No water and no power for days! Stuck in our RV in Texas during Winter Storm Uri
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 30 июл 2024
- We sold 90% of our belongings and drastically changed our lives to pursue a mission that was bigger than we could ever dream. We got an RV, left Nashville and hit the road to spend 2021 on the Paws For Love Tour!
ℹ️ ABOUT THIS EPISODE:
This was probably the craziest week of our life as we navigated the challenges of Winter Storm Uri in South Texas. We had been in cold temps in Iowa before, so we knew what we were in for, but it doesn't make it any easier when you're in the middle of it. Because of how wide-spread this storm was across the country, there was really nowhere that we could go to escape the path. Join us this week as we show you behind-the scenes of what it was like with no water or power for several days!
📱JOIN OUR FREE PRIVATE FACEBOOK GROUP:
/ 966230530943317
📸 FOLLOW OUR INSTAGRAM:
/ pawsforlove
➡️ PLEASE VISIT OUR SPONSORS WHO MADE THIS TOUR POSSIBLE:
Lippert ----- www.lci1.com/
SportsGraphics ----- sportsgraphicsinc.com/
Peak ReFuel ----- peakrefuel.com/
RUVI ----- www.goruvi.com/
🛻 OUR RIG:
2017 Grand Design Reflection 315RLTS -- LEARN MORE ABOUT GRAND DESIGN: gdrv.me/PawsForLove
2019 Ford F350 Platinum Super Duty
3M 2080 Satin Metallic Grey Wrap
🎥 SEAN'S CAMERA SETUP:
Main Camera: Sony A7Siii (Yes, it's as amazing as everyone says!)
Second Camera: Canon EOS R
Polar Pro Peter McKinnon VND Mist Edition II
RV Camera: GoPro Hero 9
Audio: Rode Video Mic Pro Plus
Interview Audio: Rode Wireless Go + Go Lav Mics
Interview Audio Recorder: Zoom H6
Lighting: Aputure 120d ii
Drone: Mavic 2 Pro
Camera Bags: Tons of Peak Design Bags! These products are amazing!
Gimbal: DJI Ronin-S
#rvliving #rvlife #goldenretriever
![[BLACKSWAN] ‘Roll Up’ Official Music Video](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ulvCwyKrwqw/mqdefault.jpg)
I bought a small thermos that heats water by plugging it into the cigarette lighter in my car. I can make tea or coffee on the road, any time -- it's a LIFESAVER!
Ahhhhh! That’s so smart! Thanks so much Teresa!
Lol yep I got one as well for my boat.. heats up hot and made oodles of noodles lol
Hi May I ask where did you purchase the heated thermos from,It sounds really convenient 😊👍🏾👍🏾
@@beverlywaits7663 You could always search on line/ with DuckDuckGo or Google’s or Amazon.
In such circumstances, I recommend closing the slides and drawing the blinds. Reducing the inner volume, reduces the energy needed to heat the space. Also, closing slides and blinds reduces drafts and maximizes available insulation. Extra towels, blankets, clothes against windows also improves thermal insulation. If the snow is deep enough, pile it up around the camper to create a still air pocket underneath.
That is all so smart Eugene! Thank you for sharing those suggestions. Hopefully we don’t have this severe of a cold experience again, but I’m jotting these notes down in case we end up in this situation again!
You are surrounded by water folks!!! Put the non yellow snow in a pot and use it to flush your potty, and wash your bodies...then you can drink the water that you filled in the containers...right??? Just thought I would help after the fact! Hugs from Kentucky 💞Tere
This is such a great idea, Teresa! I hope that we never get caught like this again, but in the case that we do, we will absolutely give this a try. Kentucky and Tennessee got hit pretty hard with the storm too. Are y’all alright there in Kentucky?
Yes ma’am our town had a very light ice hit, but the snow hit about six inches and the second round of ice froze it solid! Eek, just today, our drive was is melted enough to get the car out of the carport. The 2009 ice storm had western ky looking like a war zone...I am quite thankful not to have a repeat of that. Oh btw. If you have a tub in your RV. Fill that up for flush and bath use as well! The minute I hear ice pelting I fill the tub and washing machine, plus all pitchers in the house for drinking water. We moved to all electric, and I never thought I say I missed my gas stove and gas log fireplace lol, but we never lost electric thank goodness, so microwave and cuddled in extra blankets being lazy was what we did. Hope you were able to salvage your time in Austin. I have kin there, San Antonio and Houston. I had no idea Texas was in such a mess until I saw y’all on RUclips! The Ted Cruz stuff I thought was from him perhaps living in DC ( duh blonde here). My brother mentioned my San Antionio Nephew was stranded in Louisiana in a motel as the whole coast was frozen solid. He works for the gas companies, taking product from the line to the refineries I believe. He so wanted and needed to be home with his family, as his fa in law is just hours from glory, and his wife needs to get to his side in California. But does not want to leave her kids (teens who would kill each other) home without a referee lol). Life and this world are crazy! I just love your RV and truck set up... I so desire one so I can travel home to Cali to see my friends and family. But it’s not in my budget even to rent one. 😫. So I will travel along with y’all if that is ok?!?! Drive safe! Tere
Luckily, we thought to fill out gallon size water containers with water before things got bad. Bad weather really forces us to get creative doesn't it? I love your ideas of filling a tub and a washing machine!! Super smart! :)
As for traveling, you can come along on our journey with us! This is what makes RUclips the best! We get to bring all of our friends along with us, even if they're all across the country! :)
Yay! Where are we headed to next?
@@PawsForLove you have gone your whole life with out thinking of melting snow to drink and flush the toilet? Wtf 😂
I live in a sticks & bricks home in San Angelo, TX. For the past year I’ve been researching moving into an RV Trailer full time to save money, but this Winter Storm completely changed my mind about THAT!! I had relatives who DO full time RV, and luckily I convinced them to come stay with me before the snow came. We were without water for five days, but we were able to stay warm, Thank God.
Hi Debora! So glad your family came to stay with you so y’all could keep each other company! :) Definitely don’t lose hope on living the RV life though! There are tough moments for sure, but if you have the right tools, it’s so worth it! :) We don’t have everything (like a generator and solar) and we made it. And the beautiful part about RV communities is that everyone steps in and takes care of one another. :)
What did you have for heat?
I too survived this mini Ice Age. Three and a half days of no heat, no cooking,ni water, no electricity. It has been 100 yrs since this has happened here.
Mini Ice Age seems so appropriate 🤣 So glad y’all are okay though! We definitely felt your pain ❄️
@@PawsForLove really min ice age. please stop complaining and be grateful you're not homeless
Mini ice ages last between two and three thousand years stop being so dramatic 🇬🇧
Our Campgrounds lost power in East Texas for days, all of there campgrounds water froze, pump house froze and we didnt have any problems as we were prepared to be self contained in a moments notice as we Boondocking in the Pacific Northwest so it was fun!
That’s amazing that you were prepared in that way! We definitely see the benefit of having a generator and other appropriate tools for this kind of situation. If we were to do this in a cold climate, skirting would be a huge advantage and would keep everything nice and warm under the rig. But.. we don’t plan on being in cold again 🤪
Cry me a river! I live in wisconsin. I do feel sorry for your dog!
@@MartinGarcia-km4qs Well at least Nash has your sympathy 😉
My son is down in Oklahoma pipes frozen, been looking and crawling under trailer. People died thanks and prayer for you
Our hearts go out to your son, Mary. Frozen pipes are not fun to deal with and can get dangerous very quickly. When we got up to Austin, the RV park that we are staying at had multiple broken spouts and water was dumping out for days before they could get it fixed. There were a lot of people who died from Texas all the way up to our home state of Tennessee because of this storm. Our hearts break for all those families who lost love ones during this difficult time.
OMG, what a great video!! Those were rough days & nights but we got through it! What a memory for the history books!
Definitely a week none of us will forget!! So glad we got to experience it together! :)
We wintered there when this happened. Left Wisconsin thinking we were all that. I’m living with Cancer and it was ROUGH. We did everything you guys did, tried to find a room etc. we were in Houston at Eric & Jays. And…….we were in a hard side pop up! Sooo bad. I’m a Candlemaker and I brought 1 candle😡 I learned that one little candle provided pretty good heat. The next winter we came back, same place but had a generator, 2 dozen candles, and a ton of water.
It was definitely challenging! Glad to hear you made it through okay 😀
This is what life's all about family dog and sticking it out together and making the best of it, love the video made my day Thank you......!
Thanks so much Clif! Your comment made our morning! Totally agree that that’s what life’s all about :)
BTW, love your character! Really shows the true heart of a person in crisis. 👍💯❣️
Thank you so much!! We really were in good spirits, all things considered! I think it helped knowing we'd be okay... and seeing Nash love playing in the snow really brought us so much joy! :)
Oh my the dog is so cute in the snow! I live in New England and snow is life (we had whiteout conditions yesterday along with sunny periods, thanks Mother Nature). But we are equipped up here - and I don't think too many people camp in winter. Texas was hit so hard with this. Hope you guys are doing ok now!
Dang! Yes, y’all get a lot of snow in New England. We’re originally from Indiana, so we’re more familiar with how to handle the snow (not in an RV necessarily), but Texas was not equipped at all to handle that much snow. It was so hard!
I live south of Houston on the coast and arrived home from Arizona just as the worst of the weather was setting in last year. My neighbors all thought I was crazy when I set up my canvas wall tent in the yard. The next day when we lost power, my canvas tent was warm a nd toasty with the wood-burning stove cranked up . . . Guess who was suddenly the most popular guy in the neighborhood!?!? LOL . . . My workshop is also heated with a large wood burning stove, so my place turned into a safe haven for the entire neighborhood. We all made the best of a bad situation and it turned into quite the block party with lots of BBQ and other good eats (and adult beverages).
That actually sounds like you had so much fun that week! I hope we never get stuck in that kind of weather again, but if we do and we’re in Texas, we’re joining that party! 😂
I still can't believe how crazy this experience was! I love that Nash thought the show was so wonderful. What a bright spot in a crazy cold adventure. ❤ So glad y'all stayed safe. ❤
I know! One year later and look at us all! 😍 Nash would love to go back to that week!!
Montgomery Illinois is sending prayers TEXAS we love Texas!!
Thank you, Bridget!
It's so hard to watch you all suffer there in Texas...😪. Please, God, bring the sunshine & warmth back to the great state of Texas! We ❤ you, Texas! 🙏🇺🇲
Hi Ruby! Thank you for the prayers! Fortunately, it has warmed up in most parts of Texas since Sunday when this was published. The snow all melted and electricity/water has been restored. However, the big problems now are that grocery stores are still out of a lot food and the water supply is not drinkable yet due to all the issues. The grocery stores are having a hard time keeping up with water supplies so they have been rationing that to households as well.
Loosers
i love seeing these kinds of videos since I just bought a trailer today and already have plans on what to do to avoid the pitfalls of "not enough power" or "not enough water" situations. So many ideas on how to not rely on what the trailer was designed to do to make it comfortable in times of struggle and emergencies.
That is a great outlook! There are a lot of great resources out there, especially on RUclips. Best of luck in your endeavors!
Nash seems to be the only member of the family not at all bothered by the snowstorm. I know that people all over North America were shocked and frightened by the extreme weather conditions in Texas. I'm happy that you got through the worst of it with just lessons learned (anticipate and prepare for the unexpected) and gratitude. Good old Nash - no water wasn't a problem, he could just eat snow. LOL!
LOL! And eat snow he did!! He was VERY well hydrated those few days if we're being honest!
Our first winter in a 1995 Class C was in Couer d'lene, Idaho. We thought we were prepared, had "winter gear", the RV was supposed to be 4 season. When they say 4 season, you need to ask in what part of the country?! We had "Mylar Bubble wrap insulation" on all the windows. We stacked anything we could to pack the driver compartment as the cold leaked up through the floor boards. We used newspaper on the floors to insulate the carpet better. It was friggin cccccold! The furnace barely warmed the place. We used electric "milk house" heaters. Thank God we only lost electric twice and that was during the day. The generator would not start. We didn't know crap about camping in any type of weather, let alone winter in the Northwest! Know we have lived in Idaho, Montana, Colorado and are in Pinetop AZ. It still gets cold but nothing like Montana! We are survivors now! We have contingency equipment, propane back up heaters ( Mr Heater, My Buddy and Big Buddy, I highly recommend them). Plus backup propane tanks and extended stay setup. Better insulation in our 3season trailer. Better gear and clothing. Blogs are great, Camping neighbors are oftentimes helpful, but actually going through it and "Improvising, Adapting and Overcoming" was the greatest success of all! It taught all of us (2 adults, 3 kids and 2 cats) how we could win in adversity!
Dang!!! Y’all really endured that! I’m sure you learned so much, but during it you probably felt like you were going to lose your mind! We thought we would be prepared too… and we grew up in northern Indiana, but Texas just didn’t have the right equipment to handle that kind of weather. You live and learn, that’s for sure! And I’m sure y’all have shared that experience like we have and that has allowed others to learn and hopefully be better prepared! Thanks for sharing your story!!
Ps I heard that part of Idaho is spectacular!!
Oh my gosh so happy you all made it through this. Pray everyone else living in RVs also made it thru
Thank you, Cynthia!
Hello Cynthia
Oh man im sorry guys. I wish i could send u help in some way. Just know that theres people praying for all of u down there. Im in Michigan and i cant even imagine. Good luck guys!!!
We greatly appreciate your prayers Melanie! :) Luckily the worst is behind us and the majority of the state now. But there are still alot of repairs to be made, so I know everyone appreciates your love! :)
I’m definitely sending prayers to Texas. I had no heat for five days last week (furnace died) and remembered how much living in an ice cold house sucks. Thank God I had no kids to worry about at least .
Being cold is tough -- it makes you realize very quickly how we take important things like that for granted. :) Moments like these really are helpful to realign with what really matters!
Couldn't you hook up the truck to the RV and charge your batteries?
Thanks for your comment! We did do that :)
@@captseamus yes, IF the truck engine is running. That's expensive and puts wear on the engine unless your driving anyway. Three 100 watt panels do a good job. Harbor freight sells um.
Thanks for taking the time to comment Joseph!
This is one of our favorite places to land when we go back to SA! Glad you made it through snowmageddon! Great video.
Alsatian is definitely on our “We Will Return Here List” for sure! We wish that we golfed because the course there is awesome. Thanks for leaving a comment! We just started watching your videos and can’t believe we hadn’t discovered y’all yet :) Keep up the great work!
@@PawsForLove You too. I loved this video. Yall do great work and I know you will grow fast.
Omg, I hope you get your Utilities on soon. Our Prayers are with you. I am so.sorry you have to endure this. It has been cold in De., but nothing like what you are going though. Stay safe and God help you ♡♡♡♡♡♡
Thank you, Rhaina! We made it through the hard part and are incredibly thankful to have water and electricity back. Stay safe and warm ❤️
Hello Rhaina
Awesome video! We were supposed to be in texas during this storm and extended our stay in Louisiana. You guys handled it so well!!
Well it definitely helped that Nash brightened our moods because he LOOOOOVED the snow so much! He belongs in Alaska, LOL!
I feel so damn sorry for the whole state of Texas that’s going through this. I’ve seen the news reports I’ve seen icicles hanging off of peoples ceiling fans. I pray that you get your electric and water back very soon. May God bless you and keep you and get you through the storm! 😕
Thank you! We luckily got our power and water back at the end of last week. But some people in the state just are getting water back today. It's been tough, but it's amazing to watch people come together to help one another!
@@PawsForLove both of you passed the test with flying colors! I actually couldn’t believe your moods. Even through all the despair you two are troopers! Glad to hear the good news. I know one thing I bet it felt good to take a nice warm shower. 😅🙏🦋
You saying that really means so much! And YES! You better believe that first shower was glorious! 😂
Appreciate you sharing. Love camping hate winter, but we’ve been surviving it all these years happy camping
We agree, 100%! Cold isn’t our favorite either!
Learn as you go! Prepare for the worst case next, right? Glad your rig wasn't ruined. I am so glad went clockwise going south along the east coast. I was in Florida when this cold hit. I would have been there. I was still spooked last week and headed north from Alabama to come home. Now TN and KY are wild. Home early, but comfy and warm. Good learning for we viewers too. Thanks.
So glad you’re okay and home safe Kathryn!! This winter weather has got us all out of sorts. Definitely always learning! :)
I just subscribed and I am so glad to see you all made it through the nightmare. Sending you lots of warm florida sunshine.
Hi Andrea!! So glad you’re along for our journey now :) We are grateful the snow has melted and things seem to be back to the normal Texas warmth! :)
Wow this looks rough. So glad that you survived the storms and aftermath.
Thank you Gwen! It was truly a challenge, but amazing to see people coming together in a time of need!
And for us, our perspective was changed because of how much fun Nash was having. He LOVED the snow!
I live in Oklahoma but I’m from TEXAS! HEB pecan coffee will make me happy in the worst of times!!! Nothing like it!
AMEN my friend! 🎉 We got 4 bags before we left Texas. :)
Close your slide outs when it's that cold because you are losing heat out the roof area. It will conserve heat if they are closed. Leave all your interior spigots in your trailer cracked open to drip so if things start to freeze & expand it can move up the pipes & not split pipes. Open cupboard doors under sinks so room heat can get to water pipes. Glad you survived the Texas '21 Snow Storm.
Those are such great ideas Molly! I’ll keep those handy and hope we never have to use them! But if we do - I have you to thank ☺️
So glad you guys made threw that bad weather in Texas. My husband and I have been threw it all in our 5th wheel.
I bet y’all have seen some crazy weather too! It’s always “fun” memories to look back on! :)
I live in Houston, Texas & suffered through all this. We did prepare as the news advised days in advance of cold temps but we did not expect to have no power for 3-4 days but some areas had no power for 3-5 days. We did have wood for fireplace & keep 4 stove burners on. Kitchen window cracked open. Flannel sheets covering 2 hallways leading to rest of house. Our Kitchen & Livingroom stayed around 68° the entire time but rest if house was unbearable. Warmer outside than in. So going to toilets was OUCH!!but we had water jugs to flush toilets, water to cook, towel bath, brush teeth, make drinks. Plenty of food as we prepared but this 4 days, from 2/15--19 with in/out water/electricity was rough. But lesson learned!
We’re SO glad y’all are okay!! It was a tough few days that none of us really expected to be as bad as it got. Sounds like y’all really did a good job with what you had though. Really proud of you for how you handled this crazy weather. Sending y’all the warmest hugs! :) So glad the weather is back to normal!
How can you be better prepared?
Glad you all made it through. In case you are ever in such predicament again, all that snow would have provided you with plenty of water. My brother and his family live outside of Austin, and they used snow for several days. I've had to use snow numerous times. Not ideal, but it works.
Definitely hope we’re never in something like that again but if we are - definitely a good idea! Thanks Shawn ☺️
Thank you for shining a light on Therapy animals. My son had One til she passed away. Many times he was laughed at having a therapy pet. ☹️
Oh Sutton, I am so sorry to hear that! We are so honored to be doing this tour to bring a light to therapy animals! I hope this tour can show others just how helpful they are. It’s so hard how mean people can be. But just know, the impact your sons therapy pup had far outweighed the negative people. Sending you all hugs!
I was in East Texas when this storm hit. However, we knew several days before the storm hit. I warned my daughter in Austin and told her to stock up on firewood for their fireplace in her all electric home. I would think someone traveling on the road you would keep track of the weather. We had almost 5 day advance warning.
That’s great that you were able to help your daughter!
So many of us were so worried about you folks stuck at RV parks around Texas when this happened. We were all praying for you.❤🙏🙏
Thank you so much for praying. It was such a difficult time, but everyone really pulled together and got through it!
You’re so lucky guys, you got our snowstorm and we had rain here in Canada. LOL !
Mother Nature has a funny way of playing games with us! 😂 ❄️ 🌧
Wow.. a tiny wood stove might be an investment with how crazy this world has been
I like your thinking Jodi! That would be the perfect compliment for an RV anyway! :)
For coffee buy a french press for emergencies like this you guys! Stay warm ...here in ohio were just starting to thaw out...
We did that in the 70s and it heated the whole entire house. We only had to turn the heat on in the morning just to get the morning chill off. I love that stove you could even cook on top of it when she was fired up. Wood prices were very low at the time and then two years later they went so high and my father close down the woodstove. I wish she was still here.
I know you’re going through Hell. I couldn’t agree more! I’m in Maryland and we had almost 70° today. Which is freaky. I enjoyed your story, my heart aches for you both and I’ll be praying that you’ll be back in your house RV whatever soon and you’ll have heat and electricity. May God bless you both.
This couple has definitely made the best of the situation. You can definitely feel the love! ♥️♥️👍
Bless your little heart I live in Houston Texas I know a little bit about what you went through but you made it it it's all good on my word bless your little heart
It was a crazy situation!
Awesome-You guys finally got coffee!!!☕☕
We certainly LOVE our coffee!!
I'm sorry but I have to laugh I really do and just please forgive me I'm having fun with this because often Houston I went through it too I just can't help it
I'm so cold, as we add ice cubes to our coffee. 😄
No, really, glad you guys made it thru that mess. Texas, like all southern states has NO equipment to cope with such weather. Like Atlanta, which shuts down with a 1/4" of snow....
Haha! We were laughing too when we reviewed footage when we put the video together 😂😂😂 We just hate super hot coffee and it hurts our teeth so we always cool it down to drink it with ice. Plus, you can drink it faster! 🤘🏻
Last night, I found out about your channel. Matt from Matt Rv reviews told us about your channel and your mission. I quickly subscribed. I am so very sorry that you were stuck there without water and power. It was so painful to know that you, three were freezing and no place to go.
Hi Cindy! You are so kind! We knew we’d be okay and seeing Nash’s joy playing in the snow kept us in such great spirits!
The shower after the snow apocalypse was the best shower ever!!!
Haha! Literally...BEST EVER! It made us so thankful for the modern convenience of running, hot water 💦 ☀️
Thanks for your story . Nash is an inspiration!
We’re so glad to hear that! ☺️ Nash (and all pups) really inspire us, too!
I'm glad Texas is ok now. I see your Notre Dame hat. I volunteered at a the homeless shelter Andre House in Phoenix which is run by the Order that runs Notre Dame. That was over a year ago. They don't take volunteers due to covid, at this time. Maybe a few help. I need my shot but would help if they started back up and they started taking volunteers again.
Yes! Texas is in a much better situation now :)
Yes! Love the ND connection! What a cool way you’re involved!!
We did an RV trip across the country with 3 dogs 🐶 🐩 🐕 and well it was a little hectic especially when one is well over 100 pounds and takes up as much room as a grown man!! It was so fun and something I will always treasure ❤️❤️
How fun!!! What an amazing memory!
I agree - sometimes it’s chaos and sometimes it’s hard, but all the good stuff in life usually is! :)
It's so important to check out the weather for the next week so many people didn't and people froze to death including children horror all of the state's and when it's a state wide no hotels are available for emergencies I wish I'd have known y'all could have come to my house in Louisiana we at least not at my house never lost power ❤
Thank you for your sweet offer Mary! While we knew the bad weather was coming, no one knew it was going to be as bad as it was, for so long - which is why so many people weren’t prepared. Loss of life and animals was devastating. It was so devastating!
Thanks to Matt’s Rv.. I found your channel. Looks great I need to watch them all and get caught up..
Subscriber 516!!
Hi there!!! So pumped you found us and super excited to have you following along on the tour! :)
We are also full time RVers. We're from Texas. But we got lucky being in Florida when these cold storms happened. Great job showing the "not so glamorous" side of RVing. I just love your doggie !! so cute. Good job on the video. Sorry you guys got stuck there for a while. But,,, it made great RUclips footage. #thinbluelanervlife
We made the decision to come to Florida this year after all that!! 😂 Thank you for your nice comment Nancy! RVing definitely isn’t always glamorous but it really is fun!
It is amazing what running clean water does for you
A situation like this really makes you appreciate things like water that we usually take for granted!
You kids did well! Look into a couple of electric blankets…that will run off rechargeable battery (not gas) generators. One blanket to lay on. A larger one to cover all of you. And store a two burner Coleman propane camping stove. At least it will allow you to make meals and coffee. Lastly…especially if plugged into campsite water? Let you bathroom and kitchen sink run with a tiny stream of water. This will help keep the pipes and tank from freezing…constantly having that water moving as it’s being replaced. Well. Unless campsite pipes freeze too. Eep.
If you are boondocking…and you want to save your solar banks and fuel tanks? The electric blankets can be used on nights when it is just a little chilly. Rather then powering up your whole rig (for heat) for the entire night(s). But you guys did great! It took me half a lifetime to learn how to deal with power outages in northern New England. And I didn’t always smile as much as you two!
This are such great suggestions! Thank you for watching and taking the time to respond. Have a great day!
@@PawsForLove my pleasure. As a single Native American mom? Who is a rare “unicorn” of my stereotype? Never applying for state assistance, and raising my girls on two wood stoves (even when temps hiit -35 F)…I’m full of helpful advice. Just ask me about wrapping pipes in insulation and/or electrical heating coils to keep them from freezing. Or how to keep a bathtub or kitchen drain pip from icing, refusing to drain!
I’m studying everything about vanlife now. The children are grown, last flew the nest this month. For me…van life makes sense. Even with my dogs. But they are “worried” about me. So I have to have an answer for EVERYTHING, before they give me a smile “if that’s what you want to do momma….”
Love your enthusiasm 😄 Much luck.
Thank you!! 😁
Always check the weather reports a couple times every day. Then you have some warning of bad conditions approaching. We were in Fort Davis Texas at Davis Mountain campground during that polar vortex, too. When we heard about the possible cold front, we topped off the propane tanks, and filled the fresh water tank. Then the next day the cold front hit and the power, water and internet went off at around 1am. Because we were prepared, we had heat and water for those days. People in campers that were prepared did much better than many people in homes that lost power unless the home owner had a generator. Also when in severe cold keep your window shades down and put reflectix over each window which helps keep the heat inside. Also, add at least one more battery, at least 200 watt of solar and a generator.
Those are great ideas Ray! We definitely need to get some of those window coverings - and we’d love to get a generator or solar! Sorry y’all got stuck in that storm too! But sounds like we should have been camping next to you!! :)
we go to Texas for the winter, fortunately we didn't loose power.
At the time you are talking about.
But we never travel without or 4500 watt inverter generator. And we have used it several times.
We also run it Frequently to make sure it will run when needed .
So glad y’all didn’t get stuck in that storm! A generator is definitely on our list for our next setup!
You guys rock! Totally RVers 🙌🏼
After that snowstorm, I’d call us seasoned RVers 😂😂
At least you had a therapy dog to help you through those days. I’m in Canada-in southern Alberta where we wait for regular thaws to clear the snow. We had really cold weather at the same time but we expect -25C temps sometime during the winter. I was floored by the freak cold/snowy weather down there! Glad things have sorted themselves out.
Wow! That’s some serious cold and snow you get in Canada. Nash would definitely make you smile if he came to visit during a snowstorm. As you saw, he loves snow!!
Oh my goodness, I wish I could have homed you!! I'm in California but my home is always yours! I love you guys. So blessed to have found your channel
Thank you so much!! We’d muchhhh rather have been in California and not in this snow storm! You’re so sweet Kathleen!!
It's unbelievable what yaw had to go threw & newbies, too. GOD is Good, though. HE always sees us thru. Glad u came thru ok.
Amen to that! He sure is. It’s crazy what happens when we put all trust in Him and follow His calling on our life. Amazing things begin to happen and serving others becomes incredibly fulfilling :)
His dad jokes game is top notch 👌
Haha! Thank you ☺️
That was a nightmare! This is the south! We, along with our electric grids, were not built for this! I’m jealous of your winter gloves. All I had was “fashion” gloves that got soaking wet and then cold and then my fingers died.
But we made it sooo bring on summer! ☀️ 🌴 🏝 👙
#dadjokes!! Woo hoo!!!
Y’all weren’t close to a truck stop or a Cracker Barrel to overnight park?
Haha!! But I'm sure your fashion gloves are cute! :) We're originally from Indiana. Luckily we brought some stuff with us for cold just in case... I've never been more glad we had cold weather clothes. So many didn't at our RV park though! Because just like you said... no one expects this in the south! Bring on summer and sunshine now!!!
Ok, read all the comments and your replies to them. If you don’t have the space for a genset, I would suggest having a large inverter installed in your truck and the accompanying power outlet needed for running your camper. You can get inverters that can go 5kw and larger. The only downside is you would need to run your truck to provide enough power to run it. This isn’t that difficult and would add resale to the truck. Any RV repair place that does solar systems should be able to help you with this. If space is a premium, adding to your truck seems like the best idea. And if you replace your trailer, you keep the power with you.
That’s a GREAT idea!!! Thank you for taking the time to share that with us. We’ll definitely look into that ☺️
So sorry,our prayers coming your way
We appreciate that Jeda!! :) Luckily the sun has been shining on Texas for days and we're super grateful! :)
We have an older poopy...when you were brushing the snow off the step, I IMMEDIATELY was wondering where you got the step covers!!!
Those look FANTASTIC for Her, like for Nash
You know, I’m not sure exactly. The previous owner of our rv had put them on, but I’m sure you could get them online or at a place like Camping World. They were a huge help for Nash!
I lived in my fifthwheel in Denver Colorado. It was 12 degrees below 0 and we were good. You need to setup for the cold fill your water tank and get gas for your generator and propane. We all know how the weather is coming. We all need to setup for the weather. Stay warm
Thanks for the pointers friends! Unfortunately this weather was much worse than predicted. And we don’t have a generator. But definitely wish we had during this storm!
🙏💜✝️ America LOVES Texas! Please stay strong in the Lord & the power of His might! 🙏💜✝️❤🇺🇲
Amen, Ruby! God is good ❤️
I was at Port Aransas the same time , no water or power for 3 days but I did have a Honda 2200 gen. that I carry and 2 30 gal propane! but the trailer park and others had propane to fill. It was fun had others using my gen to chg their batterys
Hi Jack! So glad you had a generator! I know Port Aransas got hit hard, too! I hope you and your trailer came out alright!
PS our friends recommended Gulf Waters in Port Aransas and now that’s on our list!
Your video just came into my feed, I am now a new subscriber! I am in Minnesota, when the Texas fiasco happened, it was -10 for, like, over a week here. I a ski instructor, and plow my own snow, but my dishwasher hoses froze, so I had a mess in my kitchen. I made fires in my wood stove that week, and my RV was parked and covered for the winter, with pink anitfreeze in the tanks. Growing up my family traveled to Austin by car, down I35, many times, to visit our friends. San Antonio is also nice, but not in the friggin' snow!!!!! We are down to 1 dog, our chocolate lab passed away before the pandemic. We got her as a therapy 🐕 for my son, but he ended up doing dog training with other kids, did agility, and made it all the way to the state championship! When he had back surgery, our small dog (Bichon frise) got to come to the hospital and play therapy dog. It was so sweet, the other kids absolutely loved her. It was very expensive and tough to get an autism assistance dog, but with youth dog obedience nearby, we made up our own program, and it was amazing. I look forward to seeing more of your channel❤️😄🐾
Hi Brenda! So so glad you found our channel! We’re excited to have you along for our journey! ☺️
You must have been FREEZING in Minnesota! I agree - San Antonio is wonderful, but just not in snow. ☺️ Hopefully we won’t experience that situation again! It was way worse than anyone even predicted. 😅So glad you stayed warm though!
I love how you have a therapy dog history, too! What a huge difference they make! It’s work, but it’s so worth it! ☺️
@@PawsForLove Daily Barker, I love it! I grew up with German Shepherds, a very hairy breed, and last week picked up a shirt that has a shepherd eating a giant pie, and it says, "Shepherd's Pie. Life is good." I'm looking for another medium or large sized dog but am basically going by word of mouth. I usually go through a breeder, but don't require a purebred.... Minnesota is cozy in the winter time. I have fires, go out and shovel snow, come in and drink hot cocoa, bake some delicious meals and desserts, go skiing..... If you have a winter sport it makes winters fun. Last winter, during the pandemic, there was no Special Olympics downhill ski coaching, so I put snow tires on my mountain bike and put on about 100 miles on the trails! My Shepherd used to mountain bike with me in summers, but she was terrified of bridges. Haha. My friend who moved from MN to Austin, TX, told me that if it snowed, (once a decade, just a little) that the kids took their plastic lunch trays out to the hill and rode down like a sled. Lol. Nash reminded me of Cookie, my lab, when he was jumping at the snowballs. She loved to fetch mittens and bring them to the owners so they would go out and toss snowballs ❄️
Awww! Yes! Nash LOVES snow!! And we agree - if you have winter sports it always makes winter so much better!! We love skiing too!
Y’all are literally living MY DREAM ❤️❤️🐶🐶❤️❤️❤️
It’s a pretty great life! Come RV with us!!!
I love it!!! You’re Nashy boy is so stinking cute!! Lol we have a Dash we call him Dashy boy (rescue boxer with a big personality) and my service dog 🐕🦺 Dixie the dachshund!! We have to do this - doing the whole RV thing was something we always wanted to do, but adding in the therapy dog part is just amazing!!! We are such huge dog lovers and dogs have always been such a huge part of our lives!!! Thank you guys and keep on living the dream ❤️❤️
What a small world!! Dash and Nash would be the sweetest friends, I’m sure!! ☺️ So glad to hear you are loved by your Service Dog, too!! What an impact these amazing pups can have! Sending you hugs!!!!
We were on our way home to Mississippi from spending 2 months in California with family when we hit the storm. We usually travel I40 in the summer but we thought being on I10 would put us far enough south not to have to deal with snow and ice. Boy we’re we wrong!!
That was definitely a good thought until Mother Nature had different plans! We thought the same thing: “South Texas is always so nice in Winter”
Outside of this storm, it was definitely amazing though. Most days were high 70s and we were in the 80s even for a while too!
My truck charge's my camper through the trailer harness. Check on adding this to your connector. Only needs a 12v power wire from alternator to the 8 pin connector. You could charge your camper while driving or while idling.
Thanks for taking the time to share that Jon!!
Texas has got to get that fixed. Lucky you guys have some means.
Luckily this was earlier this year. Hoping Texas doesn't have anything close to this this winter!
Thank goodness she has a helpful guy with her to help with all this. If it was me, I’d be out there having to do everything myself. lol
Haha, Sean is super handy. And I’m so insanely grateful for that because if it was just me, I wouldn’t have a clue where to start to keep us warm 😂 I learned a lot from him about how to survive that week.
We lived through it too. Our well pipes are still not repaired but everything else is back Praise God. We were just like u ...the first thing we wanted was coffee ☕
God provided help 🙏in strange and mysterious ways. We had a propane light ...left from camping days ...we huddled in one small room w it. Yes yes 🙌 like you we praised God for things we often take for granted. ...warm bath 🛁, toilets that flush 😳, beautiful trees 🌳 and plants. ... so many of the trees lost limbs because they are just not used to the snow on their limbs and the plants ...so many of them never experienced single digit Temps ...
Amen and amen! You are so incredibly right and we are so encouraged by your positivity and by how good God is when we need him the most.
We were so sad when we were watching the news and they were talking about all the animals at the San Antonio zoo that were dying because of the temperatures. They had no way to keep them warm and they were so helpless. The same goes for the plants just like you said.
@@PawsForLove we didn't know about the zoo animals. That is heartbreaking. We kept feeding the birds and deer near us and interestingly our chickens did NOT get out of their house as long as snow was on the ground. We put heat lights in their house 🏠 and they even continued to lay eggs every day...wow amazing right?
That is amazing!!!
Me and my husband have learned alot being off grid we plan for everything. The best we can. We live in Tennessee and we came from Colorado 7 years ago. When we get freezing cold weather we bring in buckets of water for us and the animals. You have to be prepared and think ahead.
I love how much y’all have learned. It’s such an important skill to know how to tackle these situations. Sounds like you both have learned a lot! :)
@@PawsForLove too much😊
Sometimes more than you’d like! 😂 RV life!!
I can’t believe you’re all freezing and you can’t wait to get coffee and as soon as you make it you throw some ice cubes in it? Ha exclamation take care❤️👵🏻❤️
Haha! Yeah we don’t like super hot coffee. Not sure why, but we just like it kind of warm and instead of waiting for it to cool down, ice cubes do the trick!
Sandra Westley my thoughts exactly freezing outside and add ice 😂😂 your all surrounded by snow bring some in and melt it, to drink and clean your teeth, it won’t kill you so long as it’s not yellow snow. 😂😂
@@robwestley7370 LOL! Yes, we definitely want to stay away from the yellow snow!
I’m glad that storm is over for everyone down in Texas
Hopefully nothing major happened to the camper that can get expensive
I live in Denver were expecting a blizzard of feet of snow in town next couple days
Hopefully we don’t have power outages 🤞🏻. My poor tropical parrots will not be happy
It was a tough week for Texas, that’s for sure! But it was pretty amazing seeing everyone come together.
Luckily no damage to our RV! Thank goodness! I hope y’all don’t get tons of snow!! Denver weather can change on a dime!
I just bought my first rv... I’m busy watching all kinds of how to vids.... at this point I’m very happy I’ve been an avid wilderness camper... all these problems I can easily avoid due to an entire set of gear devoted to there being no niceties. French press is the best coffe invention ever...
A french press is a great thing to have on hand because coffee is definitely key :) Welcome to the RV life!!
I remember that cold snap well. Im an otr trucker and i was home that week. It was -35 up here. My companys terminal was froze up for that bad.
Wow! That is sooooo cold! 🥶
We went four days without power, heat and water. We have learn a lot since then about preparing
So glad y’all made it through Crissie. It definitely wasn’t a fun few days. But we’re in the same boat. We too, learned ALOT since that storm!
I live in North Texas in Wichita Falls and my 90 yr old father lives with me. We lost our power for six days and thought I was going to lose my dad he was so cold. I was ok but my dad wasn't. I made him put on every warm pair of clothes he had and then I put him in a 0 degree sleeping bag I had for sleeping in very cold weather. I made hot coco for him on a 70 yr old Coleman camp stove he bought in 51 to keep him warm on the inside. It helped but he suffered so bad. It took a week after we got our heat back on for him to get rid of the bone chilling cold out of his body. Was going to get a hotel room for us but most had busted water pipes and they had to evacuate all the people so that was out. Hope we never go through a winter like this again.
Oh Kelly, I am so, so sorry! I can imagine y’all were doing everything in your power to stay warm. I am so glad you both made it out of this terrible storm okay! Thank you for sharing your story with us! 🤍
@@PawsForLove Your welcome. Glad you guys made it too.
It definitely was a tough week!
It was horrible. I am still in a motel. I live in a TT in Texas. During the storm we had ice inside our TT. Our lines frozen, no power, our gallons of water froze inside the TT. It was so cold inside I got frost bite on my toes. A friend let us stay at their cabin for the week. When the water thawed the person that owned the property I am parked decided to turn the water on to my TT without me being there and it busted everything flooding my TT with 6 inch deep water. Yeah....good times.
Oh Malinda, we are so so sorry to hear this. That’s the thing that a lot of people don’t realize about how bad this storm was, especially for people that live in South Texas full time. This isn’t necessarily something that you prep for, because it hadn’t happened in over a hundred years. Is insurance doing anything to help for you?
Hi, new to your video channel, enjoying it. Moose from upstate NY.
Welcome Gary!! We’re so glad you’re here!!! ☺️
Wow it's really hard when u are not prepared we think are but not but hope this winter it's not bad I live in near Yakima Washington are lights go for hours but i have a wood stove and a lot of wood cuz we don't know how winter going to be every year but bless all those people
Luckily this was earlier this year! But I bet in Washington, you are prepped for just about anything! A wood stove sounds really wonderful, too!
I shared your video with friends and family as we also lived in our RV for almost 2 weeks without water. We dubbed it "Texas Freeze-mageddon 2021"
Oh no!! John, I’m so sorry that y’all were without water for 2 weeks!! I can say we’re all probably so happy for that to be behind us!
Well, not all Texas suffered. South in the border we didn't suffer too much. Our power company isn't the same as the rest of Texas so we made it thru. Glad you guys made. Great story.
So glad to hear that! Thanks for watching!
I have lived through 3 Hurricanes not fun but at least we were warm!
Haha! That's a good point! Still scary though and thankful that you've been okay through the 3 that you've been through. I guess no matter where you live there is always the opportunity for some sort of natural disaster to happen -- it just depends on which one.
Great Video & Great Service
Thank you Brian! :)
Yeah. We were stuck in Texas in conure thousand trails park..in a travel trailer..it was crazy 😜
Ahhh yes!! It definitely wasn’t our favorite weather we’ve hit this year 😂
Ugh melting ice to flush the toilet and we out of water too. Now I'm a cuckoo prepper in my house. Our gas lines were hours from freezing too, in Austin.
Glad to hear it!
Small Jackery generator can be charged with truck or solar . Enough to make coffee with or maybe even run a small heater . When you have water we fill old milk jugs with water and freeze and then store in a cooler . Even a propane grill with those small canisters of propane (stock up) will make a meal and boil water for coffee . Build a campfire with the neighbors and share heat and wood , good for roasting a hotdog lol .
Hotdogs and coffee are key! Thanks for sharing those ideas Sharon! We’re glad this all is behind us and we’re praying we don’t have to go through this again! But it’s definitely important to be prepared for the unexpected - which is exactly what this was! Weather was forecasted to be bad, but not even close to as bad as what it ended up being!
"It's cold" he says, amazed at the smallest amount of snow I've seen lmao. This is hilarious to us Canadians.
We grew up in Indiana, so totally agree that it wasn’t a ton of snow. But, on the flip side, this area of Texas doesn’t see snow, so it was super rare for them!
Up here in Alberta I didn’t say a word. Sure enough, that summer was when I added ‘heat dome’ to my vocabulary. Forty f***ing degrees, and not all of us had A/C. Absofrickin’ nuts!
New to channel, awesome job sharing!
Best Wishes for a sweet couple.
MommaFaye 🌺
Momma Faye!! 🥰 You just brightened our day! Welcome ☺️ So happy you’re following along!
@@PawsForLove love you guys already!
MommaFaye 🌺
🥰🥰🥰🥰
That was me in my travel trailer as well. No water no electricity for 3 days. 10 single gallons of my water froze. 3 gallon fish tank froze. I broke though ice to get to water in a bowl and take a freezing cold sponge bath. By the time I was headed to my car for heat, I collapsed back onto my couch. I couldn't make it out the door to my car. EMS wouldn't take me to the hospital or shelter because of my small dog. Someone knocked on my door. It was the staff Lady at my RV park rescuing us all into The clubhouse. 2 fireplaces. We had to keep them going. They'd bring Tons of wood for us to burn. This place is full of oak trees they trim every year. They fed us. Provided mattresses for overnight. Still I had to wear 5 layers of clothing and 3 jacket and a hat. I looked lovely. Did not care. They saved many lives including mine and my dog. Some ppl stayed for a week because of trailer issues. I have electric heaters. I left after power came on for 1 hour. I'm totally prepared for next time now. Added insulation. Rugs. Old fashion lantern Wal-Mart sells for a heat source. Food. Ice tent to pitch inside. Allot of Texans did that. 0 degree sleeping bag. On another note HEB grocery store had 100s of ppl waiting to get in. The fire Department hooked up 2 hoses to filI containers you brought of any kind. Pitchers. Anything. Total life savers. Grateful to still be alive. It was so close.
Elizabeth, we’re so glad you and your pup are okay. It really was much worse weather than anyone ever expected. It was beautiful hearing how your rv park came together to help each other!
You can also buy 3 or 4 small cans of Cisco shortening and buy some long thick type wicks, warm up a can of Cisco enough to slip a wick in the middle of it or buy medium semi thick candles, the white kind, stick one In middle of can of Cisco and light the wick once the Cisco has solidify, this will ladt for up to 70 days. You get light and if you place it in a garden type terra cotta pot with hole in the bottom, place another pot on top of the other one upside down, you'll get heat.
Thanks for sharing that!
My husband and I live full time in our RV and endured the coldest winter storm in Texas since 1949 I think? I took blankets and covered all the windows and doors and laid more blankets and rugs on the floor. Candles in metal cans helped radiate heat. We were having rolling blackouts for 4 days so we had power for 50 minutes then off for 30 so our heated water hose was keeping things from freezing. We keep extra tanks for propane and would use propane heat only when the electric wasn’t on. We were fortunate and did better than some of my friends who have homes. It was one of the weirdest times in our RV over the last 10 years and we’ve done Colorado camping in the winter. This was the craziest winter in Texas that I have ever experienced in my life. There is a saying though, “If you don’t like the weather in Texas just wait a few minutes and it”ll change.” It is now 78 degrees! Safe travels to you guys. I’m happy you made it unscathed for the most part. You are correct when you said there were people who suffered much worse. Heading out to Austin... you’re in for some good Tacos!
Wow!! Y'all really are creative!! What great ideas. Hopefully we never have to endure that again, but really inspired by how you managed. :)
I live in Canada and we are cold for 5 months of the year ..be prepared..have supplies.. fòod
. water and heat . .. as for making coffee. Well u have a fire pit
. Make it the old way
.
.
I lived in Dfw all my life and that was definitely 1 cold S.O.B LOL Thank god for my fire place. And gas in the truck lol . Glad yall made it thru :) Sorry for the 1s that didn't :/ Rolling black outs my ass lol
It was definitely a cold one! Glad to hear that you made it through safely 👍🏻
Now there is a reason to have the slides pulled in during this kind of weather
Definitely a good idea Marissa!!
What a jam. So so sorry.
You’re so sweet Kathy! This storm definitely was eye opening for us as newbie RVers!!