Many RV campers travel in the warmer months of the year but experiencing the winter wonderlands is not out of your reach. You can experience a whole plethora of activities, and sights that you can only see during winter. It’s quite amusing when people ask the question, “can you live in an RV in the winter?” to that, you can excitingly answer YES! You just have to look out for some stuff to keep yourself, and your trailer from freezing in the frigid cold!
How to Live In An RV in the Winter
You can live in your camper during the winter. Your RV has quite reduced insulation when compared to your houses, but that won’t stop the enthusiasts from driving into the cold. There are a variety of systems that you can place in your camper to increase the insulation to keep yourself warm during your winter tips. Learning to keep your camper running during the cold is also essential, so you don’t get stuck in the frigid climate.
Two things are essential before you embark on your journey, which is research, and preparation. The RV isn’t built to sustain frigid temperatures for too long because of the complications that can occur. The pipes in your motorhome can burst due to the freezing temperatures, and the cold isn’t kind to your batteries as well. If you don’t take the important precautions, then you risk the threat of your trailer getting stuck in inhospitable environments.
Skirting Your RV
When people ask, how do you live in an RV in the winter, without it freezing over, then it’s easy to tackle that question with preparation? Your pipes and batteries can’t handle too much cold, and if you’re planning on camping, then it’s a good idea to skirt your RV. Attaching the skirt isn’t at all difficult, and the process will keep the underbelly of your camper insulated. Keeping the essential components warm is essential if you want your RV to work.
Keep Warm in Your RV
The next thing to tackle is to keep the inside of your recreational vehicle warm. You’ll need to do some handiwork for your trailer, and get some supplies beforehand to handle warming, If you want to go camping during winter with your RV, prepping your recreational vehicle is the best way to go. There are several things you’ll have to bring with you to keep the RV at optimal temperatures.
Insulating RV Windows
Companies pay a lot for insulation, the most expensive that goes into that insulation is for windows, and the same concept goes for RVs. You lose a lot of heat through windows, which is why it’s important to keep the heat in. There are a lot of options concerning insulation, and the best options are insulation boards, bubble insulation, and installing thermal curtains. Adding an extra layer of insulation will keep your trailer warm throughout the winter.
Weatherstripping Your Doors
The same concept applies to the doors of your motorhome. Doors of RVs aren’t fitted airtight, which can cause all of your heat to escape. Applying caulk to your doors will tighten the gaps through which the heat dissipates, and will save you a lot of resources keeping your RV warm. Weatherstripping your doors will save a lot of heating, and keep the motorhome as warm as you want.
Applying thermal caulk to other parts of your RV where you think the heat is escaping is also a good idea. Stopping the thermal heating from escaping as much as you can help you ration your heating resources, plus it’ll stop any kind of draft coming within the camper. Trust me, it’s easy to notice a cold draft in a heated RV, especially in sub-zero temperatures.
Using Your RV’s Furnace
How do RVs stay warm in the winter with your HVAC heating system? well, the answer is complicated. The HVAC system is dependent on the external temperature of the environment, and heating a freezing camper will make the system burn out, and use a lot of the resources quite inefficiently. The HVAC system is better suited to moderate temperatures, or using it temporarily, not for long-term usage such as living in the RV for the winters.
Using your RV’s furnace is the best way to go about heating your trailer. The furnace is the most fuel-efficient way to warm your vehicle up. The furnace uses propane, so if you’re planning to live in the camper during the winter, then you’d better bring a lot of propane. Getting your RV furnace in top condition is important to keep it fuel-efficient. The more fuel-efficient it is, the less propane it’ll consume, and that means you can keep the trailer warmer for longer.
The last tip is to keep your thermostat switched on to a specific temperature. Keeping the RV set at a specific temperature is better because reheating the recreational vehicle will take longer, and will be a total waste of your resources. Keeping the temperature stable is much easier than getting the RV reheated.
RV Electric Heaters
RV Electric heaters are the best things after the RV furnaces. Propane heaters are the best choice when it comes to heating your recreational vehicle, but if you’re using your RV’s furnace, then it’s better to switch to an electric source to keep another option open. The electric heater is dependent on your motorhome’s electrical source, so make sure to keep it up to standard. You can use an external generator for your electric heater, but depending on the cold, you might not be able to get the generator working.
Depending on the size of the RV, you should invest in two electric heaters. Smaller electric heaters aren’t able to do the job either, so setting up depending on your trailer size, and electric heater output is a good idea.
Closing Thoughts
Even the best high-end RV’s cannot combat mother nature’s freezing colds, but with a little bit of preparation, you can be sure to live comfortably for winter. Applying insulation to the inside, as well as the outside of your camper will help keep the camper warm. A little bit of preparation goes a long way when it comes to living in RVs during the winter. Once the overall vehicle is all nice, and warm, the question of living in an RV in the winter will be a thing of the past!
