How Are We Handling the Cold in the Fifth Wheel? (Plus Updates)

We're back in Colorado, after driving all day (and night). We barely beat in a new storm, and pulled in just as icy sleet was flirting with the highway. Slept until noon, then realized we needed to stay a few days longer than originally planned, to avoid the nasty part of the storm. Fortunately, our friends are willing to put us up -- and The Mama agreed to keep the dogs for a few days longer than planned.

    It isn't just the weather, though the dreariness may be God's joke for me griping about Michigan skies. It's a chance to go back to a familiar doctor -- this bronchitis/pneumonia is back with a vengeance. (Maybe I need some of this.) I've spent more time coughing than I'd care to admit.
    We can also deliver apples the kids requested during their recent visit; get some items from stores here...and spend a little extra time with dear friends.
     Another big reason: we have to appear (and get fingerprinted) at the Chinese Consulate, to order to get our visas. (Why? We have no idea. Honest.) Thank God this is the consulate in Chicago, which is on the road back to Michigan, rather than the other direction. In Los Angeles. We could have gutted ourselves out by leaving today, then driving all night again, in order to make it Friday. So much easier to wait until Monday morning. (And yes, we'll probably drive all night on Sunday to do it. But at least we get some rest beforehand.)

It's not going to be fun outside tomorrow...but the weather is supposed to let up in afternoon. That will give us a chance to do some errands and clear out the storage unit. This trip will take longer than we'd planned, but that's okay. We've got the time to do it.

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It's been five months now since we've lived in the fifth-wheel full-time...and a month or so since cold weather hit, both here in Colorado and in Michigan.

How are we handling the colder temps?

Just fine.

Granted, it's not always easy. It's no fun to climb into an icy-feeling trailer, after you've been working somewhere else. I am amazed, though, at how quickly it warms up when we boost the thermostat. We also use the electric fireplace to take the chill off the air. A separate oil heater in the bedroom, plus quilts on the bed, keep the bedroom comfortable. (We turn the heat down at night, for better sleeping. A quick bump back up in the mornings makes it warm in 5 minutes or so.)

Here 's part of the "downstairs:" TV, sound system and fireplace --
 with storage and the fridge on the right.
That's the shower up the steps, draped with a striped towel. 
The bedroom ("upstairs") and a full storage wall is just beyond it.

The fifth-wheel primarily uses propane gas for heating, cooking and hot water. We have two tanks in the 'basement,' and a third strapped into the truck bed. So far, these last about a month with careful use. We may fill two, or all three, at the same time. (It cost about $20 a tank, last time we filled the tanks.)
     Electrical heat (the oil heater and the fireplace) can heat the trailer by itself, if we really needed to. The fireplace is great for keeping the main area warm, but not stifling. Charley particularly enjoys curling up in front of both.

Ahhhhhh....

     We haven't solved all the problems yet. A light stays on all the time in the 'basement' to help keep the pipes thawed. So far, there's no way to keep the trailer hose hooked up to water without it freezing -- but the heated hose we just ordered, as well as the heat tape, should fix that. Right now, we're taking showers and getting water via The Mama's home, so it's not a pressing issue.
     The eight solar panels mounted on top of the trailer should eventually cover our light and heating needs -- but the Brick needs to do some work on them. They do an adequate job of covering lighting and smaller items, but somehow are not transferring power to the batteries like they should. So far, we've been in situations that we could easily use electricity and propane. But that could -- and will -- change when we do more boondocking. We'll also need it to run the fans and air conditioning when temperatures warm up.

When I look out the window, steaming coffee cup in hand, or snuggle down under the covers and wake toasty in the morning, I am so grateful for a comfortable living situation. It's warm, easy to manage, and costs a lot less than the utilities at the Collins house. Win, win, win.