Congratulations and welcome!
If you search the forum, (using the advanced search to be able to expand the date range), you will find lots of prior discussions of this. In a nutshell, overnight temps below freezing are okay if the temperature gets above freezing during the day. Extended freezing temps mean that you need to winterize the water system. You can carry water inside in where it is heated, but the tanks can freeze since they are exposed (yes, the salesman told you what you wanted to hear which is not the same as telling you the whole truth).
That being said, we did camp in sub-freezing temperatures. We carried water in an 8 gallon Hydroller container and kept is in the Tow Vehicle (TV) when we were driving and took it into the 'Pod when we were inside it and the heat was turned on. We used RV antifreeze to flush #2 (not required for #1) and added some to the gray water tank. We used rest stop or other available facilities when available. In that regard, it was more like tent camping, but much more comfortable.
If the elk camp has facilities available, you can use the 'Pod for other things like sleeping, cooking, lounging, but be aware that you will go through a LOT of propane if you expect to keep it at a toasty 72F. When we were winter camping, it was down as low as 4F with a lot of wind chill. A 20 lb tank would not last long (a day or two) if we tried to heat the 'Pod like we were in the house. It is well insulated, but not that well. Keep the temps cooler (65F to 68F or whatever you can stand) during the times you are inside and awake and turn it down to 50F or thereabouts when you are sleeping and use a good sleeping bag to keep warm. If you winterized, then you can turn the heat off to save gas unless you do have a water jug inside, then keep it as low as possible to keep the temps above freezing inside. If you have electricity available, take advantage of that and carry a small ceramic block heater. That will save you from having to hunt up propane tank refill places as often.
Four season means enclosed tanks with heat pumped in via ducted heat. That may keep the tanks from freezing, but at the cost of a high propane use.
There is the option of enclosing the tanks yourself, either via bales of hay as you stated, or finding a product to cover the tanks. I remember reading abut one person doing so, but I don't recall reading how well that worked out. Others have made a water circulation setup that puts a pump at the water heater and a valve at the farthest faucet. Hot water is then pumped through and then it empties back into the fresh water tank. This is set up on some sort of timer to let it run periodically. This gives instant hot water at the tap and helps keep the fresh water tank from freezing. Again, it is at the expense of much increased propane use. In the summer, the instant hot water is a big water saver since one does not have to waste that gallon or so of water trying to get hot water at the tap. I intend to make that modification one of these days.
------------- StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...
http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods
Former RPod 179
Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS
|