Winter RV tenting is extra accessible than ever with enhancements in RV know-how. That’s why extra individuals search winter locations for RV getaways and stay in RVs full-time throughout all 4 seasons.
When you camp within the chilly, you’ll want to organize for it. When you’ll be tenting in chilly temperatures this winter, right here’s what you want to know to maintain your RV and your self wholesome and pleased.
The way to Get Water For Winter RV Tenting
Sustaining the well being of your RV’s water system is arguably an important issue of winter RV tenting. Getting clear ingesting water to your RV is all the time necessary, however when exterior temperatures drop under freezing, water can freeze in your pipes and your freshwater hose.
Frozen water expands, which might trigger your pipes to burst. Even when your pipes don’t freeze fully, a frozen part can improve water stress sufficient to emphasize pipe joints to the purpose of bursting.
Unregulated water stress will result in main repairs if you don’t need to be working in your motorhome or journey trailer. Repairing your RV’s plumbing additionally comes with a hefty invoice. Keep away from the expense with a little bit preparation.
Winter Concerns When Hooking As much as Metropolis Water
When you’re hooking as much as metropolis water, you’ll want a heated hose that plugs into an AC outlet in your RV or at your campsite. A heated hose retains water from freezing on the supply whereas it’s flowing into your RV.
There are numerous designs, however we advocate the Camco Freeze Ban hose as a result of it comes with insulated sleeves that slide over the hose fittings on the inlet and outlet. It’s additionally rated for temperatures all the way down to -20℉. Be taught extra about this Camco insulated water hose.
Some individuals add insulation to their heated hoses in the event that they know temperatures will stay under freezing for lengthy stretches. This may be carried out by wrapping your entire size of the hose in foil or foam insulation tape.
Technician Tip: Test the suggestions and browse by way of the handbook that got here together with your heated hose earlier than including insulation.
Winter Concerns When Filling Your Freshwater Tank
When you don’t have a heated hose, you’ll be able to fill your freshwater tank as an alternative of connecting to metropolis water. Many fashionable RVs designed for winter tenting characteristic heated holding tank compartments to stop water from freezing in your tanks.
For older RVs, you’ll be able to add your personal insulation to your holding tank compartments or place a drop gentle within the compartment. The warmth produced by the sunshine can be sufficient to maintain the water in your tank from freezing until you encounter extraordinarily chilly temperatures.
Technician Tip: Drop lights should use incandescent bulbs slightly than LED or fluorescent bulbs to supply warmth to heat your tanks. Excessive warning needs to be exercised, so warmth doesn’t harm the coach or begin a fireplace.
As a rule of thumb, solely join your water hose when filling your freshwater tank. Disconnect it if you’re completed, and drain all water out of the hose earlier than storing it. This can delay the tank’s life and the hose whereas stopping potential freezing.
The way to Preserve RV Pipes from Freezing Whereas Tenting
So that you’ve bought working water into your RV – wonderful, however you’re not out of the woods but. To maintain your RV pipes from freezing, open cupboards, so the warmth out of your furnace heats your complete coach. You too can go away taps barely open, in order that they drip in a single day, however this runs the danger of overfilling your gray water holding tank whilst you’re sleeping.
Some RVs include heated holding tank compartments, and you may add a tank blanket if yours doesn’t. Tank blankets are sometimes out there in 12V DC and 120V AC fashions, permitting you to decide on one which fits your off-grid or on-grid winter RV tenting journeys.
Technician Tip: It’s finest to seek the advice of with a native Tenting World specialist for help on modifications to keep away from including a heater that damages your plumbing.
Moreover, many towable RVs have uncovered water traces beneath the unit. These are the more than likely candidates for freezing when tenting in chilly temperatures. A simple solution to scale back the danger of uncovered water traces freezing is so as to add foam pipe insulation and wrap it with foam insulation or warmth tape.
The way to Preserve Your RV Sewer Hose from Freezing
It’s finest to attend till your gray and black water holding tanks are fully full to hook up your sewer hose and empty. This reduces how lengthy the valves are open, and warmth can escape.
Some RVers having fun with long-term winter stays go away their sewer hose hooked as much as an outlet in the course of their keep. When you do that, solely open tank valves when your tanks attain two-thirds of their capability to empty.
It’s additionally a good suggestion to empty your tanks in the course of the hottest a part of the day and make sure the hose is empty after dumping. This will require lifting the hose or utilizing sewer hose helps, so it drains fully and minimizes the danger of waste particles freezing within the hose.
The way to Put together Your RV’s Inside for Winter Tenting
Winter RV tenting needs to be pleasant, however that’s powerful in case you’re perpetually chilly. Luckily, we’ve loads of tricks to maintain your residing area heat and comfy all through the winter.
The way to Insulate an RV Ground
As a result of scorching air rises and chilly air sinks, flooring usually really feel further chilly within the morning. Luckily, there are various methods to insulate beneath your ft, reminiscent of inside rugs and runners, carpet tiles, and ground mats.
The way to Insulate RV Home windows and Doorways
The subsequent two apparent locations for warmth loss are your RV home windows and doorways. An RV with dual-pane home windows is finest for winter tenting, however there are methods to insulate single-pane home windows in case your funds doesn’t enable for that improve.
You may add foil insulation to home windows and doorways to cut back warmth loss. When you don’t like that look, you’ll be able to improve to thicker window shades. Door window covers and a reflective sunshade that matches your RV’s entrance window may also assist.
When you can’t discover actual matches for all of your home windows and doorways, you should buy a foil insulation roll and minimize squares to the wanted dimensions. Whilst you can, most winter RVers don’t cowl ALL their RV home windows, to allow them to nonetheless take pleasure in pure gentle and warmth from the solar in the course of the day.
Along with including insulation, test the climate stripping round your RV doorways. If it’s partially indifferent or lacking, exchange it to maintain chilly and moisture out.
Technician Tip: Use warning when putting in window insulation, so that you don’t block the weep holes or trigger them to turn into obstructed with ice. The condensation will again up and run down the partitions inside your RV in case you’re not cautious.
The way to Insulate RV Roof Vents
Since you gained’t essentially want these vents for air circulation in the course of the winter, you’ll be able to set up vent cushions to cut back warmth loss additional.
Vent cushions may also be used in the course of the hotter months to entice cool air out of your AC inside your RV, making them a wonderful funding for conserving power. The excellent news about these cushions is that they are often put in or eliminated in seconds.
Electrical Vs. Propane Warmth Sources
There are three important warmth sources that will help you keep heat when winter tenting. The primary is your RV’s propane furnace. Your furnace is one of the simplest ways to warmth the within and underbelly of your RV effectively. So, earlier than your winter tenting journey, take the time to guarantee your furnace is in good working order and test to see if it’s time to exchange your furnace filter (if relevant).
Technician Tip: By no means set up a filter on a furnace that was not geared up with one by the manufacturing facility.
Use compressed air and a comfortable brush to take away dust, mud, and particles from the furnace. Be certain that all vents are clear and unblocked. Carry out a take a look at by setting your RV thermostat to the specified temperature and measuring its effectiveness with a digital thermometer.
Contact a native Tenting World Service Middle to schedule a furnace inspection in case your furnace isn’t sustaining the specified temperature.
Your second possibility is a transportable electrical area heater. Electrical heaters can complement your RV furnace in case you’re plugged into AC energy all winter. They will even preserve propane and decrease your power invoice, relying on the electrical prices in your location.
The difficulty with area heaters is that they warmth the residing area above the ground, inflicting the furnace thermostat to modify the furnace off. Solely a ducted gasoline furnace will ship warmth to your RV’s underbelly. The heated tank areas are not heated if the furnace is off.
Technician Tip: Moveable area heaters can overwhelm your coach’s electrical system if used concurrently with a number of different RV home equipment. This will lead to inconveniences, damages to the coach, and even fires. Keep away from fashions with a most wattage score over 1,500 watts and switch it off earlier than powering on different high-draw home equipment like your microwave.
Your last possibility is to make use of a catalytic heater or a transportable propane heater that depends on a small propane cylinder. Make sure the unit is protected for indoor use, and top off on further propane cylinders in order for you this to be a dependable warmth supply for winter tenting.
The difficulty with propane area heaters is that they will improve condensation and trigger a harmful accumulation of carbon monoxide. They need to by no means be utilized in a tightly sealed RV, so that you’ll have to crack a window and use a dehumidifier to keep away from moisture points.
Exterior Vs. Onboard Propane
When winter tenting, you’ll burn propane sooner than standard. Your onboard propane container(s) provides propane to your range, oven, central furnace, and water heater. Refilling propane is important to your heat and luxury when it’s chilly exterior.
For journey trailers and fifth wheels, propane cylinders might be disconnected and exchanged or refilled at native {hardware} or grocery shops. Simply know that small transportable LP containers are topic to refrigeration in chilly climate.
Technician Tip: In chilly climate, small LP containers appear to expire of gasoline once they’re solely half empty. Holding your containers above half full is your finest guess for dependable propane provide when winter tenting.
For motorhomes, nonetheless, you’ll have to pay a propane fill service to come back to you or transfer your RV to a fill station, which might be treacherous on winter roads. Some motorhome house owners pay for an exterior propane tank to be put in exterior. This requires a propane adapter package and a propane firm to ship and fasten the tank.
Name a number of propane suppliers in your space to match costs and providers. If given the choice of “Preserve Full” or “On Name” service, “Preserve Full” eliminates the trouble of working out of propane since you forgot to test the extent repeatedly.
The way to Shield the Exterior of Your RV
From getting snow off the roof to making sure your stabilizing jacks don’t freeze to the bottom, there are some necessary steps to guard your RV’s exterior on winter adventures.
The way to Insulate an RV Underbelly
To maintain RV stabilizing jacks from freezing to the bottom, place wood blocks, leveling blocks, or stabilizing jack pads beneath them. When you retailer recreation objects beneath your RV, place them on a tarp or in sealed bins to keep away from water harm.
Utilizing an RV skirt offers one other stage of insulation for the open area beneath your RV. A skirt can maintain your flooring, holding tanks, and car elements hotter when exterior temperatures drop under freezing. Moveable or long-term insulated skirting makes an enormous distinction in consolation and effectivity. Any heat you’ll be able to entice inside your RV or underbelly works to your benefit.
An added advantage of skirting your RV is protected exterior storage. If in case you have kayaks or bikes that don’t have wherever else to go, slide them beneath your RV earlier than skirting to maintain them out of the weather.
Technician Tip: RV skirting could make a gorgeous house for critters. Use insect and rodent deterrents to maintain them at bay all through the winter.
The way to Make Exterior RV Steps Safer
Your handy RV step can rapidly flip right into a slippery hazard in freezing temperatures. One of the simplest ways so as to add grip is to put in wraparound step rugs. You too can set up an exterior handrail for added security when getting into and exiting your RV within the winter.
Technician Tip: Select step rugs fastidiously. The open types with aggressive textures are finest for winter tenting, because the carpet-styles can nonetheless flip icy in chilly, moist climate.
Inspecting RV Window Seals
You must also test the standing of your RV’s exterior window seals. When you haven’t addressed them in a number of years, including caulk or sealant may be useful earlier than winter tenting. Many of those merchandise have temperature limits that should be noticed, so test the producer’s directions to make sure correct use.
There are a number of caulk and sealant merchandise for resealing round your RV home windows. Ideally, discover a non-sagging or quick-drying product so you are able to do this job rapidly with out making an excessive amount of of a large number.
Seek the advice of your proprietor’s handbook for suggestions on appropriate sealant merchandise to your RV.
Defending your Roof, AC, Slide-Outs, and Awnings
Keep away from snow and ice accumulation wherever in your RV. Irrespective of how chilly it’s, one of the simplest ways to guard your RV when winter tenting is to push the snow off after every storm. This consists of your slideouts, and you should use slide-out helps to guard them from the added weight of snow and ice.
Technician Tip: Your finest guess in heavy snow occasions is to shut slide-outs till the storm passes.
When eradicating snow and ice, watch out to keep away from damaging your roof or awnings. We advocate a brush with comfortable bristles to clear a lightweight dusting of snow. For bigger accumulations, use a plastic shovel to clear the highest layer earlier than pushing the underside layer off with the broom.
Climbing up your RV ladder might be probably the most harmful a part of this effort. Sneakers with comfortable rubber soles are finest for dealing with slippery surfaces, and also you must also ask a companion or buddy to identify you if doable, however bear in mind {that a} harness and fall safety are the one true methods to ensure your security when climbing on a totally walkable RV roof.
We additionally need to be aware that it’s finest to depart your important RV awning closed when winter RV tenting. Weight from snow and ice and the potential for top winds make the danger for awning harm excessive within the winter.
In case your awning is broken, seek the advice of your information to RV awnings for data on removing, set up, and awning material substitute.
Lastly, think about putting in a canopy over your A/C unit as a result of you probably gained’t use it within the winter. An insulated A/C cowl protects the unit from harm whereas preserving out these dreadful winter drafts.
Technician Tip: DO NOT set up an A/C cowl when your coach is in use in case your models have a warmth pump.
Driving Suggestions for Winter RV Tenting
When you aren’t full-time winter tenting in a single place, you’ll have to navigate moist, slippery roads between locations. Listed here are a number of suggestions for protected winter RV driving:
- Get all-weather tires.
- Test the climate early and infrequently, particularly when navigating mountain passes.
- Speed up and decelerate extra slowly than regular.
- Keep away from fast lane modifications and turns, that are all the time dangerous concepts in an RV.
- If chain restrictions are in place, don’t go.
- Take into account investing in traction boards that will help you self-rescue in case you get caught.
- When you really feel uncomfortable with the climate circumstances, keep put.
- Gradual and regular wins the race.
Enroll in Good Sam Roadside Help to know assist can be on the best way if wanted!
Tenting within the winter might be an thrilling journey and assist you to take pleasure in all of the enjoyable that snowy locations supply. Once you get house, winterize your RV correctly, so your RV doesn’t have any bother weathering these frosty winter storms.
Do you’ve got expertise tenting in chilly climate? Share your recommendation with fellow RVers within the feedback under!
Jessica is presently residing and touring fulltime in her fifth wheel RV along with her husband, two youngsters, and 4 cats.