I lived in a travel trailer for 2 winters in New England with heat blankets on the tanks. It worked fine. Dont forget about the waste pipes, they can be heated with a heat tape(braided wire). You will need to stay at a place with electric for all to work.
kgmz wrote: The problem with staying downstairs in northern New Mexico is that the temps or the elevations are not that much different up or down.
Au contraire! I love going down to Taos in the wintertime because it's always so much warmer there than here in Fridged Ridge .. er, I mean Angel Fire! (They're a little under 1,500 feet lower than we are.)
Lynn
I would go with the enclosed tanks for sure. We use our MH 12 months out of the year. Our first MH had exposed tanks with heat pads. The tanks would not freeze but the water lines and valves would. Had a heck of a time with a blow dryer at the dump station one time. Antifreeze of course will make sure that your tanks do not freeze but the rest of the plumbing is at risk. Our 2nd MH an Aspect has all plumbing enclosed and is good to 15 degrees. I have tested it out during a stay at Penn State in February for a track meet. It was 14 degrees out side and I was worried but no problems. I just was told by Winnebago to keep the furnace on and you are good to 15 degrees. I also have a garage light with a 75 watts bulb for next year. I will just put that in the enclosed area and then I will feel safe from an expensive freeze up.
kgmz wrote: The problem with staying downstairs in northern New Mexico is that the temps or the elevations are not that much different up or down.
Au contraire! I love going down to Taos in the wintertime because it's always so much warmer there than here in Fridged Ridge .. er, I mean Angel Fire! (They're a little under 1,500 feet lower than we are.)
Lynn
It is warmer in Taos than Angel Fire in January, but it is still way below freezing at night. Average of 11-12 degrees in Taos and a average low of 1 degree in Angel Fire.
A person will still want a good basement model RV to use in northern New Mexico, because you are not going to find anywhere close where the night time average will be above freezing. Even heading as far south as Espanola, Santa Fe will have a night time average of 14-15 degrees in January. Go farther to Albuquerque and the January average low is 24 degrees.
The nice thing about New Mexico cold weather is it is a dry cold and doesn't feel that bad compared to our NW wet cold.
seth25 wrote: I am looking at doing the same with snowmobiling in the winter. Can the heat blankets on the pipes and tanks be run with the generator during the day?
thanks
They can, but what are you going to do at night.
Your only real choice will be to use anti-freeze in the waste tanks, and not use a lot of water. Your water tank is probably in the house so that will not be too much of a problem as long as you leave some doors open to where it is and open the doors on some cabinets to get some heat around the piping. But also make sure you don't have any water lines running under the coach or where there is not much insulation.
ltex wrote: I am currently shopping for my first "new to me" RV. Was recently at a dealer and he asked what I would be using the RV for. One of the items he spoke on was taking the RV to New Mexico to skiing during the winter.
Dealer told me I needed a nicer, more $$ class C OR a class A for that since cheaper class C models aren't enclosed on the bottom and my gray, black, and water tanks would freeze and possibly crack.
Is this true, or was I being told a line...
Be careful when buying even top-shelf Cs, even the top-enders don't have 'em.
For example: Born Free, one of the priciest, quality-built Class Cs out there does not have heated holding tanks......even though they are manufactured in Iowa.
It is warmer in Taos than Angel Fire in January, but it is still way below freezing at night. Average of 11-12 degrees in Taos and a average low of 1 degree in Angel Fire.
Boy, I wish the weather people would ever get it right. An average low of 1 degree in Angel Fire during January is overestimated! I know because I do a lot of snow removal work on an open tractor here in Angel Fire in the winter, and the temps don't reach above zero until an hour or so after daybreak:
* 1 above zero is cold, but the tractor starts easily.
* 10 below stings, and the tractor is a little slow to start.
* 20 below hurts, and the tractor goans to start.
* Below that just numbs the skin, and the tractor won't start.
About the only place that is consistently lower in temperature in these parts is up in Alamosa.
I have the fortune or misfortune of having two motorhomes. I have a Foretravel which is really great when it comes to cold weather. I have been below zero in it. I have a bornfree as well and it is not a cold weather machine. I would not take it to really cold weather places and be there for a while though I will put antifreeze in the tanks but it is not really easy to use and move around in really cold weather.
John
2001 42' Foretravel U320
2007 Bornfree 24 Painted
2001 Jeep Wrangler
2007 Burgman 650 Executive
Susie and Dolly (Cavalier King Charles Spaniels)
Dolly now in our hearts and thoughts 8-27-05
Doodle a Black and Tan Cavalier
Lolly a Ruby Cavalier
eubank wrote: Boy, I wish the weather people would ever get it right. An average low of 1 degree in Angel Fire during January is overestimated! I know because I do a lot of snow removal work on an open tractor here in Angel Fire in the winter, and the temps don't reach above zero until an hour or so after daybreak:
* 1 above zero is cold, but the tractor starts easily.
* 10 below stings, and the tractor is a little slow to start.
* 20 below hurts, and the tractor goans to start.
* Below that just numbs the skin, and the tractor won't start.
About the only place that is consistently lower in temperature in these parts is up in Alamosa.
Lynn
Wow didn't know it got that cold there consistantly. Was there a few years ago in January and it was a sunny 7 degrees once the sun came up for the couple of days we were there. And it was not bad at all since we like cold weather, but -20 would be cold.
We usually spend time in the Taos, Chama, Espanola, and Santa Fe areas since we have relatives in all these areas.
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