Camping in the Cold
10-28-2019
Author: in Education
Camping in the cold means the RV fun never has to end! You may see that many RVers are packing away their trailers and motorhomes and putting them in storage until next year.
This is a real shame. After all, an RV is a big investment, and one you should really use as much as possible. On top of that, we all know camping is an absolute blast, and waiting several months to go on another camping trip can seem like torture.
Related Read: Winterizing Your RV for Storage
Fortunately, there is no real reason you need to be among those who pack their RVs away all winter. In fact, we encourage you to go ahead and keep it out to continue your RV adventures right on through the winter months!while w
There are many great reasons to do just that, along with several excellent tips for making it work. Here are some of our favorites.
Why Cold Weather Camping is Great
Let’s begin by discussing why winter camping is wonderful, so you can see the many reasons why keeping that RV on the road throughout the cold months is a great idea.
Related Read: Winterizing Your RV for Travel- Surviving the Winter
As mentioned before, it seems pretty silly to leave your investment sitting around for months at a time. It might be a bit different to take the RV out in the cold weather, but it certainly isn’t impossible, and we think learning how is well worthwhile, as it could as much as double the amount of use you get out of the rig.
In addition to helping you get your money’s worth, taking the RV out regularly year-round can also help you avoid issues. A motorhome left to sit can develop issues under the hood, and generators should never be left alone for more than a few weeks.
Any RV left for several months could easily develop leaks or gain mouse residents which would go undetected for months, and tires should never be left sitting in one spot for long periods of time.
Therefore, using your RV often is actually a good idea when it comes to keeping everything in tip-top shape.
While the holidays are lovely, once we get past those, the winter months can become quite boring and monotonous. A few trips out in the RV can easily break up this monotony and make winter fun again.
During the spring and summer, campgrounds and attractions can become very crowded. However, the winter months tend to bring far fewer crowds. This means you’ll have your choice of campsites, a nice peaceful camping experience, and attractions that are practically empty to explore!
With winter comes new experiences. Sure, you may visit the same place several times a year, but if you only visit during the summer, you are missing out on some of what that area has to offer.
Camping during the winter means you will get to check out completely different scenery and try winter-specific activities such as cross-country skiing, sledding, and cold-weather hiking.
Finally, depending on where you are and how long you have to travel, you might even be able to use winter camping as a way to escape the cold. During the winter, thousands of RVers flock to the southern states to warm up.
As long as your schedule allows for it, you could be among these people. Just know that campgrounds will be crowded in places such as Florida.
Now that you know why you should continue camping into the winter, let’s talk about how to make that work. If you plan on staying where it’s cold, there are definitely some logistics to consider. Fortunately, all potential issues do have solutions, meaning winter camping can be done.
Related Read: Winter RV Camping: How To Keep Warm
Get Rid of Moisture
One of the biggest problems with staying in an RV during cold weather is the moisture that tends to accumulate inside the motorhome or trailer. This can cause mold and mildew, so it must be taken care of right away. We recommend using DampRid in your cabinets and running a dehumidifier.
Turn to Electric
Obviously, you will need a way to keep warm when camping in chilly temperatures. You could use your RV’s propane furnace—however, this can become quite expensive considering the cost of propane. Besides, propane furnaces cause even more moisture to build up in the RV.
Because of this, many RVers choose to take advantage of the electricity included in their campsite fee and run two or three small electric heaters to keep warm.
Always Have Propane
Even if you don’t plan to use it, make sure your propane tanks are always full. The propane furnace can be run off your RV battery even if you somehow lose electricity. Therefore, having propane could save your trip and even your life in certain situations.
Insulate Where Possible
Most people are well aware of the fact that RVs are not exactly well insulated. If you plan to winter camp, we highly recommend fixing this issue as much as possible.
Thick curtains on the windows and a towel at the base of the door can help keep drafts out. Skylights and roof vents should also be covered with something. Additionally, RVs with enclosed (and even heated) underbellies can and should be purchased if you plan to camp in cold weather.
A frozen water tank is likely to crack. Therefore, it’s a good idea to keep your freshwater tank empty and keep the water heater on to prevent it from freezing.
The black and gray tank can hold some water, but should also hold some RV antifreeze to keep the waste water from freezing. It’s best to leave the sewer hose unhooked until it’s time to dump.
Another thing that will want to freeze is your freshwater hose. Prevent this issue by investing in a heated hose. This will ensure you have running water even in the coldest temps.
Some people choose to avoid using the water system altogether while winter camping. This is entirely up to you, but might make the camping experience much less pleasant.
Finally, as mentioned before, you do always have the option to head south. This will remove all the problems that come along with cold weather camping. In fact, you’ll likely find that winter camping in southern California or Florida is much like springtime camping in the rest of the country!
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Author: Chelsea Barron
