Trailer for harsh winter?

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HvyMtl

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Nov 9, 2011
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Hi, 2nd post, so go easy on me please ;D

I am looking hard at a job position in an area that is booming.  Booming is an understatement, to the point where there are no homes, apartments, condos, or even hotel rooms available. (Well, the only thing I have been able to find is a 2 bedroom home for $3500 a month... ouch. To put it in perspective, the closest hotel room available is approximately 4 hours away...)

RV Parks do have long term spaces available for 'reasonable' rates in the area. There are no Trailer Park spaces available for park models.

The big question is this: The winters are hard in the area, and most travel trailers, I assume, are fair weather friends.

So, what travel trailer (preferably) or 5th wheel, brand and model, would you recommend for harsh winter conditions (snow, prolonged low temperatures well below freezing, wind, etc.)

Price is an issue.  Size I prefer is small, as it would be just me living in it, and would be easier to tow.  I can't stand wet bath designs, so a bathroom with a shower/tub or shower physically separate from the toilet...

Thoughts? Ideas?  Or am I out of luck?
 
I'm not much help here.  But I was thinking that maybe a park model trailer would be better able to handle the harsh winter.  Have you considered any of them?
 
Sadly, there are no trailer parks, only rv parks.  So, the park model will have to have holding tanks, as a direct sewer connection is not available, as far as I can find...
 
Boy Scout motto is "Be Prepared"  I take this one step further .." If you aren't prepared then prepare to be miserable".
RV'ing can be sucessfully done in the winter but having the right equipment and preparing and staying in front of the 8 ball is imperative.
Check out http://www.northwoodmfg.com/.  Don't skimp on your 'home' .Do not go for any 'lightweight' trailer.  Go for extras, like thermal pane windows, fully insulated and heated tanks and pipes.http://www.ultraheat.com/ Buy one large enough that you don't get claustrophobic in and will have adequate storage. My advice would be to avoid slide out rooms. While they look nice and provide additional space they are a hole in the side of the trailer. Plan on underskirting your trailer when you get setup.
Best of luck to you on your endeavor.
I have other information to share if you like you may PM me.

 
Most Rvs aren't really designed for cold weather, no matter what they say. To be comfortable, buy the best you can afford. Then enhance it with extra insulation on skylights, underneath (if possible), etc.
 
The only other thing I would recommend is an extended-stay set up for external propane tanks and get extra tanks..you'll need them. 100# ers if you can or get a rental from the propane supplier. RV's eat propane in that kind of weather...good luck..
 
Yeah, it is not the best option to winter in an RV, but it may be the only option available.

I know I will have to have heated storage tanks (a popsicle, or rather poopsicle, does not sound fun at all) extra insulation, and under skirting.

Just wondered if there are brands or models out there better suited for cold.    The northwood artic fox seems nice.

Anything out there with 50 amp service you would recommend?
 
I just read an article in Trailer Life Magazine I got this month where a couple did just what your wanting to do...They skirted their camper and insulated it and went thru some cold weather. It might even be on line..
 
Icemaker said:
I just read an article in Trailer Life Magazine I got this month where a couple did just what your wanting to do...They skirted their camper and insulated it and went thru some cold weather. It might even be on line..
Click to expand...

Could you give the name of the article. Hard to find anything on the site for someone not familiar with it. Thinking about doing this same thing but might have to wait until warmer weather then go up and prep while not worrying about freezing my behind off.

What do you all think about having skirting with insulation inside and a 2x4 frame filled with hay bales wrapped in more skirting/fan material and heaters underneath. a couple of 50# or a 100# tank with an extra heater inside. Insulation on both sides of all windows with heat tape and no top vents/sky lights?

Was originally thinking of putting up an exterior building around the unit but not many camps that would let me do so in the fashion needed to keep it from blowing away. Might have to look into non-traditional methods of securing it in place if I could find a camp that would allow it.
 
The whole problem is that air leaks in cold weather is what lets the cold in and the heat out. So you must seal up every crack and joint in the RV or a lot of your heat will be going out the window. But that brings up the problem that a sealed up house is very unhealthy to live in.
 
It's in the December issue of *Trailer Life* magazine pg.56 written by Cindy Myers..this is the site for past articles..might be information there too..http://www.trailerlife.com/Archive/?year=2006
seilerbird said:
The whole problem is that air leaks in cold weather is what lets the cold in and the heat out. So you must seal up every crack and joint in the RV or a lot of your heat will be going out the window. But that brings up the problem that a sealed up house is very unhealthy to live in.
Click to expand...
What he said is no joke...your going to have to keep that in mind...your humidity issues will build and there's the possibility of mold in warm damp places...
It can be done but you HAVE TO BE SMART about how you do it. ...Good Luck and best wishes.
 
Looking for that article now.  Thanks!  Article: http://www.trailerlife.com/Tech/Keeping-Warm/

Yeah, I think it is a tough decision, but in this economy, I have to go where the jobs are, and there simply isn't any alternative place to stay.

Is there a manufacturer who focuses on building stuff like this for, say, the Canadian market, you can buy in the ole U.S. of A.?

 
How harsh are you talking about?
I've been in -10f in Kansas city and Cleveland during the winters both in a normal travel trailer. But there it would warm up some days to above freezing which allowed for dumping tanks. mostly it's a matter of keeping warm and using heat tape to keep the water running.

Skirting would help as will tank heaters.
 
No doubt the poster is going to Williston ND.  A very cold place in the winter.  The average low temp is 0F.  Might get to -35F once in a while.  Record lows are -50F!

How does he deal with condensation?  If not dealt with, it can infiltrate the walls and insulation.  I'm guessing a dehumidifier would be a good idea.
 
Yes sir, actually looking at ND.  And yes, I am leery about even attempting this.  If the money is not at my "worth it" levels, I will just stay where I am.

Yeah, I am think I will definitely have to deal with moisture, and will be getting a dehumidifier, and cracking the vent above the shower when showering (make me take shorter ones :) )

And yes, there are many toughing it out in rv trailers up there.  I just dont want to get the wrong thing, and find out the hard way...

The manufacturers claiming four season, or winterized, well... that can mean about anything, right?  But, its at least a starting point to look at.

I think I will have to go with 5th wheels, as they seem to be made tougher, and without slide outs, if possible.

Thankfully, as winter  has started, the prices I see are getting better on used 5th wheels. 

The articles have been quite informative, and I will definitely follow much of the advice (like skirting the trailer, using drop lights, etc.)
 
I was reading a thread with the same basic question on another RV forum.  Several natives of ND, WY, MT chimed in and were quite negative about the likelihood of getting through the winter in an RV unless a person is VERY hardy.  One thing pointed out that made a lot of sense is that it is too late in the year to get going on a project like this.  It's just too hard to do things right when the cold has already begun.  They suggested to wait till spring, then go out there, then during the summer and fall get your trailer ready for the next winter.

Your mileage may vary.
 
Snowman9000 said:
I was reading a thread with the same basic question on another RV forum.  Several natives of ND, WY, MT chimed in and were quite negative about the likelihood of getting through the winter in an RV unless a person is VERY hardy.  One thing pointed out that made a lot of sense is that it is too late in the year to get going on a project like this.  It's just too hard to do things right when the cold has already begun.  They suggested to wait till spring, then go out there, then during the summer and fall get your trailer ready for the next winter.

Your mileage may vary.
Click to expand...

This information is the best I've seen yet because none of us thought about the timing...
 
Morris
I'm not sure you are still monitoring this thread but, if you are, the one manufacturer that I am aware of that claims to be functional in colder environments is " Arctic Fox ".
I live in an area of the Great White North which has a very active petro chemical based economy. As a consequence of the relative short term or transient nature of some of the labor intensive jobs [pipe-liners, drilling rig rough necks, etc] many of the sites in our 2 RV parks are occupied during the Winter months by hardy full timers [usually young single men either living alone or sharing a unit]. These units all have large external propane bottles and elaborate skirting [often tarp draped hay bales]. Both parks have separate heated laundry and washroom facilities and our town has many options for eating out so I'm not sure if the RVs are used for much more than having a "warm" place to sleep and watch TV in the evening.
The weather here can get extremely cold on occasion so I can see that it could be quite a challenge to keep water lines and holding tanks operational 24/7.
In these times however one must go where the work is or learn to live on food stamps.
Good luck
Duanecatman
 
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