Air Force Veteran Interested in Full Time RVing in Winter Weather

[Banshee]

Hello everyone - Air Force Veteran here. This is my first post on this forum. I don't own an Escape RV but hope to in the future (5.0 TA). I plan to live and travel extensively in northern latitudes above the "Lower 48". A mutual friend is a ski instructor and lives in his Outdoors RV and he loves doing both. I've read a few postings on this forum and it appears these are very well built RVs but Winter precautions including extra heat, thermal insulation on the tanks and any hard points that can transfer the exterior cold to internal components must be addressed thoroughly especially if Winter temps drop below zero (Fahrenheit). Does anyone have experience living full time in Escape RVs in sub-freezing temperatures? Thank you!

[tdf-texas]

Originally Posted by Banshee

Hello everyone - Air Force Veteran here. This is my first post on this forum. I don't own an Escape RV but hope to in the future (5.0 TA). I plan to live and travel extensively in northern latitudes above the "Lower 48". A mutual friend is a ski instructor and lives in his Outdoors RV and he loves doing both. I've read a few postings on this forum and it appears these are very well built RVs but Winter precautions including extra heat, thermal insulation on the tanks and any hard points that can transfer the exterior cold to internal components must be addressed thoroughly especially if Winter temps drop below zero (Fahrenheit). Does anyone have experience living full time in Escape RVs in sub-freezing temperatures? Thank you!

I like my Escape but I live in Texas. If you are going to live full time in sub zero temps, you should look at four season trailers like the Bigfoot or Oliver trailers.

[stephen99]

We have full timed for the past 2 years. Spent the winters primarily in New Mexico. It sometimes gets down into the teens at night. If you have water hookup you need to disconnect because the water hose will freeze. The worst thing that happened to us was the water line from the fresh tank to the pump also froze so couldn't even use the pump. Other than that the Escape handled the cold well. Furnace worked well and condensation was never much of an issue.

[sclifrickson]

While I believe that a correctly optioned Escape does just fine for short bursts of hard-core winter conditions (which we have done many times), I have to agree that a Bigfoot or an Oliver would be a better choice for full-timing way up north.

[padlin]

Welcome Gregory, spent my AF years at Offutt in the late 70's. Gotta agree with the others, if I were looking to winter in the cold, I'd go for a BF or Oliver for the double wall construction. Might find an older BF that doesn't break the bank.

[cpaharley2008]

or, since you have wheels, why not use them.....70 degrees year round....
https://matadornetwork.com/read/nort...-weather-year/

[stephen99]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

or, since you have wheels, why not use them.....70 degrees year round....
https://matadornetwork.com/read/nort...-weather-year/

And that's what we did when a longer cold spell was forecast. Packed up and headed to lower elevations in Arizona.

[tdf-texas]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

or, since you have wheels, why not use them.....70 degrees year round....
https://matadornetwork.com/read/nort...-weather-year/

We try to do the reverse - temps start to get close to 100 f, time to head north.

[Holly]

Originally Posted by Banshee

Hello everyone - Air Force Veteran here. This is my first post on this forum. I don't own an Escape RV but hope to in the future (5.0 TA). I plan to live and travel extensively in northern latitudes above the "Lower 48". A mutual friend is a ski instructor and lives in his Outdoors RV and he loves doing both. I've read a few postings on this forum and it appears these are very well built RVs but Winter precautions including extra heat, thermal insulation on the tanks and any hard points that can transfer the exterior cold to internal components must be addressed thoroughly especially if Winter temps drop below zero (Fahrenheit). Does anyone have experience living full time in Escape RVs in sub-freezing temperatures? Thank you!

Hi Banshee! My husband Ian and I camped above Georgian Bay (above Lake Huron) and Lake Superior this past May. We had subfreezing temperatures at night. Even though we purchased all the possible insulation and thermal windows available for our Escape 19 in 2015, we had a lot of condensation surrounding the windows and dripping onto the mattress. I would look into the Oliver Campers which are built for winter camping. Holly

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by Holly

we had a lot of condensation surrounding the windows and dripping onto the mattress.

Did you have a window and your MaxxAir vent open a crack to reduce condensation ( which you were exhaling all night )?

[cpaharley2008]

Their windows for that year are the sliders with the metal frames. These windows will have frost on the frames once it gets below freezing and with the heat it will drip on everything. That is one of the reasons the frameless thermal windows are a better choice for cold weather, no exposed frames to the exterior weather.

[Greg A]

With the conditions ur describing you want to camp in, the most important thing would be enclosed heated tanks and full insulation. Staying in Molded Fiberglass that would be Bigfoot or Oliver as others have recommended. Lots of options in stick built trailers for four season trailers.

[Jim Bennett]

I have camped with an Escape many, many times where temperatures dropped below freezing and as long as the day warms up no problems have been encountered yet.

Well actually there was one problem, it was late fall and I wanted to winterize when we let but had to warm up the frozen water tanks drain in the early morning to let the water out.

[gbaglo]

You might want to check out Northern Lite, a 4-season truck camper that is highly regarded. The company was purchased a year ago, or so, by the same corporation that purchased Escape. I was told that a Northern Lite trailer was in the works.

[ChuckPK]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

I have camped with an Escape many, many times where temperatures dropped below freezing and as long as the day warms up no problems have been encountered yet.

Well actually there was one problem, it was late fall and I wanted to winterize when we let but had to warm up the frozen water tanks drain in the early morning to let the water out.

Has anyone tried the spray foam insulation on the underside and found it to make the trailer more 4 season?

[Patandlinda]

Another consideration is Oliver has their plumbing enclosed . Pat

[Banshee]

Just got an email from them today. They make excellent travel trailers. Just wish the interior wasn't "white only". Extremely bright interior. Thank you.

[Banshee]

Thanks for your response. These are very well made and are my favorite Fiberglass-Egg 5th Wheel RV. Are there any others out there I'm missing?

[sclifrickson]

Originally Posted by ChuckPK

Has anyone tried the spray foam insulation on the underside and found it to make the trailer more 4 season?

Yes, it does.

But not as well as a Bigfoot or Oliver. It’s all a question of dollars vs weight vs how much true four season camping you want. If you want extended, true, four season camping, then Bigfoot and Oliver are both superior choices to an Escape. Short of extended, full-on, sub-zero action, Escape is a much better bang for the buck. In the end, they are all great trailers. Choose one you like and have fun!

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by Banshee

Just got an email from them today. They make excellent travel trailers. Just wish the interior wasn't "white only". Extremely bright interior. Thank you.

No kidding. I saw an Oliver in person at their showroom in Tennessee a few years ago. Even the countertops were molded fiberglass. It reminded me of an operating room, with more mirrors.