Quick Cold Weather Tips
01-19-2018
Author: in Henley's Happy Trails
When it gets really cold outside, an RV can suffer in a number of ways. My wife and I have spent three winters in the cold Midwest where the temperatures can drop below zero. We have found a few tips to help survive these cold winters.
Keep cabinets open.
When the weather gets really cold, it’s a good idea to leave cupboards and cabinets open or at least cracked. This accomplishes two things.
First, this action increases airflow which can help avoid condensation. Before we started opening our cabinets, we discovered that our towels felt a little wet when we grabbed new ones. We quickly discovered that there was enough condensation building up to make the towels damp. The air was not moving while the cabinet door was closed. Opening the door has solved that problem.
Second, with open doors, heat is dispersed inside the cabinets. This can help to prevent freezing pipes underneath sinks. You may use a little more propane to heat up the extra space, but it beats having no water because your pipes are frozen.
First, this action increases airflow which can help avoid condensation. Before we started opening our cabinets, we discovered that our towels felt a little wet when we grabbed new ones. We quickly discovered that there was enough condensation building up to make the towels damp. The air was not moving while the cabinet door was closed. Opening the door has solved that problem.
Second, with open doors, heat is dispersed inside the cabinets. This can help to prevent freezing pipes underneath sinks. You may use a little more propane to heat up the extra space, but it beats having no water because your pipes are frozen.
Heat or cover up fridge vents.
Traditional RV refrigerators have vents outside the rig. Normally they are there to vent heat. However, in super cold weather, the pipes that cool the fridge have a possibility of freezing which can damage the cooling unit.
One way to prevent this is to add a heat source (i.e., a light) to the vent compartment. Another way is to cover most of the vents so that you trap heat the unit normally expels. This will limit the amount of cold air that enters as well. If you choose to cover the vents, make sure you are running the fridge on AC power and not propane. The space is vented because propane exhaust can kill you if it isn’t vented out.
One way to prevent this is to add a heat source (i.e., a light) to the vent compartment. Another way is to cover most of the vents so that you trap heat the unit normally expels. This will limit the amount of cold air that enters as well. If you choose to cover the vents, make sure you are running the fridge on AC power and not propane. The space is vented because propane exhaust can kill you if it isn’t vented out.
Don’t forget to use the gas heater, too.
If you are staying overnight at an RV park, they may not charge for electricity. In this case, it may be tempting to try to run only electric heaters to save on propane. In mildly cold weather this may work, but keep in mind that most modern RVs prevent their pipes and tanks from freezing by routing some of the hot furnace air into the basement compartments and around the water pipes. If the furnace doesn’t run, these areas won’t get heated and the risk of frozen pipes increases.
It is OK to supplement your furnace with an electric heater. For example, you can use the electric heater to heat the bedroom to a comfortable temperature and set the thermostat a little cooler for the rest of the rig. This way you still get the benefit of the furnace while saving a little bit of propane.
Most furnace heaters in rigs blow warm air from the floors. Running them, therefore, has an added benefit of heating the floor in some areas. A warmer floor will probably make a more comfortable environment for pets, and it definitely makes using the bathroom in the middle of the night a little warmer on the feet.
It is OK to supplement your furnace with an electric heater. For example, you can use the electric heater to heat the bedroom to a comfortable temperature and set the thermostat a little cooler for the rest of the rig. This way you still get the benefit of the furnace while saving a little bit of propane.
Most furnace heaters in rigs blow warm air from the floors. Running them, therefore, has an added benefit of heating the floor in some areas. A warmer floor will probably make a more comfortable environment for pets, and it definitely makes using the bathroom in the middle of the night a little warmer on the feet.
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BumbleBeeAZNovember 10, 2020 | 11:01 AM
What do you do for your Black and Grey water holding tanks in freezing temperatures?
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