Green horn from North Dakota.

[Sacket]

Greetings all.  Looking forward to learning about RVing.  I'm an oil field engineer and looking into possible long term living in a fifth wheel.  The catch though...primarily during the winter in ND.  For the past five years I have been throwing the idea around and everyone up here says I am insane to consider it.  As time goes by the bug bites harder and harder and it is now becoming more of an ambition and desire.  I usually live in the provided living quarters that the operators provide on the wellsites.  What I am wanting is to have "My Own Space" and not have to constantly move my belongings in and out of the provided shacks every six weeks approx.
From what little research I have done, Teton seems to be one of the better long term living fifth wheels out there.  The size I am looking into is around 30' give or take.  I want to avoid the massive 5th wheels for the sake of space on location and less to heat and easier to tow.  I have an '08 3/4 Ton Duramax so it can't be to big.  I have gotten with my local RV dealer and they said they would go through and put heat tape on all the lines and tanks, totally enclose the bottom and then make a skirting to go around the base.
I am looking for advise and experiences people have had living in cold weather climates.  The extreme months like the end of December through the first of Feb, I will probably not stay in an RV because temps get down around -30F and colder.  I am more interested in temps -10F and above...not that that is much better.
Thanks in advance for any input and I look forward to learning from all the experience on this forum.

 

[Wendy]

What about living in operators quarters in the dead of winter and living in your own RV the rest of the time?

 

[Sacket]

That pretty much is my intent, during the dead of winter (end of Dec through first of Feb) to stay in the provided quarters because of the extreme cold.  But will still need something able to withstand the cold for the months around the dead of winter.

 

[COMer]

I grew up in ND and am still not completely thawed out.  I don't think it is possible to make any RV comfortable in the weather you are considering.  But you can improve it by the methods the dealer suggested and then use it when you feel you would be comfortable.  I just think you will be out of for more than the six weeks you are thinking about.  Teton is a quality product but there are certainly others.  Your truck can tow about 15,000#'s so you should probably be looking for a rig with a GVWR of a little less than that.  30" or even a little more would fit into that classification.  Depends on construction and number of slides.

One of the problems with using a  trailer in that climate is that the furnace, etc. are just not designed to bring the temperature up 75 to 100 degrees.  And the walls are thin enough that they don't have adequate insulation for that.  You might get the temperature inside up to a comfortable level but don't sit near a wall or especially lean against it.  Windows are not built like residential windows with the extra insulation and there is usually some loss there.  You get the picture.  You're thinking about using it differently than it was designed to be used.

Still a viable idea if you use it less and the provided housing more.  You will figure out pretty quickly what works and how much enjoyment there is to be on your own and living in an RV. 

 

[Just Lou]

I lived in Minot, ND for nearly four years in the early '60s.  I would consider the "dead of winter" to be longer than the month of January.  Check this out.

I consider the "dead of winter" to be any time the average high temperature is colder than it is in my refrigerator and the average low is as cold as my freezer.  That's November through March in ND.

 

[Carl L]

Greetings all.  Looking forward to learning about RVing.  I'm an oil field engineer and looking into possible long term living in a fifth wheel.  The catch though...primarily during the winter in ND.

Welcome to the RV forum.  I was a mud-logger in my misspent youth in the so I may have an appreciation for your situation others might not have.

You will need access to a source of 120VAC power.  If you are on site, will a light plant or field power be available to you to hook into?  It should if a rig is around and you can get close enough.  On the other hand, I would hate to live to close to a drilling rig given the racket and lest the silly thing decides to blow in.  Shelter from the wind will be another issue.  You will definitely want to be in the lee of something.  Oil fields are seemingly never in cozy places tho.  ;D

Sewage disposal will be another issue.  Your black and gray tanks will need emptying at weekly intervals.  Will you have access to either a sewer connection or a vacuum truck (ie honey wagon)?  So will fresh water. 

One possible solution to this all is the use of a commercial campground nearby with full hook ups.

You a going to need a trailer built from the start for arctic use:  double pane windows, heavy insulation, enclosed and heated under belly, the whole nine yards.  Start looking here http://www.northwoodmfg.com/campers/.  Folks may know other makes with arctic rated construction.  You may find something made in Canada






http://www.northwoodmfg.com/campers/ 

 

[Sacket]

I don't think it is possible to make any RV comfortable in the weather you are considering.  But you can improve it by the methods the dealer suggested and then use it when you feel you would be comfortable.  I just think you will be out of for more than the six weeks you are thinking about...You're thinking about using it differently than it was designed to be used.

You are correct.  This is what most dealers have told me about doing this, which is one of the reasons why I say it is becoming an ambition and desire.  I am sure most people laugh and say why do I ask these questions when I admit the dealers say this...I do believe them, hence why I say for 5 years I have been debating this.  That being said, I haven't actually talked to many people that have RV'd in extreme weather.  The ones that have, say it was a cold and brutal winter...not to be done again!  You comments are closer to the truth then I want to admit.

I lived in Minot, ND for nearly four years in the early '60s.  I would consider the "dead of winter" to be longer than the month of January.  Check this out.

I consider the "dead of winter" to be any time the average high temperature is colder than it is in my refrigerator and the average low is as cold as my freezer.  That's November through March in ND.

And to add to that, April and October are actually borderline an the temps being below freezing.  I enjoy tent camping up until in drops down into the teens though, so matter of perspective I guess.  Once again, thanks for the input.

I was a mud-logger in my misspent youth so I may have an appreciation for your situation others might not have.
If you are on site, will a light plant or field power be available to you to hook into?  Oil fields are seemingly never in cozy places tho.   ;D
You a going to need a trailer built from the start for arctic use:  double pane windows, heavy insulation, enclosed and heated under belly, the whole nine yards.  

Ah yes, rock hounds, pebble pusher, dirt lizards, etc. etc.  I am a directional driller so I am sure you are quite familiar with the relationships when I say those sarcastically.  Well glad you chimed in, and yes, I would be very confident to say you have an appreciation others may not have.  However, others have the experience with the cold weather RVing that I do not, so I am very much appreciative for any and all comments made by others.
On locations I would have access to power, fresh water and sewage.  I have even seen some companies provide all the pipping and even go so far as to hook things up for the hands that have had 5th wheels during the summer months.  Like COMer said earlier, I would probably be better off staying in the provided quarters.
I will look into the site you mentioned, thanks for the link.

 

[Carl L]

Ah yes, rock hounds, pebble pusher, dirt lizards, etc. etc.  I am a directional driller so I am sure you are quite familiar with the relationships when I say those sarcastically.

 

Ah a whipstocker -- I remember you guys.   Staying in provided quarters makes a lot of sense, especially in high pressure fields.  But then I suppose you work with a better class of operator than I did -- which ain't hard.

Anyway, if you do go with a 5th wheel and hook up to a light plant, get yourself a power conditioner.  I can remember the problems we had with out lab trailers and well-site power -- like the whole trailer going hot one morning.

 

[ZuniJayne]

The worst I've dealt with was 0 degrees at night and 30s in the day for weeks at a time with only a generator/solar for power.  I do not care to repeat it.  My Arctic Fox has R-9 in the walls and R-19 in the ceiling and it is NOT enough for just these temps.

You may get wonderful support services, power, skirting, etc, but unless you go strictly with electric for cooking and heating, you will have the condensation from HELL problem no matter what class rig you get.  Mold loves that kind of environment, surprisingly. There's also nothing like having to scrape the ice off the INSIDE of your windows every morning.

If you are determined to live in an RV in the environment you describe, consider just building a shed around it with a min R-38 insulation in the walls and more in the roof.  Or invest in a lot of hay bales. <g>

Unless the market has changed a lot in the last few years, the high end manufacturers like Teton don't make anything shorter than 33 or 35ft.  They are even heavier than my Arctic Fox, which weighs 10,000 on the hoof.