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How to Survive Winter in Your RV

Mar. 2 2020 How-To By ___

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Winter may not be the most popular RV travel season, but it's got a lot to offer! Campsites tend to be much less full, making it easier to find a reservation on short notice and giving you a more immersive experience without crowds of people in the way. The cold weather also lends itself well to unique activities to enjoy on your trip, such as snowmobiling and skiing.

But before you can enjoy a winter trip in your recreational camper, you will want to take some proactive steps to ensure a comfortable and safe vacation. We've created the following beginner's guide to surviving winter in your camper. 

If you want more information or need to get your lightweight RV fixed before your trip, visit the experts at Golden Gait Trailers & RVs service center. You'll find us in Concord, North Carolina, and we also serve those in Charlotte and Winston-Salem.

1. Add Insulation

The average recreational camper comes with enough insulation for basic travel, but just the baseline is not ideal for temperatures that plummet below freezing. Adding insulation can help keep you more comfortable in your lightweight RV and you can do so in the following ways:

  • add window film to windows to keep cold air from transferring through them
  • get heavier drapes that help keep the interior warm
  • use Reflectix bubble foil for areas that might be letting cold air into your recreational camper, such as around the windows
  • add foam board insulation on the bottom of your recreational camper to help protect the water system
  • use a skirt on the bottom of your lightweight RV (but be sure to leave all exhaust vents and the tailpipe uncovered and clear of snow)

2. Keep Heat from Escaping

One challenge of using your lightweight RV in the winter is keeping the hot air inside. Before your trip, look around your recreational camper for areas that heat could easily escape. For example, your vents can be an area where the hot air rises and exits. One solution is lining the vents with foam to help prevent this.

You will also want to inspect your recreational camper as part of regular RV maintenance. Look for any holes or leakage points that could be allowing the warm air to escape. Fix any holes due to damage and then address any leakage points by adding seals on the doors, windows, and slide-outs.

3. Add Extra Heat

Adding extra heat can help keep your lightweight RV cozy regardless of the dipping temperatures outside. Look into space heaters that you can easily move around your rig and then easily store when not in use. You can also get a special heating system installed, such as a propane heater connected to the furnace or a pellet stove.

4. Remember to Ventilate

One key step in proactive RV maintenance is proper ventilation. Even if the vents are letting cold air in and hot air out, you do not want to close them. First of all, you need that fresh air to breathe! Second of all, you need an outlet for the accumulating moisture to go somewhere. If you find the venting alone is not enough in dealing with moisture, you can invest in a dehumidifier.

5. Protect the Plumbing

An important step in winter RV maintenance is keeping the plumbing and water systems from freezing. Use the following steps to protect your plumbing:

  • use heat strips or heated hoses to keep the water inside your hoses from freezing
  • insulate your waste valve when it is at risk and keep it closed when it is not in use
  • add antifreeze to the black and gray water tanks (but not your freshwater tank of course!)
  • be sure a hose is fully dry before storing it—otherwise, the water inside could freeze

We hope you found this guide useful! Remember the service department at Golden Gait Trailers & RVs is your resource for winter tips, parts replacements, and other RV maintenance needs. We can get you ready for winter travel in no time. Our dealership is based in Concord, North Carolina. We also proudly serve those in Charlotte and Winston-Salem, North Carolina.