[yclapp]

well we are moving to St. Johnsbury in May of 2009. Mom and I are so excited! If we had the money to move today we would. I have managed to get ahold of a couple of realtors so I can get a list of long-term rentals. I got the names of some of the biggest employers in town. I check the job ads every day in the newspaper and on the net. I even have one of the realtors checking on the start up cost of the utilities and gas for me. There is a house for rent right now that I have seen for a couple of months so I asked her why it would still be unrented. What I would like to know is how do you keep your car engines from freezing up in the winter. Also the car locks from freezing. Mom said something about graphite? Any helpful hints? Who sells the best/warmest clothes at a great price for the cold winters we will experience. I am trying to buy some stuff now, long sleeve shirts, sweaters, that kind of thing. Of course here in Florida they don't carry the clothes for really cold weather. If it gets into the 40's like last week people here freak and throw on a parka like it has hit Arctic temps. Haha. They say your blood thins down here...I wonder if it ever thickens back up. I hope so or I will look like the Michelin man up there for a while. I am open to all information and advise for our move. OH yeah is there a storage company like the PODS that are down here? I really don't want to have to get a U-Haul. Thanks again. Sorry this one was so long. Just have a lot on my mind.

[Sherylcatmom]

Originally Posted by yclapp

well we are moving to St. Johnsbury in May of 2009. Mom and I are so excited!

Congratulations! May will be here before you know it. I hope it all works out great.

Originally Posted by yclapp

What I would like to know is how do you keep your car engines from freezing up in the winter. Also the car locks from freezing. Mom said something about graphite? Any helpful hints?

Hmm, I've never done anything to keep my cars' engines from freezing. They just start up every time. The locks have never frozen either. I guess that could happen if it rained hard and then froze solid that night, but that's relatively unusual. Oh, and sometimes people don't realize that going through a carwash in sub-freezing temps can be a bad idea. :-)

Originally Posted by yclapp

Who sells the best/warmest clothes at a great price for the cold winters we will experience.

If you want to buy before you arrive, or if you wear unusual sizes, there are good deals on eBay and Sierra Trading Post. But I buy most of my stuff used at consignment stores. And you'll be here in May so you should have plenty of time to shop the local consignment stores, if that's a desirable option for you.

Rutland has consignment stores with high-quality under-layers, clothing, and outerwear, often unused or barely used. Yesterday I had a big event for work and wore a beautiful gold Anne Klein turtleneck ($3), a taupe & brown Patagonia dress jacket ($12), and tailored brown corduroy pants ($1), all purchased used in Rutland.

If you plan to be outside for long periods when it's really cold, long underwear can make a huge difference. When I need serious gear, I shop Patagonia. It's the most expensive, but also the best I've ever found, lasts forever, and they stand by everything they make no matter how long ago one purchased it (at least in my experience). You can probably get some of their stuff at Sierra Trading Post.

[vter]

As far as I know, PODS is not in StJ. U-Haul or a moving company is the way to go.
Sheryl gave you a good run down on everything else....good luck!

[yclapp]

Thanks everyone. This is helpful. Mom was worried about the car door locks and about the car engines. I have no problem with thrift store/consignment shops. Lately I have found things at a decent price here at the Aero Postle? store and at Old Navy. They have had there henley shirts at around $5.00 so I got a few of those. They are thin enough to wear under a tee shirt or a long sleeved shirt. I am all about the great deals I don't care where they are. Haha. With three teen girls to shop for I can't afford to be picky(and neither can they). I even have found jeans for them at the stores in the mall cheaper than at Wal-Mart because they are having to mark stuff down so much just to get it moving. I told mom the other day that "for a bad economy the mall is doing a fair amount of business". People are just getting smarter with their money. I already have a U-Haul reserved for the 22 of May so I am set there. I was just hoping to not have to drive the U-Haul with a car dolly attatched. Can you say UHG! Oh well I will do what needs to be done to get there. Thanks again for your good information. I will be using all the suggestions I get probably.

[Asta]

Congrats and good luck! As far as the car goes, when we lived up north we used a block heater to ensure that the car would start up. Here's a description:

Block heater - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A lot of folks don't use them, but the one day that the car doesn't start up they wish they did. And it does get so cold that sometimes the car engine has trouble turning over.

Ask the people at your auto parts store what they recommend for frozen door locks. Some people carry small cans of lock de-icer, WD-40, or graphite. I have seen some people heat their keys with a Bic lighter before inserting it into the lock. My car didn't have keyless entry, so I just left the car unlocked if I was worried the locks might freeze up. Up north, there is usually at least one really bad cold snap in the winter where the temp does not get above zero for a couple of weeks at a time. That is not a good time to bring your car thru the car wash.

In addition to the suggestions already made, do a search online for stores that sell cold weather clothing. I used to layer clothing and wear long underwear in the winter. Even though they cost a bit more, I found that the clothing items made out of higher-quality material worked best, because I needed fewer pieces to stay warm.

[MRVphotog]

Lots of awesome country just north of St J in the Lake Willoughby area.

When I lived out west in the mountains everyone used block heaters. When I returned back to Vermont after about 5 years of folks asking me about the plug hanging out of my front grill I decided to just cut it off. Not cold enough in Vermont to need one.

[Greenteam]

Your engine in your car is filled with "coolant which will not freeze under typical conditions which is always. Read your owners manual for a better explainer.

Door locks don't freeze on their own. Avoid wd-40 at all costs. They sell specific door lock lube which you may want to treat the door lock with prior to cold weather.

[Greenteam]

IMO it does get cold enough to use a block heater except years ago it was a bit easier to start your car if it had been plugged in for a while. Compared to modern cars (1995 and+) block heaters are less common as newer vehicles properly maintained always start.

My Honda Civic is over 12 years old and has always started regardless of outside temp.

[Asta]

Originally Posted by Greenteam

IMO it does get cold enough to use a block heater except years ago it was a bit easier to start your car if it had been plugged in for a while. Compared to modern cars (1995 and+) block heaters are less common as newer vehicles properly maintained always start.

My Honda Civic is over 12 years old and has always started regardless of outside temp.

I'm just saying - I lived up north for many years and I can remember more than once the weather being bone-crunchingly cold and the car not starting up. Northern Vermont can get pretty cold during a cold snap. Fortunately they usually last only a couple of weeks. Lots of folks drive older cars which need all the help they can get. After I got a block heater I didn't have to worry about not getting to school or work because my old Pontiac decided it wasn't going to start on a particularly cold morning.

[vter]

I grew up in St. Johnsbury and lived a couple years there as an adult after college. We rarely had problems with our cars not starting. Maybe once or twice a winter when it got to be -20. I personally would not spend $$ on a block heater, but thats my personal preference.