From the Driver's Seat: Weather - Temperature Swings
Cold weather can be tough, but when you add snow and ice, 🥶 it can make things even more difficult. Our coldest temperature thus far was in northern Indiana at minus 15 degrees. If you calculate the wind chill, our coldest was at Lake Michigan while walking on shelf ice (created when freezing waves and floating ice chunks are pushed on shore). Another bone chilling place we have experienced in winter was Niagara Falls in New York. It was truly an unforgettable experience. Not surprisingly, there were very few tourists and the ice that the Falls overspray created, was a spectacular sight. North Dakota is known for harsh winters, and we can confirm this fact! It was difficult to find a camping area that was open, but when we did, we had the entire campground to ourselves.
Walking on Shelf Ice at Lake Michigan
We truly love winter camping. The silence while going for a walk after a snowfall can be mesmerizing. Watching ice fishermen driving on the lakes and doing their routines was fascinating. Virtually little-to-no people can, however, spoil you for when it starts warming up and the crowds return. Foot-long icicles hanging off the camper from our heater's external exhaust shows it is getting cold! Frozen soda and mouthwash in the cab of the truck shows it may be getting too cold and, if at all possible, time to head south to thaw out.
North Dakota
We have found that cold weather can be challenging, but hot weather 🥵 is by far the most difficult. With our setup, we can tolerate a day or two of camping with all screens opened and both fans on if the mercury rises to 100+ degrees. It is much different in South Carolina compared to Arizona due to the high humidity in the east. But 100 degrees is still 100 degrees!
South Carolina (left)
HOT (middle)
Arizona (right)
There have been multiple times that I have questioned our decision to not install air conditioning on the camper. One of the main reasons was the power consumption necessary to run it. Yes, the lithium batteries can handle the air conditioning, but only for a short time. Shore power is really the only solution for running air conditioning continuously. The problem is, we truly enjoy dispersed camping (free), but there are no electrical hookups. This means you would have to go to an organized campground, which costs money, especially during peak season. Many require advance reservations and can be full for last-minute campers. But when the temperature rises to near or above the century mark, it can be very difficult to stay comfortable. Another factor that is associated with high temperatures are severe storms. We have experienced hail on numerous occasions in eastern Wyoming (up to pee-size) and in central Montana (ping pong-size). On both occasions, we incurred no damage. We felt especially lucky in Montana due to the size of the hail.
Wyoming (left)
Montana (right)
We have experienced highs and lows (pun intended), traveling the country in all weather conditions. From highs of 109 degrees near Phoenix, Arizona to a low of minus 15 in Indiana and North Dakota. That translates to a 124 degree temperature difference. The truck and camper have performed flawlessly.
Looking back now, I wouldn't change a thing!
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