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Winter traveling - The Casita Club Forums
I would like some ideas for traveling in the winter, zero degrees.
How to keep water from freezing and drinkable.
I know I can use the pink stuff for the toilet but thats not palatible.
No vodka or Gin
bdiscount
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Keep it warm enough so it doesn't freeze.
Not trying to be a "smarty", but really, is there any other way?
Oh, almost forgot...welcome to the forum.
This post has been edited by SteveH : Sep 1 2009, 07:46 AM
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Welcome!
We don't try to use water in the Casita when it gets too cold.
We use the latrine in the campground, or camp at a state park with showers and toilets.
We eat food that only needs minimal heating, or is simple to clean up after, or go to a restaurant.
We heat water on the stove and put it in a pan for washing faces like the pioneers did.
We have had a pipe freeze and crack because we did not have adequate "pink stuff" in it.
We won't take chances.
We never drink from the water tank, even in the summer.
We carry gallon jugs with our house water in them for drinking and cooking.
Too many times we have found icky water at campgrounds.
We will wash with it, but not drink.
Winter camping is fun because so few do it, but it requires some changes to your habits.
Susan
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Casitas can serve fairly comfortably down to the low 20s at night if daytime temperature warm to near 50 degrees.
When I camp at these moderately cold temperature I prefer to be hooked up to 120-volt AC power.
And, even at these temperatures, I take precautions and make preparations in event of colder temperatures that may cause freeze damage in lines and tanks.
I can't recall anyone who has reported an extended stay at temperatures around zero.
Casitas are weather tight, but not insulated for Snowbelt or mountain winters.
Mike
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Quote: I can't recall anyone who has reported an extended stay at temperatures around zero.
Casitas are weather tight, but not insulated for Snowbelt or mountain winters.
Mike
Right, we stay only 3-4 days camping at any one time during Colorado winters.
Just enough to get away from the rat race for a bit.
Still, we are quite comfortable even when the wind blows and the snow flies.
Susan
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I guess I will use the pink stuff for the toilet.
We usually carry 2 Gallons of water to drink, we will fill them 80% full and thaw them out if they freeze.
We are traveling all the time so we won't be in zero all the time.
Thanks for the input
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Even if you can figure out ways to stay warm, to manage condensation, and to keep fresh and waste water from freezing there are other challenges to winter camping.
Here in Iowa, for example, the sun sets before 5 p.m.
From about mid-November to January.
When you can't get outside and stay outside, the snuggy little Casita can suddenly bring on a severe case of cabin fever.
Mike
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1. Fill your propane tanks
2.
Set your furnace thermostat to about 50F
3.
Turn on the furnace
4.
Open all the inside cabinet doors
5.
Keep the bathroom door open while traveling
6.
Pour some pink stuff down the toilet and drains after use
7.
Enjoy your trip
This should keep the pipes from freezing.
Winterize when done before you let the interior get below freezing.
Blow the pipes out with an air compressor if you have access to one.
Your dump valves may freeze but can be thawed out with a hair dryer.
I find camping in that cold of weather not to be the best thing we have ever done.
We have never camped in zero weather in the Casita, but have done it in a tent before.
The coldest we have been the Casita was about 15F on a very clear day and night.
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I have camped in 20 degree weather and made it fine.
The toilet will not usually freeze if you have some heat.
It is mostly inside the trailer.
I usually keep two, one gallon milk jugs with water to flush the toilet.
I keep water in the refrigerator to drink.
Water in the fresh water tank will not always freeze either if you have some heat on.
The gray tank will freeze first but I always put anti-freeze in it.
The only time I've had anything freeze was when I forgot to remove the water hose and it froze.
I thawed it with a hair dryer and nothing was damaged.
I like using the Casita in the winter.
It is cozy and if it snows, I love curling up with a good book and Annie by my side and sitting in the back corner watching the snow fall.
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Your 100% correct, it doesn't get any better than that.
Dogs are the best.
I am going to guess that Annie is "spoiled"?
Well probably no more than my Gina.
Best regards.
Mike
This post has been edited by MikeA : Sep 6 2009, 05:29 AM
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We fully winterize the Casita for Winter travel.
We carry drinking water and shower in other facilities (where you can find them).
We carry a couple of gallons of the pink stuff in the fresh water tank in case we "Must" use the indoor toilet during the night.
This way everything stays winterized.
We can dump the Black tank and put in a little pink Stuff to lay in the dump valve.
We have used our Casita in -3* F weather in Indianapolis for as much as a week at a time.
At minus 3 you'll need to run a cube heater to help out the furnace.
The cube works pretty good by itself down to about 12* F.
To control condensation we use a small spring loaded clamp to keep the flap open on the stove hood, and open the roof vent about a half inch.
This lets a small amount of air circulate and keeps the moisture flowing out the roof vent.
We don't even have our windows freeze over on the inside.
Winter can be fun,....
Just a little different.
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We use the blue winshield washer fluid in the blackwater system (toilet) and in the drains.
Its about one fourth the cost.
No need to dump money down the drain.
les
Joy and Les in Kansas with a 1996 17' SD
Kansas to Mt Rushmore, to Washington, Oregon back to Kansas.
2006.
Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic Circle in Alaska 2007.
Gulf of Mexico to Lake Huron, to Oregon 2008.
Gulf of Mexico to Labrador Canada 2009
Sept 06 to Present: 655 days in Casita.
YTD: 152 days in Casita.
http://www.joyandles.blogspot.com/
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Quote: We have used our Casita in -3* F weather in Indianapolis for as much as a week at a time.
At minus 3 you'll need to run a cube heater to help out the furnace.
The cube works pretty good by itself down to about 12* F.
Winter can be fun,....
Just a little different.
Larry,
Wow!
Was it -3 for a long time?
The closest we got was -5 for several hours.
Yes, winter camping is fun...
And different.
Susan
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It was -3* when we got up in the AM.
Not sure how long it was that temp.
Went low at night, 15* to 18* in the daytime.
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