Cold Weather Camping in your Airstream

Just because the weather is getting colder doesn’t mean you have to stop camping. Lots of people continue to take weekend outings in their Airstream trailer or even live in it full-time. But with the kind of weather we see here around Salt Lake City, you’ll need to take special steps to prepare yourself for camping in cold weather. That’s why Airstream of Utah has provided some tips for winter camping. You can also come visit us and chat with one of our friendly staff about some of their tips, or check out some Airstream Basecamp trailers for sale to get your winter camping started. We’re near Park City, Provo, and Ogden, Utah.

Adding Insulation

Of course, the biggest struggle will be fighting the cold. Even with your trailer’s high-quality materials and the natural, built-in insulation, the heater in your Airstream might be working overtime to combat some of the particularly cold temperatures. You’ll want to consider adding insulation in all the places where the cold is going to leak in or the heat is going to leak out, namely your windows. Add thermoplastic materials to keep everything trapped in, foam inserts for your Fantastic Fan roof vents, and install temporary weather stripping around your door. If you’re really committed, you can custom-cut rigid insulation boards to add to your windows.

There are other, easier ways you can combat this problem. It’ll be coldest when the sun goes down, even if it wasn’t very cold during the day. Close up your curtains at night to keep out the chill and contain the interior heat.

Extra Heat Sources

Your Airstream trailer comes with a propane heating system and water heaters. Use them! Even if you’re trying to save money, it’s hard to justify being freezing and miserable to save some coin. If you’re hooked up to an electric source, at a campground, for example, consider turning off the furnace and relying on the electric heat pump or strip that your trailer might have. Keep in mind, these heat pumps will automatically turn off and switch to the furnace if it’s colder than 30 ℉.

If that’s still not enough, think about other ways you can heat your Airstream. When the sun’s up, use it to your full advantage. Park somewhere where your trailer can get maximum exposure. You’ll also want to think about using your kitchen to make all your meals, in order to use the heat that’s generated from the stove to warm up the interior (though you shouldn’t use your stove as a primary heating source). Space heaters are also an option (thought they may not be necessary with all the other heat sources) and you can also switch out any LEDs for incandescent bulbs, which will give off more heat.

Don’t Forget to Ventilate

It’s tempting to close up entirely for the winter, but without ventilation, you’ll find condensation will accumulate quickly. Keep your vents open to let fresh air circulate through the interior. This will be particularly important when someone is taking a shower and when the stove is in use.

Protect your Plumbing

Freezing temperatures can be particularly troublesome to your plumbing. As an Airstream owner, your trailer probably either pumps warm air from the furnace into the area around the holding tanks or has a heating pad attached to them. Check your owner’s manual to find out which method your model uses. If you have an Airstream Basecamp, for example, you’ll get a combination of the furnace method and tank heaters. If you’re still concerned about your holding tanks freezing, you can add a little RV antifreeze, but always avoid adding this to your freshwater tank, as it can be toxic to humans.

Other tips to help protect your plumbing include things like leaving cabinet doors open so warm air reaches the pipes behind them, and purchasing a heated drinking water hose. Your shore cord should also be stored inside when you’re not using it, as cold weather will cause it to stiffen.

This should help you combat the worst of the cold weather in the winter, but we know you might have other concerns about camping with your Airstream trailer this season. For all your RV concerns, or simply to check out some great Airstream Basecamp trailers, stop by Airstream of Utah in Salt Lake City, and we’ll help you with all your RV-related needs. We also serve Park City, Provo, and Ogden.