Posted on 12/24/2011 6:13:11 PM PST by Jet Jaguar
Just looking for advice. I am headed back to Alaska. I bought a 1964 Tradewind.
I gotta fix it up and use it. I am looking for people who may have been through this before.
There are lots of clubs online that will help you out. Just get that piece of crap out of my yard.
I think I have a tank that fits one. It came from someone who had an Airstream before a divorce.
expensive
I hope you got money to burn. There are people who’s entire livelihood is restoring airstreams. I almost bought an old airstream motorhome(yes they actually made a drivable version for a short period) until I found out what it costs to refurbish one.
I have seen that.
Looks interesting.
Let me know the model. I might be interested.
Posted from someone who has never lived in Alaska.
The Summers make up for it. Believe me.
Mine is a trailer. I need a space I can drag with me. Most easy to do work on. It looks like.
...So what’s the best trailer for cold weather camping / living...?
Is this a trial visit or permanent?
I don’t know. I have survived -50 in North Pole before. This thing looks like it could survive as well with proper care.
Permanent. I am to be stationed there again. I am traveling during the Summer months up there. So weather should not be a big concern.
For winter, too? LOL! Okay.
Slap a layer of polyisocyanurate insulation all over the outside of it (top, sides and bottom, none on the inside of the trailer—toxic fumes if burning), and seal it all really well. Get some insulated window shades. Get some kind of storm windows on it—some that are easily removable (for switching wind directions). Get two of the most powerful Platinum Cat catalytic heaters (5200 BTU each, IIRC), and install those properly (vents). If you’re going to be off-grid, study PV solar systems thoroughly, and install one of those properly—at least 400 watts of charging (PV modules), but more is better (600 watts or more), with great charge controller, inverter, all of the switches required by code, and at least 6 golf cart batteries in an array two wide (series) and three long (parallel). Make sure that your water and waste won’t freeze.
Generally, the gas-fired appliances in travel trailers are dangerous in winter and often start fires.
Get an on-demand propane water heater with a good vent installed, and do thorough study on how to keep that from freezing (possible but very involved). The heat exchangers in those will freeze very easily if not installed with much technical consideration. Make sure that it has its own vertical air intake just under it (through the floor), because the forced exhaust heater might draw air through the water heater vent and freeze it up.
It will look like a space shuttle, when you’re done, but it will work if done well. Better yet, park the trailer in a heated building. That will work for sure. ;-)
What an adventure - All the best! Keep us posted.
It’s a camper.
Not gonna be living it year round.
I will winterize it when the freeeze comes.
Just using it to travel back up to the north.
You bet.
It would almost be easier to go with all electric appliances and even electric heat...all powered by a massive generator, I think. He’s gonna need heat tape on all the pipes and tank heaters for fuel, water, and waste, and even heaters on his batteries. Might as well go totally electric.
Lots of rebuild project, some very well documented in text and photos. They even have a big section dedicated to winterizing and winter living.
So once its there, it stays there? Are you going to take the wheels off?
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