Winter is on the way and the temps are dropping, but that doesn’t mean you have to hang up your travelin’ shoes. There are tons of destinations that are absolutely wonderful to visit in the winter months – they all aren’t in the South, either – with incredible scenery and opportunities for skiing and other snowsports. Don’t let all that fresh powder go to waste, friends.
Winter RVing comes with its own challenges, just like camping in extreme heat does. Your mileage may vary, and you’ll need to figure some items out that pertain to your particular situation, but here are some good tips to keep everything in shape during your winter trips.
1. Know your plumbing – If you are in a self-contained camper van, chances are that a lot of your rig’s plumbing is inside and safer from extreme cnew temps. A good deal of RV’s have the bulk of their plumbing underneath and exposed to the elements. This is no good if you plan on camping in freezing temperatures. Do a little insulating to those exposed pipes – heat tape and heated hose tape are good items to have on hand. Also, if you are connected to the campground’s water system, you may be able to leave a faucet dripping to keep water moving through the pipes.
2. Plan on using lots of propane – Your best bet for keeping warm in the winter is to use your RV’s propane-powered furnace. Most are rated higher that what’s actually needed in most conditions, so you’ll keep nice and toasty. Keep in mind that the furnace fan will likely run your batteries down in short order, so it’s best to camp where you are hooked up to electric.
3. There will be lots of condensation – The chances are good that you’ll experience some moisture around the windows and ceiling from the difference in outside and inside temperatures. Keeping a vent or a window open a little bit will help to reduce condensation.
4. Use window and vent insulators – Your windows and vents are huge spots for losing heat, so add a little insulation to those spots. You still can leave these open a little to reduce condensation, but try to keep the rest covered to help keep the cnew out.
5. Choose a campsite that gets sun in the daytime – This will help to keep things a little warmer, and that residual warmth can help a little during the night hours as well.
Those are a few tips to get you going on your winter trips. Got a tip that you’d like to share? Tell us about it in the comments or on Facebook.
(Featured photo: Grand Canyon National Park/Flickr)
