Vanlife 4×4
How to prepare for a ski trip in a motorhome? Just thinking of the crisp, white freshly powdered snow certainly has me wanting to venture off again to those fantastic ski resorts of Europe.
Wow!! There is nothing better than waking up to those huge snowflakes falling on the campervan, realising that the motorhome has disappeared beneath the fresh snow – How exciting!
Our first trip to the French Alps in a motorhome was back in 2005. Skiing was new to us at the time and so was our Swift Bessacarr – our first motorhome.
It also, turned out to be a swift learning curve bringing a few obstacles and many surprises – although we absolutely loved it. Surprisingly, despite the temperatures dropping to a very cool -17C, it didn’t put us off returning year on year!
Making a motorhome or campervan Ski trip a success is down to the preparation. So here’s our tips to a stress-free trip on how to prepare for a ski trip in a motorhome.
If you’re unsure where to stay, here’s our blog on campsites to stay for those ski trips:
Campsites For A Ski Trip In A Campervan
We use both snow socks and snow chains however, some countries will only allow the use of chains.
External fresh water tanks will freeze. If you want fresh running water in the motorhome you’ll need an internal fresh water tank.
On our first Ski trip back in 2005 we had a Swift Bessacarr.
The fresh water tank was located in the garage – yet despite having blown air heating in here and putting a sleeping bag over the tanks – they still froze.
External water tanks will still freeze – any insulation will only delay the inevitable.
This simply helps to clear the snow off the motorhome roof and windows.
A shovel helps to dig out the motorhome when the snow and ice fall. Not forgetting it will help to build the obligatory snow man!
These are a really good, cheap way to put beneath tyres, which then act as a grip to help get the motorhome off both snow or mud.
The campsites will have a tractor to tow the motorhome if you do get stuck in ice or snow.
We put extra strength windscreen wash in the filler and then keep the windscreen wipers off the windscreen glass when we’re pitched up.
We put the silver screens on the windscreen when we arrive and keep them in place throughout. One tip is to just lower the top half during the day to let in light and sun – which will in turn warm the motorhome.
Parking in a sunny spot makes such a difference to the ski experience . Not only does it help to warm the campervan during the day but it also helps melt any snow and ice.
We carefully lift up the electric lead out of the snow each morning, this not only helps to avoid freezing but also prevents the lead getting buried under any fresh snow fall.
If you’re motorhome doesn’t have flush fitting windows such as Seitz, try to prevent the build up of ice in the window frame.
Any protruding plastic windows can be more problematic in extreme temperatures. As melted snow freezes around the window, this can break the plastic window itself.
By this, I mean bad conditions even before you reach the Alps!
For example, we were once stuck in snow on the French motorway just south of Calais, with no where to go except a service station as the motorway had to close.
We stayed overnight with lots of other people, until snow ploughs tried to clear one lane overnight and we could all eventually hit the road again.
In most ski resorts there are only a few small shops, so it’s difficult to carry lots of groceries back to the van and you won’t want to have to move the van if you can help it.
It’s therefore, a good idea to stock up at a large supermarkets before reaching the Alpine resorts.
Campsites often have a ski bus stopping regularly outside the entrance, therefore, you shouldn’t have to worry about getting to the ski lifts.
If the ski lift is just a few minutes walk away then you’ll be expected to walk there!
Finally, if you’re like us, you’ll love the whole snow and ski experience! Have an amazing ski season and hopefully, we’ll hear, that you too will be returning year on year!
Essential Guide To Tolls in Europe
Our Top 9 Off Grid Essentials To Consider When Buying or Building A Van
adventure Aires Alps Australia Australia Roadtrip Best Drives Blog Campervan campervan trip new zealand Coronavirus Europe Explore France freedom camping French Alps Heating High Mountain Pass Italian Cities Italian Lakes Italy Sosta Motorhome Motorhome Sosta Mountain Drives Mountains New Zealand new zealand road trip Northern Italy North Island North Island NZ North Wales Off Grid Road Trip Roman Ruins Travel Travel Blog Travel Writing Tuscany Vanlife Wales War Memorial Sights Waterfalls Wellington wild camping Winter Travel
Pingback: top 9 tips for Extra Motorhome security | Campervan Castaways Vanlife
Pingback: Campsites For A Ski Trip In A Campervan | Campervan Castaways Vanlife