We recently received this question about four season truck campers and what this term really means for winter use.
Hi, Mike! I can’t say enough positive things about the information you provide in Truck Camper Adventure. The updates and product reviews are great! My wife and I are relatively recent converts to truck camping, and we thoroughly enjoy our F-350-Cirrus 820 combo. We’ve traveled the west coast and are planning to “reach inland” this coming spring.
What exactly does four season use mean? The implication is that this spans cold weather as well as the warmer seasons. Yet, to not winterize the camper is to risk broken pipes from freezing. However, to winterize means to not have use of the water tank and plumbing. The inability to use the camper toilet is particularly frustrating when there’s snow on the ground. Is there a solution to this limitation, or does “four-season use” require a disclosure that you can camp, but you can’t flush it in winter? I guess the underlying question is whether there is a solution to this limitation. Thanks for your feedback.
Phil in Nevada.
Thanks, Phil, for the question. Even though there isn’t an industry-wide standard or certification for four season use, today’s four-season truck camper usually features enhanced insulation, dual-pane windows, and a powerful furnace with plentiful ducting throughout the camper, including the plumbing and the three holding tanks (fresh, grey, and black). These enhancements allow year-round use of your camper without the risk of causing freeze damage, unlike standard campers that are suited for temperate weather only. At a minimum, a true four-season camper must have heated holding tanks and plumbing, and a decent R-value in the walls, floor, and ceiling. In contrast, “three-season” or standard truck campers usually have an exposed grey water holding tank and often just a cassette toilet.
Those who live in colder climates must either store their camper in a heated enclosure or “winterize” their camper to prevent freeze damage. RV anti-freeze is typically used to winterize the PEX lines and P-traps though low pressure air can be used as well. If freeze damage to your water lines and holding tanks does occur, it can be very costly (and annoying) to repair.
To answer your question about winter use, as long as you keep your Cirrus 820 camper warm, it’s perfectly fine to use your camper during winter without having to winterize it. That’s what it was built to do. Just make sure you have an adequate supply of propane to run the ALDE furnace during your outings off-grid, especially when temps are below 32F. Another alternative is to simply plug your camper into shore power and operate your ALDE on 120 volt power or use a space heater.
So which company makes the best insulated, four-season truck camper? According to the data we have on-hand, Adventurer Manufacturing’s Eagle Cap is the best with R-13 insulated walls, R-22 floors, and R-19 insulation in the roof. A powerful 30,000 BTU furnace provides ducted heat that not only keeps the living spaces warm, but also the basement where the holding tanks and batteries are stored. Second place goes to Host Industries which makes a superb four season camper with R-8 insulated walls, R-16 floors, and R-18 insulation in the roof. An excellent 25,000 BTU furnace and low voltage fans keep things toasty throughout the entire camper. Third place goes to Adventurer—specifically the 910SB model—that features R-13 insulated walls, an R-22 floor, and a R-13 insulated ceiling with a 20,000 BTU ducted furnace. Other makes worthy of note include Kingstar, the Soaring Eagle Aerie, Lance, and Northwood Manufacturing’s Arctic Fox. Stay tuned here as we will soon be publishing a more detailed article about four season campers and who makes the best for winter camping soon.
Have a truck or truck camper related question of your own? Send your question to Mello Mike at mellomike62@gmail.com and we will post the answer here.
There is a lack of understanding of ‘space heaters’, both electric and propane so here are some facts that may help you understand the comparison.
Your (truck) camper is equipped with a propane furnace rated at ~30-40kBTU/hr with a 20lb propane tank that contains (21.5kBTU/lb) 430kBTU of fuel. A furnace’s rated’ capacity is based on the amount of fuel it consumes, not the heat it delivers. Since the furnace’s efficiency is only ~70%, it will deliver somewhere between 21-28kBTUkBTU/hr of heat.
An electric ‘space heater’ similarly consumes ~1500W of electricity and is ~100% efficient. With 3.412kBTU/Hr per kWhr, the heater can deliver around 5.1kBTU/hr meaning it has around 18%-24% the capacity of the furnace.
Similarly, a ‘Mr. Buddy’ propane portable ‘space heater’ is rated to consume 9kBTU/hr of fuel and is ~80% efficient, delivering ~7.2kBTU/hr of heat or 26-34% of the capacity of the furnace. Using 1lb propane cylinders, you can expect 1lb of propane (at 21.5kBTU/lb) to last 2.4 hours (on high). Since a portable propane heater uses both internal air to combust the propane and the combustion of 1lb of propane releases combustion products inside living space, air circulation is an issue. Burning 1 lb of propane produces 26oz/1.6lb of water directly into the camper to be absorbed by fabrics.
A space heater may not keep the tanks and plumbing from freezing. Although it might be a good supplement, I would advise against using it solely.
It depends on the camper, of course. I’ve used a space heater in storage and opened up all the doors and used a small oscillating fan to spread the heat. It worked great.