# Newbie Has Question About Winter Use (Below Freezing)



## GregnPam (Aug 8, 2012)

We are planning on purchasing a 2011 Outback 268RL with the "ARTIC BARRIER". My husband goes hunting as late as January (NM & CO) where it gets below 0 deg F. The trailer we are purchasing has the Artic Barrier. We are concerned that it is not equipped to endure the weather. We really like the trailer but need some advice on what we may need to do - or what this protection actually is. Please share your thoughts and insights so that we may make a decision. It is possible the trailer will be unattended for up to 3 days while parked at hunting camp. All information is greatly appreciated. Thank You! We hope to be true outbackers any day







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## egregg57 (Feb 13, 2006)

GregnPam said:


> We are planning on purchasing a 2011 Outback 268RL with the "ARTIC BARRIER". My husband goes hunting as late as January (NM & CO) where it gets below 0 deg F. The trailer we are purchasing has the Artic Barrier. We are concerned that it is not equipped to endure the weather. We really like the trailer but need some advice on what we may need to do - or what this protection actually is. Please share your thoughts and insights so that we may make a decision. It is possible the trailer will be unattended for up to 3 days while parked at hunting camp. All information is greatly appreciated. Thank You! We hope to be true outbackers any day
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 The big thing you need to worry about is water lines freezing.

The big question is do you have power at this camp or is this dry?

If at the camp you have running water, that water should be shut off and disconnected at night and when not in use to prevent it from freezing up. Foam pipe sleeves used on your water hose helps insulate and will do a nice job of resisting freezing as well.

Another tactic is to (leaving the grey tank dump valve open) allow water to run at a trickle to prevent lines from freezing. Others have had success in very cold weather with leaving cabinet doors open where water lines are present allowing heat to get to them. Additionally your enclosed underbelly provides some protection while the camper is being used and heat is on as the ducts run through the bottom of the camper and give off heat. But the Artic Barrier really isn't an "Artic Barrier"!

It does allow cold weather camping where temperatures will get down to freezing with added insulation to allow heating to be more efficient through the increased insulation. I have the Artic Barrier as well.

Still a good portion of your water lines run through the underbelly from the city water connection and they would be much more exposed. Tanking water in the fresh water tank may be a good idea while there at the camp and the heat is running. The volume of water and heating ducts under the floor will keep the temperature up a bit and a pretty full tank will be less apt to freeze up.

While unattended, your grey and black tanks should be emptied as well. A touch of RV antifreeze in those tanks would not hurt either.

Auxillary heating (If power is available) such as a ceramic heater will help especially if it gets as cold as you are describing.

If you are dry camping I would highly suggest a stout generator.

Other than the concern of keeping keeping lines from freezing I think you would find your Outback a very comfortable place to be.

Eric


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## H2oSprayer (Aug 5, 2006)

egregg57 said:


> Auxillary heating (If power is available) such as a ceramic heater will help especially if it gets as cold as you are describing.


Although a good secondary means of heat, you need to make sure that you still run your furnace or the underbelly (where your water lines are) will only be heated from above and will probably end up freezing.


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## GregnPam (Aug 8, 2012)

Thank you, we will be dry camping in the mountains. We are planning on purchasing a generator, have been told that HONDA makes a very good one for around $500 (any comments or suggestions on a generator).

Are there camp trailers which have the insulated underbellies that will not freeze? Or is this going to be a concern with most camp trailers?? As Newbies, we want to make sure we address any concerns upfront and appreciate any input we can get. We are pretty lucky that Don, who is selling the trailer, is a knowledgeable and very honest guy (suggested we join this forum).


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## ORvagabond (Apr 17, 2009)

Depending on your lenght of stay you can burn through two 30 lb tanks of propane in a few days running your furnace constantly.


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## hautevue (Mar 8, 2009)

@GregnPam: A $500 Honda generator has to be very small in wattage. Their 2000 w units run about $900. My Honeywell knock-off of the Honda is 2KW and cost $400 with shipping 2 years ago. IMHO it's a waste of money to get a unit smaller than 2KW.

The comment about propane for the furnace is right on target--two 30 lb tanks in a couple of days is right on.

If you get a 3KW generator, you can add some ceramic or such heaters for the inside. You'll need the added heat. I have a 268RL (2009) and it's fine until the temp goes below freezing and then the furnace runs and runs and runs.

Start w/full propane and plan on taking a tank to the fill shop after a day. You'll probably have to take one a day, leaving one to run the furnace while you're gone. A PITA, but heat will keep the pipes from freezing--see the earlier comments. One guy camped next to me and had four tanks, two hooked up and two spares. He swapped out two after 2 days and took the two empties to be filled. Thus one trip every other day...


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Here is a different angle...

What about winterizing the trailer (using RV anti-freeze in water lines) and then use the trailer as needed, but simply don't use water. I know this sounds like "that's why I have a trailer!!" but you can still use all the other features (heat...frig..beds...couch...TV...dinette...etc) you just have to find other locations for restroom / showers. Perhaps something like this for potty?


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## GregnPam (Aug 8, 2012)

Thank you for the wealth of information. I do believe a generator will be purchased immediately. We will make a final walk through on Saturday and plan on purchasing on Monday...then we can officially call ourselves "outbackers"









I am sure we will have a lot of questions, I have already read many of the posts here and have found them very informative.

Is there a list of necessities to load in the trailer anywhere on the site (for us newbies)?

Thanks again.


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## rsm7 (Aug 8, 2009)

Will you be there with him or just guys? We have a deer lease and put a camper on it for fall and winter. We dont even mess with the water. The camper sits there for weeks and stays winterized. We bring bottled water for drinking. And just dont shower. Obviously we pee outside. This part gets graphic so look away if you have a weak stomach lol! For number two we line the toilet with a plastic garbage bag, then tie it up and put it in the garbage outside. We still have the furnace, frig, stove, TV, beds etc. We run a generator while we are there. You could use the toilet by dumping antifreeze in the tank and then flushing with water from a gallon jug, or even a jug of antifreeze, keeping the rest of the camper winterized. It shouldn't hurt the tank any.


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## muddy tires (Jun 22, 2007)

Oregon_Camper said:


> Here is a different angle...
> 
> What about winterizing the trailer (using RV anti-freeze in water lines) and then use the trailer as needed, but simply don't use water. I know this sounds like "that's why I have a trailer!!" but you can still use all the other features (heat...frig..beds...couch...TV...dinette...etc) you just have to find other locations for restroom / showers. Perhaps something like this for potty?


This is what we do. Most our out group's hunting trailers are older and don't even have washrooms. And shower on a hunting trip? That's crazy talk!


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## GregnPam (Aug 8, 2012)

rsm7 said:


> Will you be there with him or just guys? We have a deer lease and put a camper on it for fall and winter. We dont even mess with the water. The camper sits there for weeks and stays winterized. We bring bottled water for drinking. And just dont shower. Obviously we pee outside. This part gets graphic so look away if you have a weak stomach lol! For number two we line the toilet with a plastic garbage bag, then tie it up and put it in the garbage outside. We still have the furnace, frig, stove, TV, beds etc. We run a generator while we are there. You could use the toilet by dumping antifreeze in the tank and then flushing with water from a gallon jug, or even a jug of antifreeze, keeping the rest of the camper winterized. It shouldn't hurt the tank any.










I am going on part of a hunt in September (won't be cold then) so no problem with this one. Not sure about the ones later in the year...I will definitely pass this info on to him. Thank you.


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## Insomniak (Jul 7, 2006)

I wouldn't put too much faith in the "Arctic Barrier" insulation in the Outbacks. They all have that designation, and it's pretty much the same insulation that they've had for years. It's a nice marketing tool, but the reality is that these trailers get cold in winter! The bigger they are, the colder they get. Over the years, we've done pretty well in night time temps down to about 28 degrees without freezing water lines, but anything colder than that for extended periods is a gamble. In addition to a good sized generator for ceramic heaters, you may want to consider looking at propane powered catalytic heaters as a backup heat source. There are several out there and they put out good heat without too much worry about indoor use. Have fun with the new toy!


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## KTMRacer (Jun 28, 2010)

Here is our experience with our 295RE in cold weather.

First, I drilled two 1" dia holes in the side of the floor registers to direct heat into the underbelly to keep the tanks from freezing. with this mod, the underbelly temp stays above freezing at night and in the 60F range during the day.

We've camped on the coast in temps in the 25-30 range at night, 50's in the daytime. Set the thermostat a 45F at night and that's about what the trailer temp gets to. It then takes about 2 hrs to get the trailer up to 68F in the am.

We run the dehumidifier to keep from having fogged windows, although the RH on the Oregon coast in the winter is pretty high. May not need that in other locations.

The 268 is shorter and doesn't have double slides. But I'd guess that our 295RE would be running the furnace almost constantly if nightime temps were near 0 at night and in the 30's in the daytime. Course sunshine in the day would help.

IMHO the Artic Barrier is really a nice 3 season trailer. The furnace is going to go through about 1 gallon of propane per 3 hours running (30K BTU/hr, 90KBTU/gal of propane) So I could see going through a couple of tanks in 3 days in really cold weather.


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## Colorado Outbacker (Jun 6, 2005)

We hunt Colorado during the late seasons using our Outback sub-freezing temps 24/7. Any camping after mid October we are winterized. We put a water jug on the counter, run no water down the drains, and put a porta-poty in the tub. We are on generator at night to keep the dual six volt batteries charged to keep the heat running. Also don't forget the tire chains for all four. Minor adjustments to summer camping but well worth it. Spent many seasons in popups or tents so the Outback is a dream!

Stay safe!
Tony

PS attached some fun hunting photos to get you in the mood....


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## GlenninTexas (Aug 11, 2004)

Sounds like the trailer will sit in one place for a while. If so, I'd put some panels around the bottom to seal it as well as possible from the wind and cold air. Place a ceramic heater underneath the camper in the enclosed area, taking care to put it where nothing will catch fire. Use two heaters inside and keep the cabinet doors open whereever there are water lines. You'll need a generator large enough to power all three heaters at once plus other electrical items. Set the propane heater to come on at about 45 degrees, it should not get that cold inside with the ceramic heaters going.

This will allow you to use water as needed without having to refill tanks every other day. You may want to dump the tanks every day or so just in case.

Regards, Glenn


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## GregnPam (Aug 8, 2012)

KTMRacer said:


> Here is our experience with our 295RE in cold weather.
> 
> First, I drilled two 1" dia holes in the side of the floor registers to direct heat into the underbelly to keep the tanks from freezing. with this mod, the underbelly temp stays above freezing at night and in the 60F range during the day.
> 
> ...


Tony, We are just down the road from you (in Farmington, NM). Were your pics taken around the Durango area? Do you know of any places to park around Henderson Lake, Missionary Ridge or is the road to narrow and windy?

We had been told about drilling the 1" holes in the registers, is there any reason this might be considered an unsafe practice? Because, it sounds pretty smart to me.

We want to thank everyone for the information. We purchased our OB last week and are getting it ready to go. Is there a general list of necessities anywhere here on the forum?

Thanks again,


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## Colorado Outbacker (Jun 6, 2005)

Hi Greg and Pam

There are many places to camp around Henderson Lake. It is 17 miles of dirt road and switch backs. I would watch the weather reports very very close if you are planning a late season hunt up there. We have had to evacuate hunters from up there who had to leave their campers till spring. We have camped near the lake, and on Burnt Timber Rd. with the Outback. I have also camped 4-5 miles up during October then drove on up to where you want to hunt. Safer if the weather takes a turn and you have to get out quick.

The underbelly staying warm has never been an issue for me with the plenum running under there with limited insulation around it. When it is below zero out I want all the heat possible to come into the living compartment. Where I have had water lines freeze during 2nd season (mid Oct) is in the outside walls. The lines froze on me two years ago in the wall in the bathroom. This is where my outside shower connections get their water. It stopped water throughout the camper. So be careful if you don't winterize first. If I camp past Oct 15th in Colorado I am winterized, just less worries.

We hunt near Gunnison in September (going next week in fact) very nice time of year... colors are changing and only goes below freezing a few nights while we are there. Then we go the 4th season (mid Nov) as well near Gunnison. Bitter, bitter cold, always below 32 all day and below 0 most every night. It's a challenge to camp in those conditions but it is also kind of fun...

Take care, be safe!
Tony


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