Still camping after your camper has been winterized.

[nhcaveman]

Anybody else already winterized their camper but continues to make reservations?

Two weeks ago we actually made the decision to camp Halloween Weekend, while winterizing the camper. We understand we'll camp that weekend without water and bathroom facilities and so managed to secure sites close to the campground restrooms which are heated.

Now we've gone ahead and made a reservation for this upcoming weekend in the state park, further from their unheated facilities, and foregoing an electric hookup as well. I was actually surprised when I suggested it and the wife said yes.

I've just really been enjoying camping this year especially with so many things we haven't been able to enjoy this year that we normally would.

 

[tfischer]

Nice! We've never done it... I would, but with one boy in HS and another in middle school, it's hard to get away during the school year. We did camp a couple weekends ago one last time, but a good part of one day was a "school day" (we went on Thursday night as they are both doing distance learning on Friday this year).

The state parks here should have their water shut off by now, and switched over to pit toilets only. Nice deal that you have heated flush toilets at one of yours.

 

[eoleson1]

DW and I were talking about this last night. I was going to winterize the trailer next weekend, but she thought we might be able to squeeze in one more warm weekend before winter sets in. Last year, we had an early cold snap, and I was doing kind of an emergency winterization. This year I want to have it done just in case. I figure if we do take it our again this year, I will dewinterize it at the CG, and rewinterize it when I get home. As I recall, it only takes about an hour to bypass and drain the water heater, blow the lines out, and dump a bit of antifreeze into the drains. Then we can clean and cover it at our leisure.

Then again, I keep my trailer in the driveway, and have access to compressed air. If I paid a dealer to do it, my plans would be different.

 

[jmkay1]

Oh heck yes, just because I winterized doesn't mean I can't camp. I bring my own separate water jug to drink and even use my cassette toilet but that does mean I'm flushing with the pink stuff vrs water so will need to re fill it with more fluid after the trip. The hard part is determining when the campground turns off their water if at all. One campground I went to shuts all their water off after Nov. Camping without electricity does mean your relying on battery power and if your using the furnace it goes through battery quicker than you are used to.

 

[RockyRoo]

We “camp” over Christmas in NW Ohio at the in-laws. Fortunately we can run inside and use their facilities, but that isn’t really any different than using a campground bathhouse.

 

[generok]

I guess my hangup with post winterization camping isn't the RV systems. I fear winter conditions more for the tow than than the camping. If I had a site with electricity (almost an impossibility after September 15 up here), I would have no worries at all. Staying warm would just mean having LP in the tanks. If I didn't have electricity, I know the furnace would run a lot keeping the RV at least somewhat not so cold at night for sleeping, but would eat the battery, so I'd need to run the genny to top off more than usual each day.

I just don't want that rig behind me if the roads are icy. We just had our first snow this weekend, and pretty much now until May snow is possible any time. So, I'd just not like to have 4 tons behind me on snow or ice. I see folks do it, but I have concerns.

 

[nhcaveman]

The state parks here should have their water shut off by now, and switched over to pit toilets only. Nice deal that you have heated flush toilets at one of yours.

No the state park doesn't have a heated flush toilet, but the following weekend they'll have them at the campground we'll be at, but we'll get by with what ever the state park has, they are open still.

This year I want to have it done just in case. I figure if we do take it our again this year, I will dewinterize it at the CG, and rewinterize it when I get home.

So we've made our plans based on the camper has been winterized, so no water, no toilet for any post winterized trips. We'll bring jugged water and use available facilities.

Oh heck yes, just because I winterized doesn't mean I can't camp. I bring my own separate water jug to drink and even use my cassette toilet but that does mean I'm flushing with the pink stuff vrs water so will need to re fill it with more fluid after the trip. The hard part is determining when the campground turns off their water if at all. One campground I went to shuts all their water off after Nov. Camping without electricity does mean your relying on battery power and if your using the furnace it goes through battery quicker than you are used to.

We had a Thetford 365 flush potty that I let go with the popup, I think my wife would appreciate if I'd kept it for times like this, I could of cut the water in the holding tank with the pink stuff. But I wasn't thinking at the time we'd just bought a brand new travel trailer and didn't think we'd ever need it again. Someone about 10 years ago posted a sale at Sears for it $59 regular $129 so I ordered one on line and picked it up. Needless to say my wife became a much happier camper, money well spent. I just saw the same one advertised at Camping World over $200, I won't be buying another.

I guess my hangup with post winterization camping isn't the RV systems. I fear winter conditions more for the tow than than the camping. If I had a site with electricity (almost an impossibility after September 15 up here), I would have no worries at all. Staying warm would just mean having LP in the tanks. If I didn't have electricity, I know the furnace would run a lot keeping the RV at least somewhat not so cold at night for sleeping, but would eat the battery, so I'd need to run the genny to top off more than usual each day.

I just don't want that rig behind me if the roads are icy. We just had our first snow this weekend, and pretty much now until May snow is possible any time. So, I'd just not like to have 4 tons behind me on snow or ice. I see folks do it, but I have concerns.

I wouldn't want to pull it in the snow either, I don't want the salt all over it.

 

[nhlakes]

We've camped with the campers winterized quite often. My Aliner didn't have much to winterize but did the same with the TT. One year it was single digits when we left for FL. I would flush with anti-freeze on the way south until we reached temps warm enough to de-winterize. On the way north a couple weeks later, when I noticed we'd having freezing temps over night, I'd just blow out the lines with the little compressor in my truck, dump the tanks, and go back to flushing with anti-freeze (keeping toilet use to liquid only). Dump the tanks before getting home and then pump antifreeze through the lines after I got home.

 

[Ductape]

I haven't done it, but only because our camper goes into an indoor storage facility by the end of October every year. Where I would have to draw the line is the first time they drop salt on the roads. I'd never take my camper out in the salt.

 

[Arlyn Aronson]

Our camper is has nothing in it to winterize and still parked at a NFS campground Courtney lake.. Hope to get out there a few more times.

 

[campfire Joe]

Anybody else already winterized their camper but continues to make reservations?

Two weeks ago we actually made the decision to camp Halloween Weekend, while winterizing the camper. We understand we'll camp that weekend without water and bathroom facilities and so managed to secure sites close to the campground restrooms which are heated.

Now we've gone ahead and made a reservation for this upcoming weekend in the state park, further from their unheated facilities, and foregoing an electric hookup as well. I was actually surprised when I suggested it and the wife said yes.

I've just really been enjoying camping this year especially with so many things we haven't been able to enjoy this year that we normally would.

Halloween weekend? bring some candy with you. You can never be sure if some trick or treaters might show up.

 

[firepit]

I have yet to use my water tank.
We use a 6 gal water container for dogs water bowl and wash tub...have never used the sink or stove in our camper.
Granted we never go more than 3 days tops late in the yr either.
We use camping wipes instead of showers if showers are closed for the yr....and the porta potty we found is a better option than dirty bathrooms at this point as well..
Our state parks have electic yr around so we use cremic heater...other than pack in and out late season is not all that different for us...if its not snowing or gonna snow i will go...most times you have the place to yourself.
I went the weekend before thankgiving last yr and it was me and 2 other campers in a 200+ RV capable state park.

 

[Snow]

I know folks who camp all winter long, they dewinterize and rewinterize each weekend..

 

[xxxapache]

I drained and blew the water out last week, but plan to fill up and go out next week.

My TT has a enclosed belly with a furnace duct blowing hot air down in the belly. I have camped below freezing and had no worries.

 

[Dingit]

I've never winterized anything.

It's been a while since we've been able to get out for cool weather camping--last time was late December in Sequoia NP. I don't mind the cold but it gets dark awfully early near the solstice...

 

[NorthernSpirit]

We winterized (just blew out the lines with air compressor - no hot water tank, no toilet) last weekend and I thought we could maybe go out one more time later this week, but DH decided to pull out two cabinets and re make them with drawers so the trailer is a bit of a mess. We’re done for the year.

 

[Spaceace5150]

We “camp” over Christmas in NW Ohio at the in-laws. Fortunately we can run inside and use their facilities, but that isn’t really any different than using a campground bathhouse.

Nice! I am from that area and you are braver than I am!

 

[kitphantom]

Neither of our popups had much in the way of "systems", and I took the second one to Grand Canyon in early December one good year. My main worry, as others have said, is coping with bad weather on the road.
For late and early season camping, we do try to get power sites, we use solar to recharge the batteries and short days mean not much time to cope with the draw-down from the furnace. We actually had both out in lows in the teens, with power, not on purpose. Heat in the campground facilities was iffy on a couple of cold trips. If we have power, we can use a space heater to supplement the furnace (first popup didn't have a furnace anyway), and for the heated mattress pad or blanket. Short days also mean early sunset and late sunrise, so having lights int he second popup and TT has been useful.
With our TT, we have taken it out and left it winterized. We revert to using water jugs, and a gray water pail. We can use Cleanwaste gel-filled bags in the toilet (we used them in the folding toilet we had for the pups).

 

[J Starsky]

I was dragging my feet to winterize for that same reason, maybe one last trip.

We just got 7in of snow in East Central MN last night, good thing I rushed the wife into winterizing Monday after work

 

[RockyRoo]

Nice! I am from that area and you are braver than I am!

lol. I grew up in Detroit and spent 20 years in Toledo. Would have never done it in my pup and would have only turtled in my Roo. We do it now because we are in a 36 ft 5er that is much more insulated and has multiple heat sources. That said, the trip inside in the middle of the night if needed still gets pretty chilly at times.