Community Forums

GatorDog · 07-19-2009, 09:06 AM

Does anyone move around in the Winter ? I understand that driving on snow must be a "Religious Experience". Does everything freeze up if you're traveling during winter in the more fridgit States?

How about winter Camping / Any one up for that ?

doc · 07-19-2009, 02:09 PM

We travel a good bit during winter - to Florida, to southern Alabama, the Gulf Coast etc.

GatorDog · 07-19-2009, 02:27 PM

Hey Doc

Seriously, other than knowing the rig will handle differently, what other things come into play. Say I wanted to spend a couple of weeks up in the North Carolina mountains in the winter. How will the snow affect the roof, ac's, etc. How about plumbing, will everything freeze ? .

We are planning this very ridiculous scenario.

I know....I know.......I've got a lot to lern.

Route 66 · 07-19-2009, 02:34 PM

Our resident snow RVer has posted several times about this.

Click on Search, then Advanced Search and search for posts by RVDude (no spaces).

He had his MH in the cold frequently.

DandS · 07-19-2009, 05:00 PM

We travel north to south in winter (usually leave in January) from MI to AZ. We watch the road reports and try to drive on clear highways if possible. Don't fill water tanks til we get out of freezing temps. Got caught in 9* weather in Indiana last time but kept warm with LP heater and electric heater supplement. Worst driving was in snow/ice mixture in N. Oklahoma/S. Kansas - just took it slow and everthing worked out. As far as actually camping in the snow on purpose, I'll leave that to hardier folk.

diandtom · 07-20-2009, 11:11 AM

We go to Florida in Jan. and have left here when the temp was 19 degrees. I will not tow the fiver in snow as I don't need to take the chance. If we have snow it gone in a day or two. One year we left in the middle of day instead of early morning and had to stop in Georgia. I put the water hose out and it froze during the night. I was able to get it unhooked and put it in the shower as it was stiff. Not do that again!!!

Tom

doc · 07-20-2009, 12:22 PM

Gator, we have hever had anything to freeze up while enroute and have traveled in some pretty cold (for the South) temperatures. I expect the folks from up north might have some different stories on that matter. While I might try to get to a place we could hole up for a few days in the MH I would not want to try to pull a 5er or TT in snow and ice. The weight on the pusher's rear would get some traction and might get me to a safe place until the snow melted.
My son and I were traveling in Wyoming/Montana one year a while back and got caught out on I-90, at night, in a snow storm. Snowing so hard I could hardly see the road in front of us. Nothing around anywhere - no exit for miles and miles. I can honestly say this is the first time I have ever been frightened of the winter weather. The lights of the hotel at the exit looked so good I probably would have paid double to stay there.

LindaH · 07-20-2009, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GatorDog

Does anyone move around in the Winter ?

We do. However, we travel in the Southwest during the winter, so no snow. You wouldn't catch us traveling in the winter anywhere where it snowed!

DandS · 07-20-2009, 01:53 PM

[quote=LindaH;525109]We do. However, we travel in the Southwest during the winter, so no snow.

Actually, the last time we were in Arizona, it snowed in Tombstone !!! Also woke up to 3" in Holbrook, but that's way north.

wa8yxm · 07-20-2009, 02:36 PM

A lot depends on your training and experience.. True story: Visiting my daughter in Las Vegas she took us up Mt. Charleston. We stopped at the inn for lunch, the front lot, cleared of snow, was full so we parked around back on about an inch of hard pack snow. A man, seeing her "Valley" (las vegas means "The Valley") plates ask if we really wanted to park there "There is snow, you might get stuck" it was all we could do not to laugh.

You see. Darling daughter learned to drive in S.E. Michigan, the car was purchased at the intersection of Telegraph Rd and I-96 in Redford Michigan, the tires in Jackson Michigan follwing a freeway incident. And the guy who bought those tires also knows Michigan Winters and things just like I do when buying tires (Buy the kind that are good in snow)

Odds of her getting stuck on the kind of snow in that lot.. well, though never zero, it's a calculus problem and the phrase "Approaching zero" applies

Now, a real "Valley" girl was having serious issues parking her 4WD Lincoln Navigator...

I've driven in some serious snow... As it happens I drove till I felt it was no longer safe, pulled off, spent the night, let the snow plows do their thing got back on the now clear of snow freeway and quickly discovered.. I'd pulled off at the right exit. (Ditches lined with cars)

But it's all up to what you know

Only caution I'd give is if you are going to drive the rig in the winter.. Winterize first.

s.j.sharks · 07-20-2009, 10:54 PM

Travel a lot in winter. Always take MH to Montana in November for our annual Elk Hunt. Have been in -20 for several days. Our Dutch Star is so well insulated and when I ordered it I had heat strips put on all the tanks. Sometimes run as additional heat a 60 watt bulk in water compartment area. There is a heat outlet in that area also so when the furnace runs there is heat directed to the holding areas. I bought the rig to enjoy ALL year long, not just when the sun shines. Go for it....

TW · 07-20-2009, 11:20 PM

Coming from Canada, I learned fast how to drive at all winter conditions????!!!!!!
40 F below was my coldest, just take it easy and remember Spring comes every year. The MH's are built for 4 seasons now. If you got a heater,
GO for IT!!!!

TW

NALSO · 07-21-2009, 07:35 AM

GatorDog.

To most of us in the great white north winter driving comes natural. We have to learn to drive in snow and icey road conditions.

I remember one winter, we left Ontario to go south to Florida on December 21st in a rented 30' type C, we had a commitment on the 20th, it snowed all night and the wind was blowing giving us a windchill temp of 10 deg F.
We just took it nice and easy until we got to ploughed roads. In Kentucky we flushed the RV anti-freeze out of the system, next over night was in Florida.

As far as winter camping some poeple take their RV's to go skying and snow shoeing.

Just take it easy and drive acording to the road conditions.

Henry.

dirko · 07-21-2009, 10:25 AM

Hi Ho: I noticed your home is in Florida. If you have been there your whole life you may not be comfortable in snow. If you are, then driving the motorhome is really not that much different from a car. However, it probably compares to rear-wheel drive cars rather than all-wheel or front wheel drive.

Since motorhomes have heated basements, there is no reason why you can't be in cold weather. However, the outside connections become problematic.

Be prepared to use lots of propane, and be aware that on many coaches only the gas furnace heats the basement (not the electric or coach heat).

Also, salt on the road for snow and ice control can really do a number on the underside of the coach. If you think you will be on roads that are salted get the undercarriage weather sealed and wash the salt off when possible.

Otherwise, have fun. Dirk