How cold can I go? Headed to Oregon for Thanksgiving.

TomStephens1

Hi All,

We are planning a maiden voyage in our new t@b next week to Oregon to see my sophomore at Oregon State. The Weather Channel predicts temperature to be in the high 30s or low 40s.  Anyone know if we will be able to stay warm?  Or should we take the hotel route and keep the new camper for the spring?

Lisa33

That's totally doable.  I've camped in temps as low as the mid-20's.  It gets down into the 30's at night in Yellowstone even in the summer.  The Alde will keep you warm and toasty.

jkjenn

You should be able to be plenty warm. One note, the Alde does mot heat up instantly, because it is radiant heat. If you are stopping at campgrounds, use both shore power and propane and it will heat up faster. Once it reaches the desired setting, it will use shore power and the propane will kick off.

I tested the Alde/T@b last winter below twenty degrees and stayed nice and toasty.

Nomad

i spent a week in 10 degrees with a strong 20 mph wind and felt the Alde struggled. Bought a little quartz heater to supplement as I had shore power. Have never had a problem with mid 20s and above but the Alde will run a lot and you'll go thru propane a lot faster than you're used to.
If you have a strong cold wind, cover your air conditioner and fridge exterior vents. Amazing how much cold air can get in and destroy your heat.
High 30s to 40s shouldn't be a problem.

ChanW

Definitely can do it. We camped in Ontario in January? at -5F and stayed cozy.

As PXL says, the AC should be covered (outside might be easiest), and that fridge vent next to the door should be covered.

Note, in our 'S' Maxx, I also had to re-secure the insulation board in the compartment at the end of the bed (back end of the Tab) because the wind was coming in there too. Look under the back cover to check it. There's a screw holding the cover down.

A strong wind coming in these three places was pretty bad, but it made all the difference when those spots were taken care of.

ChanW

Oh, and also be sure to keep the roof vent cracked when you're inside to lessen condensation.

mickietucs

How do you all cover the a/c and the exterior fridge vents?

jkjenn

mickietucs said:

How do you all cover the a/c and the exterior fridge vents?

I haven't done it, but think I would get a piece of Tyvek with bubble wrap and either use strong magnets (rare earth) or gaffer tape it to the outside. You could do the same with the fridge cents.

Personally, I love the cool air blowing in. It's invigorating! Of course, I sleep with my bedroom window open all winter, too.

mickietucs

jkjenn said:

mickietucs said:

How do you all cover the a/c and the exterior fridge vents?

I haven't done it, but think I would get a piece of Tyvek with bubble wrap and either use strong magnets (rare earth) or gaffer tape it to the outside. You could do the same with the fridge cents.

Personally, I love the cool air blowing in. It's invigorating! Of course, I sleep with my bedroom window open all winter, too.

Thanks Jenn - I'll look up getting some of that to have on hand if the wind is crazy and cold on my travels.  I'm a complete wimp when it comes to anything under 50 or 60!

Nomad

Michele - sabel did it with a piece of corrugated plastic like they use for yard signs and heavy duty velcro tabs - I saw it attached at The Arches. Maybe he will see this and give a little more detail. Stays on while they travel.

mickietucs

PXLated said:

Michele - sabel did it with a piece of corrugated plastic like they use for yard signs and heavy duty velcro tabs - I saw it attached at The Arches. Maybe he will see this and give a little more detail. Stays on while they travel.

That would be super to see what and how it was done. Since you've been in the thick of it when it comes to wind storms, did you do it on either the a/c or fridge vents?

sabel

Here's a photo. Corrugated plastic sheet came from Home Depot. Used Scotch Guard Dual Lock fasteners ( coins on the ac frame and strips on the cover ). They glue to smooth surfaces. Then put a foam weatherstrip around the inside face of the panel , outside the Dual Locks. Covered panel edges with car door edgeguard. So far has held through 60 mph winds + speed.

jkjenn

Wow, that looks rather professional!

sabel

Thanks. We'll  have to see if it holds up over winter. So far so good.

TomStephens1

Thanks to all for the great info.  Off to Oregon we go!

kybob

Have a great trip! For future reference, I believe the plant sells a snap on cover for the AC. Elsie at Pleasant Valley could tell you. I'm not sure how you would attach the snaps to the T@B.

TomStephens1

Hi All,

We did the trip to Oregon and everything worked out great.  The Alde heating system kept us plenty warm.  Our best investment, however, was the purchase of the tent and a gas propane heater.  The space in the t@b can be quite confining, but with the tent up and propane running we were very comfortable in 30+ weather. 

We did have a lot of condensation on the ceiling, but should have read Chan's comments before going and kept the roof vent open.  The worst of it was the first night when we experienced a lot of rain. Oh well, the next time we will know better!

Mr_Mrs_Gnome

@TomStephens1, which propane heater did you buy for the tent?

TomStephens1

We bought a portable Buddy by Mr. Heater. One little propane tank lasts up to 3 hours.  I highly recommend it.
FYI: Best place to buy one is Walmart. We bought ours at Bass Pro Shop for $99, but Walmart carries them for under $70.
These things are made for tents.  They seem to be very safe.

Nomad

Probably the same kind they use in ice fishing houses in MN. Supposedly no CO detector required.

GlennBeck

jkjenn said:

Wow, that looks rather professional!

My wife and I are going to the foot of the Appalachians in VA for a weekend camp. Temp should drop to 29 tonight.  I'm trying this LTP-G (less than professional - Ghetto) style of AC covering method just to see if it'll work.  I do like fresh air too, so it's just a test to see if it'll work in a dire temp condition.

mickietucs

Glenn - let us know how (if) that works!

GlennBeck

I will, Michele.  I'm out the door soon and will report back soon.  Campground has wifi so I'll post from there tomorrow.

jkjenn

I have thought if I need to cover for the cold I could use some thick plastic like you use for window sealing in your home in the winter.

GlennBeck

I've got the window covering also, but I was going to try quick first to see how it went

GlennBeck

The Press& Seal worked perfectly.  The team dropped to 27F over two nights with a lot of dampness and frost.  The plastic never moved.  I even repositioned it several times to get it on evenly and still it never failed in three days of temperatures that ranged from 54 to 27.

mickietucs

GlennBeck said:

The Press& Seal worked perfectly.  The team dropped to 27F over two nights with a lot of dampness and frost.  The plastic never moved.  I even repositioned it several times to get it on evenly and still it never failed in three days of temperatures that ranged from 54 to 27.

Great! Which size did you get (assume the largest offered so one piece fit over the opening) - correct?

GlennBeck

I used the standard(?) 11.8in width and it had over 1/2" overlap top and bottom.  It's as if the vent was made to fit the Glad product.  

Michigan_Mike

I'm wondering if the "press & seal" would hold in a thin piece of cardboard (for added insulation) if that was cut to size over the A/C grill pieces?  Great idea nonetheless!

GlennBeck

It may, but I would recommend the cardboard be the height and width of the grill area so the Press&Seal adheres to the metal frame of the vent.

Nomad

Mike - If you're going to the trouble of cutting cardboard you might just as well make the cover sabel made. It's basically just a piece of plastic cardboard with a foam insulation border and some velcro. 20 minute project max.