Okay, actually it’s the wind chill that’s 10 degrees outside. With overnight temperatures dropping into the teens, Kristy and I decided to hitch up our Airstream, tow it to a nearby state park, and do a little camping in the cold.
The low temperature last night was a bone-chilling 21 degrees Fahrenheit. By any measure, that’s a hard freeze.
So what inspired us to go camping in this sort of weather? When we think about RV-ing, we often think about parking our rigs in balmy weather to enjoy a pristine national park setting, or alongside a beautiful beach. We don’t often think about wintertime camping, because it’s a little counter intuitive. But it is fun. The sense of “man against the elements” is heightened when those winter winds kick into high gear.
This wintry situation also has served as a nice test of our rig. We’re camping in a full hookup environment, so we’ve got all the electricity we need. But even so, I’m pleased to report that our Airstream heating equipment has done the job nicely. You never really know until you test it.
We have two heating options on our RV: an electrical “heat pump” and a propane-powered “heat furnace.” If we were dry camping without electricity, we’d probably use a combination of both, powering the heat pump with our generator. So long as temperatures hover above 40 degrees, we’re content to use campground power to fuel the heat pump. We’ll save our propane for those times we really need it — when temps drop closer to freezing.
Last night, the heat pump automatically kicked over into an “auxiliary heat” mode. [EDIT: The “auxiliary” mode means the Airstream propane furnace has automatically turned on, so as to effectively keep the water tanks and pipes warm. The heat pump alone does not warm the water tanks and pipes; only the furnace does so.]
I enjoyed a comfortable night of sleep, ratcheting a good 8 hours of shuteye that exceeds my norm. Kristy reports that she “tossed and turned” a bit, though I’m not sure if there’s a reason why. I was warm throughout the night, although there is a bit of chill coming from the large window at the rear of our rig. The walls themselves are well insulated and seem to do a fine job retaining heat.
We shot a good deal of video footage around our wintry forest campsite. I’ll be editing a video to discuss “winter camping” in the days ahead.
Cold Weather Ops. What a great idea! I was wondering how the Airstream would size up to the cold.
Here’s an idea… Take Seemore and Airstream to Vail or Keystone for an extended Winter test. Ski, Hot Toddy’s and Hot Tubs and Propane blastin’ RV furnaces.
BTW, when boondocking, just how long can an average couple last before the fresh water tank emptys and the grey and black tanks are full??
As always, great site! It’s informative and entertaining too! I hope it remains fun and not too much of a job. The new camera will make the the blog better. (say the previous sentence over and over – I just saw the price in my B-H Video catalog Whoa….)
All the best! Brad West (future retired boondocker)
Brad, the Airstream does well in the cold. It seems to be well insulated. I guess the biggest liability are the windows… The large windows in the newer units are nice, but of course they allow for more heat loss.
I like your idea of a Colorado adventure! I have a friend who Airstreamed in Colorado a few years ago DURING A BLIZZARD, and had a great experience. When you think about it, you’ve got some challenges not only with regard to staying warm, but also the potential for the water tanks freezing up.
With regard to the water tanks, we have a 60 gallon fresh water, 39 gallon grey, and (I think) 29 gallon black. In my experience, we are good for 3 days on water without trouble. The black is no problem, but the grey and fresh are variables. Really, it all depends on your shower habits! You gotta keep the shower water usage in check. You can stretch the fresh water if you are miserly with it. After all of our travel, I can now take a shower with 3 cups of water.
Thanks for your comments. The blog remains fun — and equipment like the new camera helps to keep it fun! I have viewed it as a challenge in solo filmmaking, and it’s just a satisfying creative outlet. (I like the writing too.) We hope to do some cool stuff in the coming year, maybe even experiencing the RV life overseas. So, thanks again… We’ll try to keep it interesting!
The Red Cross emergency water ration of 10 gallons per day is “practice” for boondocking.
As one who in his misspent youth winter camped in the high Rockies by Jeep CJ-5 & tent, the AS is a womb… propane and Sparky nearly optional.
Research: How low can the AS furnace thermostat be set and still keep the plumbing above 35 degrees F?
I’ll be 4-season ASing while I build in the Northern Rockies; I’m shopping now for 31′ or 34, for a 3-season ice maker in the salon’.
Your Beloved and you have entertained, informed and inspired. Winter data is critical for us. Please keep up the good work and play.
Merry Christmas and a well traveled New Year.
Camp Kilgore, thanks much for your kind post — it made my day.
I will keep the 10 gallons per day practice ration in mind. I could handle it, but I suspect Kristy’s hair could drink 10 gallons all by itself. 🙂
We really like the 31′ and 34′ Airstreams. They also make a 30′ in a floorplan we really like. Who knows, maybe someday we will make that leap. For long term usage, the 34-footers look fabulous.
Thanks again, and we will try to partake in more winter adventures. We live in sunny climes, so we don;t get the opportunity as often as our northern neighbors. But we really enjoyed winter camping, so I’m sure we’ll be doing it again!
Well, guy’s we don’t have an Airstream. A Keystone works for us, But late August in South Dakota brought Temps in the twenties. We were toasty as a bug in a rug… Even the Critters enjoyed it!
Dennis, a Keystone would work fine for us too. Glad to hear your rig kept you toasty! We haven’t done any RVing in South Dakota yet. I’m sure at some point we’ll want to visit Mt. Rushmore and the Badlands.