the cold. And nope, the mosquitoes were not a problem. :-laf However, we did encounter several Bison bulls wintering along the Yellowstone. Basically, they would hole up, graze the decadent grass, and mostly live off accumulated fat.

 

[Shadrach]

When it comes time to replace my 87 Prowler TT I want to get something that will allow me to go camping in the ' cooler ' fall temps. I want double glazed windows at least. What other things do you guys recommend? I know there are trailers with heated holding tanks. This trailer for example is good to -30* but is also 30' long and kind of expensive.



href="http://s447. photobucket.com/albums/qq195/shadrach1984/RV/?action=view&current=DSCN0098.jpg" target="_blank">#ad
</a>