Winterizing

[ArtTrek]

We're seriously thinking about a 7' Cab Over. Presently, we own a 17' Casita travel trailer. Living at 2500' elevation in Oregon, winterizing is a must, so I'm used to the detail of the process.

My question is how much work it is to winterize an Alaskan. We'll have a 25 gal. water tank, and the water pump. No water heater or anything else involving water except for the water lines to the sink, the drain line, and the fill line. Haven't read any instructions yet, but my understanding is that it's a pretty easy process.

Any comments? I'd appreciate your wisdom.

Thanks!

Art
Ashland, OR

 

[PackRat]

Art....If you had a 17' trailer, with it being say, 7' wide inside by 16' that would be 112 sq ft with the cabinets included. If the 7' camper is 7' wide that would be 49' inside. The smaller footprint suffers even more since most cabinetry will afford you a center aisle that is only about 3' wide. I only say this because you said the magic word "we" above. You need to take the wife/partner to see a few campers before planning any further and see how getting around in one with two people will work for you. that includes whatever bunk set up you envision for you both.

I think the Casita afforded you with plenty of room fore and aft and enough room to get beside each other so as to not be stifled in there when you are inside at night/mornings or in bad weather.

What is missing from your post is what size truck you are going to mount your new camper on...a half-ton short bed up to a 3/4 or one-ton long bed.

As the carpenters say, "Measure twice, cut once" or in this case, be sure you not only have enough room in your new camper, but enough truck to haul it SAFELY.

Just sayin'....

 

[ArtTrek]

Hey PackRat,

Sorry for the late reply! You raise some really interesting points about the Alaskan vs. our Casita. We've thought it all through, including a visit to the factory to be inside a 7' CO that was near completion. Actually the difference in usable space and roominess is not quite as much as you might think. The interior length of the Casita is 14', minus 2' for the bathroom up front, and it is just over 6' wide. It's also a bit shorter. With the CO feature for the bed, we like the 7' Alaskan.

The truck was the question for us. We first considered the 6.5' CO on the assumption we could put it on an F150, but it was just way too close for comfort with the best capacity configuration we could get in an F150. So, we decided on the F250 and a 7'CO. When we bought the truck, there was a new F350 for a great price, so we went that way. Happy with that because of the extra margin for safety, ride, and durability.

We're originally from California, so the winterizing question is not something we dealt with previously. Have lived up in Southern Oregon for five years now and winterizing is second nature. I'll check it out with the Alaskan folks when we pick up the Alaskan late this spring, but am always seeking wisdom elsewhere.

Thanks for your comments and questions.

Happy camping.

Art