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While many Airstreams hibernate for the winter, more and more hearty owners are discovering the joys of cold weather adventuring.
During a recent episode of the popular Ask an Airstreamer livestream, Airstream’s two Snow Queens, Diane Tripels and Andrea Umbach, shared their insight into the joys and logistics of getting out into the often austere beauty of the winter landscape. Diane, who has owned seven Airstreams, routinely drives across Canada, often in the winter. Seattle resident Andrea is a winter sports buff who uses her Basecamp to travel to her favorite ski and snowboarding spots.
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Their message to the audience: With a bit of extra planning and the right equipment, winter can be just another season of magical outdoor adventure.
“I want to empower people and show them that it is absolutely possible to full-time or winter camp in an Airstream, and it's absolutely magic,” said Diane. “There are no bugs and a lot more space. I've been doing that for over ten years, so yes, it's pretty fun.”
Both Andrea and Diane agree that planning and constant intelligence gathering are critical to successful winter adventures. Is your intended destination open? Does the campground provide water hook-ups in winter? What are the road conditions around the park, ski resort or campground? Are the area’s stores and gas stations open in winter? If not, where will you resupply? These and numerous similar questions must be answered before you even hitch-up your Airstream.
The info-gathering doesn’t stop when you’re on the road —nor does the trip tweaking. Diane emphasized the importance of continually monitoring the weather and adjusting accordingly.
“I'm always listening and watching the weather,” said Diane. “Many times, I found myself headed into a snowstorm. I didn’t want to take any chances, so I went to a truck stop and stayed overnight to wait for the sky to clear up.”
Andrea added that if you're planning to go to a resort or other destination, call from the road to make sure neither the road nor weather conditions have changed since you started your trip.
And while maintenance is always key to safely enjoying your Airstream, Diane says it’s imperative in winter.
“You need a reliable vehicle,” she told the Ask an Airstreamer audience. “Do the maintenance. Check your vehicle and check your setup, your weight distribution hitch. I'm always looking at my tires’ inflation.”
Oh, and if your sewage hose is showing any wear, you’re going to want to replace that before heading into the bitter, plastic-cracking cold.
Diane and Andrea offered great advice on powering your cold-weather adventure. If you have an electric hook-up, make sure your power cord isn’t vulnerable to falling tree branches or snow piles, said Andrea. If you’re using solar, know that the winter sun won’t charge your batteries as fast as it does in summer. (And remember to brush that snow off your solar panels.) Diane recommends carrying a couple of extra propane tanks to ensure you don’t run out and discover that nearby re-supply sources are closed for the season. She also carries a generator and space heaters to take the weight off her propane supply.
To protect your Airstream’s plumbing system, Diane strongly recommends investing in a heated water supply hose, which is available at many hardware stores. She also keeps her water tank topped-off to ward off freezing and lets her Airstream’s faucets drip overnight when the temperatures tumble below 32 degrees.
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The pay-off for all this effort, said Andrea and Diane, is the opportunity to visit new-to-you winter wonderlands, like the Canadian Rockies, and see popular spots like Yellowstone in a new (and less crowded light).
Attendees found Andrea and Diane’s presentation enlightening and even a little inspiring. Said one: “Excellent and informative. I am much more willing to try winter camping because of this seminar.”
Added attendee: “I didn't have any information about camping in the winter and was mostly concerned about the water and tank systems freezing. This was very informative.”
To watch this and the other Ask an Airstreamer livestreams, click here.
