2013 snowy cross country run, Those Crazy Canucks!!!

[Martiangod]

Made the cross country pre christmas trek.
The joys of working on RV's for a living, you get time off in the winter, not the summer
Well we hooked and left, the sun was shinning for the first 3 days, and it was a balmy - 20 in the day. Roads were great for saskatchewan and Manitoba....2 days



During this leg, we found a closed rest area that was just off the hiway, backed into an unplowed entrance in about 2 feet of snow and set up for the night, wind was blowing and it was -27. Still in Saskatchewan

Second night was a ussual stop point for us in Rest area in Manitoba close to the Ontario line.



Roads were great up to this point and by morning we were surrounded by trucks idling all night, Nice thing with Manitoba is they have rest areas with heated bathrooms and water way out in the middle of nowhere.

Day 3 we crossed into Ontario From Kenora to Sudbury is about a 1500 ft elevation change, trecherous 2 lane hiway with mountain passes, 10 percent grades, steady commercial truck traffic ice and snow



we passed many a truck in the ditches and a few well off the road that you knew did not turn out good...remember, fatigue kills.

[Martiangod]

I was in this stretch near white river that we had our run in with the law.
Picked up a tail after a rest area break, guess he was bored and figured he should get out and walk around cause it was sunny and warm....near to minus 10....lol

He dogged me for a bit and then pulled me over for having homemade registered plates on the trailer.
After some hub bub he said ...hmmm, never seen a home made treailer that looked like this and he sent us on our way. Would have got pics but I learned along time ago not to poke the bear or ya might get biten
The next 8 hours were white outs, ice, mountains and tailgating tractor trailers trying to break land speed records on mountain roads, the worst was Wawa to Sault St Marie.





Wife was pretty stressed even though I was driving and she made us stop at a motel at 10 pm.....



Oh well, the next day was fair to good driving and we made it to our first stop point, Old home, were we visited with some old friends, dropped paperwork off to accountant and such stuff. Then it was off to hamilton to visit family for a few days.

Well in Hamilton the snow started to fly and I think they got more snow the next couple days then they have had for years....Guess I brought it with me, at least I a accused of it...lol

[bdosborn]

Holy cats! That's some driving!
I put my trailer away for the winter, way to get out there.
Bruce

[Martiangod]

We left Hamilton and rove to Kitchener had a visit with my son, then headed north.
On From the Sault to wawa was better this leg, but Wawa to our newfound plowed entrance at Rainbow Falls was pure hell. at least a foot of snow on road and and ice underneith. No trucks, no traffic no other cars and guessing where the road is....LOVE IT !!!
Here is where my much commented on " HEAVY TRAILER " really shines. Not affected by trucks, cross winds, snow, it just tracks behind like its part of the truck. Somewhere in this leg I lost my under belly sewer hose carrier.....
We fially got to Rainbow Falls and got tucked away behind the trees and set up for the night.
A couple Guinesses to calm and prepare for sleep.





I guess they keep the entrance cleared for cross country skiers but it was perfect for our needs






The morning was crisp and bright and clear....Not to last long.

Another 8 hours or so of whiteouts, snow, ice and inpatient truckers on 2 lane icy mountain roads.

[Martiangod]

When we got to the Big Thunder we stopped to visit the Greatest Canadian Hero

The Terry Fox Memorial.
This is probably one of the nicest memorials in Canada
This Brave Young man touched the hearts of Canadians for eternity





We then proceeded to make the run for the Manitoba border and get out of the hills
Along the trans canada there are not alot of rest areas in the winter, but there are many snow plow turn around, they make for great pull overs for a quick rest



We made the rest area inside Manitoba and again set up for the night. Sleeping to the idling of diesels all night it kinda hypnotic

[Martiangod]

Once you hit the prairies its just long, cold flat, and a whole lot of nothing, We had a 3 hour sleep at another Manitoba rest area, and then ran for several more hours.
Had to stop at on truckstop and spend a couple hours laying on the ground with my torch melting ice to repair my right tail/stop light, the build up of ice got the best of the wiring.
Ran through a few Saskatchewan towns and spent the night in an abandoned truck stop in the middle of nowhere Saskatchewan about 4 hours north west of Portage La Prairie on the Yellowhead Hiway.
Its kinda nice waking in the middle of nowhere, the sun was shinning an the wind had died off and the world was a blanket of fresh snow.
It had warmed up to minus 27 and we had about 6 hours to run for home. Hiways were in great shape.
Really only interesting changes to the landscape in the prairies are drops through river valleys and humorous little town signs and such.
The trains out here....yes we still have trains go on for miles, three engines at the front, one in the middle and double stacked container cars., they break up the monoteny and give you something to look at.
Got the trailer to the shop where its thawing out right now, might head in and clean the salt off her later today...its a mess

My black truck is now white



and the trailer looks a little battle weary





Now the fun of cleaning out the holding tanks, washing and desalting then spray the whole trailer down with WD 40.

See what the next few weeks bring, may run to Bannf or Grande Cache.
Or just make like a bear and hibernate

[Martiangod]

Traveling in the winter gives a whole new perspective on the world, I can't imagine the " Good Ol' Days " of wagon trains, horseback, and dog sleds crossing the country....

Special prep for the trip was limited to carrying water instead of onboard, lots of propane, and may I suggest exchange tanks by a major supplier as fill stations are hard to find.

Put 1" foam under mattress
Put 1" foam on floors
Put carpet on top of that
Have throws to cover floor, for in and out bathroom stops so you have dry floor at night
Mid trip stuffed under bed and compartments with fiberglass, dead air spaces get cold and stay cold, and when I say cold i mean Cooooold!!!!.
At - 30 it helps to have a black cat heater to speed up cabin warming when you stop for night.
No matter what you do or how well your insulated the floors are cold and where you had no drafts or air leaks you now have forced cold air.
Carry extra backup heat.
Batteries are weak in the cold, in summer was easy to run Kureg coffee maker on Inverter, in winter it would barely turn it on.
Buy Hot Water Bottles, they are awesome for warming your feet in bed
Move freezables to TV in day and back to trailer at night.
Carry pleanty of water, enuff for 3 days incase you get storm stayed
Sleep like the dead when you get home

Its kinda fun heading out in the mid of winter, and we missed two weeks of freezing rain and - 40 here at home...what a bonus

On side note, still on the $200 dollar tires and rims I bought during the build, 3 times across the country and still good to go,,,what a deal

[Martiangod]

May post more later

[Sandyman]

What a trip! I have done some of that drive in the summer and you right about some of the truckers. Glad you made it safely back.
Love to see more of your pictures.

Sandy C.

[KCStudly]

Impressive journey. The small issues you had, the fact that they were relatively small, and the preparedness that you indicate, is a testament to your experience in those adverse conditions. Thank you for sharing the experience, both recent and cumulative.

[Martiangod]

Last, no particular order

[PKCSPT]

Thank you for taking us along on your trip. I would love to do that trip in the winter, but no one in my family is crazy enough to join me.

Beautiful pictures

[S. Heisley]

Terrific pictures and a great story. Thanks for taking us along! That's as close as I want to get to all that snow. HaHa!

[Martiangod]

And remember, -30 degrees at 50 miles an hour means your trailer with wind chill is going through the equivilant of -74 degrees F

Now thats friggin cold