Balmy Tucson, AZ

[T and C]

Folks,

I read the thread "17 Days in Utah" with great interest. MoabBoy's experience with living in a TM in freezing weather was enlightening.


Glad he did it...but I wouldn't. Or so I thought.

We are staying in an RV campground just east of Tucson, AZ. Son and
DIL have a brand new baby and a 2 year old. Son is a fireman and is gone for 24, then comes home with little or no sleep for 24...not worth much. Sooo, enter Grandma to the rescue until he hits his next off cycle.

When I looked at the weather before leaving SoCal, it was running in the 60's days, and in the mid to high 40's nights. A cold spell arrived yesterday with rain and hail.

Tonight the low is supposed to be 30F, with 24, 22, and 32 forecast for the next few days. How much freezes will probably depend on how many hours it stays that cold.

I have an electric space heater with me. I plan on opening cupboard doors like MoabBoy did. I will keep the inside good and warm with the electric heater supplemented by the TM heater.

We'll see how it goes.

Tom

I might have to buy a hair dryer if the wife didn't bring one.

I will post again if there are any interesting, (or expensive), developments.

Tom

[T and C]

Last night when I turned out the lights the outside temp was already down to 30 degrees. When I got up at 6:00am this morning it was 20.

Here is what I learned about TM camping. The space heater was unable to maintain the temperature alone. It slowly cooled off in the trailer. I had the TM heater set just two notches above the bottom. When it got cold enough the thing would kick on just like its supposed to. In the middle of the night when the TM heater comes on it sounds like a hurricane so I jerked awake every time. I stayed toasty warm in my bed so that was not a problem.

When I got up the water hose into the TM was frozen solid. So, I turned on the the water pump and filled the kettle. The drain hoses under the trailer did not seem to have suffered any. Having the water tank inside the TM keeps it from freezing if the coach is warm.

The much maligned Thetford recirculating toilet did not freeze either, being inside as well. So that is a plus factor for the thing.

The revised forecast says that it will get down to 16F tonight. We'll see how it goes. Today I picked up another heater so I will have one aimed at the front, and another aimed at the rear bed. I will leave cupboard doors open as I did last night.

Tom

[Bill]

Originally Posted by T and C

Here is what I learned about TM camping. The space heater was unable to maintain the temperature alone. It slowly cooled off in the trailer. I had the TM heater set just two notches above the bottom. When it got cold enough the thing would kick on just like its supposed to. In the middle of the night when the TM heater comes on it sounds like a hurricane so I jerked awake every time. I stayed toasty warm in my bed so that was not a problem.

Tom -

Same experience here, for the first time several years ago. A nice solution turned out to be an ordinary electric blanket. We happened to have a spare in the house, so we tossed it on the bed, and most of the time it serves as a kinda lightweight regular blanket. But when the temp is predicted to drop, just plug it in - and it is SO nice and toasty! And it allows me to leave the furnace turned off.

Don't leave home without it!

Bill

[scrubjaysnest]

Originally Posted by T and C

Last night when I turned out the lights the outside temp was already down to 30 degrees. When I got up at 6:00am this morning it was 20.

Here is what I learned about TM camping. The space heater was unable to maintain the temperature alone. It slowly cooled off in the trailer. I had the TM heater set just two notches above the bottom. When it got cold enough the thing would kick on just like its supposed to. In the middle of the night when the TM heater comes on it sounds like a hurricane so I jerked awake every time. I stayed toasty warm in my bed so that was not a problem.

...................snip...................

Tom

Reminds me of our trip last year while at Craters of the Moon perfect camping weather until you go to fold up the pup in blowing snow at 26 degrees. Wasn't so perfect then! We will see how the TM does this year.

[OneMoBear]

"The National Weather Service in Tucson says the overnight temperature was 18 degrees setting a new record for the date."

Malinda

[T and C]

Originally Posted by OneMoBear

"The National Weather Service in Tucson says the overnight temperature was 18 degrees setting a new record for the date."

Malinda

Malinda,

Tucson is a pretty big place so temperatures vary. I am just south of the air force base out in the desert.

When I got up at 6:00am the outside thermometer read 12 Degrees! The high today was around 36.

So far, no damage to the TM.

Tom

[Bill]

Here in Scottsdale - lower altitude, so usually warmer - we took some serious damage to our citrus trees last night. The saddest thing, though, was that we went out this morning, and found a hummingbird, still clinging to a branch on a lemon tree, frozen to death. Somehow I didn't expect that. We love our hummers, and it was a blow.

Bill

[OneMoBear]

Originally Posted by T and C

Malinda,

Tucson is a pretty big place so temperatures vary. I am just south of the air force base out in the desert.

When I got up at 6:00am the outside thermometer read 12 Degrees! The high today was around 36.

So far, no damage to the TM.

Tom

Yes, I was born in Tucson. I was just pointing out the record lows. Bill, that is really sad. I had wondered how much those temps had killed.

[Wavery]

Originally Posted by Bill

Here in Scottsdale - lower altitude, so usually warmer - we took some serious damage to our citrus trees last night. The saddest thing, though, was that we went out this morning, and found a hummingbird, still clinging to a branch on a lemon tree, frozen to death. Somehow I didn't expect that. We love our hummers, and it was a blow.

Bill

Wow!!! Bill.......that is sad........I wonder how much other wildlife died. Desert animals aren't really designed to handle that sort of cold.

I hope that there is no human loss of life.

[cochise]

Originally Posted by harveyrv

Wow!!! Bill.......that is sad........I wonder how much other wildlife died. Desert animals aren't really designed to handle that sort of cold.

I hope that there is no human loss of life.

Yes there has been. At least 2 people died in the cold here (Tucson). And we were without both water and electricity. Luckily I had the truck with my 2400 Yamaha parked in front of the house and could quickly hook it up so that we had power for the furnace. Had a house full of people for coffee until the power was restored.