开云体育

ctrl + shift + ? for shortcuts
© 2025 开云体育
  1. A-FrameCamperForum
  2. Topics

New to winter camping

 

We took a leisurely trip from Ohio down to Atlanta to visit grandkids for thanksgiving. Temperatures at night were in the 20s and our Classic was warm and toasty. This has us looking into real winter camping, hiking, cross country skiing with our dog. ?We have never camped in the snow but it sounds like fun! ?My first concern is what to do with snow covered hiking/ski boots. I don’t want to bring them into the camper but I don’t want to put on frozen boots the next morning! ?I’m thinking of trying to heat an old cooler outside to keep them in? ?Does anyone have some solution for this winter issue?
 

I think you're stuck with putting the boots in a tub and putting the tub under the bed or up high on a shelf.
?
Just FYI I would not recommend towing one of these trailers on a snow covered road.? The tongue length is too short and there's too much weight in the ends, so the trailer won't handle well when it's slippery out.? Keep a flexible schedule and avoid driving in snow.
 

I’ve driven a lot on snow covered roads but never towed anything on snow covered roads. What would be the difference from a snowmobile trailer?
 

I don't know what is different other than your normal winter driving is. I've towed my aliner through a few blizzards in mountain roads without issue. Small roads and paved highways. Never an issue

Just drive e slowly and don't make any sudden moves. I also downshift a lot instead of braking (but i do that in good weather too).? But that's true for any winter driving.? The only issue i had is man it makes the trailer dirty

Remember going up the mountain is ez it's going down that extra caution is needed.

Towed using a Tacoma & now a forerunner


On Wed, Dec 11, 2024 at 8:46 AM, JoeS via groups.io
<joesears74@...> wrote:
I’ve driven a lot on snow covered roads but never towed anything on snow covered roads. What would be the difference from a snowmobile trailer?
 

开云体育

Hi Joe:

May I suggest an old cooler with just a small incandescent light bulb inside? When I lived in Missouri in a school bus I would keep my paint in an old electric freezer, with just a 60watt light bulb inside. Kept the paint over 60° F when it was hard with a blazing wood stove to keep the bus warm. Since you are also drying the boots you may need an exhaust fan to remove the moisture. You don't want to dry too fast as this might harden your leather boots.

Carl.

On 12/10/2024 7:12 PM, JoeS via groups.io wrote:

We took a leisurely trip from Ohio down to Atlanta to visit grandkids for thanksgiving. Temperatures at night were in the 20s and our Classic was warm and toasty. This has us looking into real winter camping, hiking, cross country skiing with our dog. ?We have never camped in the snow but it sounds like fun! ?My first concern is what to do with snow covered hiking/ski boots. I don’t want to bring them into the camper but I don’t want to put on frozen boots the next morning! ?I’m thinking of trying to heat an old cooler outside to keep them in? ?Does anyone have some solution for this winter issue?
 

A snowmobile trailer has the weight concentrated? in the middle, and has a longer tongue length relative to total trailer length.
?
Our trailers have the fresh water tank behind the axle, and the heavy batteries and propane tanks way up front on the trailer tongue.? If one of our trailers starts fishtailing, its harder to get it to stop.
?
In Europe, they make most of their trailers with the batteries and propane stored further back.? In the picture below, note the lack of batteries and propane on the front of this UK "caravan".? Google "caravan for sale in UK", and you'll see most of their trailers are like this.
?
?
On Wed, Dec 11, 2024 at 08:46 AM, JoeS wrote:

I’ve driven a lot on snow covered roads but never towed anything on snow covered roads. What would be the difference from a snowmobile trailer?
 

开云体育

?

As well as some of the other advice posted here about winter driving, there are a few other considerations:

?

1.???? Even in campers with batteries mounted inside the camper, and just propane or nothing at all on the tongue, there is considerable weight concentrated on a moment arm distant from the hitch, that can act as a horizontal pendulum if the tires aren’t gripping the road as designed, which happens when the road is icy, snowy and sometimes even in rain if the tires are hydroplaning due to excessive speed. SP (Special Trailer) Tires with their less flexible sidewalls will help mitigate pendulum action, but certainly not eliminate it.

2.??? The electric brakes on our campers depend on tire rolling friction to disengage.? If the tires are rolling on a slick surface with low coefficient of friction, such as icy or snowy roads, the brakes can be slow to disengage after being actuated, resulting in sliding instead of rolling tires. Sliding sideways can be disastrous, even in a straightaway, if one brake disengages before the other.

3.??? ?If you have sway bars installed in your camper, my strong advice is to disengage them when towing in wintery weather.? Sway bars tend to keep the camper aligned behind the tow vehicle, but on a wintery road they can do more than that: they can force the camper to slide sideways when the vehicle turns, and sliding is not your friend when that happens.

4.??? In any event, the best deterrent other than not towing is to drive slowly and smoothly, with no sudden braking or changes in direction.? Don’t deny yourself the fun of winter camping, just be extra careful.

?

Dave

?

……………………..

?

I’ve driven a lot on snow covered roads but never towed anything on snow covered roads. What would be the difference from a snowmobile trailer?
 

Let me know if I am understanding your points correctly.
?
1. More weight on the tongue vs farther back in the trailer is better. I have 2 lead acid batteries and 2 - 20lb propane tanks on the tongue and I don’t think I will be using much less traveling with my rear water tank full.
?
2. I have my Bluetooth brake controller tuned low, maybe it should be tuned VERY low?
?
Thank you for your detailed thoughts on this.
JoeS
 

Be careful with downshifting. ?I was riding with a friend going down a slippery road. ?He downshifted. ?The rear drive wheels locked up. ?The car spun a 180. ?We crossed through opposing traffic, and hit the far snowbank going backwards. ?Luckily we didn't hit another vehicle and no damage. ?But you should pump the brakes to test traction before you downshift, and be ready to shift into neutral if you skid.
?
On Wed, Dec 11, 2024 at 09:41 AM, dan smartt wrote:

I don't know what is different other than your normal winter driving is. I've towed my aliner through a few blizzards in mountain roads without issue. Small roads and paved highways. Never an issue

Just drive e slowly and don't make any sudden moves. I also downshift a lot instead of braking (but i do that in good weather too).? But that's true for any winter driving.? The only issue i had is man it makes the trailer dirty

Remember going up the mountain is ez it's going down that extra caution is needed.

Towed using a Tacoma & now a forerunner


On Wed, Dec 11, 2024 at 8:46 AM, JoeS via groups.io
<joesears74@...> wrote:
I’ve driven a lot on snow covered roads but never towed anything on snow covered roads. What would be the difference from a snowmobile trailer?
?
?
 

开云体育

?

Just a note: It would be good if all of us add at least a portion of the posting to which we’re replying, to the bottom of our reply.? That way, we all can understand the whole conversation.? Review this posting as an example.

?

Thanks, and Merry Christmas!

?

Dave

?

………………………

?

Let me know if I am understanding your points correctly.

?

1. More weight on the tongue vs farther back in the trailer is better. I have 2 lead acid batteries and 2 - 20lb propane tanks on the tongue and I don’t think I will be using much less traveling with my rear water tank full.

?

2. I have my Bluetooth brake controller tuned low, maybe it should be tuned VERY low?

?

Thank you for your detailed thoughts on this.

?

1 - 10 of 10