Wintering in Rapid City, South Dakota

[bamaboy473]

Originally Posted by Gordon Dewald

How cold was it?

It was so cold when I threw the pan of water out the door the ice block nearly killed the dog!

badaBING!! There are a lot of, "how cold was it?", questions...and none of them seem to end well.

A MH isn't insulated well enough to weather a northern winter. "nuff said from a newB that's just using common sense about weather patterns. Stay safe, stay south.

[Longweekends]

Anyone who is fortunate enough to own a motorhome, should drive away from such awful weather. That's one of the advantages of having your home on wheels. If you must be there for the winter, sounds like you should rent a house and store the RV somewhere where it's a little warmer

[Gordon Dewald]

There is nothing so crappy or frustrating than trying to keep ahead of the cold in a unit that was not designed or built for that kind of weather. If you had it in a heated shed you would be fine.

Worst part is - the weather will be absolutely terrible when something freezes and then you are out there trying to thaw it out or fix the problem.

Unless you had to be there because of a job and there were no alternate accommodations I would consider living there in the summer when it is really nice and then heading south for the few months when the cold was intense.

I lived in a winterized 5er in the 80's. I had the 5er built with extra insulation, double windows, heat tapes on the holding tanks, had the bottom sprayed with foam insulation. During two years I had 3 water breaks and 2 grey water tank freezing. The trap in the bathtub froze a number of times. I had the furnace as well as 3 electric heaters running. I had to leave all of the cupboard doors under the sink and the fridge open all of the time. It was not fun but I was working at the time and needed a place to stay.

[Southpark]

Brent, I hope you took a moment to click on the links I provided. They include parts one and two of the real life story of how an intrepid RVer winters in snow country. There are many examples of modifications, planning, and gear, to get your RV through a cold winter. I would be shocked if there isn't something in there you didn't know about.

[SteveLevin]

I would agree with others that unless you must do this, avoid it. As I mentioned, various odds and ends failed on my coach which I really attribute to the extreme cold -- I may be wrong and just the victim of timing, but I've had easily five times the repairs since the exposure to the cold than in the 3 years prior.

And don't underestimate the energy (propane and/or electricity) costs. Unless your coach is heavily insulated you will be going through gallons of propane a day -- so that alone adds up to hundreds of dollars a month.

Steve

[dons2346]

Check this chart out Weather History for Rapid City, SD [South Dakota] for January

If you don't have to be there, I'd be gone by the end of September

[JFXG]

Originally Posted by PdxBrent

Greetings,



My wife and I are considering moving to Rapid City in our Class A Winnebago, but we are concerned with possible severe winter weather; ...:

Brent.... You haven't said why you are considering this move. This is serious stuff-- if mishandled it can kill you. So,..... Why?

[Jim Gehlen]

Contact Rapid City KOA on E. Highway 44 at 605 348-2111. Speak with the manager (Carla). They have seven (7) winterized sites that they keep open for the winter. The snow level varies but serious attempts are made to keep access roads open. All facilities are closed for the season so self contained rigs are mandatory. Last winter was brutally cold so be prepared. External propane tanks (100 gallon type) are a necessity.

Heat tape for the water and sewer lines are absolutely necessary along with some type of skirting and heaters in the bays.

The blizzard on October 2, 2013 brought 10' drifts to the campground.

[topdownman]

I've been to that campground several times. 10 foot drifts! GAH!

Originally Posted by Jim Gehlen

Contact Rapid City KOA on E. Highway 44 at 605 348-2111. Speak with the manager (Carla). They have seven (7) winterized sites that they keep open for the winter. The snow level varies but serious attempts are made to keep access roads open. All facilities are closed for the season so self contained rigs are mandatory. Last winter was brutally cold so be prepared. External propane tanks (100 gallon type) are a necessity.

Heat tape for the water and sewer lines are absolutely necessary along with some type of skirting and heaters in the bays.

The blizzard on October 2, 2013 brought 10' drifts to the campground.

[Pexring]

I've lived in South Dakota most all my life. Rapid City is the banana belt of South Dakota. Very warm there in the winters compared to the rest of South Dakota. If they do get snow, it melts about as fast as it comes. Cold days never last for very long. Great place to live.

[PdxBrent]

Read thru both links - lots of good info to consider!

[PdxBrent]

Originally Posted by JFXG

Brent.... You haven't said why you are considering this move. This is serious stuff-- if mishandled it can kill you. So,..... Why?

We want to relocate to SD for various reasons and were wondering if the winters were as bad as we thought.

[PdxBrent]

Originally Posted by Elf111

Be prepared to buy a lot of fuel and electricity and still be cold. There are some things you can do to help but at those temperatures your bound to have some issues with frozen waste tanks and plumbing. If there are other options I would give them serious consideration, it will be a long winter for you.

After reading the numerous excellent responses, we decided against a winter time move. Thanks!

[PdxBrent]

Originally Posted by Southpark

If you're serious, this is the most in-depth hands-on resource I've seen on the web:

Surviving Winter

Surviving Winter

I would not mind it in a house, at all, but a coach might be too much. I know it would be a test for many marriages. Good luck.

Excellent information. wow - things I wold have never thought of.