New member from the Gulf Coast to the frozen tundra in ND

Hello , me and my 2002 tundra relocated from the hurricanes to the ice storms. I hear that this ice storm was a surprise as they are not that common here in ND. Well it freaked me out even when it ended. Ice chunks from the tops of trees were falling onto the house for almost a week after. Never saw anything like it in all my 54 years. I have some concerns about the life of my tundra since the weather turned cold it's been sitting in an unheated garage, I do not have a block heater. I have experienced difficulty with turning the key in the ignition. I used dry lube in the cylinder and it worked fine. Though now it's been sitting frozen and everything feels like it can just snap broken to the touch. This may sound ridiculous but if I bring a portable heater inside the cab and warm it up some would that better my chances of turning the key ? When I had difficulty before I sprayed it , the key would turn enough to unlock the steering, but I believe it's frozen not allowing the key any play at all. I'm going to go try anyway. Even the door handle felt as though it it could crack just by opening it. Is this extreme cold weather going to kill my tundra? It's a 2002. It has never been exposed to these temps before, ever.

 

Don’t force anything. The heater in the cab is a good trick that many in cold weather climes use.

 

Oh no I won't I love my truck I just thought to warm the inside of the cab near the ignition area . I already feel stranded here in this state I certainly do not want to lose my truck. I made a huge mistake coming here. It was in June though and then the weather changed not gradually but drastically. The ice storm happened it was not even winter and lately the temp has been negative. To top it off there are more deer than people in this town. I have not been outside at all for over a month. It's truly taking a toll.

 

Welcome from NY.

Wow.

 

While in Louisiana my tundra has been maintained accordingly and was a true champ, never left me anywhere, always reliable. I think it's mad at me!

 

Ask what the locals do in the winter. Block heater high on the list. Super cold weather in ND is the norm. So cold that wooden fence posts get pushed up from the ground at weird angles.

 

I'm new to the snow and I must admit the closest I want to be to snow is if it's in a globe or in a cone .

 

I love the desert.

 

Not sure where you are exactly but in some places there when it thaws, it floods. Aftermarket block heater and maybe a battery blanket.

 

The North Slope is a desert.

 

Where's the north slope? I meant Vegas , I lived there for 12 years then back to new orleans

 

Yes, even there. In older vehicles without remote start, the in cab heater will warm the cab, seats, steering wheel, ignition cylinder and help thaw the windshield. It will not help the engine block obviously, a block heater would be needed if the temperature is that low.

 

I'm in between Bismarck and Jamestown, an empty tiny town called Streeter.

 

Louisiana is no paradise ( not true, it is the sportsman’s paradise ) but I can’t imagine what the story is that finds you in middle of nowhere North Dakota. Stay warm up there.

 

Well getting a block heater and remote start sounds great but will not happen in the near future. I'm not going outside unless it's absolutely necessary. I was going to go out to start it but now it's dark. This is insane the weather and how early it gets dark but also that it's still daylight at 10 pm during the summer. That's just nuts.

 

Lol! Me too I run this through my mind constantly and I don't have an answer. I may need to check into psych facility. Just kidding it's quite the same in this house.

 

But funny you said that ," stay warm" the furnace quit working and while there are heaters in each room upstairs , downstairs was much like being outside. And the pipes are in the basement along with the furnace. So yep the pipes froze! But I hauled the double burner that I used to boil seafood down into the basement hooked up the propane and lit that sucker both burners and in matter of a half hour pipes were no longer frozen. Then I brought a portable heater into the basement until the furnace was fixed. I also brought my generator that powered the 3000 sq ft house in Louisiana. There was a power outage for the ice storm but I had power. This house is tiny it's maybe 1000 sq ft.

 

So,,,,,, welcome to the Tundra with your Tundra! North Kadota will grow on ya,, clean fresh air and for the most part very tolerable summers.

Have relatives up yonder and BIL runs a crane hanging windmills there and the South Kadota. Wife and I have spent time up that way too. It can get down right cold!!

Are you in the oil field bidness? What made you leave the gulf and hurricane central?

welcome aboard. All the best.

 

Wow, just google earthed that place. I thought I had lived in some rural places.

 

Oh boy next Wednesday it's going to be in the 40's! Believe me when I say I have never been excited about weather temperatures in the 40's but as crazy as it's gonna sound , I can't wait! That's like summer in these parts. Does that mean the weather is changing to warm soon? Omg I do hope so. In Louisiana we were in shorts for Christmas many years were mild winters. I honestly can't believe I did this to myself, as soon as I can though I'm out of here, seriously. There will be no need to visit this state again.

 

NO NO NO north Dakota will NOT grow on me!!!!! I quit. These Dakota s can keep it and I don't not care to take any part of it with me. Someone told me I'd get used to it , again NO.

 

There are literally more deer in this town than people and the deer love it, I wish I had a crossbow, I gave it to my son years ago along with the guns. My eyes are not what they used to be. I miss the fish! The shrimp! And the lush greenery!

 

Blackened dead fish, shrimp (fresh),, big bowls of gumbo!!!!

 

The etouffee is what always calls me home

 

Thank you all for welcoming me to this forum , I will be back sometime tomorrow , gonna eat and crash there's nothing else to do here. I'm going to attempt starting my truck in the daylight, the garage is not big enough to run the heater I have inside it with my truck in there too, it would warm very quickly though from the explosion. Or idk I may just wait until we are above freezing. I'm just sick of being inside. I have to go somewhere for a change of scenery before I lose my mind. The closest store is an hour away. This is what a detention camp must be like, certainly fits the description.

 

I stand corrected!

 

This is the greatest intro thread! Welcome from LA (Lower Alabama)!

 

How big is Hickson?

 

Welcome from Texas!

 

Hickson looks slightly bigger. C’mon you guys don’t have Google earth?