Winter Warning
Important winter travel information
Winter road tripping in New Zealand can be a memorable and rewarding experience. But just like the weather, your dream holiday can quickly turn into an uncomfortable and even traumatic experience.
Not having a motorhome designed and equipped for true four season travel is a disaster waiting to happen. Here at Wilderness, we've gone out of our way to create the ultimate winter vehicle. Our Base Jumper is all geared up to tackle anything the winter weather throws at you.
To help you understand some of the common pitfalls you may get with other campervans through winter, we've made a list of winter scares and fears.
Here goes...
Frostbite while you're driving
It may come as news to you but gas and electric heaters cannot be used while you're driving. Of course the cab heater offers an alternative but there's no way the cab heater will heat the entire motorhome which means, the cold air in the back of the van will circulate continually for hours. With a constant cold draught attacking your kidneys it's like sitting in front of a roaring fire only to have the back door open. If this is not cause for concern spare a thought for your passengers in the back who by this time will have frozen if they haven't decided to walk instead! Unless you're into chattering teeth over lunch, we suggest you go for a diesel heater which can be used 24/7. It's a smart choice not to mention a warm one.
Pulling on damp, smelly clothes or drying yourself with a wet towel
It rains a lot in NZ and after an unexpected downpour; the last thing you want is wet clothes for days on end. Likewise, if you're into showering daily, your towel will be wet. If after the third day your clothes finally do dry think about where all that moisture has gone. On the bright side at least you'll know where that mouldy smell has been coming from! In the Base Jumper, our unique drying room extracts moisture from the van ensuring warm, dry and fresh smelling clothes day after day.
Getting sick from condensation and moisture build up
When campervans are closed up, the moisture from your breath and cooking will condense on the cold surfaces, including windows. To make things worse, gas and electric heaters produce warm humid air and before long you'll be towelling the windows. We'd rather you be warm than wet so we installed the best heating system available. Diesel heaters are the ideal heat source for incredibly dry and dehumidified warmth.
Slipping off an unfamiliar, wet and icy road
Quite seriously, this would not be fun. But, rest easy knowing you will be safe in a late model Fiat Ducato. The vehicle drives like a car - it has excellent traction, a superb ABS braking system and a low centre of gravity which will see you firmly grounded to the roads. For those snow dumps the weatherman never predicts we've kitted out every single Base Jumper with FREE snow chains to keep you going.
Front wheel drive vehicles tend to have better traction with snow chains on as the weight of the motor is over the wheels. 70-80% of braking is done with the front wheels so it makes sense to have snow chains on the wheels that need traction for both braking and driving. It is also ideal to have snow chains on the front wheels as most of the vehicle steering is done with the front wheels. With snow chains on the back of a rear wheel drive vehicle, you risk losing traction on the corners and potentially having an accident.
Four wheel drive vehicles are always going to be best for driving in snowy conditions but front wheel drive vehicles are always going to outperform and be much safer than rear wheel drive vehicles.
Freezing cold at night due to an ineffective heating system
If you're cold at night, you won't get a good night's sleep and if you don't sleep well, you won't have any fun the next day - trust us. What you need is a heater which can be left running overnight and high-grade insulation to provide extra warmth. The Base Jumper has both of these including thermal-backed curtains to keep the cold air out and warm air in. With a duvet and fleecy blanket to add to the mix, rest assured - your toes won't be numb for long.
