My biggest complaint with Dodge is the lack of a 17in load range E tire with a severe snow rating. The alternative that seems to get the most kudos is the Goodrich TA/KO, in a 285 as it's a load range D with about a 3000lb max load rating. The tire does have a severe snow rating, which usually counts as a traction device around here. On glaze ice close to freezing a studless snow tire like a Blizzak offered stopping distances 8% shorter than an all season tire, per a study in Alaska, while a studded tire provided 23% shorter distances. In snow there were few differences, and on ice in colder temperatures or on roughened ice the differences also narrowed.

This agrees with what I observed during a recent snow and ice storm in Portland, OR. I live on a fairly steep street across the river in Camas, WA, and noticed that a Jeep with Goodrich TA tires had no problems until the temperatures climbed to about 30 degrees one day, when he stalled in front of our house and actually started sliding backwards. He was able to carefully turn around and go back down the hill. At the same time a neighbor couldn't get up the hill or his driveway in his mini-van with studded tires, and 4wd trucks were going down in barely controlled slides with wheels locked, some getting sideways. I had to chain up all 4 tires on my truck as I have the Michelin A/S tires, and didn't have any problems. The next day the studless Michelin Artic Alpins on our older Taurus spun nicely on some of the remaining ice. I may yet get the Goodrich TA/KOs but am leaning towards a studded tire, and will always carry chains. Another reason to always carry chains is that I5 and I84 had chain only requirements during the storm, although I84 was closed completely a couple of times.

 

The biggest problem with forced air furnace is it draws down your battery. I't darn near impossible to really top off a battery via the truck's alternator due to voltage drop...particularly if anything else is using 12V back there at the same time (like a 3-way fridge). I've heard all the horror stories of CO poisoning, but if you keep some windows and vents open a bit it will not be a problem...helps with condensation too.

I have a catalytic heater and never use the forced air anymore. They aren't vented, but produce minimal CO and again...I have outside ventilation open. I've even used the oven turned on low. Stove burners do OK for a quick 15 minute warm up...but that's it. One note about overhead vents...if it's snowing they can get plugged by snow even if they're open...so always have 1 or some side windows open too in the snow.

When you're at relatives...plug the camper in and have an electric heater to keep it from freezing inside. Busted waterpipes are very common. Keep the cabinetry open so that the warmwer air can get into those nooks and crannies where the pipes are. Keep a kettle of water available so you can heat it and defrost drains etc. just in case.

I wouldn't go out and get a posi just for 1 trip. Just drive careful and VERY smooth in slippery conditions. Abrubt motions with brakes or steering wheel are no no's. Just pretend there's an egg between your feet and the pedals. Use the gears going downhill as opposed to brakes. Downhill and brakes cause prolly 75% of snow crashes. With a camper you need to be exta careful. Remember Newtonian physics.

 

Just a quick expansion...if you get very low on 12V (camper battery I assume is isolated) your furnace doesn't work. It may cycle, but never lights, which compounds the low battery condition.

Impromptu... I'd get a propane "mr. heater" for like $50 as a back up. It can have other uses after the trip.

 

With a good deep cycle battery we have always been able to heat the trailer, watch tv, take a shower running the pump in the morning, and have lights on as needed for the night. Battery will be a bit low in the morning but a days travel seems to always bring the battery up to a full charge. I always seemed to need a new battery everyother year tho. Not sure if that was just the nature of the beast of my old trailers converter that charged it. Or just the life expectancy from a deep cycle. I always keep it plugged in so its not that I let the battery run dead. More on the unvented heaters guess maybe ya have to have worked on one and see how little has to be wrong for it to produce the most co. Again I don't recommend unvented heaters in a camper, and I'm sure if you read the owners manual for the stove it will not recommend using the stove for space heating. Not trying to step on toes here I just have witnessed the possible dangers of unvented appliances. Not vented = you sniffing all the not so goodies in exhaust fumes. Happy camping and hope to see you wake up every morning.

 

I understand the possible death defying act of using unvented heaters. I just mean that with proper ventilation there's not much to worry about. I expected to get flamed, as I spoke contrary to the WARNINGS. Even vented heaters are no gaurantee you won't get CO accumulation. I guess it's funny that I'm religious about turning off my propane at the bottles before doing any driving. Nowadays, regulators are SUPPOSED to cut off if any excess flow is detected. In the old days they did not and in the event of an accident you could be driving a bomb. Old training dies hard.

For me, I love my catalytic as it's QUIET, efficient, no battery draw and a very comforting warmth once it's got all the woodwork etc. warm (radiant heat). It's not quick though, so I'll run my forced air to bring up the interior to temp or for just a quickie a couple stove burners. Opening vents etc. is part of the routine for me, just like closing overhead vents before driving off.

I think they have to put those warnings due to people that don't understand the consequences and responsibility. Somebody, somewhere is going to be an idiot and then want to own the company that made the appliance(lawsuit). An hour or so of cooking with appliances would produce the same toxins, but there's no warning not to cook. Obviously 1 hour vs 8 hours produces more build-up if not ventilated, but you get my drift.

Most batteries will get you through a day or two. Extended camping in cold weather is going to put a high demand on the battery though. I finally added 2 golf cart batteries in the wheel well area so I have battery for several days. My charger will charge at 40 amps and will float charge at 13 volts. I can switch it to 14 volts to top off if need be or to charge a bit faster. When dry camping my fastest recharge comes from the generator. Many chargers/convertors only charge at 5 amps and 14 volts. Pretty useless if you ask me for battery charging while dry camping. My old convertor didn't float charge and cooked batteries regularly when plugged in at home. It finally died which was one of the best things that happened.

13 volts is about all you're going to get back to the camper from the truck alternator with much current load. A 3-way fridge on 12V draws 15-20 amps as an example, which will drop the voltage substantially. The battery won't top off at 13 volts, but prolly 85% capacity. This is typically enough from day to day with substantial driving time inbetween.

 

These catalitic heaters you speak of , are you refering to the Coleman platnum dome heaters that burn white gas ?

 

He is probably talking about a permanantly mounted catalytic heater. They run on propane and the one I got was the best single investment I have made for my trailer. It really takes the chill off, uses no battery power, uses a lot less propane than my regular heater and has never set my CO2 detector off. Camping world and some other places have them on their web sites.

 

I have one and just can not become comfortable with it on and going to sleep.

No, its a Mr Heater..see below.

No he is talking about these http://www.mrheater.com/productdetai...catid=41&id=24


Now I have cold weather camped and I have ran my furnace many nights and never had a battery go dead enough to not run and light the furnace. I always use the largest group size battery I can so I do not run short on juice. Now as far as the Mr. Heater goes I will use one to help warm it up inside, but I always turn it off before bed and rely on the furnace. If the furnace is functioning correctly it should have no issue keeping you warm.

 

Is this what you are running?? Thought about one for inside a snowmobile trailer to take the chill off.

 

I say go gor it. I love camping in colder weather. I still want to have my rv covered with snow. One thing that will help tremendously. A product called Reflectix. It's basically a thin bubble wrap, with outer portions made of a foil like substance. Lowes, or Home Depot carries it. Camper stores carry it under the Reflectix brand name and charge more for it. It's not expensive. Make some cardboard templates for your windopws and cut a window cover out of it for each window. A few peices of sticky backed velcro will keep it in place, yet allow it to be removeable so you can lok out and see the new snow each morning. Also, a large peice under your matress will do wonders for blocking out the cold under the matresses. This application is golden with popup campers.

A small Honda generator is a good idea. As long as your not running any ac, the small 1000 wat will be perfect. It'll run your small stuff plus run you block heater. Plus it's quiet enough, you won't hear it running.

 

haulin-rv: Thats what I am using. I just went with the next size up. This is from their ad: -----Enjoy penetrating soft infrared heat from low pressure LP gas. Designed specifically for RVs, Olympian Wave™ 6 Catalytic Heater is safe, efficient and dependable.----- It was fairly easy to install and I feel real comfortable leaving it on 24 hrs a day.