Lessons Learned

[JEBar]

many of us have just come through a period of record setting cold .... I know that we've learned several things that should help us be better prepared in the future .... given, we were in our camper but it seems to me the lessons apply to being at home as well .... there is no doubt that down the line we will realize we need to come back and add things .... for us :

1. running a trickle of water won't automatically prevent pipes from freezing .... the lower the temp, the stronger the stream needs to be

2. running a trickle of water can cause ice to buildup in you RV sewer hose ... the lower the temp, the greater the need for sewer hose to have a steady downward path (no low spots) .... here again, the stronger the flow the better

3. have a plan and the equipment necessary to maintain electrical power for at least a few days ....

4. have a plan and the equipment necessary to provide at least a few days of drinking water

5. have a plan and the equipment necessary to store and prepare sufficient food to last for a few days

6. have a plan and the equipment necessary to provide a source of heat in life threatening low temps

7. have extra blankets and warm clothing on hand

8. have a coffee maker that doesn't require electricity

9. in a camper, switch your frig over to gas

10. in a camper, if you heat your storage areas with a portable heater, set it in 70's at minimum (don't just set it a little above freezing)

11. have things to do that help deal with cabin fever

12. have a fully charged batter charger for your phone and such

[BigAl52]

Our fridge auto switches to gas in a power outage does yours not do that? Im also lucky to have tank heaters on all water tanks. I feel a small generator is a must. One that will keep the campers batteries charged. Getting propane was the challenge here. Spent time standing in line 2 different days.

[JEBar]

yes, our camper's frig does automatically switch to propane when the power goes out .... it was fine during those times .... the problem surfaced after the power was restored and it was still so cold for so long

[Hatchdog]

Great list, thanks for posting. I don’t intend to camp in the conditions you just experienced but neither did you! I do carry a 2000w Honda generator mostly to charge my batteries when we dry camp but even if I’m on a trip expecting to have full hookups every night I still carry it JIC. I don’t bring a supplemental heater but might start doing so when I travel on the shoulder seasons.

[GeoBoy]

We bring a Vornado heater for supplemental heat in early spring or fall. Nice product.

[JEBar]

I do carry a 2000w Honda generator mostly to charge my batteries when we dry camp but even if I’m on a trip expecting to have full hookups every night I still carry it JIC. I don’t bring a supplemental heater but might start doing so when I travel on the shoulder seasons.

in my book that's a wise move .... a Honda generators are quiet and reliable .... they can run a long time on not too much fuel .... as long as you can keep your camper's batter charged and you have propane, you can will have heat, lights and water from the fresh water tank

[Stray Cat]

For charging a cell phone at deer camp, I use the an Anker power bank. It can charge my Samsung S7 from a low 15% to full charge up to 5 times. They don't take up much room, and they hold a full charge for months.

[JEBar]

my wife has one of those chargers and really likes it .... they most certainly do come in handy

[JEBar]

3. have a plan and the equipment necessary to maintain electrical power for at least a few days ....

we just took action on the above item ..... with a camper there are 2 types of electricity .... 110 and 12V .... if you have 110 power, the systems in your camper should work .... emergency 110 requires some type of generator .... if the 12V is working and you have propane, you have light, heat, water pump and refrigeration .... unless you have a sufficient number of batteries to weather the storm, you need some way keep the camper's coach battery charged .... during the week of subfreezing temps we experienced at Lake Conroe in February we plugged in the camper's 7 way power cord and let our truck idle for hours to keep the camper's battery charged .... not long ago we shortened that cable to be just long enough to plug in when the truck is in towing position .... today I purchased a 9' 7 wire extension cord .... this will allow us considerable flexibility in where we can park our truck .... frankly, its a cord I hope I never have to take out of the package ...

[BigAl52]

I bought a generator no more wondering if I will be able to keep heat to the RV. Bought a Costco A1 Power made by Yamaha Generator. It has USB ports on it along with 12v and a 30 amp plug. When unboxed and oil added started on the first pull. I have also made the effort with it to run ethanol free fuel as I do with all of my small engines at home. That ethanol is destructive to small engines and carburetors. Check out Project Farm on Youtube that guy tests lots of different items and is great to watch