End of August and prepping for colder months

Getting Ready for the Cold

It is still green outside, and the weather has been wonderful dropping down to a low of mid fifties at night. Even with the expectation of the weather heating up next week, it will be short lived. So, I figured, that for Jen and the minions to stay happy on the road, we will need to keep them warm. That said, I am looking at some emergency preparedness options along with day to day use.

Enter Mr. Heater Big Buddy. I have a friend who brought one of these things on a camping and hunting trip and I was blown away at how much heat it put off. It kept us warm in 14 degree weather outside. The Big Buddy model will be big enough to keep the camper warm all while using the inexpensive one pound canister. You can connect it to a larger canister and it will last a phenomenal amount of time so we will see how much we need to use it. This will be our 'back up, emergency option' to our already existent camper heat. We have the winter package on our camper, so we should be good until the weather gets below zero. From there, we will put up skirting, and probably stuff hay bails under the camper to keep the heat in.

The campground where we are located offer these one hundred pound canisters, you have to pay a deposit of $250 with the canister filled. I am thinking of buying one and using it to keep us warm through the winter months. That depends on how much we have to crank up the heat and how often we will need to open the doors. 

Other options I am considering is the infrared heaters. They will use the park's juice and not use up gas. If we have a fifty amp service, we are in good shape and won't have to worry about using throwing breakers or having enough power to run our appliances and television. I have had mixed reviews in regards to these infrared heaters. One friend said that it saved him a ton of money on his heating bill in the winter, others have said that it was a joke and didn't work. I think I am willing to try it for myself. If it doesn't work, I will send it back.

One other precaution, I plan on buying is a canopy. Because the cost is so cheap, I can afford if it gets damaged due to snow. I don't want to replace my awning. I thought about getting one of those kits where you can add a room to the side of your camper with simple velcro attachments. That room would act as a buffer and save us from bleeding heat.

My Goal, wouldn't be perfect, but having the canopy raised up so that it covered over my door would provided the area for building my room. With a little bit of velcro, a few canvases securely fashioned, I can have a new room addition for under $200. This will give keep us from getting cold gust of air into the camper, provide storage for things outside safe from the elements, and an easy staging area for mustering the troops to get their winter gear on.