Taking the van skiing

running the waste into a bucket is the way and a popular ice avoider...

however, in really persistent cold weather, the fresh side is a different matter....

it's very likely your Elddis will have an underslung, exposed fresh water tank....don't assume any 'heating pads' will help avoid a frozen tank.

if the tank doesn't freeze, the biggest issue will be the supply pipe from the outside tank into the van....remember, this will always be primed and full of water and almost certainly unprotected from the elements.

again, you could rely on water in inside containers but it's a reall faff, it's cold and needs to poured out rather than being able to use those useful things.....taps.

so, no sink in the kitchen, or bathroom, or shower...

almost every continental van will have its fresh tank inboard for this very reason....it gets damn cold in Central Europe...yet folk still want use of their vans....

so, here's a suggestion.....I think it would be possible in pretty much any van to 'bring the tank inboard' and winterise it....

i don't know the capacity of your water tank (guess around 70ltr) but it only needs a 40 cm cube to give a 64ltr tank, small enough to fit under most side sofas or under a fixed bed....

reroute the fill pipe and the main supply pipe and you're away....

now, the value and practicality of doing something like this depends on your desire to ski with the van and how often...

if its going to be a regular event, I'd certainly be looking at ensuring that my van was capable of operating in those expected conditions.

OTOH, if it's a one of ypu might be fine just making the compromises yourself.

good luck.

yes, give it a go by all means, but not having running water for (say) teeth cleaning or washing hands in the toilet (or flushing) would be a right pain.

i know it would drive us mad...

having to go 'to the block' for these simple things when you have a MH seems to defeat the object a bit....

as I said in my other post, continental vans are built as they are for a reason....

good luck and enjoy

You probably  have thought of this basic check, but just in case.

If you anticipate being in  extremely  low night  temperatures .

Worth just checking or have checked the % dilution rate of the anti freeze in the vehicle radiator some service garages (possibly more in the south of England) go for a minimum accepted dilution rate based on av temperatures in our country.  

Yes. Even though it is .eu is actually a UK based site

Another thing to remember is when on the move the temperature is likely to be even lower due to the wind/speed factor making an already cold day even colder so maybe empty tanks prior to moving about and filling when you arrive?

BB, the small micro heaters do work on water tanks however it is the pipe work that is vulnerable on vans and at some point most pipes are exposed.

There can also be extreme drops in temperatures in the UK during the winter months, you'll see people with vans in the Cairngorms etc on ski-ing trips etc. There are ways to cope with very cold weather which some will know about on here and various conversations have cropped up in the past. Where are Chasncath when you need them?! 

Brue, have these heat pads been proven in a Scandanavian or Alpine winter?

youre right in that the most vulnerable area will be the feed pipe from the exposed underslung tank back into the van's fresh water system.

i have serious doubts about whether even insulating this pipe will protect it as its always full of water....if the tank is being used the system will be primed. I've had this very issue in my old Bolero with the feed pipe freezing and this was definitely not Sweden or the Alps.

i have also had an insulated tap in my garage become frozen in prolonged cold periods....although again, this is far from being Arctic weather here in Somerset.

yes, we can all make a few compromises to manage a few days in a UK cold snap, but touring for a few weeks in a much harsher environment will be far more 'interesting'.

there is a good reason why Continental vans have their fresh tank inboard.

from your linked website.....

"Some vans will be offered as winterized but "Winterization" varies in efficiency!

It should be noted that (even) lagged outside tanks will freeze in persistent temperatures of below 0 deg C.

The best winterization provides a double skinned floor which contains both the fresh and grey water and is heated and the outlet grey water valve is within this compartment i.e. mainly German manufacturers such as Hymer.

Good winterization also means thicker insulation on the walls – check your handbook."

In the past we've taken our motorhome to the French Alps, not for skiing but to visit our daughter and her family. (Grandsons started to ski at age 3!). This photo, if it appears, was taken in early March 2013 at Bourg St Maurice. At 9 am the outside air temperature had crept up to -20C. Minus 10 is more common by day, but nights are colder. Beware that some sites will limit you to 10 amps to discourage electric heating. We had a 1 Kw fan heater that we kept running in the background, using gas to bring up the heat!

Down on the valley floor, chains are not required, but if you wish to camp at one of the aires up the mountains you need snow tyres or chains beyond designated points on the access roads.

We have an on-board fresh water tank , but used the heated blocs sanitaire. An open bucket for waste water not a wastemaster as you'll not get the ice out of it until Spring! At Bourg the blocs have facilities for stowing and servicing skis, and drying rooms for wet clothing.

If you need to buy a french gas bottle, you'll have to give an address but no one at the garage/supermarket will take any notice of what you put down!

For Alpine sites, the ski season is high season so don't expect any discounts!

p.s All the local service stations switch over to 'winter diesel' around now, so don't fill up until you're getting near to  the region.