Winter Boondocking Tips & Tricks

Now that winter has arrived, many RVs have been put away until the weather warms back up. That said, there are still a few brave campers out there who are looking for an adventure. One of the best ways to find a winter RV adventure is by going boondocking.

That said, winter boondocking is challenging to say the least, meaning you will want to go in well prepared.

Below are a few of our favorite tips and tricks for those looking to head out into the wilderness and do some good old-fashioned dry camping this winter season.

Know Your Freshwater Options

One of the biggest challenges when it comes to dry camping in the winter is figuring out how to store fresh water. In cold enough temperatures, fresh water can freeze if not kept warm. This is bad because it means you won’t have water for drinking, cooking, or cleaning, but it’s also a problem because water frozen in a tank is likely to lead to a cracked tank, something you definitely don’t want to deal with.

For this reason, you’ll want to make sure you have an enclosed underbelly and tanks that are heated by the propane furnace. If you absolutely cannot get your hands on an RV with this feature, we recommend sticking to areas that stay above freezing or keeping your fresh water in portable jugs in the rig with you. This will keep your water from freezing and will protect your freshwater tank.

Related Read: Winter Outdoor Activity Safety Tips

Protect Your Generator

Of course, you’re going to need a working a generator, and that means protecting it from the cold. Before entering freezing temperatures, add an anti-gel supplement to the fuel tank, and be sure to stick to special winterized fuel throughout your trip. Additionally, you’ll want to make sure you're using 15W-40 oil and using the engine block heater correctly.

Pack Extra Propane and Fuel

Winter camping means you’ll need a heater. While many campers choose to use electric space heaters while parked in a campground with electricity included, boondocking will require that you use propane heat.

Because RV furnaces can burn through propane pretty quickly, and because you never know what may happen out in the wilderness, it’s always a good idea to pack extra propane and winterized fuel for your generator in order to ensure you can keep the heat running throughout your getaway.

Related Read: How To Save Propane When It's Cold

Invest in a Mr. Buddy Heater

Mr. Buddy Heaters are super powerful little propane space heaters that are perfect for keeping an RV warm while using much less propane than the RV furnace would. For this reason, many boondocking choose to invest in these handy little devices.

That said, it is important to keep in mind that the Mr. Buddy will not keep your tanks or underbelly warm. Therefore, if you’re using your freshwater tank at all, you’ll probably want to use the Mr. Buddy in addition to the furnace rather than using it as a lone replacement.

Additionally, we must note that the Mr. Buddy does require venting to the outdoors. Cracking a window right by the heater should do the trick just fine.

Up the Insulation

Obviously, your tanks aren’t the only thing you need to keep warm. You’ll want to be warm enough to remain comfortable as well. Fortunately, your furnace should do the job just fine, and adding a Mr. Buddy in will just make it that much easier to keep warm. Still, increasing the insulation in your rig never hurt anything, and will almost certainly save you propane and keep you even warmer.

You can make your RV extra insulated by adding Reflectix to the windows and covering them with extra blankets. Some people even hang blankets on the walls. Adding foam board to the underbelly of your trailer or motorhome can also be helpful.

Dump in Some Antifreeze

We already talked about ensuring your freshwater doesn’t freeze. What we haven’t discussed is keeping your waste water thawed out. This is important because frozen gray or black water most likely means a cracked tank. Besides, dumping frozen waste isn’t possible, meaning you’ll be left with a pretty big problem when those tanks fill up.

Luckily, there is an easy way to keep your waste water from freezing. All you need to do is dump a couple of cups of RV antifreeze into the tanks, and you’ll be good to go!

Watch Your Water Heater

Just as fresh and waste water will freeze and cause serious issues with your rig, so can the water in your hot water tank. We recommend doing one of two things about this.

The first option is to bypass the tank and empty it entirely. This will prevent the tank from cracking during a freeze and is 100% risk free. That said, using this method also means you’ll be left without hot water for the duration of your trip unless you’re willing to boil water on the stove.

Another easy solution is to leave the water heater running for the duration of your trip. While this will use quite a lot of propane, it’ll also keep the water in the tank from freezing and ensure you have hot water any time of day or night.

Consider Snow Chains

Depending on where you plan on camping, you may want to consider adding snow chains to the tires of your motorhome or truck. This is especially important if you’ll be parking in a location that gets a lot of snow. After all, while boondocking is fun, you certainly don’t want to be stuck in the middle of nowhere for the entire winter.

Layer Up

Finally, we highly recommend packing plenty of layers for your chilly trip into the wild. While it’s unlikely that your heater will go out, it’s always best to be prepared, and lots of extra blankets—as well as extra winter clothes—is one of the best ways to prepare for the worst.

Besides, wearing layers and adding plenty of blankets to the beds may even let you lower the thermostat a bit, lowering your propane usage and therefore the cost of your trip.