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Old 10-24-2019, 08:16 PM   #1
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Winter Weekend Camping

I am thinking about leaving my camper at a campground, in PA, throughout the winter (Nov-Mar) due to traveling circumstances. The campground said I can keep the camper on the site, and use it on the weekends when we are in the area.

We probably will use the camper at least 2 or 3 weekends each month, being able to turn the heat on and so forth when we arrive.

I am not sure what to do about winterizing, or not. If we are not there during the week, would I keep my heat on, I have 2 20 lb propane tanks, and how much propane would I go through? If I were to leave the heat on, I am sure the furnace would almost be running all the time. I could set the thermostat to help with that, I just don't even know where to start with the process.

I would not keep a water line hooked up, but would use my fresh water tank.

We have the 2019 262 BH with the Extreme Weather Package, so I know that would help with the plumbing.

Any ideas, thoughts, questions are welcome.

Thanks!!
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Old 10-24-2019, 11:13 PM   #2
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Doubt 2-20lb bottles would last a week with furnace running pretty much continuously.
I'd recommend checking with the local lp service to have a larger tank set on sight & have them keep it filled
I'm assuming you'll have it connected to shore power as well, if not the batteries wouldn't last a week with the furnace running, it's not only a lp hog, but also a huge battery drain.
The "extreme weather package" sounds real impressive, but in reality it means there's a layer of reflex foil under the coroplast underbelly covering & would most definitely not count on it being any better than any other RV in "extreme weather".
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Old 10-25-2019, 05:16 AM   #3
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You would need to winterize or run the heat all the time. Will you be on full hook-ups? You will also need to dump unless you have heated holding tanks. As stated you will need to be hooked up to electric or the battery will not last but a day or so. We had to live in a 28 ft Salem 5th wheel while our home was under construction and we used a 30# gas bottle every 2-3 days. The furnace ran all the time when the temp went below freezing. The line from the tank to the water pump froze twice when it went below 20.. Had to have the gas man move the 500 gallon propane tank we had close to the trailer and we used it. Then propane went to over $5.00 a gallon - Glad the house is all electric!
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Old 10-27-2019, 07:02 PM   #4
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Would be hooked to electric so that will take care of the battery situation. I am going to call a local to the area propane company to see what kind of price they would give me on a tank rental and propane. What about water? Do those heated hoses work?

Thanks for the suggestions so far, learning as I go.
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Old 10-27-2019, 07:32 PM   #5
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The heated hoses work some. They would also need to be insulated some how. I have friends that work pipeline and they do work as long as the hose bib shuts off under ground and is also insulated. We would use the hose when it was above freezing then fill the tank and use that when it went below freezing.

One other thing to check is how often does the electric go off during bad weather? If it went off for some time the battery would not last but a day or so as the furnace blower pulls a lot juice. Just something to consider.
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Old 10-29-2019, 06:14 AM   #6
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We do the same. The park we are in has heated washrooms and showers, so we winterize. We bring a portable toilet from the popup days for nighttime needs, and a 5 gallon jug of water from home for dishes and cooking. Dump the waste water into the vault before we leave.

Our site has 30 and 15 amp service. I ran an auxilliary marine 120v input through the back wall, and have an outlet inside the trailer that is only used for an electric fireplace. We also have a ceramic electric heater. We can run the microwave, toaster oven and coffee maker without having to switch off the heat. We only use the propane to take the edge off when we first arrive Friday night. We can keep the trailer over 70 degrees all the time with the two electric heaters only. In 2 seasons (38 nights) we are still on our first 30lb propane bottle.

Enjoy the winter. We actually prefer it to summer now-very quiet and peaceful!
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Old 10-29-2019, 06:38 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by theflake View Post
We do the same. The park we are in has heated washrooms and showers, so we winterize. We bring a portable toilet from the popup days for nighttime needs, and a 5 gallon jug of water from home for dishes and cooking. Dump the waste water into the vault before we leave.

Our site has 30 and 15 amp service. I ran an auxilliary marine 120v input through the back wall, and have an outlet inside the trailer that is only used for an electric fireplace. We also have a ceramic electric heater. We can run the microwave, toaster oven and coffee maker without having to switch off the heat. We only use the propane to take the edge off when we first arrive Friday night. We can keep the trailer over 70 degrees all the time with the two electric heaters only. In 2 seasons (38 nights) we are still on our first 30lb propane bottle.

Enjoy the winter. We actually prefer it to summer now-very quiet and peaceful!



I can totally agree with you that the cooler weather camping is so much more peaceful and quiet.
What do you do to take care of the condensation in the trailer, which also is a part of the cool weather camping?
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Old 10-29-2019, 10:13 AM   #8
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We leave the vents in the bathroom and bedroom open at least 1/2" all the time, and crack the little kitchen window when we are in residence. Because we are not showering in the trailer moisture is not a problem. Also, we never cook on the inside stove. I have a propane grill.

The humidity has never over 40% while we are there. And we open it up for a few minutes before we leave to air it out. We do not have a special winter insulation package either.

Our electric fireplace is an infrared model, and it does seem to warm objects as opposed to just the air. Makes it very comfortable. We basically leave that running the whole time and fine tune the temperature with the ceramic heater. The fireplace keeps the temperature about 20 degrees C warmer than the outdoor temperatures by itself.
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Old 10-29-2019, 06:41 PM   #9
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That is basically the same way we do it in the fall.
The only times we ended up with lots of moisture was when I was using one of these.
https://www.amazon.com/Camco-57341-O...s%2C187&sr=8-1


I liked the heat, but the moisture in the trailer was pretty high. Now we use a ceramic heater.

I sure wish I had a fire place. Only a 30amp service in the trailer so will have to figure something out to make it work. Plus, see if we want to give up the storage space where it will have to go.
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Old 11-04-2019, 02:29 PM   #10
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I have a similar question but just about a weekend trip- looks like one night it’s going to drop to 19 degrees. We will have electricity and I have two electric heaters to help out but I’m worried about the water- I’m wondering if I should drain the lines and the hot water tank or if that is overkill for a night or two below freezing when we will have the trailer heat on. We live right on that line where we get a hard night and then two weeks in the 40s. It’s hard to figure out when to winterize.
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Old 11-04-2019, 03:56 PM   #11
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You should be OK as long as you run the furnace. That will blow warm air by the water tank and the water heater will be full of hot water and it actually is inside of the camper so it will not freeze.

How long is it expected to be at 19? Just one more thing - be sure you have both gas bottles full and turned on so it will switch over with out running out. When you see the red take the empty and have it filled. Not sure if you have the 20# or 30# bottles but the furnace likes it gas.

Just a side note .. we are going this weekend .. Sat highs mid 50s low mid to upper 20s.
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Old 11-05-2019, 08:46 PM   #12
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Only that cold two nights. We will be using electric heaters to help conserve propane, so hopefully that will help. Thanks for the response!
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Old 11-06-2019, 03:02 PM   #13
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We got caught in a very cold snap in Atlanta a couple of years ago. Temps dropped well below 20 degrees, froze not all but some of the internal water lines.

We found a $25.00 electric heater in Kroger's I think it was, about 15" tall, 9" diameter that is UL listed, has tip over shut off and draws 1.5Kw when on the max setting with the fan assist.

Despite it's diminutive size, it kept the chill off inside Harvey. Assuming you have shore power, would something like this work for you?
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Old 11-06-2019, 04:00 PM   #14
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Just curious; You say some of your water lines froze. Did you have the furnace on? And you bought a electric heater to keep the chill off will the furnace not keep your camper warm or were you not running the furnace?
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Old 11-06-2019, 04:38 PM   #15
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Hi Dagst1,

The first night out outside hose froze. During the thaw that day, the campsite manager suggested we top off our onboard tank with fresh water so's not to have a repeat the following night.

Snuggled up we stayed toasty warm, but woke to a frosty camper and no running water in the bathroom, and a limited stream at the main sink. The furnace was off overnight (big mistake) as neither of us particularly like a hot bedroom, and not anticipating the cold snap, we didn't have much propane on board.

I think the pipes froze somewhere around the bathroom as the shower, loo and vanity had zero water.

The 12v pump ran and supplied a trickle to the sink.

That day, and the next night, we left the newly acquired electric heater on and had no problem.
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Old 11-06-2019, 04:46 PM   #16
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In the words of Paul Harvey ; The rest of the story.
Many years age we learned that propane is cheaper than fixing a busted water line.
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