RVing ... Camping in the snow

[Dan Wong]

Living in Arizona for almost 40 years, one of the thing I missed is Snow.

Before my life time-clock run out, before the sun set permanently; I would like to drive my (car) RV slipping & sliding in snow. I would like to camp out in the snow. I want to experience; waking up one morning; my Rv cover with snow, knee deep snow to walk on. For once; I would like to stared out my window, and see a blanket of white snow covering as far as my eye can see. For once in my lifetime, I would like to RV in the snow.

For those of you who live in the snow country, you have no idea how bless you are.

Now, tell me; what do I need; in order to live (RV...CAMPING) in the snow, I am thinking of maybe one week to a months (is that long enough?). I know I need chains, electric blankets, large propane tank, plenty of food ... uh...what else?

[spsm]

I'm so blessed, I head south when that stuff comes my way. No thank you.

[Bigd9]

You mean like this? This was at Canaan Valley State Park in West Virginia. we were snow skiing as we do every year. Temperatures dropped down to -5 degrees. You must be prepared for this!

To answer your questions depends on temperatures you expect. Safety must be your first concern. Are you planning to go to a modern campground with electricity? Do you have emergency heat incase you run out of propane? Electrical failure causing the heater to shut down? Water freezing? Possible not being able to move and buy anything for days? Is there an emergency shelter nearby just in case?

There are several web sites you can visit giving recommendations for cold weather camping.

[Aguyfromcalg]

Enclose and heat your holding tanks.
Of course a bigger propane tank.
Some sort of solar panel to charge your batteries. More batteries!
Down quilts or a really good cold weather sleeping bag. More food that you think you need.
shovels!!


2010 Coachmen Freelander 30qb
Ford E450 V10

[ChasA]

What do you need??? You need a psychiatrist. You are crazy.

[PDR John]

You mean like this?

[Skip426]

Think of a broken tire chain , doing untold amounts of damage to your coaches floor , plumbing and electrical.
Do yourself a favor , rent a chalet at a ski hill for a couple of weeks , or rent a house in Flagstaff next winter.

[Qwert66]

Warm cloths.
Ability to be very patient when driving in snow/ice.
Plus what others have said.

[89sandman]

We snowmobile and take the RV in the snow every winter, always get a good chuckle when I see posts of people who are "stranded" with a couple of inches of snow on the ground. We are headed up and down the mountain with over a foot of fresh all the time. Like mentioned above if you water tank isn't inside you'll be fighting that battle daily. Put on your chains before you get stuck, this usually happens in the place where you are camping. A lot of towels around the door to suck up all the snow you are gonna track in. A good and dependable source of heat, at night when it gets colder your furnace will run almost continually. Unless you have a large battery bank they will not last through the night. Leave your awning in, when camping leave your ebrake off.

[SteveLevin]

Something else to consider is that a lot of old rubber seals that have done fine in the mild weather may well crack and fail once exposed to significant cold that makes the rubber more brittle.

In the year following our 'deep freeze' I spent more on leaking fuel pumps, tire valve stems, etc., than I had in the years previous combined. It could have been coincidence... but I don't think so.

Steve

[Arch Hoagland]

Dan...How far are you willing to travel to get into snow country?

The ideal situation would be to keep an eye on the long term weather forecast and head to a campground that will be hit by a big snow storm, arriving before the storm.

Get snowed in and sit it out.

[Dan Wong]

adding To BigD9; Yep, that is more or less what I dream about. I wanna be SNOWed in for 2-3 day, I wanna see a white blanket of snow, as far as my eye can see.

88Sandman; Snow-mobile is a great idea, I think I will rent one for a day maybe two, get that wild desire out of my system.

Hoagland; another great idea, I can get there ahead of the storm, understand; I only wanna be cover with snow 2-3 days, then I wanna be able to get outta there (alive).

I am thinking of BRYCE canyon, Zion National park, and possibly MT. Shaster ( near Calif- Oregon border) area. My plan is to stay in National Forest Campground with full hook up for maybe two weeks, then one or two days disperse camping to get the full impact of .."see nothing but a blanket of snow".(I will stay close enough to main road, in case I get into trouble, I can call for roadside service).

Uh...One more thing, in case of emergency, how well does cell phone or CB work in the snow country?

[Bigd9]

I can call for roadside service

Do not depend on them when you are out in the boonies. At Canaan Valley during that "big snow" at Canaan Valley a chunk of ice hit the tire valve loosening it, thus letting all the air out. Roadside Service said "Yea Right we will be there..... as soon as the snow melts!" I took me 3 hours to change that tire. 1 hour to shovel the snow away from the tire, 1 hour to warm back up, and one hour to change the tire.

To restate what I said, be careful. I don't know anything about your rig. Like how well it is insulated, single or double pane windows, heated waste/fresh water tanks, one or two furnaces,your driving skills etc. The snow is but one part of the task ahead of you. The cold can be a killer. Learn all about it before you venture out in it. try a few short cold weather trips close to home before you venture out for real.

As far as cell phones, in general Verizon seems to do better out west of the Mississippi River, and AT&T better east of the river. At least that is what I have experienced. If you have a cold weather place picked out, drive there and check coverage before you go in the deadly cold.

One last thing, make sure someone knows exactly where you are going and when to expect you back.

[mikensallyt]

Originally Posted by Dan Wong

Living in Arizona for almost 40 years, one of the thing I missed is Snow.

Before my life time-clock run out, before the sun set permanently; I would like to drive my (car) RV slipping & sliding in snow. I would like to camp out in the snow. I want to experience; waking up one morning; my Rv cover with snow, knee deep snow to walk on. For once; I would like to stared out my window, and see a blanket of white snow covering as far as my eye can see. For once in my lifetime, I would like to RV in the snow.

For those of you who live in the snow country, you have no idea how bless you are.

Now, tell me; what do I need; in order to live (RV...CAMPING) in the snow, I am thinking of maybe one week to a months (is that long enough?). I know I need chains, electric blankets, large propane tank, plenty of food ... uh...what else?

X2 lol Living in South Texas here and I also want to experience this in the winter this year....