As an RV owner, you have a big advantage over other campers—you don’t have to sleep in the cold! If you’ve ever taken a tent camping and gotten caught in colder weather than you expected, you know just how big of a benefit this really is. But even with an RV, you don’t necessarily want to jump in the RV and head out on the road in colder temperatures without doing a little prep work beforehand.
1. Protect your pipes
There are many ways that RVs are similar to homes and the plumbing pipes is one of those similarities. If you are RVing in cold weather you need to make sure that you don’t let your pipes freeze. if they do they could burst which could lead to all kinds of issues that you don’t want to deal with. Trust us!
Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Use heat tape on your pipes and hoses if you’re RVing with freezing temperatures.
- Add insulation.
- Let sinks drip to keep the water flowing.
- At night open the cabinets to your bathroom and kitchen cabinets to help warm your indoor plumbing.
- Fill your fresh water holding tank then disconnect and store your hoses.
- Only dump your tanks when they’re full instead of keeping the valves opened.
2. Give your RV a checkup
Before you hit the road in cold temperatures have your RV serviced. Make sure that everything is in good working condition. Talk to your service department about any concerns that you have. You want to address these before you are off the beaten road, out of state, or on your trip.
3. Have the furnace inspected
Just like homeowners would have their furnace inspected before winter hits, you want to do the same for your RV. Make sure that everything is clean and make sure there isn’t any damage to the unit that needs to be addressed. You can also consider if you want to add space heaters for your trip to help boost your temperature. Make sure you follow all directions when using a space heater in your RV.
4. Choose your campsite carefully
If possible, you want to take full advantage of the sun when you can. Choose campsites that get a lot of sun, so you can allow it to heat up the RV as much as it can despite the colder temperatures.
5. Block the windows
You can lose a lot of heat out of your windows and doors the same way you do in a house. Make sure you check that all seals are in good condition before getting on the road. It can also be helpful to use curtains or plastic over your windows to help insulate them, stop cold from coming in and heat from getting out.
6. Choose the right RV
Not all RVs are the same when it comes to cold weather. While any RV is going to protect you from the cold more than a tent, some are going to perform better than others. If you only plan on RVing in warmer destinations or during the warmer months, this isn’t a concern for you. However, if you plan on RVing when it’s cold—even freezing cold—you want to think twice about the RV that you purchase.
One RV that is well known for its performance in cold weather is the Keystone Montana.
Keystone is located in Indiana, and they know cold. They are very familiar with winter temperatures that drop well below freezing, even sub-zero temperatures. They built the Montana to be an RV that you could be comfortable living in or traveling in regardless of the cold-weather climate. And, the features that are inside the RV are so nice that you won’t mind being cooped up in the RV on those cold travel days.
There are some beautiful destinations to visit during the winter months. And, there’s no reason that you can’t enjoy them in your RV despite the cold temperatures. Just be prepared before you head out. And, if you need help servicing your RV for the cold temperatures or want to find an RV that will meet your winter travel needs, give Sky River RV a call.
