Winter Camping Tips

jkjenn

Great ideas, guys. I have an over the door towel bar on the cupboard under the sink for hand towels that works pretty good. I really like the tension bar idea and the clothesline ideas.

jkjenn

So, on the same topic of winter camping....]

• When you need to do things like wash dishes, do you use a container as a "grey water" container and empty it as needed? If so, where?
• Has anyone tried using "WAG bags" with the wetbath toilets?

ChanW

Jenn, great subject.

Allegheny National Forest in PA. stays open til Dec. or Jan. don't they?

Not much in NYS.

There are some Ontario Provincial Parks that are open for winter camping. We went to MacGregor Point Provincial Park last winter. They do plow the driveways for the sites, but you'll need a good shovel to make it tidy. They provide XC-skiing, and ice-skating when it's cold enough. Warm bathrooms and showers too! 

We took great advantage of the add-a-room tent for winter gear, and space for the wet dog.

It's fun cooking over a fire in a snowstorm.

jkjenn

Hey, thanks, Chan. I never think about going to Ontario, but that's a great idea and not that far away. Have shovel, will travel.

ChanW

These heavy duty suction hooks: (at Amazon)

are perfect for hanging winter clothes in the add-a-room. They stick really well to a surface. The plastic trim around the window is perfect for them. (Don't stick them to the 'wallpaper' in the shower - they'll suck the contact paper away from the wall board - from experience 8-o )

jkjenn

Thanks, Chan. I have the add-a room, so that hook should work great. I was thinking the add-a-room would be great for the winter to shed boots and wet clothes.

Wanderoo

Jenn -- I use WAG bags year-round, and I love them.  They are a great convenience, and when bought in bulk they aren't very expensive.  I don't have to deal with finding a dump station and all the lovely details that go along with that scene.  Just my "poo" cents' worth. 

judymac

I have a nice supply of WagBags for a toilet we have on our boat. Thanks to this forum, a new idea! If we ever get this girl out of storage and on the road for an overnight local trip, will consider using them.

carolf

Froze last night in Utah on my way
to Baja. Alde didn't work on propane setting. Had it plugged in at home so know it works on electric. Any ideas?   

Nomad

carolf - Out of curiosity, what were your Alde slider settings?

T@Buhura

jkjenn said:

Some definitely go in the snow. Check out this video that shows a T@b at a ski resort.

I guess we've joined the club! We didn't enjoy warmth the second night over MLK weekend but still fun. On the cold front (pun intended), I had no luck convincing our 9yr old to go again the next weekend. He started crying with the thought saying "it was too cold". So dropped off our well traveled T@B at dealer to inspect the furnace for why it failed to start up the second night. The most amazing part of no heat was the fridge turned into a freezer. By the second night everything in the fridge was frozen - I had to thaw our milk first to make hot cocoa, we had frozen yogurt with muesli, and other goodies although we passed on the carrot pops  .

After the first night:


After second night we had cumulative 20" of new snow:


Time to go meant digging out the tongue:

jkjenn

T@Buhura said:

Time to go meant digging out the tongue:

Did you have to dig out an entire driveway? How deep of snow can you pull the T@b through?

Nomad

If my T@B ever looks anything like that and I'm anywhere close to it, have me committed :-)

T@Buhura

jkjenn said:

T@Buhura said:

Time to go meant digging out the tongue:

Did you have to dig out an entire driveway? How deep of snow can you pull the T@b through?

No, just had to clear around the tongue to clear it of snow before raising it to back up under it. The only hairy part of the whole thing was we had some semi inconsiderate skiers that parked in the RV overflow lot leaving a narrow opening between their front ends. They were on both sides (one parallel and another perpendicular) leaving an opening that I had to position through diagonally with only 1ft clearance on either side. I first tried moving the XC90 into position by "plowing" a driveway with it and out between the two cars, and then back towards the T@B to make sure I could move without difficulty. It was completely undramatic - our Volvo rocked it unsticking and pulling the T@B out of its snow perch.

BTW, you should be fine traction wise on your moded & lifted T@B with General Grabber AT2 tires. They're great AT and M+S tires. They're actually what we have on our XC90 too for overlanding and for winter. The only thing to remember is when going down hill especially is to just go extra slow to avoid having to make fast unpredictable motions while towing. Just remember AWD doesn't help you stop any better than than 2WD. Even more important and often overlooked is having good tires - even with AWD the right tires make all of the difference. On that weekend we saw several SUVs (including Subarus and Audis) helplessly spin all 4s in the lot due to a combination of poor traction (wearing basic all season tires which are not great in these conditions) and poor driving/judgment. Even a friend from work slid into a snowbank on the other side of the highway pulling out of the parking lot crossing at not more than 5mph - even a Subary WRX is no match when winter conditions. Summer tires and no traction aids (chains or socks) did him in.

Mercator

I used some foam strips to plug the vent on the passenger side in front of the door that is the heat exhaust for the propane fridge.  Note: the intake and exhaust from the propane combustion on the front of the T@B must remain clear.

In my model T@B the air conditioner is on the floor on the driver's side.  I covered the outside louver with plastic and duct tape.  As well there is a large hole between the air conditioner compartment and the driver's side seat/compartment.  I plugged this with a cloth.

T@Buhura

Mercator said:

I used some foam strips to plug the vent on the passenger side in front of the door that is the heat exhaust for the propane fridge.  Note: the intake and exhaust from the propane combustion on the front of the T@B must remain clear.

It's actually one of the reasons I kept the propane fridge burning - the exhaust kept the snow from accumulating around it. The setting on it didn't matter since it wasn't actually needing to work to cool - the fridge was really a freezer box in our situation. 

Windsocked

ALDE heat insufficient. 

I was wondering if anyone else has found the ALDE to not be quite enough to heat up their TAB.
 I have a 2018 320 S and I have tried setting the circulation pump to 5, then 2 then 1, all with the same disappointing results:
when it’s 30 degrees outside I can’t get it above 59 degrees inside. This is tested with all vents clear and the trailer set up for sleeping on the entire queen bed, unoccupied with windows and their shades closed. Elevation 4500 (in SLC UT, so dry air too). All the glycol tubes running throughout the trailer are hot to the touch. I don’t think it’s a faulty heater, just a bad design. 

Am I doing something wrong? Any suggestions will really help! I’m seriously considering installing an RV furnace at this point but that seems so wasteful. Thanks for listening! 

jkjenn

Youndidnt mention what you might have tried. Check out my tips in this thread: 

https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/9993/how-i-camped-in-sub-20-degree-weather-and-lived-to-tell-about-it

Sharon_is_SAM

The rate of speed of heating will be determined by your starting temperatures (must overcome all the cold, saturated interior), available fuel source and extreme cold.  To expedite heating, use both electric (highest setting) and LPG at the same time.  The electric heat via the Alde is worth 2 KW and the LPG adds 5KW.  So, if the cabin temp is a couple degrees lower than your set thermostat temp, the LPG kicks in until you reach your set temp, then turns off.  Keep your pump set at 1.5 - 2.  We camped in freezing weather in March in UTAH 6000 ft with snow and we were too warm!  Even with LPG alone we were fine.

ontheroad

Hey @jkjenn ….if you come NORTH...I hear part of Algonquin is open for winter camping...I believe electricity is still on  but bring your own water...meanwhile we'll be heading across the border to make the trek to T@bzona as of December 26th...the plan is to get south ASAP...hotels may be needed...we will be coming winterized and will not be de-winterizing.....

jkjenn

ontheroad said:

Hey @jkjenn ….if you come NORTH...I hear part of Algonquin is open for winter camping...I believe electricity is still on  but bring your own water...meanwhile we'll be heading across the border to make the trek to T@bzona as of December 26th...the plan is to get south ASAP...hotels may be needed...we will be coming winterized and will not be de-winterizing.....

If only I didnt have to work.. .have a great time at T@bazona!

Verna

@Windsocked, I have been in a very windy 19*F with 2” of snow on Nov 1, 2018 and my 400 was 70* inside and warm. 

Since you are at 4500’, are you using the High Altitude Mode setting? Try that and see if it helps. This is only if you are using propane. 

I personally think the Alde is the absolute best design for heat our T@B’s, whether it’s a 320 or a 400. It’s a very soothing quiet heat. 

If you are using electricity to power your Alde, it is quiet and slower. See the post above by.  @Sharon_is_SAM.

dCliffhanger

One comment was made that they wouldn't tow in snow without putting snow tires on the camper? Don't know if I'm misinterpreting, but snow tires on the TV would be great for giving more towing traction. But snow tires on the trailer wouldn't accomplish much if anything at all.  I love snow and don't think twice about driving in it. I do think at least twice when it gets icy, as chance, bad luck and near zero coefficients of friction sometimes overtake even experience and good technique.

Windsocked

Thank you for your reply Verna! I have been running the Alde on propane and on high altitude setting. I even added fluid to make sure the glycol was at the correct level. I wish there was something else for me to try. Not sure what’s my my experience is different. But it is encouraging that maybe I’ll find the answer.

Sharon_is_SAM

@Windsocked, to promote the warm air circulation, try cracking the front window and maybe the roof vent.  Did you calibrate the Alde thermostat?  Check the temperature against another thermometer.  How long are you waiting for tge cabin to heat?

ChanW

@Windsocked, the first time we tried camping in cold (and windy) weather, the Tab wouldn't warm up. We found later that there were various places where outside air was able to get into the living space.

• The AC unit has been known to have leaks (some have covered it with plastic wrap, some have made fancier covers)
• The waste heat vent for the three-way fridge (I made a cover from a Rubbermaid refrigerator container)
• I also found a large gap in the insulation at the foot of the bed underneath the heating radiator. I had to re-seal it with aluminum tape.

You also want to make sure that the warm air vents on the shelf at the foot of the bed are not covered.

We've camped at -5 below zero Fahrenheit since we made those fixes, and were cozy.

Jackie_Dave

Another add for a year round campground is Harpers Ferry, WV KOA. I don't know what services are offered but here you go:

Sharon_is_SAM

@Windsocked, any improvements with your cabin heat?  Have you tried heating with the benches set up as a couch?  How high is your thermostat set and how long a period of time are you letting it heat?  Air circulation around the radiator fins is essential for the system to work.  Have you called your dealer?  Alde?

Michigan_Mike

The Alde is a great little unit for sure (very unique, compact and dependable) and when it hits -15° F here in Michigan around the end of January I normally keep an eye to the sky, check the weather systems rumbling across the Midwest, smile and give a thumbs up as I’m basking in warm air and sunshine in the west!   👍🏻😎🌞

But as a side note we were camped at Trinidad State Park in Colorado a few years back in early May, I was walking around in shorts and t-shirt, temps in the 70’s, went to bed, got up the next morning and it was windy and snowing.   We packed up our gear quickly, headed north toward the Springs and about 50 miles south of Walsenberg I ran into a complete white out, had to pull off the highway because it was closed and I was pulling the trailer in a foot of snow!   😳😱🥶 

Oneota

Great cold weather/winter camping discussion.  Thanks for all the ideas.  What about managing interior condensation when camping at or below freezing?