Tuesday, February 26, 2013

My Toes are Cold in the Camper

winter jackets were necessary
at Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
I am freezing my butt off! 

Well, I wish, but it really is chilly here!  

Campers are typically not made for warm weather.  They tend to be a bit drafty and have very little insulation.  With us on the road often, we have small propane tanks that cost more to fill. We go through about a tank a week.  Thankfully the prices here in southern Utah are very reasonable at $20 a tank.  I'd like to say we have 35 lb tanks but that is just a guess based off of a memory buried in the deepest recesses of my tired brain.

We have two electric heaters besides the furnace.  With lots of blankets and warm jammies we do pretty good at night.  It is just when I sit in the slide out to type on my computer late at night that I really start to get chilled.


Weather is a huge deciding factor in where we camp next.  It is too cold to head north and we don't want to spend the gas money to drive too much further south.  Yet, I'm starting to wonder if the cost of gas for the vehicles to head further south might be the same as what we are paying for propane and electric to stay warm in a cooler climate.

Don't get me wrong, we are not in the frigid temperatures of central or mountainous Utah.  Still, with below freezing temps and the cool March winds picking up, we can still feel the bite of winter.

So is life in the desert; the days warm up nicely and the nights freeze.

I try hard to not complain.  Before long it will be too hot and our electric bill at the campgrounds will reflect our air conditioner attempting to cool this huge beast.  



When the sun sets in the desert it can get very cold!
Zion National Park, Utah





Thursday, February 21, 2013

Moisture in a camper is a nightmare!

There are only a few things that drive me nuttier than the condensation that collects on the walls and in the window sills of our camper.

I had really thought that it would not be a problem here in the low humidity west. 

Boy, was I wrong.

There is moisture in more places than I can count.  The problem is that it can lead to mold which is extremely dangerous to breath in.

So, many of my days are spent wiping up the excessive water found in the many places in my home.

It is not what I prefer to do with my free time, but oh well. I guess I can't complain when I have such an awesome back yard...

Zion National Park.



Watchman Trail, Zion National Park, Utah

Virgin River near the Visitor Center at Zion National Park

Zion National Park