Winter Camping

McMonk · 04-17-2010, 11:43 AM

Just curious - now that winter is behind us and the snow is gone, does anyone have experience with winter camping in a TT?

While snowbirding in Arizona is always a treat, I'm thinking more along the lines of snow-filled, frozen lake, touques & mitts type camping.

I've been surfing around and have come across a small handful of all-season campgrounds up here (Algonquin's Mew Lake, for example). Our kids are now of an age where they would probably find it rather fun to camp in the snow, mixed in with a bit of skiing and snowshoeing etc....

Pictures? Stories? Advice?

Denise · 04-19-2010, 06:42 PM

We took the Tioga Pass from Yosemite and then South down the 395 towards Death Valley in November a couple of years ago. Although no snow, it was reallllly cold. We didn't have the Jayco then. The one thing I remember was constantly running an electric heater and the night that it stopped working! That little Casita we had sure was cold without the heater.

McMonk · 04-21-2010, 01:28 PM

We tend to push it as late into the season as we can - have only hit snow once & that was in a pop-up...that was cold!

Years ago, my brother and I hooked up in Prince George & did the Alaska loop. This was in early April, before anything was really open. We tented it the whole 10 days and only hit really bad weather once. We were up in the mountains and ended up socked into a storm that lasted for hours. We stopped when the truck simply wouldn't go anymore & set up the tent on the side of the road. Woke up the next morning on the side of a cliff we didn't know was there the night before! Nearly lost the tent over the cliff when a gust of wind grabbed it before we had it pegged down! That was one cold trip!

There's a site a few hours near us that's open all year long - some folks do over-winter there and I thought we might give it a try for a week. Of course, without heated tanks we'd be limited to using the site's toiletries...

Gone Camping · 05-19-2010, 06:23 AM

Winter time is best viewing from a picture window setting by a wood fire place.

Texas Sam · 05-19-2010, 08:29 AM

I'm betting that if it is really cold when you are pulling your rig the water lines will freeze before you get to the campground, so you may want to consider winterizing your water system and not using it during really cold weather. You already indicated you would plan to use the campground's toilet facilities. Make sure you have a full supply of propane--the trailer's furnace burns a lot in cold weather.

Now, if you want suggestions on camping in HOT weather I can definitely help with that. It is already in the mid-90s here in Central Texas and it is not even summer yet! But we are heading out on our next trip in a couple of weeks with our two grandsons, ages 6 and 3.

Denise · 05-19-2010, 09:11 AM

Where ya heading Sam? Are you going far from home or just a short trip? I bet your grandsons are really excited!

Texas Sam · 05-20-2010, 08:15 PM

Thanks for asking, Healthi. We are headed to Pedernales Falls State Park about 50 miles from our Austin home. It is a beautiful park with the Pedernales River running through it. Nearby are both the LBJ Ranch and the LBJ boyhood home operated by the National Park Service. Also nearby is Fredricksburg, a small town that was first settled by German immigrants in the 1800s. We plan a day trip to Fredricksburg because our grandsons visited Germany on vacation with their parents (our son and daughter-in-law) about six weeks ago. We want to help them make the connection between Germany and this German settlement in Texas (did I mention that I taught Texas history at a couple of universities before choosing to become a social worker and work with abused and neglected children?). I'll post some photos when we return. We will only be gone a few days as this is the first time we have taken the boys camping together.

Tortuga Alata · 11-21-2010, 06:32 PM

We have winter camped in Minnesota several times each winter. Yes, the RV is winterized requiring that we bring all our own water and use the unheated outdoor facilities. Showers are of the wet wipe type. We also have the oil fin radiator type heaters which we plug in to the electric outlets. Saves on the propane and keeps us toasty. Of course, we consume lots of wood since we often have a fire going all day to provide warmth. Our Sorels get used as well as our other snow gear to keep us warm when we are outside. It is much better in an RV than a pop-up or tent, both of which we did before the RV. Quiet, wonderful, and very few other campers.

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