How cold do you go ?

BBsGarage

We have only one more camping weekend planned for this year, basically because we are wimps when it comes to the cold.

How much cold will you still camp in?

SueBHunny

I've gone down to 20 degrees and snowing for a weekend. But I wouldn't want to do it regularly.

Michigan_Mike

When I had my Silver Shadow I did camp in snow down in Kentucky on the way south and the biggest issue is bringing the trailer up to acceptable body temperature for the comfortable factor. One thing I did do was set the trailer up, crank the heater up at the camping area and we left for about an hour or so to get food, came back and it did make for a more acceptable abode once the interior was warmed up. I did this out in Butte, Montana too on the way home to Michigan from California when I encountered blizzard conditions and slippery roads. A cold beverage of choice helps too!

Verna

19* with a space heater hanging from a door knob of my Silver Shadow, a 6” memory foam mattress with a down alternative comforter under me and another on top with a heavy fleece blanket. I was warm, but I did buy a 0* sleeping bag after that!

ontheroad

Mike, last year there was a fellow who was workamping in Colorado if I remember right...he skirted the T@G and I believe he put some insulating material under him...luckily he has access to electricity...water was the only issue till we reminded him he had a microwave onboard to melt snow/ice...BRRR

WilliamA

I go year round.
WilliamA

LuckyJ

The real winter isue will be humidity. With good airflow, and a wimter sleeping bag, you will can be very confy. When at my cabin, i will sleep on my porch (do have a overhanging roof above my head) on a futton. The mattress will quickly warm up to body temperature, winter hat on my head and a wool blanket over the sleeping bag and I am good for a good night sleep. But compare to camping, I get up and walk in the warm cabin.

Winter camping is more a mental state than staying warm. Cause you have to get in cold clothes in the morning. And start eating food to stay warm. This is the hard part. But once you began moving, all is good.

Forgot to mention, winter in florida can get real cold. Na, just kidding. Live in the province of Quebec, east of quebec city, so winter temp goes down to 0F

BBsGarage

When the temp starts dipping below 40f my wife doesnt want to run between the house and the car, so the only winter camping I'll ever see is if I go solo.

Michigan_Mike

@LuckyJ said:

Winter camping is more a mental state than staying warm. Cause you have to get in cold clothes in the morning. And start eating food to stay warm. This is the hard part. But once you began moving, all is good.

I agree! One thing I do if I am camped in higher elevations and it gets below freezing is to take my shoes, place them inside the sleeping bag with me in a nylon or plastic bag so that they are warm and toasty the next morning. There's nothing worse than cold feet and cold shoes the following morning!

ericmooreco

year around !!
picture from 2016 thanksgiving trip.
made same trip this year, however no snow, but we got down to 20 overnight.
We attached the 5x7 tent to the door, then run a heater in the tent, and separate heater inside the camper.
Its very cozy inside

TomD

From the California perspective you WIN! I wear UGG’s when it gets close to 40 degrees to warm my feet. Whimpy I know🤪

LuckyJ

@ericmooreco said:
year around !!
picture from 2016 thanksgiving trip.
made same trip this year, however no snow, but we got down to 20 overnight.
We attached the 5x7 tent to the door, then run a heater in the tent, and separate heater inside the camper.
Its very cozy inside

Lol. I need to show this to my GF. She worried that our new T@G will rust if winterized in my driveway at the cabin on a layer or hard pack clean snow, like 400 yards from the nearest road salt. I try to convince her that composite material does not rust and that we will remove the snow at every major snow storm. And I will have to move it to remove the plow the snow the way I like it. Lol

Now, down to the real question. What kind of heater do you have. Gaz or elecrtic, and if electric, do you find shore power, or use a geny?

ericmooreco

I have to be on shore power to do this. I run two electric heaters.

This camper is a basic unit with air conditioner, a shelf is located directly above the AC which is were I put one of the heaters. The camper is connected to 30amp connection to the box outside. The heater also could be placed on a box on the bed, or in the door on top a table if tent is attached.

I run the other heater inside the tent separately to the 20 amp plug on the box outside. I run an extension cord to the tent. I dont run both heaters on the same camper circuit.

Both are very small heaters I got at Ace Hardware. The one inside the camper has a thermostat , it cuts on and off all night , keeping it at same desired temp. The other heater runs all night long.

Here is my recent setup over thanksgiving, no snow.

LuckyJ

@ericmooreco ok, simple and efficient. Thank you!

Michigan_Mike

I'm sure that a small electric heater would warm up that 5x7 screen room well. I did the same thing when using the Paha Que' 10x10 screen room and it kept things warm inside the screen room and I was able to sit out there with my laptop computer, have morning coffee, etc.

hughes

Is Paha Que worth the expense? Are there other players?

Lightningdon

@hughes said:
Is Paha Que worth the expense? Are there other players?

Pahaque products are first rate. If set up properly, it will withstand nearly anything nature will throw at it. It will still be standing when all the other cheaper products have folded up and blown away. I think the 10X10 was worth the investment.

MikeLucky

For New Year's this year I took my wife from Oklahoma City to Pasadena to the Rose Bowl since she's a lifelong Ohio State fan. On the way we stayed the night in Santa Fe on the 29th of December and it got to 3 degrees overnight.

We had an electric blanket but no heater at the time. It was so cold there was frost on the inside of the camper. The blanket had an auto off feature too that left us pretty cold upon waking up. lol. Bought a $10 space heater the next day at Walmart and used it the rest of the trip although the coldest in California that week was an overnight in the low 30's.

LuckyJ

@MikeLucky said:
For New Year's this year I took my wife from Oklahoma City to Pasadena to the Rose Bowl since she's a lifelong Ohio State fan. On the way we stayed the night in Santa Fe on the 29th of December and it got to 3 degrees overnight.

We had an electric blanket but no heater at the time. It was so cold there was frost on the inside of the camper. The blanket had an auto off feature too that left us pretty cold upon waking up. lol. Bought a $10 space heater the next day at Walmart and used it the rest of the trip although the coldest in California that week was an overnight in the low 30's.

To help with the inside frost, did you open the roof vent and crack a side window?

beaky

70. but we live in SoCal, lol

Chaverim

Just went to 18 F ish. It was cold.

MikeLucky

@LuckyJ said:

@MikeLucky said:
For New Year's this year I took my wife from Oklahoma City to Pasadena to the Rose Bowl since she's a lifelong Ohio State fan. On the way we stayed the night in Santa Fe on the 29th of December and it got to 3 degrees overnight.

We had an electric blanket but no heater at the time. It was so cold there was frost on the inside of the camper. The blanket had an auto off feature too that left us pretty cold upon waking up. lol. Bought a $10 space heater the next day at Walmart and used it the rest of the trip although the coldest in California that week was an overnight in the low 30's.

To help with the inside frost, did you open the roof vent and crack a side window?

We did not think to do that. lol.

LuckyJ

@MikeLucky said:

@LuckyJ said:

@MikeLucky said:
For New Year's this year I took my wife from Oklahoma City to Pasadena to the Rose Bowl since she's a lifelong Ohio State fan. On the way we stayed the night in Santa Fe on the 29th of December and it got to 3 degrees overnight.

We had an electric blanket but no heater at the time. It was so cold there was frost on the inside of the camper. The blanket had an auto off feature too that left us pretty cold upon waking up. lol. Bought a $10 space heater the next day at Walmart and used it the rest of the trip although the coldest in California that week was an overnight in the low 30's.

To help with the inside frost, did you open the roof vent and crack a side window?

We did not think to do that. lol.

Just so you know, frost will also happen in a house inner surface (mostly cormer window of less heated room) when it is very cold outside when humidity build ups or the area is not well insulated and vented.

csonni

We've always got chilly weather to deal with nearly any month of the year here in Labrador. I've got a 32 year old Pelonis Disc Furnace that won't quite sit on the shelf at the bed, so we're looking at one of these, I wonder if the little 500 watt one would be sufficient.
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B074MXC3PN/ref=vp_d_pb_TIER2_cmlr_lp_B08JFZGBYN_pd?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B074MXC3PN&pd_rd_w=zbK3E&pf_rd_p=5bf79e60-fde6-4dc6-a2da-833693dd09b4&pf_rd_r=2XCDMWPBD0QM6JBQWYYT&pd_rd_r=7ec72970-e98f-4b1b-b29f-dd946bcc8082&pd_rd_wg=0tKcE

https://www.amazon.ca/SmartDevil-Heater-Portable-Heating-Bedroom/dp/B08JFZGBYN/encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=Op8tl&pf_rd_p=ab3c85e7-dd66-41c2-8070-fe9b2dd6dada&pf_rd_r=82WX6WDZJ1JYSTXKR4SB&pd_rd_r=4eca3c1d-765b-47ef-b4d4-968bc14ba70c&pd_rd_wg=52SoY&ref=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_d

JamesDow

I think you should be able to get by with 500 watts. It may run a bit longer than one with more power, but it may decrease condensation.

I run 170/250 watts, but I am out of San Diego and typically do not experience extended days of cold camping. If I need more or away from shore power, I can run my Mr Buddy heater for 20 minutes in the morning or late evening to take the chill out.

JohnnyLoco

@BBsGarage said:
We have only one more camping weekend planned for this year, basically because we are wimps when it comes to the cold.

How much cold will you still camp in?

Since we both like to hike, we only camp in the cold weather because most snakes and bugs are gone. Summertime for us is cabins and playing in the water. If we camp in the summer its in high altitude.

We use Polartec blankets and sheets and Cabela’s outfitter XL sleeping bags. We have a doghouse heater on lithium to keep air moving. The temperatures are usually irrelevant.

Most of our camping is Boondock but if on shore power somewhere we use a ceramic heater. Also use Mr Buddy in the side tent or sit in the vehicle to warm up. Nothing warms you up quicker than the truck cab and heated seats.