Traveling from IL to FL during winter

[JD11]

Originally Posted by Col Flag

JD11, so was your return trip during January? We will be returning to Illinois in early March.

Yes, it’s was basically the Christmas break for my son from school so we came back right after New Years.

For me the big lessons were:
1) little flexibility on time subjected me to weather I didn’t really want to in and 2) I know a lot more now about cold weather and prepping for it with an RV.

Enjoy the trip and travel safe!

[Col Flag]

Yes, that would be a tricky time of the year. Especially, in the midwest. Hopefully, the bad winter weather will be over with by the time we start heading back. We all continue to learn! It certainly helps to have sites like this where one can gain some wisdom from other rv owners. Thanks again!

[vettenuts]

We too are making our first trip to Florida this winter. Do you guys run the refrigerator in the cold weather?

[Col Flag]

I honestly haven't thought about that. I am thinking we will leave it off until we get to where it is warm enough to de-winterize. I am hoping that will be no further south than Macon, Georgia, or another location 12 miles south of where we live in East Central Illinois. Perhaps someone else on this site has a suggestion.

[NHRA225]

I head south Every February-- around the 5th or so -- I leave fully winterized with a few gallons of water for flushing - Usually in South Georgia I fill the water up and De-winterize on the way down.
I take I-74 to Cincinnati --then 75 on down .

[tcg]

I'm not sure why you wouldn't turn on the fridge. If it has to do with the ice maker can't you just shut the water off to the ice maker or would it even matter if you're not turning on the water until a warmer climate.

Last time we went to Florida from Michigan in the winter, we left in freezing conditions and did not dewinterize until somewhere in Alabama but the fridge was full and on the entire time. It's a LP/AC fridge no ice maker.

On the way back we winterized in Tennessee but left the fridge running until we emptied it at home.

[Col Flag]

Thank you NHRA225 and tcg. We will leave our fridge on as well. We will probably go I-65 to US231 to around Dothan, Alabama. We will likely wait and de-winterize there. This is all new to us. Usually, our camper is in storage from December to around March or April. Thanks again.

[vettenuts]

Originally Posted by tcg

I'm not sure why you wouldn't turn on the fridge. If it has to do with the ice maker can't you just shut the water off to the ice maker or would it even matter if you're not turning on the water until a warmer climate.

Last time we went to Florida from Michigan in the winter, we left in freezing conditions and did not dewinterize until somewhere in Alabama but the fridge was full and on the entire time. It's a LP/AC fridge no ice maker.

On the way back we winterized in Tennessee but left the fridge running until we emptied it at home.

I have been reading that the absorption fridge shouldn’t be run if the outside temperature is below 20 degrees.

I also have an outside freezer that uses a compressor, thinking we will need to leave that off and unused until we get to warmer weather.

[tcg]

Originally Posted by vettenuts

I have been reading that the absorption fridge shouldn’t be run if the outside temperature is below 20 degrees.

I also have an outside freezer that uses a compressor, thinking we will need to leave that off and unused until we get to warmer weather.

Just checked a manual, you seem to be right. The Norcold manual I looked at said it might shut off or not cool below 32 degrees.

Interesting, we drove with temps in the 20s and the fridge kept working. If I were to do it again I would definitely research more.

[vettenuts]

We’re thinking of taking a couple of soft sided coolers with food for the trip and keeping them in the towed vehicle to help keep them cool. Once we can start the fridge we can move the items inside and stock the fridge.