If you happen to’ve ever wished to take your motorhome snowboarding or park up within the mountains over winter, this put up is for you!
Discover ways to winterise your motorhome & put together for snow and residing in excessive chilly. We additionally speak about the best way to discover in a single day parking locations for vans, aires or campsites throughout winter, the best way to handle energy throughout winter vanlife, issues to organise earlier than you permit and getting probably the most out of ski tenting.
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Motorhome skiing- what’s it?
One of many issues we love most about travelling in our motorhome is the liberty. The flexibility to go the place we wish, once we wish to (international pandemics apart!)
We spend plenty of time touring Europe in a motorhome and we wish to suppose we’re pretty good at adapting to our surroundings. We’re fairly self-sufficient, know the best way to keep off-grid for a number of days with out situation and may handle energy, water, waste and all that different stuff which comes with expertise.
However…
There’s something about staying in a motorhome up excessive within the mountains, whereas temperatures drop effectively beneath freezing, snow falls (quite a bit!) and issues get much more inaccessible which is a completely totally different sort of vanlife.
Your choices are fewer and you must be way more ‘on the ball’ with issues like campervan heating and taking good care of your automobile.
That is motorhome snowboarding (or ski tenting, because the Europeans name it).
So, what’s the massive cope with motorhome snowboarding?
We’ve achieved plenty of winter street journeys within the UK. We’ve been within the mountains in Europe as late as December, and once more in March. Each occasions there was snow, however we didn’t keep longer than a day and it wasn’t proper within the coronary heart of the chilly season.
A few years in the past, we had an epic winter street journey in Europe and spent per week at Mont Dore in central (ish) France, and had a VERY steep studying curve each earlier than we went and while we have been there.
On this put up, I wish to share with you the largest suggestions and tips we learnt for residing in a motorhome over winter.
Our fears earlier than we headed to the snow…
Our largest concern is whether or not our motorhome (a UK-built Swift 685) will probably be as much as the rigours of winter motorhome residing in such a chilly, hostile atmosphere.
Would we be heat sufficient? Will our programs cope? What preparation do we have to do upfront to make life simpler? What occurs if all of it goes improper?
To assist educate ourselves, we spoke to somebody who has spent months in mountains over winter. In reality, 95% of all her time in a motorhome EVER has been throughout winter.
Please observe that winterising your motorhome to be used in mountains just like the Alps is NOT the identical as making ready your van to be used within the UK all through winter- that’s a lot simpler and also you don’t must do many of the steps talked about beneath.
If you happen to’re not going to be utilizing your van for a number of weeks, we extremely suggest shutting it down safely to keep away from burst pipework or injury. Learn our step-by-step information to winter shutdown right here.
Motorhome snowboarding and winterising your motorhome video
Watch our video chat with Hannah from winterised.com and snomadsites.com. If you happen to choose to learn or need extra info on factors mentioned within the video, you’ll discover them beneath.
We hope you discovered the video helpful. If you happen to did, we’d find it irresistible if you adopted us on Youtube. New movies with suggestions for motorhoming and campervanning within the UK and Europe are launched weekly.
Motorhome & Campervan skiing- important suggestions
As mentioned within the video above, listed below are some tricks to put together your motorhome or camper for winter spent within the mountains. A few of them genuinely are life-saving; getting caught in temperatures and circumstances like these with out being ready is not any joke.
Winterise & Put together your automobile
It’s extremely seemingly that your motorhome or campervan won’t be adequate in its present state (until you got one particularly for winter use!)
Due to this fact, you’re going to want to do some work to it to get it snow-ready!
Jobs to do to arrange for winter within the mountains embrace:
Insulating your motorhome
Apparently, the traditional ‘gray’ lagging insulation shouldn’t be sufficient. The black model (referred to as Armaflex) is the one to get- accessible from most European {hardware} shops or Amazon. Locations to focus on embrace:
- Exterior water tanks and pipework (It’s price including some to inner water tanks too should you can)
- Any pipework which runs alongside the ground (that’s most of it!)
- Wheel arches
- The ground– attempt to create a ‘double ground’ impact utilizing insulated matting the place you’ll be able to, or use carpet items
Important GEAR to take
There are some belongings you NEED to carry- and a few belongings you SHOULD carry to make life simpler for you!
This isn’t an exhaustive listing, however a superb start line consists of:
Utilizing your motorhome throughout winter
It’s essential to keep in mind that how you employ your motorhome between spring-autumn won’t be the identical as utilizing it in the course of winter up a mountain in -17c!
Your programs won’t operate in the way in which you is perhaps used to, and there will probably be different jobs it’s worthwhile to do to maintain all the pieces operating.
Even should you’re used to wild tenting together with your motorhome, make sure to take note of the following pointers:
Waste tanks
Once you park up, place an exterior bucket or container below the gray waste drain, and go away it open. This helps stop freezing. Make sure you empty the bucket repeatedly!
Most Aires may have locations to eliminate waste, though not all services can be found on a regular basis (we’ll get to that!)
Water
Many aires and campsites will go away a contemporary water faucet operating, in order that it doesn’t freeze. We additionally counsel utilizing a water filter for ANY campsite water- simply in case (or get considered one of these AMAZING lifesaver jerrycans)
TOP TIP: Don’t drink yellow snow… 😉
Energy & Heating
Many campsites within the mountains don’t have 16 amp electrical energy provide and so your campervan or motorhome heating may not work in addition to you might be used to! It additionally means it’s worthwhile to be selective about how a lot electrical energy you might be utilizing without delay (you don’t wish to be THAT van which is consistently tripping everybody’s electrical…)
Gasoline heating is a good alternative- but it surely makes use of plenty of fuel. We get by means of a 6kg bottle in about 3 days. We extremely suggest becoming refillable fuel bottles in your motorhome should you’re going to be travelling in Europe a lot- ensure you know the place the closest provide is (and if it stays open throughout winter!)
Diesel heating can be an excellent various, however many vans don’t include it as customary. If you happen to do match it, concentrate on the load and the way it impacts your motorhome payload.
Don’t overlook, you’ll need someplace to dry moist gear. It helps in case you have a toilet with heating- string a line throughout the highest and dangle all the pieces as much as dry in a single day.
READ MORE: Every little thing it’s worthwhile to find out about motorhome/ camper heating
Photo voltaic
You possibly can’t depend on solar energy throughout winter in the identical means you’ll be able to at different occasions of the 12 months. The solar isn’t as sturdy, there are extra nighttimes and extra areas of shade. Additionally, you’ll be utilizing extra energy than you would possibly usually.
If you have already got a photo voltaic panel fitted, then by all means use what you’ll be able to, however don’t depend on it as your solely energy supply.
Battery
Batteries don’t like chilly. They don’t run as successfully so it’s worthwhile to be extra vigilant about taking care of them, ensuring they don’t run too low, giving them a superb cost repeatedly and usually babying them.
READ MORE: Every little thing it’s worthwhile to find out about motorhome leisure batteries
Generator
If you happen to’re going to take your motorhome snowboarding, you’ll most likely wish to carry a motorhome generator. Everybody does- simply make sure to use it throughout the day, not late at evening!
LED lights
We at all times suggest LED lights to save lots of power- particularly should you’re doing plenty of motorhome wild tenting, however in winter it turns into important.
After all, don’t overlook your clothes. Right here’s an important information of what to put on when snowboarding
Hiring a motorhome or campervan for snowboarding
There are corporations which hire out motorhomes or campervans for snowboarding. If you happen to select to do this, please make certain the van is correctly insulated and outfitted with all the pieces you want.
Motorhome skiing- aires or campsites?
One in all our largest questions was HOW do you discover someplace to remain within the mountains? Motorhome touring in France is straightforward sufficient in ‘regular’ seasons, however we all know many mountain roads shut throughout winter- so how do we all know the place we are able to go or the place is open?
It’s true that many websites shut throughout winter, however there are locations, together with free motorhome parking and in a single day stopover spots which stay open all 12 months. Sadly, it seems to be like some aires are being closed, however there are nonetheless campsites open and accessible.
There are professionals and cons as to whether you keep in an aire or on a campsite to your ski tenting journey!
TIP: If you happen to’re searching for ski tenting websites, search for the phrases ‘caravaneige’ or ‘snowmobiling’- each phrases utilized by the French
Professionals of campsites
- Can typically be booked in advance- simpler should you’re reserving ski colleges or gear rent
- Extra dependable electrical hookup
- Simpler should you’re motorhoming with children
- Bus or service to take you to the lifts if it’s not close by
- Drying rooms- this looks like an excellent resolution to the moist clothes issue- there’s nothing worse than damp ski jackets and pants the day after! (Bear in mind to take your personal padlock for safety within the drying room)
- Assist getting towed out should you get caught
- Different services, equivalent to a small store or restaurant, which could be useful
Right here’s an instance of a campsite we’ve heard good opinions about which caters to motorhomes, campervans and even caravans throughout winter! (I like the very fact it has an indoor pool!)
Professionals of Aires
- Cheaper
- Extra flexibility to observe the snow
- Feels extra like an journey!
The right way to discover locations to stick with your motorhome throughout winter
It may be tough to discover Aires in Europe within the standard means for motorhome snowboarding. It’s not simply discovering the places- it’s realizing if they’re open throughout winter, what services they’ve open throughout winter and what number of areas will probably be accessible (aires can go from 140+ areas to lower than 50!)
A greater choice is to make use of snomadsites.com, which caters for winter websites and has extra info than you possibly can even suppose to ask!
Is motorhome snowboarding cheaper than happening a ski vacation?
It is a robust one. Most individuals who go on a snowboarding vacation solely go for per week or two most.
Most individuals who take their motorhomes to the mountains both dwell close by or are going for a few months.
Nevertheless, as Hannah says, the hassle and expense wanted to verify your automobile is correctly in a position to hand a winter within the mountains typically makes it not price it until you intend to spend months on the market.
It’s additionally much more tough when it comes to sensible life- you’ve moist clothes and damp to cope with, water, fuel and electrical points and the fixed concern about getting snowed in. If you happen to’re simply doing it to lower your expenses in your street journeys, you would possibly wish to suppose once more or a minimum of do the sums very rigorously earlier than you commit.
Phew! That was plenty of info to soak up however, as we found, ski tenting is a completely totally different sort of motorhoming or vanlife.
Nothing beats ‘doing it your self’, however I hope you are feeling way more knowledgeable earlier than your first motorhome ski journey.
If you happen to’ve been snowboarding and brought your motorhome or camper and have every other suggestions, please do go away a remark and share your knowledge.
Secure travels!
Final replace on 2024-08-16 / Affiliate hyperlinks / Photographs from Amazon Product Promoting API