Chinook RV

FWIW In early January my wife and I are heading to Scottsdale from about 40 miles north of Seattle. (Attending the Barrett - Jackson car auction) We plan to leave the Chinook mostly winterized similar to Michele. We will used bottled water for drinking and such. We have carried a portable toilet in the past when winterized and will this time as well. Taking I-5 south to I-10 East to avoid most cold weather issues. We are staying with friends in Az and will drive back later in the month. Plan to take 3 days down and 4-5 home. Will be checking the 10 day forecasts closely and will adjust our plans accordingly.

At any rate travel safe all!

Getting close now! I've been almost purposely ignoring the weather (for your trip) because, like Norman said, there's almost no reason to plan in advance at this time of year. But now it's hardly in advance Gonna take a look

How come even when I'm IN my Chinook reading about someone about to take a road trip sounds so fun? Heck, I could be DRIVING and still thinking another road trip sounds fun Good times!

heading to Scottsdale from about 40 miles north of Seattle

Marysville? Ah, I'm in Snohomish. Glad to know your local.

We have carried a portable toilet in the past when winterized and will this time as well.

I also use my 5 gallon water jug in the winter (fro drinking and dishes) and leave the water system winterized in cold weather. You can still use your holding tanks as long as you take anti-freeze with you and keep the tanks contents at about 50% anti-freeze to effluent.

Attending the Barrett - Jackson car auction

Would you mind picking me up a 1969 RS/SS Camaro restomod LS6 while you're down there? Oh, and would you mind paying for it? Thanks in advance.

Would you mind picking me up a 1969 RS/SS Camaro restomod LS6 while you're down there? Oh, and would you mind paying for it? Thanks in advance.

I'd pick you up something but..... lol. The friend we are staying with in Scottsdale just bought a 69 Z28 Camaro DZ302 Yellow with Endura bumper. He he does have a bidder pass, I'm just looking.....

( I am west of Marysville out towards Kayak Point.)

I just spent a few minutes perusing the NOAA Graphical CONUS forecast. Looking at the "weather" tab (which I use to get the big picture of systems), I see a big whomping system going east across Texas and the lower Midwest plains today. Good news is that by the time you are ready to head out (presuming late Thursday/early Friday) it should with any luck just be a rain event across the Appalachians that you can head through and get done with relatively quickly.

Then there is some snow in NM to keep an eye on. May be no big deal, or you may be able to cut north of it (at the expense of warmth) or south of it (miles). But that also may dissipate especially if you spend the usual amount of time *resting and buying things at The Container Store or the like to fix up the space

BG

*resting being defined as that amount of time one spends because "oh lookee, there is a couch in back, I could read! Hey, I could make a snack! Why not just lie down a moment after using [my very own] bathroom? Or heck, why not stop for the night early" as opposed to car driving where there is nothing to do but make miles.

Thanks Blue. I'll go on the site too to see what you are describing to familiarize myself with the data.

When I had my other MH's, I would like to take "cat " naps whenever I felt like it. It's an awesome feeing to be driving and realize that "hey, I can lay down and snooze for awhile!" I like to do that and it refreshes me.

In my other MH's, I never took really long trips...mainly just up and down the western coast or I-5, Seattle to San Diego was the farthest. I never had a reason to get snow chains. I'm wondering if I should buy some now, seeing as I may have to pass through areas that may require them, just as a precaution. I suppose it would be a good investment anyway, because my youngest son is in Pullman at WSU now, and I'll probably be going to Dad's Weekends there and most likely the Cougar/Huskies games, and it is cold during those games, and snowy on the I-90 pass.

About classic cars, when I was working and had the money for big boy toys, I had a 1965 Corvette stingray that I owned for 8 years. Went to many a car shows, and even won a trophy the one and only time I entered my car in a show. Those were the days!

The "weather" selection (on the left) will give you a good overview, and you can advance through the hours and days.

I wouldn't feel you "need" to buy chains because (at least for me) if chains are required I'm pulling over and waiting it out. This would likely only be Siskiyou Pass, but maybe others if you go a northern route.

OTOH it can't hurt to have them along: If you do buy them, I have read good things about the Thule chains which are actually more like "cables."

Yeah, maybe I'll wait on that for now, since I'll be on a southerly route (I-40). I won't hesitate to divert from that plan though. I actually prefer cables to chains anyway, because I heard they are lighter.

I've been reading a winter travel thread on here and it has some good info. Didn't think about traveling winterized and using water jugs. Probably no need to winterize anyway since I'll be far south of really freezing weather, but it is possible to fall below freezing with a freak storm. Yes, I watch sci-fi movies!


Also, may buy a small propane buddy heater rather than use the amp consuming furnace as I've read in that thread, although it would be only overnight and the coach battery would get charged up while driving during the day. I hate cold.

Years ago I stopped at a truck stop late one night and almost froze to death. Coach battery died. My breakfast banana was frozen hard as a rock. Found out later I had parked at the foot of Mt. Shasta, around a place named Weed! Not even my cold weather sleeping bag and warm clothes were warm enough. Don't want that happening again if my furnace goes out.

Funny about parking by Weed. I'm from the Midwest and when you drive it takes hundreds (or thousands) of miles to change climates. Then I spent time out west and learned about altitude. Surprise! Rule of thumb is about 5ºF temp change for every 1,000' I have found that to be reasonably accurate. Hence don't spend the night in Albuquerque or Flagstaff I'm sure you wouldn't after your experience in Weed!

If there is a half decent house battery you'd probably get at least a few hours of furnace running. If nothing else at least flip the thermostat and then sink back into the sleeping bag while it warms up

I have a Little Buddy heater (I think that's the name - it's the upright one shaped sort of like a sunflower). It works fine. Obviously you have to not tip it over (although it has a tip switch), and like any unvented heater it puts moisture into the air (cracking a window helps that as well as keeping you in oxygen). But no battery required and it's like 3800 btu. I used it in the Chinook a few times before I got my Wave. I'd say it's worth having along (uses a single one of those green canisters). If there is any chance you may have hookups, a $20 electric heater from Walmart will keep you pretty toasty. As rarely as I plug in I still carry one because it's light, cheap, and small.

I would likely drain/winterize the water system. If you get caught in freezing weather that's the last thing you want to be figuring out then. Whereas in SC if you delay a bit you'll only have better driving weather and you can do the job in nice weather.

I kind of winterize in stages depending on the situation.

Stage .5 is to open the cupboard doors under the kitchen sink and the bathroom door (well I don't have a bathroom door, but if I did). Plus the couch "flap." Lets some heat into those areas.

Stage one is to drain the supply plumbing and water heater (you could check the water heater anode rod when you drain it). At that point I'm still using the drains normally, with supply water in jugs. Use the toilet just like normal, but flush with jug water. Stage one takes the longest and is the most complicated so I tend to do that one at the first hint of cold weather.

Stage two I put antifreeze down the two sink traps and especially the shower trap (due to that one is a nightmare to replace if it breaks). I may still use the drains during the day and then just top off the trap antifreeze at night in the ones I've used. This obviously only takes five minutes.

Stage three (last one) is draining the holding tanks and putting antifreeze down the toilet (black tank) and one of the sinks (grey tank). That puts antifreeze around the dump valves. At that point I wouldn't use the holding tanks anymore (but it has to be not only cold but more of a sustained cold).

I carry a jug of -100 potable water system antifreeze for this task. Reason I use the -100 is that it's like carrying two jugs of -50 in half the space.

So far I was concentrating on the weather systems and not looking that closely at the temps along your route (yet).

So here are a few things that I did to make winter travel more 'enjoyable' in a camper van:

I bought a roll of the BIG bubble wrap at a UPS store, and cut it to fit the side windows -- and kept in place by pulling and keeping the shades down. Made a HUGE difference--as there was zero window draft once in place. I also stuffed bubble wrap and that foam padding used for gardening kneeling cushions, etc, beneath the sink, behind plumbing, and in the hookup compartment outside, which also used to let copious amounts of cold air in. I just used a steak knife to cut the foam to fit. If it wasn't dark out right now, I'd go out and take a pix for you. I can do it tomorrow, if you are interested.

Brought a bunch of hand warmers that I would put in my slippers at night...or in my socks for sleeping. A hat can be a wonderful thing if you don't run your propane heater all night.

I saw someone mentioning bringing a porta potty--there is a way to use your camper toilet without using the tanks. We test drove this 'method' all the way across the country, and it worked flawlessly! If you want me to get into the 'dirt' on the details, let me know by sending an email. Short of it is, you will need tall kitchen plastic bags, and coconut coir (found in gardening section), or even cedar shavings would work.

When you hit bad weather--stay put. I can tell you, Chinooks are not good in snow unless they are the 4WD kind. High winds are another challenge. Had a couple of days--one specifically in OK, where I thought I was piloting a dirigible. Best to stay put in bad weather and arrive alive.

Have a wonderful FUN safe trip!
Michele