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Old 01-19-2019, 10:45 PM   #1
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Winter Camping In a Pop Up?

Has anyone ever done a weekend of pop up camping in cold weather? Can the heater really keep you warm in winter? What steps would I need to take to ensure a safe weekend of pop up camping in the winter? Can't believe a heater would keep us warm. Thanks for any advice.
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Old 01-20-2019, 07:48 AM   #2
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Your problem won't be keeping warm, but the unbelievable amount of condensation dripping off the inside of the canvas. It will be a balancing act of warmth, and airflow to evacuate the moisture. Corners and dead air spots will be soaked. We pushed into Nov with our expandable and when you woke up the bed ends would be dripping water on the bedding.

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Old 01-20-2019, 08:55 AM   #3
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You can do the Reflectix mod on the tent end window areas and use Gizmos or solar blankets on the tent end roofs to help keep some heat in but it won't help with condensation. Doubt the furnace will keep you comfortable on its own. You could use an auxiliary electric ceramic heater.
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Old 01-20-2019, 09:38 AM   #4
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I might think about warm sleeping bags and warm clothes. Not trying to be a smart alec just that there are sleeping bags that are good to -20 and it eliminates the need for a heater. If you go that route make sure that the bag is "comfort" rated to -20, or whatever temperature you choose not "survival" rated. Please don't ask me how I know. Then you could maybe use the heater to warm up in the morning and eliminate the condensation issue. Just some thoughts,
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Old 01-20-2019, 09:46 AM   #5
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Make sure you have plenty of fuel and power. One time I camped in a pop-up in mid-October here in Canada, and the overnight low fell below freezing. I couldn't get a site with power, so I had to rely on the RV battery and propane. Overnight the propane ran out, and the furnace blower kept running trying to provide the heat the thermostat was asking for, which ended up killing the battery. I woke up at 4 a.m. freezing cold, even though I had a good sleeping bag. It was so cold the dog's water dish was frozen solid. It wasn't a lot of fun trying to warm everything up, so by mid-day I said the heck with this and I packed up and went home.
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Old 01-20-2019, 09:46 AM   #6
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Keep the interior temperature relatively low and use warm winter gear. Like mentioned, winter sleeping bags will keep you warm at night - one major benefit of the pop-up is keeping you up off the ground. You could even use an electric heated mattress pad or blanket (if you have power) to keep the mattresses warm. Trying to keep the inside warm when it's winter on the other side of the fabric is not going to work well.

I grew up in a little Coleman pop-up and saw most of Canada and the US in it, including camping up in the mountains of Montana in the spring when it got way down below freezing at night and light snowfall. My brother and I had so many wool blankets piled on us that we could barely roll over, but we stayed warm!
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Old 01-20-2019, 09:49 AM   #7
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I am going to scratch off winter camping from my to do list. Thanks for all the advice.
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Old 01-20-2019, 10:52 AM   #8
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I am going to scratch off winter camping from my to do list. Thanks for all the advice.
Chicken! LOL!!

Years ago we started out in a tent. A couple we were camping with had a pop up. We could only stay one nite and had to leave the next afternoon due to a out of town wedding. Anyway, it was going to be down into the mid 20"s that nite. I brought an infrared propane tent heater and used it in our tent. I believe it's an 18,000BTU heater. I had that heater as low as it could go and it was like an oven in there all nite. I slept on the top of my sleeping bag wearing nothing but a pair of pj shorts and shirtless. The other couple and kids weren't has happy as us the next morning. They about froze. I let them use my heater in their pop up the next nite and warned him not to turn it up too much off low or they'll roast. Did he listen?? Nope. He cranked it up on high and went to bed. He said that lasted about 10 minutes. He felt like a turkey in an oven it got so hot in there so fast. Like I told him, he set it to a little above low and it was like summer camping in there all nite.
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Old 01-20-2019, 10:58 AM   #9
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Berrck buck buck buck buck...chicken I am. I'm too old for winter camping anyway. But thanks for sharing your story.
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Old 01-20-2019, 11:01 AM   #10
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Those propane heaters make me nervous in confined spaces. No way I would ever sleep with one on. Carbon monoxide is scary stuff.
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Old 01-20-2019, 11:02 AM   #11
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Berrck buck buck buck buck...chicken I am. I'm too old for winter camping anyway. But thanks for sharing your story.
With age comes wisdom, my friend!
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Old 01-20-2019, 11:20 AM   #12
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We try and find log cabin style accommodations with wood burning stoves during the winter. Only do this maybe once or twice between house sitting gigs in California.
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Old 01-20-2019, 11:31 AM   #13
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Those propane heaters make me nervous in confined spaces. No way I would ever sleep with one on. Carbon monoxide is scary stuff.
I hear ya, but you need to proper heater.
I've been using these for over 20 years at work and I ain't dead yet. Lol!

http://store.mohawkltd.com/Pelsue-Infrared-Construction-Heater-/P3081_858/

About the cheapest I've found these is $500 out there on the internet. I'm lucky enough that if I need one I just take mine off my work truck, use it and take it back. Believe me, they are safe. That's the one thing the company pushes is safety, safety, safety.
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Old 01-20-2019, 08:40 PM   #14
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I'm wondering how the tent ends handle the cold. If the heat goes out and it's 10 degrees inside as well as outside, is folding up the bunks going to damage the fabric when we're ready to leave?
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Old 02-02-2019, 01:23 PM   #15
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set it up in your driveway and test what you will need..heating will be expensive..trail and error...
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Old 02-02-2019, 01:26 PM   #16
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What he said.

And, if it’s propane, a LOT of propane... 💰💰💰💰💰
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Old 02-02-2019, 01:52 PM   #17
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I had to make my popup warm enough to sleep in at 30 degrees. I put Reflectix in all the windows, emergency blankets on the outside roofs of the popups, and hung moving blanketsinside the door (for drafts) and over the sleeping area I wasn't using (ideas from a youtube video). I also have a small electric space heater, and a down comforter and flannel sheets on my bed. I found it's warm enough that I don't need the electric blanket or fleece pj's. The fellow in the video was camping in snow. I also put a big tough tarp over the roof that keeps rain out.
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Old 02-02-2019, 03:17 PM   #18
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I am going to scratch off winter camping from my to do list. Thanks for all the advice.
Good call
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Old 02-02-2019, 05:36 PM   #19
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You can use a electric blanket and take a extra heater just in case but the one you have should be ok
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Old 02-02-2019, 06:45 PM   #20
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I had a Fleetwood Arcadia for 1 year and I would run 2 electric heaters- 1 pointed towards each bunk end. I would run a heavy duty cord outside to the pole for the 2nd heater. I also cut reflectix to go in all bunk end windows and in the big kitchen window, plus I had the Popup Gizmos. All of that kept us pretty warm in our April and Nov. trips.
I now have a hybrid X18D w/ 3 fold out bunks. I wired an extra outlet so I can again run 2 heaters. We camped in Gettysburg, PA early last April and it hit 26 degrees at night. We were plenty warm and toasty inside. I set the propane heater in the low 60's as a backup if the electric heaters couldn't keep up, but it never ran. The bunk ends canvas was wet, but if we didn't touch it then it didn't drip on us.
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