How to Cold Weather Camp in Your RV

As the weather gets colder, many campers put their RVs away for the winter. There is so much to see and do during the winter season, and enjoying these activities from the comfort of your RV can be a refreshing experience, if you prepare your RV for the cold.

Instructions

1

Examine your RV's plumbing to determine what measures you must take to prevent damage from freezing temperatures. Some RVs have plumbing exposed to the outside elements. In this case, wrap the exposed plumbing with heat tape and foam pipe insulation.

2

The plumbing system includes the holding tanks. Some RVs have enclosed holding tanks that are heated by the RV's furnace through heater ducting to the holding tank areas. As long as the furnace runs occasionally, these tanks won't freeze unless it's very cold (below 20 F).

For those tanks that are not heated or enclosed, affix tank heating pads to the bottoms of the tanks. These are very easy to install, thermostatically controlled, and come in both 12-volt DC and 110-volt AC.

3

Yet another part of the RV plumbing system is the holding tank piping and dump valves. Some high-end RVs have these pipes and valves enclosed and heated from the factory. For most RVs though, they are exposed to the elements. As with the plumbing pipes, these pipes and valves can be protected by wrapping them with heat tape.

4

You should keep your gray and black water valves closed until you are ready to dump your holding tanks. If gray water constantly allowed to drain, it will eventually form an ice dam in your sewer hose. As an alternative, you could also try insulating and wrapping heat tape around your sewer hose if you want to leave the gray water valve open. In any case, be absolutely certain that your sewer hose is at a steep angle where liquids drain rapidly and are not allowed to stand. Using a sewer hose support will help with this.

5

Another area subject to freezing is the fresh water supply hose. You can use a heated water hose to prevent freezing. This is a good option if you are in a campground with full hookups. They run on either 12 volts DC or 110 volts AC.

6

To reduce drafts and heating requirements, insulate your RV's windows against the cold with heavy drapes or curtains. You can create an insulating dead-air space inside of the windows by covering them with clear, heavy vinyl.

7

The roof vents are an area where heat can escape. There are foam-type pillows specifically made to be placed in the vent openings. These fit snugly and greatly reduce heat loss.

8

If you have a motorhome, hang a heavy blanket or privacy curtain between the driver's compartment and the rest of the motorhome. This will block the cold radiated by a motorhome's windshield. This works well whether you have a Class A, B or C motorhome because they all have large windshields.

9

Any compartments that open into the inside of the RV need to have good weather seals. Adding some inexpensive foam tape or weatherstripping to the compartment openings and doors will help seal those air leaks.

10

Now that the RV is sealed tight from air leaks, there may be a problem with condensation. Moisture from cooking, washing and just breathing raises the humidity inside the RV. As it gets colder, this moisture condenses on cooler inside surfaces like window frames and doors. This can lead to mold and mildew, and water stains. The best way to prevent condensation is to avoid introducing excessive moisture into the air. A good practice is to always use the range hood vent when cooking and the bathroom vent when showering. These will draw most of the moisture out of the rig. It may be necessary to keep a roof vent open slightly to provide some ventilation and keep condensation in check. Insulating exposed surfaces that tend to collect moisture will also help. A small dehumidifier or some tubs of desiccant crystals may be necessary, depending on the RV and how many people are staying in it.

11

Consider how the RV is going to be heated. Portable electric heaters are a great supplement to the propane furnace. This method of heating doesn't add condensation to the air and allows the propane furnace to run considerably less, saving a lot of propane. Catalytic heaters are another way to provide assistance to the propane furnace, but require fresh-air ventilation to avoid oxygen depletion in the RV.