RVing in cold weather climates

We had very cold weather last nite, and my propane heat ran out. This morning, no water would come out of my faucets and toilet. I got the propane tank filled and turned the heat on. Now, a little water runs out if faucets. Should I just keep the heater on and hope everything thaws ? Is there something else I should do? What about the water heater?- should I turn it on? Will it help thaw the water? Or leave it off in case it is frozen also? Help!

I was scratching my head over what vent pillows were until Keven explained. Folks stuff them anywhere there's one of those acrylic vent covers or skylights (e.g. we have a large skylight above the shower). They effectively provide insulation in those areas, although we've never used them.

Thanks Tom

Jim Godward said:

Also the vent pillows help a lot.

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Sorry for not explaining what they are but most everyone here in MT knows well what they are.  Just never thought about it!

Well I full time/part time in Elko NV. Teach in the diesel program here at GBC .Pretty cold here, got down to -12 in Nov. I survived. My camper is (was) an older HR with 6' thick roof and well insulated floor. Did not skirt. I have a heat strip in my A/C with my furnace. I could keep 70 deg per the wall unit no issues at the coldest. I also have a hot rod in my water heater. Did not use half of my propane all winter. RV type is going to be a factor. All the RV's i have had, nothing is built like the older HR's aluminum frame and outer walls, build like a tank..... a warm tank. Next yr will be in my DP will see how that goes. But for me T minus 3 days till my traveling summer starts! so no more cold talk.... :

This thread brings back lots of memories...some not so great.

I chased heavy construction, going from one boom job to another. Rather than be separated most of the year, my wife and kids opted to travel with us...so we lived in travel trailers for many years.
We spent one winter in Pocatello, Idaho at -35, and two winters in Big Piney, Wyoming...which got down to about -50 at night for a couple of weeks. It got hella cold in the RV...things would frost in closets if the doors were left closed, the door would ice over and you had to use a hair dryer to thaw it out in the morning.  And you usually left just a trickle of water running to keep the water lines in the trailer from freezing.

BUT, we survived all that and more.

You definitely want to skirt the RV well with sturdy material. Also, GOOD heat tape for your water supply lines, your sewer drain line, and even your holding tanks if they're exposed. I used "heat trace tape" from one of the pipeline jobs. IIRC, 5 watts/foot, self regulating...You adjusted how "hot" it got by the number of wraps per foot you used.
For a fifth wheel, not only do you want to skirt the body of the trailer, you have to skirt the gooseneck portion as well. Since that's often used as storage, be sure to leave a sturdy door in it that you can close and even lock.

Skirting is absolutely the best thing you can do. I use heavy plastic and wrap the bottom first and then use that shiny insulation board from homedep. with the tinfoil tape. Then you can put a halogen light down there to cut it down a bit temperature wise. I really makes a huge difference.

Oh and tape your windows with plastic. Get the heaviest plastic.

SeilerBird said:

Have you ever heard the term "snowbird"? That's what most of us are so we don't have to deal with winter weather. RVs have almost zero insulation and don't fare well in cold weather. Pipes can freeze.

Every year at least one person joins the forum because they are planning on buying an RV and living in Canada or Minnesota or some place like that for the winter. They have grand plans for wrapping the RV in something, putting on skirts, wrapping the pipes etc etc etc. Usually there are a few people who try and explain that RVs don't work well in cold weather but they are ignored. The funny thing is we never hear from these people again to tell us how wonderful their winter in an RV was :-\

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Been doing it for five years I wouldn't say it's been all roses through the Canadian winters, but people have been doing it for years. you don't see many of them on the forums much as most of us are working in the oil, gas, mining, and timber industries. This usually means we are working 12+ hours a day.  I myself am in the transportation industry. Twenty years ago I stepped onto my first oil site and was amazed to walk into a camper in the middle of winter. The temperature that day was around  - 40 with enough wind to shut a drilling rig down. most of us heat trace our lines or throw in a webasto engine heater/ prewarmer to keep the water and pipes from freezing. It has the added benefit of a 40 to 100 gal radiant heater as well.

I hope that no one minds me reviving this thread, I know it has been idle for a few months.  I thought since we are once again in the cold months it would be ok rather than starting a new thread.

I just wanted to put in my two cents and let it be known that with the right choice of RV and a couple common sense modifications, living through the winter can be done relatively easily without breaking the bank, and certainly without wasting thousands of dollars on renting an apartment.  I live in the Texas Panhandle, which to those not familiar with the area may seem like a reason to dismiss my argument, but with our close proximity to the Rockies and significant elevation (nearly 4,000 feet) it gets quite cold.  We started getting snow this year in October and it will remain cold until about March.  The high for one day next week is 14?F with a low of 4?F.  Obviously there are colder parts of the country, and of course northern destinations such as Canada can be colder as well.  I have never had any desire to visit Canada but I have been all over the US including during the winter and haven't encountered any temperature low enough that my furnace and plumbing couldn't keep up with. Lowest temperature that I am aware of was about -8?F sustained thereabouts for about 18 hours before it started rising enough to mention, and even then never got above about 6-8?F for about three days while we were there, plenty cold enough to freeze water in a short amount of time.  My trailer is a 2003 Hitchhiker Fifth-Wheel, we live in it full time.

The "modifications" I have done are as follows:

1. Plastic on all windows.  This is the kind with the double sided tape around the perimeter of the window, with plastic stretched tight via a hairdryer over the window.  Incredibly effective at stopping cold drafts and taking the strain off your furnace.  Also prevents windows from fogging up and condensating when it's cold outside and warm inside and does not affect visibility at all, it's crystal clear if you take the time to install it correctly.  I went one step farther and used the leftover plastic and tape to cover my AC vents in the ceilng as well as the exhaust/intake vents we all (most of us) have.  Heat rises and this prevents the warm air inside the cabin from escaping through the vent openings.

2. I removed the two rock-guards on the bottom of my trailer and covered all surfaces I could reasonably get to in 1?" thick fiberglass insulation, as well as the inside of the panels themselves.  This includes the sides and bottoms of the holding tanks.  I then of course re-attached the panels.

3.  I purchased a heated water hose.  Not really a "mod" so much as an add-on but definitely worth mentioning.  They are a tad expensive but a 12' section can be had for less than $100.  Much less than the cost and inconvenience of repairing busted plumbing and the subsequent water damage.  I prefer the heated hose over heat tape because it requires no more effort to integrate than attaching a standard hose anytime you hook up your rig, and it takes care of the entire length of the hose all the way to the hydrant.  I am lucky enough to have my water hydrant at my permanent spot below ground and covered, so I coiled up the excess hose inside the hole around the faucet which prevents the hydrant itself from freezing.  If your hydrant is above ground you may have to go one step farther and either heat tape or otherwise insulate the hydrant itself.

4. Clean out your heating ducts before you need them.  If you don't clean them, you would be surprised at the amount of dust and debris that collects there in a single summer while they're not being used.  Brushes designed to be snaked through the ducts and sweep them out are available all over the place.  Just be careful not to accidently poke holes in your ducts, but if you do just be aware of it and repair the leak with real duct tape, not the brand with the little yellow duck as it's logo.  If you can't or don't want to do that, then a little compressed air can do a lot.  Clearing the obstructions from your ducts will allow proper flow of warm air, extend the life of your furnace and save you money on propane.  Excessive buildup in the ducts can also cause a fire.

I have never, not even once, had my water hose or any interior plumbing including the holding tanks, freeze.  I have had consistent flowing water at all times.  Once while at a site away from home I did have an above ground hydrant freeze, but this of course did not have any affect on my hose or plumbing.  I just heated the hydrant with a hair dryer until water started flowing a little and then let it run until it was thawed.  Not a big deal.  I also have absolutely no problem maintaining an interior temperature of 73?F (this is not the maximum, just where I like it) and the furnace does not need to run continuously to keep it that way.

I do have heated holding tanks as the Hitchhiker is an all-season RV but I do not have heated floors or anything like that.  Propane usage is about 2? gallons per day in the cold.  I refill a 25 gallon (100#) cylinder approximately every ten days.

Or...you could buy a winterized RV....good for 10 or 15 below...

grassy said:

Or...you could buy a winterized RV....good for 10 or 15 below...

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And unlivable.  I'm referring to living in one, not storing it.