Solo winter boondocking

Mellow_Yellow

As my fans know, I'm based on Vancouver Island BC, and due to one natural disaster or another, I've pretty much been pinned to this island since I got my gently used 2014 T@B in November 2020. The latest disaster is all the flooding. Three weeks ago, 3 parts of the island were cut off due to road being wiped out. We're now on week 4 of gasoline rationing and after 3 weeks of solid rain and "working from home", I jumped at the first break in the weather and got out of Dodge, Dec 3-5, 2021.
The closest, most worthwhile campground is French Beach Provincial Park. This time of year, the only amenities are pit toilets and you have to bring your own water, firewood, etc. Needless to say, no hookups. The first day was beautifully sunny, which is when I took most of the photos below. It rained hard that first night, but then stayed cloudy and hovered around freezing temperatures for the entire 2 days/2 nights I was there. There were lots of other hardy campers there, some folks in tents and only a few large trailers.  
We also had "king" tides this past weekend, with a peak high tide over 11 feet at noon. Much of the driftwood that normally lines the beach was afloat 50' offshore, and - something I had never seen before - a large group of (Stellar?) sea lions frolicked among the driftwood, likely because the rocks they live on were awash in the high tide. Absolutely amazing to see this rafted community and how the dominant male kept watch and barked warnings to the herd, when dog walkers passed by. I imagine the camouflage of driftwood kept them safe from orcas who also hunt in this area. This was the absolute highlight of the trip.
Those of you who follow my posts also know I have been beset with battery woes and today, the day after I returned from my trip, I discovered why: the company who installed my tow package and 7-pin connections did not connect any actual wiring to the 7-pin outlet. (I know!) So all this time, I've been towing with no power transfer from the TV to the RV. This is one of first T@Bs with an Alde and one of the last T@Bs produced with surge brakes, so one reason I did not notice is because I do not have electric brakes and a brake controller. I'm still in shock that this happened. I discovered it because I've been watching my new AGM battery like a hawk and the Bluetooth battery monitor confirmed that I did not regain a single 1/10th of a volt on the way home yesterday. 
I was saying to a friend, also a solo T@B owner, just when I think I have my T@B figured out and I start getting comfortable with its systems and limitations, whamo! I get hit with some new wrinkle. Luckily this one is fixable, no one got hurt, and there will be further "discussions" to say the least, with the vendor who installed the towing harness. 
I'm now settling in for another 3 weeks of cabin fever before my next trip at Christmas, likely driveway camping at my sister's place, provided the roads stay in place. It will be the maiden voyage with a TV that actually provides power to my RV!
Photos below: my campsite up on the bluff, a screen grab from the video of the sea lions and driftwood, and the common areas down by sea. The mountains in the distance are on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington State.

Sharon_is_SAM

Thanks for sharing @Mellow_Yellow.  Sounds like they did not include a charge wire in the 7 pin.  

Denny16

With all the bad weather, glad to hear you are OK, and got the battery charging issue worked out.  Stay safe, warm and dry!
 Cheers 

xdr

What a great trip! Just seeing the sea lions would make my today. 

How cold does it get there in day and night? Do you find yourself staying warm in the Tab? 

fstop32

That was a sweet looking site and the sky was awesome!  Keep it up @Mellow_Yellow, nothing worth seeing and doing comes without a break in period!

Mellow_Yellow

xdr said:

What a great trip! Just seeing the sea lions would make my today. 

How cold does it get there in day and night? Do you find yourself staying warm in the Tab? 

Hi xdr. Funny you should ask... The temps were just above/around freezing, day and night. I prefer not to run the Alde at night and rely on lots of blankets and the heat thrown off by the fridge (running on propane). I sleep with the roof vent open about 3" and a side window cracked to prevent condensation

I am 5'10" tall and just a bit too long to be able to sleep on my back, wheel-to-wheel. I also got tired of concussing myself, trying to sleep feet forward. So I've been sleeping diagonally with my head near the fridge but I have found it very cold because of the floor vent near the fridge. I don't know why it took me so long, but I only just figured out that it is WAY warmer, if I sleep diagonally with my head near the bathroom wall. Very cozy! But I've only tried it for one night, so far.

ChanW

Thanks for that travelogue! Nice to hear someone gets a sunny day! It's been cloudy and rainy here in Western New York for a month and a half I think... 

Regarding that cold air coming in around the fridge... We cover our waste heat vent (behind the door) in the winter (I found a Rubbermaid-type refrigerator dish lid that fits it perfectly). It helps a lot. We also cover the vent in the floor under the fridge with one of those flat rubber drain covers.



Beautiful photos! Thank you Mellow! 

Bayliss

@ChanW, the Rubbermaid cover is a good idea for use when storing the trailer, so thanks for sharing.  It appears that you attached it with a nut and bolt near each end, but can you explain how it is attached (or add a photo depicting the connection)?  Thanks!

fstop32

@Mellow_Yellow, you mentioned you "rely on lots of blankets" because you prefer not to run the Alde at night so I wanted to pitch a suggestion.  I'm a winter backpacker and I'll sometimes go sleep in my T@b on a cold night just for fun   I use a down "quilt" instead of a sleeping bag for backpacking and it works great in the camper, toasty warm and not confining like a sleeping bag can be.  Since it can be opened flat it also makes a great blanket or wrap during the day.

ChanW

@Bayliss, I regret, I'd provide a photo except that the Tab is covered for the winter, and anyway, I really can't recommend my method of attachment...
I made it work, but there's gotta be a better way to attach it! (magnets? Velcro?)

So, I took a couple of pieces of ¼" threaded rod, heated and then pounded the ends flat, heated again and bent these flat ends into a hook that would hook onto the louvers of the vent... (I imagine there are hooked bolts available somewhere, but I didn't want to take the time to search).

These hooks grab the louvers then go out through a hole in the cover, which is then held on with a large fender-washer and a brass cap-nut. I recommend stainless steel for the rod - The plated all-thread I used leaves little rust stains on the vent.

Clear as mud, I'm sure. I think rare-earth magnets might be easier.  

I'll see if I can add some pics later...

Bayliss

Thanks, @Chan.  I figured it was something like that, but wondered how you were able to get the Rubbermaid lid to pull against the trailer vent.  Maybe some form of a strong elastic, like a very short bungee cord might work.  However, I'm not sure you could find one short enough to be able to extend out from the vent to hook it, and then retract tight enough to hold the lid in place. 

ChanW

The weather got a bit nicer today! Even a touch of sun!

@Bayliss, Here are some pix... 

Note I wrapped the hook with heatshrink to keep the rust away from the plastic, as well as taping the back of the washers that are in contact with the vent. Seems to have worked, but stainless steel would have been prettier. (although it does match the patina of my 52 GMC that it's posed on... )

Bayliss

Thanks for the pics, @ChanW.

Mellow_Yellow

fstop32 said:

@Mellow_Yellow, you mentioned you "rely on lots of blankets" because you prefer not to run the Alde at night so I wanted to pitch a suggestion.  I'm a winter backpacker and I'll sometimes go sleep in my T@b on a cold night just for fun   I use a down "quilt" instead of a sleeping bag for backpacking and it works great in the camper, toasty warm and not confining like a sleeping bag can be.  Since it can be opened flat it also makes a great blanket or wrap during the day.

Hey fstop32! Great to meet another backcountry T@Bber! I have quite the down allergy and because I am dealing with menopause, I find that 4 layers of cotton, wool, and a synthetic sleeping bag make a lovely cocoon!

Mellow_Yellow

@ChanW - your T@B mods are so amazing. I'm not brave enough to cover over the fridge vent for winter use, but it totally makes sense! and I can see that the lid you have chosen has some gaps so there is still air flow, but so that it is not a massive hole in the sidewall of the trailer that lets in cold air!

Mellow_Yellow

Coldest weather camping ever: well below freezing. Thankfully parked in a driveway on house power and following @ChanW ’s advice to block off unnecessary ventilation. I also added some foam floor mats which help tremendously with heat retention. 

Grumpy_G

I just set my own personal record at -2F. The Alde put up a formidable fight but the water pump took some damage.

ChanW

Foam on the floor makes a lot of sense. Next time I do another winter camp, I think I'll cut a nice thick piece to fit the sitting area. 
Although, these days we tend to leave the bed 'assembled', so it probably doesn't matter. .
When travelling alone with the pooch, it would have been a nice thing for him. The floor gets pretty darn cold. Alas, he no longer needs a warm floor where he's gone...
I've also considered putting down some floor tubing and adding a loop to the Alde circuit to create a 'radiant floor'. It would add quite a bit of elevation to the floor, however, at least an inch of foam, or 2 inches would be better, and then the radiant panel - probably close to three inches total. Would probably want to then raise the benches 3" too! Not sure the effort would be worth it. Maybe forego the extra insulation. 

Denny16

Wool rugs add insulation and warmth to a floor also.
 Cheers 

Mellow_Yellow

@Grumpy_G - That is super cold! My last night out, it was about -8C/17F overnight. And I don’t use any plumbing this time of year. 

@ChanW - even with the bed down, the foam on the floor made a dramatic difference in holding the heat in the trailer. I’m also going to cut a piece for the bathroom shower pan. 

Im looking forward to the next winter trip with this mod! I’ll post a photo in mods when completed

jules2go

What a gorgeous campsite!

ChanW

What thickness and type of foam is it that you used?

Mellow_Yellow said:

@Grumpy_G - That is super cold! My last night out, it was about -8C/17F overnight. And I don’t use any plumbing this time of year. 

@ChanW - even with the bed down, the foam on the floor made a dramatic difference in holding the heat in the trailer. I’m also going to cut a piece for the bathroom shower pan. 

Im looking forward to the next winter trip with this mod! I’ll post a photo in mods when completed

Mellow_Yellow

Hi @ChanW. I used generic “interlocking, anti-fatigue floor mats”.They less than 1/2” thick so there is just enough clearance for doors at floor level. They are easy to cut to size and one package of 4 tiles was all I needed. 

I’ve been out for one winter trip since adding the mats and it makes an amazing difference. Easy to clean, looks great and adds so much warmth.  

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/best-step-anti-fatigue-interlocking-mats-brown-basketweave-0686172p.html?_br_psugg_q=interlocking+mats

Sharon_is_SAM

@Mellow_Yellow - do the foam pads block the air vents at the bottom of the benches?

ChanW

Nice install! Looks great!  
Ok, Thanks Mellow....

dragonsdofly

@Sharon_is_SAM I can see by @Mellow_Yellow 's photo that the vent below the driver's side bench is visible above the mat level, unless I'm mistaken.

Mellow_Yellow

Thanks everyone! 

Hi @Sharon_is_SAM - to confirm, there is plenty of clearance around the air vents. In the 2014 model, they are about 1” above the floor. Are they closer to the floor in some of the later models?

Denny16

Yes, yes they are.  They go from floor level up about 1-inch.

Here in this TaB400 Solo you can see the gap under the middle cabinet next to the bed.  Same size vent under the dinette seats also.
 Cheers 

Mellow_Yellow

Thanks @Denny16 With vents right at floor level, you’d have to cut out channels in the mats. Still possible but not as seamless as the configuration in the older 320. 

Sharon_is_SAM

Ok, I see it now.  Our vents start at the level of the floor, so would be at least partially blocked by a mat.

Denny16

Yes they would Sharon, if not completely blocked.  The solution would be not too put the mat all the way to the edges, so air could circulate.  Or as Mellow Yellow suggested, cutting out the mat around the vent areas.
Cheers