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Old 01-04-2015, 11:00 PM   #1
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How cold do you go?

Cold weather camping isn't something we have to contend with much in Central California.

However, we just returned from a 5-night/6-day trip Lopez Lake along the central coast. The campground is a county park in the foot hills, about 10 miles as the crow flies from the ocean. Typically the ocean keeps things pretty moderate. This week we had some very unusual cold weather and found ourselfs dealing with overnight lows of 25*-28*, with freezing temps beginning about 11pm. This is probably nothing for a lot of you but it was very cold for us.

My trailer has no thermal package and no enclosed underbelly. I also learned that it could really use some new weather stripping around the doors and cargo hatches.

The furnace did a pretty decent job keeping us warm. You could certainly feel the drafts around the doors and from around the beds where open to cargo holds.

Thank fully we had full hook-ups, we had to either keep water trickeling all night to keep the hose from freezing, and since we don't have an enclosed underbelly I wasn't confident the FW holding tank was an option for us. The campground had several burst pipes, but fortunately they left the water on.

Other than the cold it was a great trip, but I don't think I'll be taking the family out during that kind of weather again.
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Old 01-04-2015, 11:52 PM   #2
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Two years ago I went deer hunting above Lake Isabella in Sequoia National Forest in the Sierra Nevada mountains of central CA. I stayed in a forest service campground at about 7500 feet elevation that had no hook-ups: classic dry camp conditions. I was camping in my old Fleetwood Orbit Ultra lite with enclosed underbelly. The first morning when I got up (before daylight) it was 18° F. I had put the thermostat down to 55° and let it run all night and turned it off when I left camp each morning. I had no problems what-so-ever with freezing pipes or tanks. Temps were about mid-50's during the day but below freezing every night I was there and I stayed for a week. Oh yea, no luck on the hunting.
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Old 01-05-2015, 12:26 AM   #3
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On the way to Lopez Lake from Pismo about 4-5 miles before you get to the lake there's an old farm house on the left hand side with a orange tree to the right of it. It has the sweetest oranges of any I have ever tasted cost me $10 for 10
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Old 01-05-2015, 06:10 AM   #4
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Other than the cold it was a great trip, but I don't think I'll be taking the family out during that kind of weather again.
LMAO..... If I was tenting I wouldn't camp in the cold but here in NY some of the best camping is in the fall and early spring. We go into the Adirondacks to state parks with no hook ups.We have just our generator and the fresh water tank full oh and a big fire and do just fine.Our current TT has the thermal package where as our previous TT didn't. Here's some pics back in late November when the temps were in the teens.
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Old 01-05-2015, 06:34 AM   #5
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I'm in Watford City ND now, the high yesterday was -8* it got down to -17* in the daytime gonna snow today, yea me.

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Old 01-05-2015, 08:48 AM   #6
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We are in Pismo right now and have had no problems with the night time temps, but we have an enclosed underbelly. With the enclosed underbelly it definitely makes it easier. For your unit, a trouble light with an old fashioned light bulb will keep enough heat under your tanks that won't freeze in those temps. If it gets much colder I will insulate the hose, but for night time dips I have not had any issues so far. In this camper we have been down to sixteen degrees with a 50 mph wind (Oklahoma) and been comfortable. The real question then is how much propane do I want to burn ?

How was the Lake Lopez campground otherwise? I had thought of heading over there for a look see.
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Old 01-05-2015, 09:44 AM   #7
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How was the Lake Lopez campground otherwise? I had thought of heading over there for a look see.
This was our first trip to Lope Lake since I was a small kid, 35+ years. It was a great campground. Compared to Pismo Coast Village the sites were huge, but not as large as many state parks. There are lots of Full Hook-up sites, and the price was very reasonable. There is lots of wildlife around Lopez; we saw deer, turkey's, eagles, hawks, raccoons, skunks to name a few. Although it was New Years and the CG was full it was very quite and peaceful. A ropes course with Zip-lines just opened last month -- that was quite fun, even the kids as small as 5 years old could participate on some of it.

It was only about 10 min to the AG village and 15 min to the beach so we still spent a day at the beach with the kids and the moms took an afternoon off to go explore the village and do a little wine tasting.

You should take a drive up there and check it out.
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Old 01-05-2015, 01:01 PM   #8
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We just came in off a ten day trip and temps in the low 30's. Back out now in South Georgia and temps supposed to be in the low 20's the next 3 days. We also have the enclosed underbelly and don't really expect any problems. Just hope the furnace keeps running as it has been acting strangely lately. Do have two full tanks so we will see how it goes.
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Old 01-05-2015, 04:00 PM   #9
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Man, that just looks plain cold!

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I'm in Watford City ND now, the high yesterday was -8* it got down to -17* in the daytime gonna snow today, yea me.

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Old 01-05-2015, 04:22 PM   #10
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Warmed up enough to snow today.

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Old 01-06-2015, 05:59 AM   #11
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DieselX,are you a full timer in your TT ?
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Old 01-06-2015, 06:26 AM   #12
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DieselX,are you a full timer in your TT ?

Yeah, for 2 years my wife was a travel nurse and we, my 12yo daughter included went all over the country, the last 5 months I took a job in the oil industry so she can take a break lol. We were in Co then La now ND onto Pa next.

Only supposed to be here in ND for another month before the Pa job and that is supposed to last 2 years or more.
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Old 01-06-2015, 09:48 AM   #13
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Yeah, for 2 years my wife was a travel nurse and we, my 12yo daughter included went all over the country, the last 5 months I took a job in the oil industry so she can take a break lol. We were in Co then La now ND onto Pa next.

Only supposed to be here in ND for another month before the Pa job and that is supposed to last 2 years or more.
I though maybe it had to do with the ND oil because why else would someone be in the icebox of the lower 48 staying in a TT. LOL
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Old 01-08-2015, 09:22 PM   #14
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It's -3 in MI right now before wind chill. That's cold for all of you in the south. Much too cold to camp.
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Old 01-08-2015, 09:48 PM   #15
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It's -3 in MI right now before wind chill. That's cold for all of you in the south. Much too cold to camp.
When it gets down to -23, your freezer may not work so well lol. They have indoor campgrounds up here, but with a waiting list and $1200/ month, more than we paid for almost beach front in Palm Beach County Florida 2 years ago.

Got the freezer working by partially blocking the vent outside, switching the fridge over to gas and "venting" above the refrigerator.

My neighbors grey water drain lines are froze even though he has skirting and a heater under his camper. I put heat tape on my drain lines even though I parked on top of them and they are under the fully skirted and heated under the camper.

Different world up here, but you can for sure camp at any temp if you take the right steps.
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Old 01-09-2015, 06:20 AM   #16
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Different world up here, but you can for sure camp at any temp if you take the right steps.
You my friend have raised the bar and defined the true definition of a "Die Hard Camper".
I nominate you for the 2015 "Jayco Owners Forum Die Hard" Award. Is their such a thing? LOL If there was consider yourself nominated. Best of luck up there.
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Old 01-09-2015, 06:35 AM   #17
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In my young and youthful days of life, I would camp in just about any weather. I can recall tossing sleeping bags on a cold ground to sleep, in temps below freezing.

Got married, got a good job, got older. Bought a hybrid. It has heat; we use it!

If the temps get down below the 60's, the heater is on!
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Old 01-09-2015, 10:22 AM   #18
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In my young and youthful days of life, I would camp in just about any weather. I can recall tossing sleeping bags on a cold ground to sleep, in temps below freezing.

Got married, got a good job, got older. Bought a hybrid. It has heat; we use it!

If the temps get down below the 60's, the heater is on!
X2!! Used to go to Boy Scout winter camp for a few years. Several days out in below zero weather, cooking over an open fire, then tenting over night. There's a reason I bought a trailer, and gave up tent camping......
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