Community Forums

Lloyd in S.C. · 11-29-2015, 05:39 AM

Good morning!

My buddy has a 2011 Phaeton, 42' tag, with the 1/2 bath. He started full timing in it back in May.

He is coming up here to S.C. from his winter base in Florida New Year’s week. We are thinking about a road trip, taking his coach over the holiday weekend to N.Y., quickly visit a few friends and then head back home with his Harley in tow.

We are both originally from that area, we won't go if the forecast involves ice/snow. Would we need to winterize his Phaeton for this trip? I think I know we can camp in it in pretty cold temps without worry, however driving it and not freezing pipes maybe a more difficult challenge?

Thoughts?

L.

luvlabs · 11-29-2015, 06:34 AM

If it is that cold while driving, keep your interior heat on. The rear furnace will keep the wet bay warm enough, so make sure that is on.

Melmoses · 11-29-2015, 07:06 AM

Keeping the lines from freezing can be a challenge if it drops below freezing for several hours. Do not leave the hose connected to the spigot, keep fresh water tank full as possible. Propane goes quickly in really cold weather and the rear heater is what heats the wet bay. I put a trouble light with a 75 watt bulbs in there when parked. You have to watch for ice accumulation on the tops of slides if it rains then freezes and get it off before retracting. If it has a washer then it can be a problem with freezing lines- no heat there. What I am saying is that a lot of damage can happen so the wise thing is to winterize and work off bottled water. Use campground showers. There is also a potential problem of finding open campgrounds at that time so plan ahead. Oh, one more thing. Since he is from Fl his propane could be an issue. Up north the propane is a different mix to keep it from freezing. Very important since that is your heat source.

GG1 · 11-29-2015, 07:42 AM

Traveling in the north particularly NY State in January unless necessary may not be a wise move. Also he will be towing. Snow and ice covered roads are just plain dangerous to drive on with just cars not to mention motorhomes. Plus ice on the slide toppers can cause damage also if it does snow the campgrounds have to be plowed before you can use them, thats if they are open. That being said if the temps stay around 35-40 you will get lucky and have a nice time.

FreedomDream · 12-05-2015, 10:55 AM

Take your time. Don't travel on days when the weather will be bad. If you do get into a bad patch, slow down and pay attention to what the other big rigs are doing. These motorhomes are pretty resilient. We have had our Tiffin in lots of winter situations and have come through fine. Give the ol' gal a good wash down when you get back to more southern climes to get the road salts off.

Enjoy your trip!