Does anyone RV and snow ski

I know it's the middle of summer, but i'm daydreaming about skiing. I've never coupled rv-ing with skiingbut it sounds intriguing. I'd like to hear from folks who've done it.

I've done it when I had my SOB truck camper, but never with a 5th wheel, or trailer. Trace

djlogan said:

I know it's the middle of summer, but i'm daydreaming about skiing. I've never coupled rv-ing with skiingbut it sounds intriguing. I'd like to hear from folks who've done it.

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We've taken our Landmark on 5 and 6 week ski trips to ski Breckenridge, CO for the past 2 winters. BTW, a season pass lift ticket is only a few dollars more than a 5 day lift ticket. We're planning to be there from Jan 4 to Feb 7 next winter.

I have not used my 5th wheel to do it. But my 30ft Flair spent many a day at Crystal mountain, Mount Hood and Breckenridge.

Crystal has spaces with water and electric. And a lot of others have them also. At Breckenridge and Taos I usually stayed in a nearby RV park that were open all year and drove the jeep to the mountain. Motor homes are pretty easy to get in and out of the parking lots and most places have areas designated for them. A large trailer could be a problem. I tried to go during the week and avoided holidays. If you do that there are usually parking areas with almost no cars in them.

If you go to a place that has electric it is not big deal. Just keep an electric heater on or burn the propane. If you have to boon dock you need a generator and not be afraid to run it. I somtimes ran mine for almost the whole time. It is really a good way to ski. Up early and on the lifts when they open. Back to the RV for a nice lunch and rest for a few hours. ANd then back out in the afternoon. If you are a real hard core can even do night skiing.

Flannel sheets, a nice fleece outfit to wear and an electric blanket better than home.

We have taken our ElkRidge skiing as well. Stayed in Durango and Breckenridge. Getting there is half the battle, don't want to travel on dicey roads.

We added heat pad to fresh tank and pipe heaters to our longest run to the kitchen, after we had some freezing issues on one trip. After these mods, we haven't had problems. We run off fresh tank, filled every few days during the warmest part of the day.

Like others mentioned, run furnace to keep underbelly warm, your fireplace or other small heaters help inside.

Haven't decided this years trip but looking at Durango, AngelFire or Taos.

Doug, there are a number of challenges that you have to overcome one way or another:

• Getting there, and back: towing through the mounts in the winter isn't bad if the roads are dry. But it's very dangerous when there's snow or ice. A snowstorm can force a route change or you may have to delay travel until the roads are clear. In Colorado, it's not unusual to have snow and ice accompanied by high winds. You can't tow a high-profile vehicle in those conditions. Have a contingency plan.
• Staying comfortable: The furnace will do a pretty good job and if you supplement with a fireplace or ceramic disc heater(s), you'll keep the interior warm. Plan on using a lot of Propane. Switch tanks manually so you never find out both tanks are out at 3AM when it's -15.
• Water system: if you use it at all, you'll need tank heating pads or the water in the tanks may freeze and split the tanks. You have a choice of how to run water: heated water hose, or fill the fresh tank as needed.
  
  To keep the fresh lines from freezing, you need to run the furnace - a lot. The furnace pumps some hot air into the underbelly and will probably keep the fresh lines working below zero. Heat tape on the fresh water line will keep it from freezing.
  
  You'll also need to run a droplight (60W) in the UDC to keep water connections from freezing. A heatlamp (100-150W) behind the basement wall, near the water pump, will help keep your main water distribution system and pump from freezing when temps drop below zero.
  
  Also, watch out for the fresh tank drain. The cutoff valve and a small bit of hose above it are exposed to outside air. The water there will freeze and can wick into the main line creating a blockage. You'll need heat tape and insulation there.
  
  Tank drain gate valves can freeze (at -15F for me). Plan on dumping on warm days and you might need a hairdryer and a 3/8" socket handy (to drop the corner of the underbelly near the valves).
  
  An alternative to using the water system is to stay at a place like Tiger Run Resort in Breckenridge. If you get a site near the clubhouse, you can use the facilities inside and all you need is a couple of bottles of drinking water in the RV.
• Snow: If you have slide awnings, you'll need to rig up a support to keep them from tearing under the weight of fallen snow. I use plastic baskets from the dollar store, tied together and spaced out under the awnings. Others use pvc supports, beach balls, and inflatable rafts. You'll also have to get on the roof frequently to clear the snow off the awnings and roof - and use great care doing so.
  
  Snow at the site may need to be cleared. Carry a good snow shovel and an ice breaker. A push broom works on the roof and awnings.
• Extreme cold: When the temps get down to -15 or -20, you can build up frost on the wall at the head of the bed. Leave 1" airspace so you don't get the mattress or sheets wet and end up with mildew.
• Departure Plan: Get a weather app for your smartphone that shows the 10 day forecast. Plan your departure around the forecast. I look for a window where the highs are above freezing for 2 consecutive days - usually enough for roads to be clear of snow.

Thanks for answers. I'm looking at park city right now. Closest to home in Reno. Should be good

Dan is the man for RVing in the winter months! Taught us a few things. In Durango, we had an unexpected 13" of snow in 24 hours. Guess who got to climb up there and clean it off the roof and slides? We ended up delaying our return home by a day, because the roads were not clear enough.



Erika