Community Forums

ninipaw · 10-11-2021, 01:31 PM

plan on living in our 43' Allegro bus thru a Fraser Valley, BC winter. Any suggestions?

Coarsegold · 10-11-2021, 02:39 PM

Family member lived on the road in their 32' Class A for 9 months. Were 2 adults and one dog. They are making a move out of California, of course, waiting for their new home to be finished in more healthy state. I would say that they are very happy to get out of it and into a home. So I would say be sure you have thought it through.

Have seen a lot of Canadians who winter in Palm Springs CA and various locations in Arizona.

wolfe10 · 10-11-2021, 02:53 PM

Heading to warmer climes may be quite dependent on when the border opens.

There may be some "work arounds" with a new cottage industry popping up to move coaches across the border legally.

Rich and Cork · 10-11-2021, 03:10 PM

I would guess that he is asking about how to handle the BC winter, not how to leave it. Being a guy from So Cal, I am no help.

thegats1 · 10-12-2021, 04:45 AM

RV Geeks put this video out. May be helpful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5RGlcLSrM4

**pasdad1** · 10-12-2021, 04:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ninipaw

plan on living in our 43' Allegro bus thru a Fraser Valley, BC winter. Any suggestions?

Not recommended. Slide toppers and slides won’t react well to being covered in snow.

You will need 50 amp power, and (if you have aqua hot hydronic heating) lots of diesel fuel (treated with lots of anti-gel additive).

You will also need a dehumidifier to remove interior moisture, or it will condense on cold surfaces, run down walls, create mold or mildew issues.

Front windshield will lose A LOT of heat since it’s NOT double pane glass. Reflective air bubble insulation will help, but again LOTS of water vapor will condense on cold glass.

pdq_bc · 10-12-2021, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ninipaw

plan on living in our 43' Allegro bus thru a Fraser Valley, BC winter. Any suggestions?

with the border closed to land crossings, we ended up remaining in bc lower mainland last year. you will definitely need a dehumidifier. between the heat pump and propane gas furnace, we had no problem staying warm enough. cheers

DRM901 · 10-17-2021, 09:27 PM

Pile the snow around the MH, except the AquaHot, engine, & generator exhausts, as high as possible. Great insulation. Keep the AH going at all times on burner, and the floor heat if you have it.

We had a week of -18° - -6°c down here in TX in Feb, and it was very comfortable. (Not much snow, though. )

jeskibuff · 10-18-2021, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdq_bc

with the border closed to land crossings, we ended up remaining in bc lower mainland last year.

Things are different now.
You could load your RV onto a barge, sail to Mexico then cross into the U.S. via the southern border which is currently wide open!

rlott2k · 10-18-2021, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ninipaw

plan on living in our 43' Allegro bus thru a Fraser Valley, BC winter. Any suggestions?

Snow will be your biggest issue, then cold.
If you can keep the slides in when it’s snowing do it, if not put some styrofoam blocks between the toppers and the top of the slides.
We have gone through a few winters in ours. It’s doable.
Fill your fresh tank and use the pump. Don’t leave your hose attached.
Likewise if your used to leaving the grey open, close it and empty when full.
Dehumidifier is a must. We got 1 and it removed about 2 gallons a day.

rlott2k · 10-18-2021, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DRM901

Pile the snow around the MH, except the AquaHot, engine, & generator exhausts, as high as possible. Great insulation. Keep the AH going at all times on burner, and the floor heat if you have it.

We had a week of -18° - -6°c down here in TX in Feb, and it was very comfortable. (Not much snow, though. )

Chilliwack doesn’t get that much snow. We’re not Alaska.

sirpurrcival · 10-26-2021, 04:18 PM

Firstly, the Fraser Valley is pretty big. There is a world of difference between being in Surrey vs being out past Chilliwack.

I see snow mentioned here as a problem and while it is possible, chances are usually pretty good that anywhere up to about Abbottsford, you aren't likely to see many snow days over the course of an average winter. And those that do happen often result in a few days of snow at most, sometimes it snows one day and rains it all away the next. Not your biggest problem IMO.

Temperatures vary depending again on location but expect average temps somewhere between about 5 to 10 deg. Celsius. You might get a few days here and there where it dips below zero but mostly it is damp and wet.

Dehumidifying is probably a good idea. If you can get sheltered from things like winds, it will help. If you are living in it, chances are that you are going to be keeping it warm. Some will insulate hoses with foam etc but seriously, any place that you are hooking up to isn't going to be winterizing their pipes so you can gauge from that how much of an issue that typically is.

It never hurts to be prepared. If it is snowing, best to bring in the slide if you can. Snow is quite wet here when it happens and quite heavy while it lasts. I would recommend if it does happen that you have a way to get it off your roof. It can put quite a load of weight up there.