Winter Camping in a MH, can it be done in the midwest?
travelinmama said
11:46 AM Jul 7, 2007
We will be purchasing our MH next March. However, because we are on the mission field and won't be let go of it for several years and may not be for years; we will be using our MH for 3-4 day weekends around the city. There are several campgrounds around us and within 30 min. of the mission fields. I work most Sunday mornings and my hubby works every friday when I am off. BTW, I love what I do, it isn't a job, it is a mission. My DH too. We also live in an apt. So no way to store our MH here but at an out of town site. My questions are:
How do we camp in the winter when the lines are winterized and we don't want to run the water. We will load 1 gallon jugs in the rig but what else can we do?
The other is how do we boondock for the 4 days?
What needs will we need to look at?
I have lived in a small trailer in MT in the below freezing weather with frozen pipes and plumbing and made it through the winter. I don't really want to do that again. My Dh has also in a camper. He is ready, I am not.
Luvglass said
07:49 PM Jul 7, 2007
The quick answer is yes you can RV in the midwest in the winter.
The longer answer is that you need a well built unit designed for all season use, that has dual pane windows, extra arctic insulation and a heated basement.
I would suggest joining the RV consumer Group and get their ratings CD's.
Good luck,
Fred
Darrell and Judy said
06:03 AM Jul 8, 2007
I agree with Fred on both accounts - especially the RV Consumer Group. Take time to do your homework, cheaply built RVs tend to sell for the same price as quality units so understand construction techniques. For motorhomes I would use Newmar products and Tiffin products as examples, they both build quality units and stand behind their warrantees. Again, the key is research.
2stepr said
07:29 PM Jul 9, 2007
Yes, it can be done. If you are going to stay in it during the winter, you would have to close in the bottom (like they do w a moble home) I would back it w high " R" insulation. I would put a sensor thermometer in the lower unit and keep monitoring it. Also put a heater and have it rigged so you can turn it on without going outside. I have it set up to a electric extension surge protector, and all I do it turn on the switch. You could use heater tapes - some have a sensor and come on when it hits a certain degree. I use heater tapes, and they do work. Don't forget the pipe insulation. I do this in my house, as it doesn't have a basement, just a crawl space, and since I started doing this - no frozen pipes.
2stepr said
07:30 PM Jul 9, 2007
I forgot to add - You may want to put a plastic window wrap on your windows - yes they do work!!
travelinmama said
05:20 PM Jul 11, 2007
Thanks for all your advice. Travelinmama and travelinpapa
Jim01 said
03:14 PM Jul 17, 2007
Brrrrrrr!!!!
Better you than me. That's part of the reason that we went Full-timing.
Couldn't take the cold any more!
Speedhitch said
07:11 PM Jul 17, 2007
Your right Jim.....Go fulltime and you can fly south where it is warm!
travelinmama said
07:03 AM Jul 20, 2007
Gheezh! Watch the fire storm!
We live in the midwest, can't leave our mission fields, want to use our MH from April - Nov. before and after it is really cold. We can't go full time until retirement age, stupid mistakes and so many other reasons.
So, when I posted this question, it wasn't because we plan on living in it during those months, we don't plan on living in it full time until we retire but we do plan to use it as a retreat because of our mission fields; we use all our energy during our week and we need a retreat to get geared up for the next week.
Yep, you are all blessed to already be on the road. If you knew our story, you would say, um... I understand! But since you don't, you have the advantage and that is you are already fulltiming it and can enjoy not working like we do.
So, thank you, but I believe since we have both lived through really freezing winters, I am from Montana and he from the midwest, I think we can figure out now how to ensure the rig from freeezing pipes. Just thought maybe ya all had more info than we did.
SKOOBDO said
04:10 PM Jul 20, 2007
From someone who did just that all throughout last winter in central Ohio. The campground I was at had about 25 RVs (MH,TT,5TH) that stayed through the entire winter. Of course last winter was one of the worse in years and many folks got through it just fine, including myself. However, there were several folks in some of the RVs that left and went to a hotel because they failed to follow some simple procedures that would have saved them. Basically, some of those folks had water lines freeze up, but more importantly the main issue was that they're sewer lines froze, because they had let their water run (trickle) all night long and it just kept building up outside in the sewer hose and froze solid. Anyway, basically you need to keep your furnace running to the point that your basement stays below freezing and don't just use space heaters. Also, the plastic is all I used on the windows and you wouldn't believe the difference. Just use that "weatherproof" tape (looks like duct tape but clear) for windows and it will pull right off in the spring without ANY residue. Close all valves and don't dump until the middle of the day. Use heat tape and pipe insulation on your fresh water hose all the way from the spigot to the inlet in your rig. Slide out awnings keep the snow off your slides. The only thing that happen to me was that my "galley valve" was frozen for a few days when the temps stayed for days on end at 25 below wind chill and temps were 5 below or more. None of my other valves froze because they are enclosed in the storage basement of my 5th wheel. If your valves are enclosed you won't have any problem. If you have any concerns during a few days or a week that it might get way below zero, pour some RV antifreeze or windshield wiper fluid in all your tanks so it will collect by the valves and won't freeze. But, I would only recommend that if you know its going to get way below zero. No one at the campground had any issues when it was above zero. But I had no lines break, no lines freeze, no nothing. just the galley valve froze for a few days, and I had several more days to a week before it would have been full. If I was to do it again, the first thing I would not have worried so much Since I never went through an entire winter in a RV, I was worried everyday that a water line might break or this might happen or that. and when winter was over, I thought about how concerned I was for nothing Just use a combination of furnace/space heaters and you shouldn't have any issues. good luck!
jchilson said
10:02 AM Jul 30, 2007
I am curious what kind of mission you are on. More info please...
Thanks JanC
travelinmama said
07:59 AM Dec 15, 2007
For some they would think it is just a job, but for us it is a mission field.
I work in a local church that I run a ministry that was not so impressive before, it was just doing what they always had done and my husband works with people in their last stages of life.
We have started Bible clubs, kids' Bible studies, family ministry stuff, and more. For us, it isn't where we attend church but it is the people that we work with and teach. Since being there, the ministry has grown double.
We also have started a new ministry that will go into the campgrounds here. Watch and see..
We also live in an apt. So no way to store our MH here but at an out of town site.
My questions are:
How do we camp in the winter when the lines are winterized and we don't want to run the water. We will load 1 gallon jugs in the rig but what else can we do?
The other is how do we boondock for the 4 days?
What needs will we need to look at?
I have lived in a small trailer in MT in the below freezing weather with frozen pipes and plumbing and made it through the winter. I don't really want to do that again. My Dh has also in a camper. He is ready, I am not.
If you are going to stay in it during the winter, you would have to close in the bottom (like they do w a moble home)
I would back it w high " R" insulation. I would put a sensor thermometer in the lower unit and keep monitoring it. Also put a heater and have it rigged so you can turn it on without going outside. I have it set up to a electric extension surge protector, and all I do it turn on the switch. You could use heater tapes - some have a sensor and come on when it hits a certain degree. I use heater tapes, and they do work. Don't forget the pipe insulation. I do this in my house, as it doesn't have a basement, just a crawl space, and since I started doing this - no frozen pipes.
Better you than me. That's part of the reason that we went Full-timing.
Couldn't take the cold any more!
We live in the midwest, can't leave our mission fields, want to use our MH from April - Nov. before and after it is really cold. We can't go full time until retirement age, stupid mistakes and so many other reasons.
So, when I posted this question, it wasn't because we plan on living in it during those months, we don't plan on living in it full time until we retire but we do plan to use it as a retreat because of our mission fields; we use all our energy during our week and we need a retreat to get geared up for the next week.
Yep, you are all blessed to already be on the road. If you knew our story, you would say, um... I understand! But since you don't, you have the advantage and that is you are already fulltiming it and can enjoy not working like we do.
So, thank you, but I believe since we have both lived through really freezing winters, I am from Montana and he from the midwest, I think we can figure out now how to ensure the rig from freeezing pipes. Just thought maybe ya all had more info than we did.
From someone who did just that all throughout last winter in central Ohio. The campground I was at had about 25 RVs (MH,TT,5TH) that stayed through the entire winter. Of course last winter was one of the worse in years and many folks got through it just fine, including myself. However, there were several folks in some of the RVs that left and went to a hotel because they failed to follow some simple procedures that would have saved them. Basically, some of those folks had water lines freeze up, but more importantly the main issue was that they're sewer lines froze, because they had let their water run (trickle) all night long and it just kept building up outside in the sewer hose and froze solid. Anyway, basically you need to keep your furnace running to the point that your basement stays below freezing and don't just use space heaters. Also, the plastic is all I used on the windows and you wouldn't believe the difference. Just use that "weatherproof" tape (looks like duct tape but clear) for windows and it will pull right off in the spring without ANY residue. Close all valves and don't dump until the middle of the day. Use heat tape and pipe insulation on your fresh water hose all the way from the spigot to the inlet in your rig. Slide out awnings keep the snow off your slides. The only thing that happen to me was that my "galley valve" was frozen for a few days when the temps stayed for days on end at 25 below wind chill and temps were 5 below or more. None of my other valves froze because they are enclosed in the storage basement of my 5th wheel. If your valves are enclosed you won't have any problem. If you have any concerns during a few days or a week that it might get way below zero, pour some RV antifreeze or windshield wiper fluid in all your tanks so it will collect by the valves and won't freeze. But, I would only recommend that if you know its going to get way below zero. No one at the campground had any issues when it was above zero. But I had no lines break, no lines freeze, no nothing. just the galley valve froze for a few days, and I had several more days to a week before it would have been full. If I was to do it again, the first thing I would not have worried so much
Since I never went through an entire winter in a RV, I was worried everyday that a water line might break or this might happen or that. and when winter was over, I thought about how concerned I was for nothing 
Just use a combination of furnace/space heaters and you shouldn't have any issues. good luck!
Thanks
JanC
For some they would think it is just a job, but for us it is a mission field.
I work in a local church that I run a ministry that was not so impressive before, it was just doing what they always had done and my husband works with people in their last stages of life.
We have started Bible clubs, kids' Bible studies, family ministry stuff, and more. For us, it isn't where we attend church but it is the people that we work with and teach. Since being there, the ministry has grown double.
We also have started a new ministry that will go into the campgrounds here. Watch and see..