Any Rvers here live in cold weater areas? I need to use my RV year round

Hi I'm just wondering if there are any of you who drive your RV full time in cold areas? I'm looking for any tips for Rving in cold areas. I purchased my RV for business to haul stuff. (hence why I purchased a toy hauler) I purchase goods for my business and I need to pick them up within my same town. So luckily not far but I need to haul stuff about once a week or so. I haven't even tried out the heat yet. Do I just turn the lever on my furnace to on to get the heat going? Or is there something I need to do first? I see there are also tank heaters for my gray and black tanks. Are those for winter use? I was originally going to purchase a box truck but then when I saw a toy hauler trailer at the RV dealer I said that would be even better for traveling for my business but just needed one you could drive. Luckily I was able to find one really quickly in great shape for being 10 years old. What else do I have to be worried about in winter? I'm not sure I will have the warehouse space to stick it in. So it will probably sit outside in my parking lot. Do they drive good in winter weather? I've heard people say this winter is going to be really bad. I should move down south but I have my house and warehouse paid off and to much stuff to move. Someday I would like to get away from the winters. It sure sucks.

You need to define what "cold" and "winter" means to you. Some people think a low of 40 is cold, and others don't think it is cold until it is below zero. Living in any RV much below the mid 20s is challenging because tanks and hoses freeze, plus you can use huge amounts of propane. Yes, it can be done even in northern Minnesota or North Dakota, but it is not a simple thing. It isn't nearly as complicated if you are in, for example, Georgia.

UTTransplant said:

You need to define what "cold" and "winter" means to you. Some people think a low of 40 is cold, and others don't think it is cold until it is below zero. Living in any RV much below the mid 20s is challenging because tanks and hoses freeze, plus you can use huge amounts of propane. Yes, it can be done even in northern Minnesota or North Dakota, but it is not a simple thing. It isn't nearly as complicated if you are in, for example, Georgia.

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Woops I didn't mean living in the RV I mean using it for business year round to haul stuff. I bought my RV Toy Hauler to use for my business instead of a box truck. The reason I did that was because I can also then use it for my business to travel with an save on hotels. Cold to me is below zero. It would be plugged in at all times unless I'm using it to haul stuff. So what would I use propane for? There is no way to keep my tanks and hoses from freezing?? I didn't know that. I wanted to use it year round.

You are not going to enjoy it.  Any under 30 would be a struggle.

Some RVs are better in freezing conditions than others, but none are anywhere near as good as a typical house. They just don't have thick enough walls for the extra insulation that's needed to retain heat, but there are some things you can do to improve livability and reduce the likelihood of water lines freezing. Things like wrapping heat tape around exposed water lines, installing light bulbs or heaters in the wet bay, and some folks even install skirting to keep the area under the RV warm. On the inside, there are ceramic heaters, oil filled heaters and catalytic heaters that can help keep the interior comfortable. I'm sure you'll get some other suggestions as well.

Kev

Kevin Means said:

Some RVs are better in freezing conditions than others, but none are anywhere near as good as a typical house. They just don't have thick enough walls for the extra insulation that's needed to retain heat, but there are some things you can do to improve livability and reduce the likelihood of water lines freezing. Things like wrapping heat tape around exposed water lines, installing light bulbs or heaters in the wet bay, and some folks even install skirting to keep the area under the RV warm. On the inside, there are ceramic heaters, oil filled heaters and catalytic heaters that can help keep the interior comfortable. I'm sure you'll get some other suggestions as well.

Kev

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Wait I'm not trying to live in my RV during the winter. I'm just trying to be able to drive it when I need to for my business to haul stuff. (I have a house next to it to live in) I was just hoping to be able to leave it out in my driveway instead of having to take it inside my warehouse to store it during winter. I'm not sure if it will even fit in my warehouse length wise. I want to use it to continue to haul stuff during winter months so I'm wondering if there are things I can do to be able to drive it during the winter months. Of course I would have the heater from the cabin area while driving it.

The propane would be used for the coach furnace. You can do it in your situation but remember, once you winterize it, you won't be able to use the RV plumbing like the fresh water system or the black and gray water tanks. If you did, you would have to winterize it all over again everytime you use it. 

tracyc said:

Wait I'm not trying to live in my RV during the winter. I'm just trying to be able to drive it when I need to for my business to haul stuff.

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If I understand your question correctly, once you winterize it you can drive it like any other vehicle.

Rene T said:

The propane would be used for the coach furnace. You can do it in your situation but remember, once you winterize it, you won't be able to use the RV plumbing like the fresh water system or the black and gray water tanks. If you did, you would have to winterize it all over again everytime you use it.

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Ok so I would go through a lot of propane running the heater? If so what about me using a electric heater instead since I can stay plugged in when I'm not driving it? I'm just have to be in the RV sometimes dealing with shipments I haul with it. Like sorting through it. I'd rather just leave it in my RV to short instead of taking it in my warehouse and then only to have to haul in back in my RV to take it to the final warehouse it's going in. So I have to be in my RV after I get a shipment in for awhile. This would be year round.

Do I have to winterize it? Could I not winterize it and use the plumbing? That way if Im sorting through a load I won't have to run in my house to use the restroom. If I don't have to winterize it what would I need to do in order to use the plumbing? I see there are gray and black tank heaters. Could that help give me plumbing year round without having to winterize my RV. I'm also afraid if I winterized them I wold forget and use something. I guess I could tape notes on the sink and toilet to remind me not to use them. But I would like to use them if there is a way I can do that.

When I purchase my RV on 72/16 I had a 2/3 a tank of propane. Right now I'm still at 2/3 a tank. I guess because I use it just when I'm hauling stuff for the fridge and I'm gone maybe for an hour or two once a week. I heard propane lasts pretty long. I'm not even sure where to go when I need more of it. I need to research that because my Propane tank is built in and not something I can remove and go fill somewhere.

Please tell me there is a way to not have to winterize my RV!

Rene could I leave my RV out in my driveway for quick us in winter if I need it? Or am I going to have to try to see if I can fit it in my warehouse? If so I hope I can get a spot cleaned out for it and I'm not sure if it would even fit length wise.

Yeah I wouldn't recommend living in it in the winter either.  Broken water lines can be a real mess.

We might take a trip south this February and I am trying to decide where I can "dewinterize" it.  I guess I will have to drive south until it gets above freezing and then dewinterize it.

tracyc said:

Rene could I leave my RV out in my driveway for quick us in winter if I need it? Or am I going to have to try to see if I can fit it in my warehouse? If so I hope I can get a spot cleaned out for it and I'm not sure if it would even fit length wise.

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Tracy, you'll be able to leave it in the driveway. How much snow do you get in the winter?  That could be a problem if you get a lot of snow. In some states, you have to clean nearly all the snow off the roof before attempting to drive it. They don't want the snow/ice to fall off and possibly killing someone.

http://attorney-myers.com/2015/02/snow-ice-bad-drivers-negligence/

What about using a minivan or cargo van?  Motorhomes aren't really great to get bulky materials in and out of.

Rene T said:

Tracy, you'll be able to leave it in the driveway. How much snow do you get in the winter?  That could be a problem if you get a lot of snow. In some states, you have to clean nearly all the snow off the roof before attempting to drive it. They don't want the snow/ice to fall off and possibly killing someone.

http://attorney-myers.com/2015/02/snow-ice-bad-drivers-negligence/

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We get a LOT of snow unfortunately. What about my pipes and things if I leave it sitting in my driveway. Do I need to do anything? And can I not winterize it and use the bathroom and sink.

I will have to see if I can squeeze it in my warehouse. Hopefully it will fit. If not I will have to figure things out. My warehouse door is 16 feet high so the height is already there. I'm just worried about the length of my RV fitting. I think I'm going to hurry and get it cleaned out and give it a try.

KandT said:

What about using a minivan or cargo van?  Motorhomes aren't really great to get bulky materials in and out of.

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Mine is because it's a toy hauler. It has a 10 foot garage in it! I have pallets of stuff put in it via a fork lift. That's why I purchased it. It's better than just a box truck I was going to originally purchase because I can also use it as a hotel on wheels for business trips.

How much do the pallets of stuff and the forklift weigh? How much weight is the ramp rated for?

kdbgoat said:

How much do the pallets of stuff and the forklift weigh? How much weight is the ramp rated for?

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I don't put the forklift into my RV. We use it at the place I pickup the pallets and where I drop off my goods once I get them sorted. And the pallets don't weight much. One person can move the pallets manually by themselves if need be. (Like what happened the other day) I don't have a ramp built into my RV. I just have a roll up/down door and there are 2 ramps plates on my bumper I can take off an connect to my RV but I've never needed to use them yet. They just load my RV garage with a forklift! Way better setup than just having a box truck with 4 walls. I couldn't do all of this with just a minivan.

I forgot some toy hauler had the roll-up door. Sounds like that set-up will work well for what you are doing. I hope everything works out well for you and you gain the knowledge you are asking about to make things even better.

kdbgoat said:

I forgot some toy hauler had the roll-up door. Sounds like that set-up will work well for what you are doing. I hope everything works out well for you and you gain the knowledge you are asking about to make things even better.

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Thanks I'm learning so much from the people on this forum and the companies I work with. I was worried about getting multiple pallets into my garage because the fork lift can only reach so far into it. But my supplies was able to use the 2nd pallet to push the pallet back far enough to get a 2nd one in. Then the place where I deliver to said they have a chain to pull it out if need be. So I don't have to take the time to take down and setup the ramp pieces. So I was thrilled with that. Worked out way better than I thought it would. These warehouse guys can figure anything out. I wish I could fit 3 pallets in my garage but I think I could only do that if I removed the pull down bed and I don't want to do that. I want that for when I need to travel for business.

Back to your original questions. Can you use your toy hauler as a cargo van thru the winter? Yes. Can you "winterize" the plumbing system and continue to use it?  No, not really. In general, once winterized, the plumbing system is out of service till spring, when the threat of freezing weather is over. The heated tanks will allow you to extend your season a few weeks when the nighttime temps drop below freezing, and possibly allow you to open up the system few weeks earlier in the spring, but they'll not provide mid winter protection for an operating RV. While the plumbing system is in service, the RV must remain heated, at least above freezing, whether your in it or not.