and the definition of Four-Season is....

[SteveBrv]

Is the Travato GL 4 season?
I've been reading and watching reviews, and they specifically don't claim it, but with the optional tank heaters I think all the lines are on the inside...
This is my preferred rig for when I full time in a year or 2, and while It's not a requirement for me, it would be nice.

Steve

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by avanti

That is why an approach that uses a diesel-fired hydronic heater as the heat source is so attractive. My rig is about as 4-season as you can get, and I can run it as long as I have a source of diesel. It is also relatively inexpensive and easy, since one can bundle all the outdoor plumbing with an extended hydronic loop and wrap the bundle with a minimal amount of insulation, rather than trying to deal with skirting and heat tape.

Very compatible with the B-van ethos, and I have full use of my plumbing.

This is what I want on my next B-van. What about the black and grey water tanks? Have you done anything special to keep them from freezing?

[avanti]

Originally Posted by Boxster1971

This is what I want on my next B-van. What about the black and grey water tanks? Have you done anything special to keep them from freezing?

Three things:
1) I enclosed the tanks and the Espar in a box made of 1/2" extruded foam insulation, so waste heat from the Espar helps keep the space warm.
2) I ran the glycol lines along the sides of the tanks (ARV has a special tank has a groove in the side for the lines, which is even better).
3) I have small electric heating pads on the tank bottoms. Probably overkill, but they came with the van.

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[markopolo]

We all have different ideas of what 4 season camping means to us. Some hardy and experienced folks could camp in a tent in winter.

Part of it depends on what you think of as winter, what camping means to you and the length of time in below freezing conditions. Are you talking about a winter in South Carolina, a winter in Northern Maine or something in between?

Any Class B van would be able to be used to travel through below freezing conditions on a trip to warmer areas. By this I mean driving during the day and 1, 2 or 3 overnights. Some rig dependent steps need to be taken to make sure RV systems aren't damaged. Similarly, a weekend away type trip is very much doable.

A challenge with Class B campervans in winter conditions is that they typically have smaller waste tanks. Couple that with few if any open dump stations in a particular area means that you could end up with full waste tanks and no where to empty them.

One of my RVs has the fresh water tank inside the RV, enclosed, insulated and heated holding tanks, an auxiliary rear automotive type heater, 35,000BTU furnace, 1,800 watt electric heat strip and double glazed thermal windows. I consider it to be an adequate three season RV in this part of the world. I'd call it a four season RV in South Carolina.

Waste tank capacity and closed dump stations have been mentioned many times before.

Another problem is fuel capacity for heat. I recall a 20lb propane tank (BBQ type tank) lasting only 4 days with nights around 20F in a winter capable Class C that I had. I was using a BBQ tank because it was easier to use the car to get the tank refilled than packing up and moving the motorhome.

Yet another problem is ice build-up. I have arrived at a campground in winter conditions (early October in Calgary) only to find all compartment doors etc. frozen over with a coating of ice. Make sure you have lock de-icer and a blow dryer available so that you can get your power cord out and be able to plug in assuming plug-ins are available.

Still another thing to be aware of is tire pressures. It is useful to have a compressor onboard to add air when traveling from a warm place to a very cold place.

[Mfturner]

Very good points Marko, I'll keep them in mind as we intend to use our next RV over the winter in the high country here in CO. The overnight snow on the LTV slide out was another example of something that I hadn't considered, but I cannot think of anything like that on the next van (pickup at the end of this month), and I don't expect to be hooking up much. So diesel usage rate for heat and battery regeneration, and waste tank dumping, will likely be my limiting factors. I'll probably keep my trips to long weekends and dump at home.

[Monica998]

Originally Posted by Mfturner

Very good points Marko, I'll keep them in mind as we intend to use our next RV over the winter in the high country here in CO. The overnight snow on the LTV slide out was another example of something that I hadn't considered, but I cannot think of anything like that on the next van (pickup at the end of this month), and I don't expect to be hooking up much. So diesel usage rate for heat and battery regeneration, and waste tank dumping, will likely be my limiting factors. I'll probably keep my trips to long weekends and dump at home.

Actually I agree with markopolo's points, he told the truth. Only a few people who will travel in the winter because of the cold weather, or be afraid of turning into a popsicle in the RVs. If you insist on doing it, about the battery, LiFePO4 batteries can satisfy all your needs even in hardy weather which can continually support all the electrical appliances at the same time. Good luck!