Winter Camping in an XP
I have gone through this thread and did not see this question. For colder climates how have users dealt with the thermal gap where the canvas is in the bed area? Seems like the whole camper is very well insulated and then you sleep where there is a 3 wall fabric room. In temperate climates this would be no problem, it might even be an advantage. But I saw the photos of the vehicle in snow and it just seems like it would get chilly.
Check this blog. Those guys are using the XP to chase some powder.So far no complaints about keeping the camper warm.
http://www.backcountryblonde.com/
We bought XPCamper Prototype 1.1 together with the Ford F350 under it in order to use it as a mobile ski chalet. Our first trip was 4 weeks full time leaving Santa Ynez CA in mid October, heading out to Utah and finishing at XP in Grass Valley. During this 'trial trip' we did our best to thoroughly test every aspect of the camper to make sure it would fit our needs.
At the outset we were offroad driving novices. The trip included 4 days in Death Valley including a trip out to Racetrack Playa and over Hunter Mountain, followed by 4 days on the Grand Staircase Escalante covering the Hole in the Rock, Left Hand Collet Canyon, Smokey Mountain Road and Alstrom Point. We then drove across Monument Valley, through the Valley of the Gods and camped overnight at Muley Pt.
On our arrival in Moab we had to wait 2 days when the unseasonably warm weather broke and snow fell. We were the first vehicle to transit the White Rim Trail after the snow falls, having the place virtually to ourselves. Although a tight fit at times you can drive an XP Camper on a full size truck shod with 35" tyres all the way through.
Since our plan was to spend 5 months living full time in the camper in ski resorts, our next stop was Park City. That was our coldest night of the test trip: 27f. One of our discoveries (unsuprisingly) had been that one 125w solar cell and one 210amp/hr battery weren't going to be sufficient for our needs. As a consequence we did not have the spare electrical power to run the heater that night. We sleep with a top sheet, decent down comforter and a fleece blanket over the top, and had a good night's sleep that night.
While we made a trip back home to England, Marc and the XP team fitted a second 210amp/hr battery and an extra 250w of solar panels. In addition to the charge lead connecting to the trucks alternator we hope this will meet our power demands.
We have been very impressed with 'Snomad' - both truck and camper have exceeded our expectations. Where there have been issues to attend to it has been because the camper was the original prototype, rebuilt after a thorough testing, and had been built for weekend desert use, not for chasing powder snow full time.
The last week we have been skiing the Lake Tahoe resorts, enduring 50mph winds, heavy snowfalls, and making final adjustments at XP to set ourselves up for 5 months in the snow in Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and British Columbia. So far we have seen 19f on two occasions; both were comfortable nights for us as the heater can turn the camper into a sauna if you let it. Condensation is virtually non existent if you crack the two vents. We use the soft insulating panels that velcro over the tent windows, but don't feel the need for the hard sided sections Marc originally envisioned. Yes the bed area is slightly cooler than the rest of the camper, but if you wanted it warmer you could turn up the thermosat or have an extra air vent fitted close to the bed. The dual top diesel heater for air and water is superb. We can completely understand why Marc designed the camper around it.
If we were to win the lottery tomorrow we would likely be ordering a brand new XP; as it suits us so well and can take us to places where a Unicat or Earthroamer wouldn't fit. For my reasoning on the selection of the XP over other vehicles check out the 'About' section of Emma's blog.
www.backcountryblonde.com
