Colorado Vacation in Newmar Baystar (December)

We are hoping to visit Colorado in December in our Baystar but we are getting a bit worried about the temperatures.  We traveled along the east coast in our Thor ACE in December and have been in temperatures in the 20's at night (with snow a couple times), but it usually gets in the 40's or higher during the day.  The ACE had zero insulation and got cold as heck inside, but we never had an issues with the tanks freezing. 

This will be our first winter trip in the Baystar and the temperatures are projected to be much colder.  We might be looking at teens at night and maybe 30's during the day. We've never traveled with multiple whole days below freezing.  We still don't have a clear forecast, but I would like to be prepared.  We have a backup location planned, but Colorado is where we really want to go. 

We aren't so much worried about inside temperatures as we are the tanks freezing.  We added the heating tank pad option, but does that cover all tanks?  Do we need to worry about our fresh water tank freezing or are we ok with the furnace and heating pads on?  Are there other things that we need to be thinking about?  We don't typically keep our water heater on except when we need to do dishes (we shower in public restrooms), but should this stay on in colder temps?

I wouldn't worry too much about the tanks, since there's a lot of mass there, and it takes a while to freeze, especially since you've got tank heaters. And the sewage tanks will have a lower freezing point than the fresh water one. A bigger concern, for me, would be the water lines. If you get a small remote thermometer to lay in the water bay, you can soon find out whether it is heated or not (probably so, with the heaters), once you're in cold weather, and can proceed as needed with what you find out. Even if it's warm in the daytime, I'd disconnect the water hose (if you have hookups) after the sun goes down, and I'd store it too, in order to prevent it from freezing. You probably can hook it up again the next day if you need to. Still, weather changes can seem rather abrupt sometimes, so it's good to ALWAYS have a coat with you, even at lower elevations, since it's easy to get caught needing one.

Where in Colorado are you wanting to go? I ask because Colorado is a BIG state, and elevation ranges from something under 4,000 feet to over 14,000 feet, depending on location, and there are mountains and plains, with storms and slick roads being common in the mountains, much less so (but far from unknown) in the lower elevations. Temperatures and winds can be vastly different over just a few miles, too, as you go through or past valleys, change elevation, drive in canyons, etc. And be aware of avalanche danger in certain areas, even (or especially) if it hasn't snowed in the last few days up high.

Do you have a towed vehicle (toad)? It makes a difference, since with a toad you can park the Baystar at lower elevations and, if weather isn't too bad, drive up in the high country.

We don't typically keep our water heater on except when we need to do dishes (we shower in public restrooms), but should this stay on in colder temps?

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I'd suggest you do so in colder weather, especially over night.

Are you from the east? I ask because weather patterns here are usually different, with temperatures dropping a LOT overnight, most times. That's a lot as in 30?-40? between daytime highs and nighttime lows. And the sun (usually out, but occasionally cloudy) can make it feel warmer than it is -- until you get in the shade, that is. And the dry air means, among other things, that it's harder to recognize when you are getting dehydrated (got a headache, drink a LOT). And it usually takes at least two weeks for someone in good shape to acclimate to the altitude, worse above 7-8K, so don't overdo.

And be prepared to dress in layers, so that you can peel one at a time as it warms up and put one at a time back on as the temp drops.

The above is just a start, so mention what you plan to see (where, at least) to get additional comments. After all, even when chilly out, we often have otherwise gorgeous weather, but we also could have I-70 closed from the Kansas border (plus in Kansas) to Denver, or some portions of I-25 closed. And if they are, usually the U.S. and state and county roads are, too. I'd suggest you check out the following:

http://www.cotrip.org/home.htm
https://www.codot.gov/travel
https://www.codot.gov/news/gdf/statewideroadconditions
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/trafficinfo/co.htm

I'd also suggest you get the Colorado Roads app. Note that there are similar apps for New Mexico, Wyoming and other states, too.

Lastly, I'd worry about slick roads, too, when conditions aren't great. Even if the roads are just wet during or just after a storm, it's often because they've dumped a lot of magnesium chloride on the roads, which can start corrosion under your vehicle, so be aware.

Good luck

Thanks so much Larry!

We will be traveling to Colorado Springs.  We do not tow a car, but will be getting a rental car.  So the RV will stay parked at the state park during our visit.  Hookups are available, but we usually disconnect the water line on cold nights.  We might even leave the water line disconnected completely if the daytime temps stay low.  We've camped in minor snow, but nothing major and I know for sure we won't head to CO if there is a lot of snow planned.  We wouldn't feel comfortable driving in any conditions like that.

We live in Florida, but have spent a bunch of time out west at various times of year, but never in an RV.  We are very familiar with the altitude and cold otherwise.

Overall, we will only be in Colorado for 5 days, the rest of the trip will be spent driving from Florida through Texas with various stops along the way.  We have another route planned that takes us to New Mexico instead, but as I said CO is the place we want to be.  Thanks for the reassuring info about that route!  I will definitely make sure to check out all the links you provided.

Here is a link to Weather Undergrounds Calendar History for the daily weather in Dec 2017:  https://www.wunderground.com/calendar/us/co/colorado-springs/KCOS/date/2017-12

Change the year and then click on "view" to see the actual daily highs and lows, snow, rain clouds, etc for December going back as many years as you want. 

This will allow you to see if you feel can tolerate the possible lows or snow chances. 

  New Mexico also has altitude you need to be aware of,, and being mostly desert in nature it will get cold!!>>>Dan

Hope your schedule is flexible if you are going during winter to Colorado Springs.  We were scheduled to go an they got ten inches of snow.  We spend more time than anticipated in Amarillo, TX, waiting for better weather in Colorado Springs before heading there.  Just a thought.

Sorry, forgot to mentioned this was our experience last winter.

Lesh said:

We don't typically keep our water heater on except when we need to do dishes (we shower in public restrooms)...

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Say WHAT? Why would you do that? One of the major reasons we got a motor home was precisely so we could AVOID having to use public restrooms! This makes no sense to me at all.

We treat our coach as our on the road HOME. The water heater (and a lot of other things) are turned on when we leave on a trip and they all stay on until we get home.

I am guessing that you are staying at Cheyenne Mountain SP.  Are you aware that it is uphill from the main road?  It is a lovely place with fantastic views, but a but chilly for me in December.

You just have to be prepared for all of it.  There is nothing typical in Colorado.  If it is snowing and sticking to the roads, you want to just stay off because of the new chain laws for Colorado that force you to carry them.  If it snows, the roads are usually dry in the next day or two, but your MH is going to need a bath quick as it will be covered in magnesium chloride from the DOT and that is nasty stuff to the undercarriage.  Find a Blue Beacon and ask for the undercarriage wash.

RVRAC said:

Hope your schedule is flexible if you are going during winter to Colorado Springs.  We were scheduled to go an they got ten inches of snow.  We spend more time than anticipated in Amarillo, TX, waiting for better weather in Colorado Springs before heading there.  Just a thought.

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We actually have a back up trip planned going to New Mexico instead.  Everything is booked for both destinations so we just have to see what the weather does.

A Traveler said:

Say WHAT? Why would you do that? One of the major reasons we got a motor home was precisely so we could AVOID having to use public restrooms! This makes no sense to me at all.

We treat our coach as our on the road HOME. The water heater (and a lot of other things) are turned on when we leave on a trip and they all stay on until we get home.

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First of all we live in Florida and we sweat, a lot.  We typically always camp in State Parks which usually do not offer full hook-ups.  Showering constantly over a weekend of camping would require us to dump the tanks and that's unnecessary when public facilities are a short walk away.  We attempted to shower in our RV on our first trip, but found the water pressure to be insufficient to wash off all the grime after a day of off-road biking as well as impossible to get the shampoo out of my hair.

We've been RV camping for 7 years and have used the public facilities during every single camping trip regardless of the state or campground.  We've had zero issues taking a short walk to take a nice hot shower with excellent water pressure.  While I understand that most people use their RV shower, we choose not to and it's a decision that we don't even think twice about.  In fact, I spent my childhood traveling in an RV with my grandparents and we didn't use the RV shower one time in the 8 summers we spent traveling around the US.  We use all the other amenities that an RV has to offer, except for the shower.  No biggie.

Thank you all so much for your tips and suggestions.  We have purchased a few items to help with the cold temps regardless of our final destination.  We are still monitoring the weather, but hopefully we can make it to Colorado.  If not, there's always another trip around the corner!  Happy Holidays