Camping in the snow

[Mick]

just back from a Skiing trip to Austria. A have a couple I’d learnings I’d like to share.

1. Sleeping in the pop top is cold at -8. Even with the heater on all night and the privacy slide on the internal roof fully open. So an insulation wrap looks like a definite need. Any recommendations.

2. Sleep down on the rib bed with the pop top ceiling down is very toasty with heater on low heat. Ceiling up you can feel the cold.

3. My eberspacher programmer is great but you cannot set a program to run for more than an hour at a time. Am I missing something? I can press the button a number of times and get 8hours but I’d like a programmer to do it for me at set times. Say 10pm -6pm. I also had to make sure 5he water did not freeze so a programmer being set for this would be great. 5-9pm.

4. Wild camping in a car park with a 125w solar panel, 2x 85ah batteries! Fridge and heater on you get a day. That’s it’s even with the sun shining all day. Good job I took my genny.

5. Showering was a ticket to the local spa

All in all 3 nights was ok. Not sure about a whole week. Next time it’s a campsite with hookup. But hey I gave it a go.

 

[superflyguy]

I just hibernate until Spring

 

[Banj]

Why did you need a fridge on...

 

[superflyguy]

Why did you need a fridge on...

You still need ice in your G&T !!!

 

[Davenjo]

just back from a Skiing trip to Austria. A have a couple I’d learnings I’d like to share.

1. Sleeping in the pop top is cold at -8. Even with the heater on all night and the privacy slide on the internal roof fully open. So an insulation wrap looks like a definite need. Any recommendations.

2. Sleep down on the rib bed with the pop top ceiling down is very toasty with heater on low heat. Ceiling up you can feel the cold.

3. My eberspacher programmer is great but you cannot set a program to run for more than an hour at a time. Am I missing something? I can press the button a number of times and get 8hours but I’d like a programmer to do it for me at set times. Say 10pm -6pm. I also had to make sure 5he water did not freeze so a programmer being set for this would be great. 5-9pm.

4. Wild camping in a car park with a 125w solar panel, 2x 85ah batteries! Fridge and heater on you get a day. That’s it’s even with the sun shining all day. Good job I took my genny.

5. Showering was a ticket to the local spa

All in all 3 nights was ok. Not sure about a whole week. Next time it’s a campsite with hookup. But hey I gave it a go.

Looks like you had a great time!

1 & 2 - Lowest we have had so far is -4. Josh sleeps in the pop top but was still comfortable. Definitely a lot warmer on the rib with the sleeping platform above down. When you raise the bed the temperature noticeably drops. Have a look at the Rainbow Screens pop top wrap - the ones we have on the front and rear are thicker than anything else we have seen and do a brilliant job of keeping us warm in winter and cool in summer. We did consider the pop top wrap as well but Josh is happy without it. Guessing the additional bodies also helps to generate quite a bit of additional heat.

3 - We don't have the fancy programmer on our Eberspacher - you just turn it on and it stays on until you turn it off - sounds like this might suit your needs better, i.e. just set it on relatively low and let it run all day.

4 - Did you sort your solar installation out after Busfest? I've not done the maths but I would have thought with 170ah battery plus 125w solar you would be getting more than a day? The Eberspacher D2 (which I think is the same model you have) draws between 8 and 34 watts so even if running flat out for 24 hours one of your batteries should have more than enough to keep it going beyond a day?? Similarly, with low ambient temperatures, I would expect your fridge to be consuming a fraction of what it would in the summer??

5 - Don't blame you!!

 

[Mick]

Looks like you had a great time!



4 - Did you sort your solar installation out after Busfest? I've not done the maths but I would have thought with 170ah battery plus 125w solar you would be getting more than a day? The Eberspacher D2 (which I think is the same model you have) draws between 8 and 34 watts so even if running flat out for 24 hours one of your batteries should have more than enough to keep it going beyond a day?? Similarly, with low ambient temperatures, I would expect your fridge to be consuming a fraction of what it would in the summer??

Yes we did sort it out. But the start up amperage is around 25a to get the heater going.