Question about my new hunting toy.

[Taurusguy]

Hey everyone, i just recently purchased a 2007 Starcraft 10rt to drag with me on my hunting trips. Its big enough for my wife and 2 kids (only way to get wife to join me hunting) and has a great off road suspension ( almost 22" of ground clearance) with 15" rims and mudders!

Anyhow .. my question is, has anyone experienced this trailer .. or trailers of similar sorts while hunting? What specificly I am asking about is how well does it hold the heat in during winter with the furnace on ? For instance .. lets say I win a moose draw for a NOV hunt ... how well do you think it would keep us warm if its like -10 or so outside? I know it will be fine for oct and sept deer hunts .. but the later winter months is my main concern for those northern moose hunts.

Any tips or advice in regards to this beast is much appreciated!

Here is a pic of what my trailer looks like ... its not a pic of MY trailer .. but one just like it.
http://i50.tinypic.com/ncd24y.jpg

Thanks

[SimilkameenSlayer]

insulate walls with bed quilts.

[edgar11]

You have to be wary of pipes freezing if you plan on using the toilet, shower, etc. Most newer trailers have insulated underbellies which are heated by the furnace. Also, the furnace uses a lot of fuel and battery juice to run throughout the night. You may need a genny to charge the batteries during the day and you can run one of this little heaters when on genny power.Other than that, it should keep quite warm for you and your family.

[Taurusguy]

Has no toilet ... only the outdoor shower attachment. We usually bring a genny for electrical support and the trailer has a 2 bottle propane system. It was also upgraded to the 2 6v battery system. So I take it then as long as I can keep the furnace going and keep the batteries good and charged, I should have no worries about keeping it warm? I checked the water systme ... its currently full of antifreze ... so i have to clean that out .. as it was stored outside before i got it ... I will be storing it in a garage except when in use... what about traveling with it? ... i guess it could freeze on the way up.

[kodimack]

I would add some insulation under the sleeping area .I am guessing it is foam and not a mattress , some of that buble/foil insulation will do wonders

[Sniperdan]

I used a tent trailer in October once.....never again!!!!! You can't carry enough propane to use it in November. -10???? My solid wall toy hauler rips through propane at those temps, I hope you have a secondary source of heat. I never tried hanging blankets inside the tent trailer, maybe that will help. Good luck!

[curly_fishr]

I have a similar trailer but it's not a tent just has the tent ends that drop down to form beds, doesn't hold the heat at all. Good luck in November .

[Hillbros_96]

If you ever want here to come hunting again in it, I would not bring her in it anywhere near 0 degrees. Chances are she is not going to be that happy when you are fine and she is cold.

[huntingmom]

As a female.....if I had to camp at -10...I would want my husband to buy a wall tent with a wood stove. The wall tent holds more heat inside than even my motorhome does. When we were up at Lassie Lake for the nine days...some nights got pretty chilly and we were going through propane like crazy just to stay warm...and that is in our motorhome which has more insulation than the tent trailer.
You might be fine with the tent trailer but your wife and your kids (if they're young) are going to be pretty miserable and you'll be looking for a new hunting partner the next time around.

[finngun]

yep... but good part of the trip is loots of hugging at sleeping time.....:mrgreen::mrgreen:

[shottyshooter]

That foil bubble wrap comes in 4 foot by 100 (? guessing) rolls for relatively cheap. One of those could be fashioned into an inner "wall/ceiling" that would work wonders.

You lose heat through radiation, conduction and convection. Convection is air movement and your trailer should be somewhat wind proof and you will want some of the warm/moist air to escape through a vent so that it does not condense and run down the walls. Conduction is physical contact and your mattress/underlay will make you or break you. The R value of your space is also important here because insulation works primarily by creating layer after layer of little air spaces that break the physical loss of heat from one area to another through the wall surfaces. Radiation is the movement of heat through the air like the sun. wrapping the inside in the foil stuff will reflect all the heat back towards you - including your body heat. If you could run some type of radiant heater (not just your forced air) or a heating blanket through the night without killing your batteries and then run the genny during the day to charge them you may just be able to toast yourself!

Make sure you go with two 6v deep cycle batteries as well - lasts way longer in my experiences and you're not giving them an early death if you run the low.

[shottyshooter]

... i guess it could freeze on the way up.

You might want to use jugs of water if you're going somewhere real cold...

[bosca]

Taurus guy...I have the exact trailer that you now have and have used it almost all conditions...
-If you plan to camp in anything close to -10 than bring water in separate containers because your lines will freeze up every night. Also bring a separate heater like a small catalytic heater as main heat because your furnace will run non stop...and those things are loud when they start up. Not to mention that you will kill your batteries with the constant running of the furnace fan...Definitely get two deep cycle 6 volts...there is no comparison with 12 volt.
Basically, you are in a tent with slightly thicker walls.
Keep in mind that although you have lots of clearance and a nice heavy suspension/frame the rest of the trailer is normal and will get damaged if its not loaded carefully. When you start taking some of the back roads you will want to be a little more carefull how you attack those ruts or be prepared to deal with some damage to the interior.
If you have never owned a tent trailor...one good piece of advice given to me about take down and set up: Never ever force anything....the first time you tear or rip anything you will understand this.
I could go on for a long time but I'm getting sleepy now...If you have any question about the trailer PM me.

[edgar11]

Whoa! Did not realize it was a tent trailer. Yeah your furnace will run all night and therefore your batteries and propane will run out real quick. It might work for one night but I wouldn't go any longer than that. If its raining and cold, tear down and set up will not be too much fun. If you are still thinking about doing this, get some electric blankets and a toque.

[Taylor69]

I have used one once in the summer. Nights were only 6c and found it cold with summer sleeping bags. I went the other way. Bought trailer to haul quads and gear. Have a wall tent with a wood stove. Turn it down and it burns for 8-9 hours. Crank it up and you could jump in a lake and have you clothes dried in an hour of two. Love it! Used to have a camper as well, got sick of the condensation, things always being wet.

[scoutlt1]

I used to have the same trailer but the slightly larger model (11RT) with the deck up front to carry my quad. I absolutely loved it.
"Had" to move up to a toy hauler because the kids got bigger and yes...I needed more room because they of course needed their "own" toys.
I loved the extra clearance, and I could take it to places that I wouldn't think of with my toy hauler.
I didn't mind the cold winter nights, but then again my boys were too young at that time to come along hunting late in the year, but we did tons of camping in it the rest of the year. I am fine with cold nights with my heavy sleeping bag, rather than having the furnace going all night long.
The comments on here are good. Remember that it is a glorified tent, with all the pros and cons that go with that. Poor insulation, condensation, etc. I found that a large tarp over the trailer helped in the fall (not pretty but who really cares?). Water freezing is an issue for sure, but when it's really cold you will have to deal with that in any trailer.
Feel free to PM me if you have any questions....like I said....I really like my trailer!

[fuzzy]

My wife is hellbent on a tent trailer. We will be getting one in the coming months for next season. We have settled that we will be using a feather bed topper and a 2 person cold weather sleeping bag in the colder months.The furnace will be turned off while we sleep. We will also be getting a 10 or 12 foot "storm porch", basically a 3 sided wall tent that will attach to the trailers roof. This will have a stove and hopefully will take the edge off inside the trailer as well. Being though my wife gets cold feet and doesnt like a mess we will get down booties for in the trailer as the floor will get stupid cold. I will most likely get a couple of canvas covers to go over the outside of the pop outs. I know it seems like alot of effort but my wife is great and i didnt get married to do all this stuff on my own so for a bit of extra money and time we can have both our needs and wants fulfilled.

fuzzy

[Taurusguy]

Thanks for your input guys .. its much appreciated. I just did a 2 night test in my buddies driveway. Not too bad i must say. really comfy ... mind you its pretty warm out so i had no issues staying warm. DEF pack in my own water in jugs.. I will probably epoxy the bottom of the trailer and seal off all the holes from where the pipes go in and out. needs a few loclal trips to get used to it thats for sure. Oh and about the "dont force anything" yup .. the original owner stressed that as he already damaged a few little things "forcing" it.

[Singleshotneeded]

Those tent trailers lose heat like crazy...a hard sided trailer is a much better option for hunters.
Winterize it and use it as a place to sleep, don't freeze your lines. Making the best of it, you'll
need heavy wool blankets or quilts to put up against the walls to help keep heat in, two propane
tanks, two deep cycle batteries, and a gennie to charge the batteries. Make sure she brings warm
clothes, and bring a warm sleeping bag.

[Taurusguy]

Yup .. got the 2 6v deep cycle batteries. I did some research and found this site www.popupgizmos.com ... it makes specailized end coverings for pop up campers. Anyone ever use or see these before? are they any good if so?

Thanks

[tinbasher]

at -10*, i'd use the furnace to heat it up just before bed (nothing worse that getting into a cold sleeping bag!) and in the morning while changing into your warm clothes. anymore than that would be a loosing battle.

[bigslim]

Just get a big wall tent with a woodstove and park the trailer inside then you will be toasty all night!!!

[13thplumber]

I have one like yours. A baja 10y with the deck. We will be taking it moose hunting in oct for the first time. And maybe in november. I will let ya know how it is. I love ours almost traded for a toy hauler last month but dident. Cant take it anywhere you can get these things in. GREAT tent trailers. Make sure you remove the BBQ and stove from the unit when not in use well hunting. Never know what mess you might come back to.

[swamper]

I've hunted in a tent trailer. Would never do it in November. The heat dissapears as soon as you turn the heater off. Had lots of fun with the tent trailer, but that was in the summer when the nights don't get so cold.

[Taurusguy]

Well .. i bought the popupgizmos solar reflective covers and bunk liners for this winters hunting. from what I have researched about them .. they are fantastic and worth every penny ... apparently at -2c with the liners and solar insulator covers they could maintain 20c no problem

One question though about the furnace in the starcraft 10rt .. is it possible to put a different fan in it? or turn off the fan and have it just radiate? or does it HAVE to be on? Can I put a dial switch on it to turn the fan down some so its not so noisy? ... its soo fricken loud ... the one in my dads old camper is almost silent ... :(

[bosca]

Well .. i bought the popupgizmos solar reflective covers and bunk liners for this winters hunting. from what I have researched about them .. they are fantastic and worth every penny ... apparently at -2c with the liners and solar insulator covers they could maintain 20c no problem

One question though about the furnace in the starcraft 10rt .. is it possible to put a different fan in it? or turn off the fan and have it just radiate? or does it HAVE to be on? Can I put a dial switch on it to turn the fan down some so its not so noisy? ... its soo fricken loud ... the one in my dads old camper is almost silent ... :(
Not sure if turning the fan off is possible but one alternative would be, as one has mentioned, to crank the heater before bed and to suppliment with a small catalytic heater during the night...they do gobble the propane but very quite and very effective. Should be enough with your new reflective covers.

[Taurusguy]

Thats a great Idea ... I dont have a Genny but my dad does and I usually go hunting with him so he can bring it along to charge up the batteries in the trailer. We had a genny that only lasted 2 years ... it unfortunately blew the rings in it on the second year and wouldnt start anymore(was a cheap one and not a honda if that makes any difference) HE actually blamed me for not taking care of his genny and keeping the oil topped up (there was oil in it because I always checked it everyday when we were hunting, but for some reason it still broke). Can this be avoided in the future by getting a quality generator? We would run it all night while we slept to charge batteries and keep a heater going to save on propane in the camper when it was -20c out in mid nov for moose hunting up in Quesnel. Yes ... -20c >.< or more...