7 things you need to know to take a winter RV camping trip
Winter is a season that most people tend to stay at home due to low temperature and short daytime. Nerveless, many campers still venture into the wilderness to witness beautiful views which only exist in the last season of a year. Among the camping methods in this weather, an RV is a great way to enjoy a comfortable trip thanks to the vehicle facilities. However, winter RV camping requires lots of preparations beforehand so you can not simply jump into the vehicle and hit the road. In the case, you have no idea what to do when you come to the right place. Right below are a couple of tips and tricks you could use to obtain a comfortable winter camping trip
Due to personal tastes and different demands, there is a wide range of techniques to completely winterize an RV. While the principle is more or less the same, it’s best to think about your own situation thoroughly before you attempt to do anything. Take into account the RV body structure, material availability, projected temperature and so on in order to come up with the best course of action. You don’t have to limit yourself to what stated here, feel free to make adjustments if needed to better suit your needs and requirements.
You may like to see this:Â 9 Reasons To Go Camping In The Winter
For winter RV camping trip, you must remember
Get a skirt
Should your RV come without an insulation bay, skirting shall definitely come in handy in low-temperature weather. Most of the market RV is unable to endure extreme cold so do consider investing in RV skirt to preserve the vehicle heat. Sometime, especially when the temperature drops to below freezing, you may have to slide in a heater underneath the skirt to supplement it. It’s advised to use an electric heater in such case instead of a propane one to avoid potential accumulation of harmful fume and alike.
Besides attaching an actual skirt, you could always improvise a snow skirt on the spot as well. It is quite useful if you intend to park the RV in a certain location for an extended amount of time. All you have to do is pick up a shovel then pile up layers of snow around the vehicle up the bays. Â Pack them as tight as possible and it should last for quite some time. In freezing weather, position a heater under the RV like before. The snow won’t be melted by the heat so there is nothing to worry about.
Process the tanks and pipes
Empty the black and gray tanks before the trip then adds about a quart of RV antifreeze into them. It should keep the valves from actually freezing solid out there. Insulate the pipes using foam insulation, you might have to utilize pipe heater in case the temperature drops too low and too fast. Wrap the hoses in insulation tape to prevent the forming of ice dams on the inside. Â Nonetheless, never leave your hoses out in the open since there is a good chance they will freeze even with the heater tape on.
The recommended procedure is to only use the hoses if needed then promptly cleanse them and store the hoses in a heated compartment.
Use vent cover
Lots of warm airs escape to the outside through the vents so it’s best to seal them with vent covers. Â They will add an extra layer of insulation plus the covers allow the vent to remain operational in heavy snow too. In the case you cannot find a suitable set of covers, there is always the option of making one on your own. Simply grab some pieces of foam padding then cut out the shape of the vents. The foam padding is usually available at the average home improvement and fabric store.
Get rid of condensation
Trapping too much heat in a confined space isn’t good all the times, one of the issues that you could run into is condensation. The build-up of condensation may eventually lead to a mold infestation hence it’s best to deal with it at once. If you ever feel the atmosphere to be stuffy or moist, promptly use a dehumidifier or dehumidifier pellets. Turn on a ventilation fan to speed up air circulation, it’s sufficient to get rid of the condensation in most of the time. If you happen to use a space heater with an internal fan then you don’t have to use a separate fan in that case.
Cover the windows and doors
Cold airs are capable of seeping into the RV interior through the vehicle windows and doors relatively easy. Cover these places shall keep the cold from getting in while preserving the inside heat. There is a variety of method you can use to achieve the insulation effect from thick curtains to bubble wraps. Foam board is an excellent way to seal the vehicle openings as long as you are able to invest enough times and efforts. Re-caulking the windows and doors is also nice though you might end up in a mess if you are inexperienced.
Pick the correct fuel for the RV engine
Fuel can freeze therefore it’s vital to fill the RV tank with suitable winterized fuel that is available at most truck stops. Antifreeze additives are adequate alternatives should are unable to locate a winterized fuel source in time. It’s advised warm up the vehicle engine for at least four hours before you hit the road. Engine block heater is quite helpful for this purpose, use it till the engine reach a minimum temperature of ten degrees Fahrenheit.
Take care of the stabilizer jacks
Letting the jacks come in direct contact with paved or concrete surfaces could make them freeze in place. Stack a couple wood blocks under the jack and you should have little trouble raising them later on. To detach the block, a hammer or a chisel is enough to get the job done.
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Conclusion
And that is most of the preparation you have to know for winter RV camping, quite easy to take in right. You may feel that everything is quite tedious at first but these preparations will ensure you have a smooth and uneventful experience on the RV. You should be able to get used to them after a couple of winter seasons without fail.
