RV Trekking when the temperatures drop

Updated after some reflection. See the comment at the end of this post. This post isn't about summer in Yosemite. This dragonfly is on the masthead accompanying this post. However, this particular post is about winter.

I think we've enjoyed our winter treks, during which temperature ranges we experienced while living in our camper van were from 2F to 79F. That's quite a difference and being prepared for this is essential. On our first experience in a RV we encountered fall nighttime temperatures of 20F. That experience gave us some first hand knowledge about cold weather comfort in an all-electric RV (solar/batteries/shore power). Our first winter trek was in early December, 2013 and we left for warmer climes in a stock RT with blankets, a 1500 watt supplemental electric heater and a roll of Reflectix. We learned a lot on that trek and we've applied what we have learned. This January we were much more comfortable during our second winter trek.

December 2013 - First Winter Trek

This isn't one of those posts about the joys of living in my RV and off the grid when the outside temperature outside is 20F or lower. Nor am I going to post about how we should get arctic gear and a balaclava to help us get through our winter RVing experience. If you are doing that, then I am sure you are practicing all the tips in this blog and more.

Yes, it is possible to RV in really nasty winter conditions. I've also ground camped at temperatures down to -25F and experienced and worked in temperatures to -65F wind chills. This blog is not about winter survival RVing. I do want to travel in comfort and I do want to be prepared for problems and issues. My spouse is most appreciative.

Almost Ready to Roll, 9 F at 7:30am

Let's be real, shall we. Many RVers use their home on wheels during the winter months for the purpose of escaping the ravages of winter. That is, after all, one of the reasons to have a home on wheels; we can get away! Others use them only in the fall, summer and in spring. When the climate gets ugly, we simply retreat to our wooden homes, or if in the RV, we move a few hundred miles and choose a better (warmer) location. There are numerous personal RV websites out there and you may notice some authors spend a lot of time during the winter travelling west to east, from San Diego, California to Florida and back. That's with good reason. It's to keep above 45F. However, if we travel anytime other than summer or more extensively northward we will each eventually encounter cold weather and we'll have to deal with below freezing temperatures. That is what this particular post is about. There are things we can do to be prepared and to make winter cold weather RVing more enjoyable.

These are my experiences as a RV newbie and some tips. I call them "rules" but you might prefer "aids" or "tips."

Now, if you are reading this from an all solar RV in southern Arizona, then this blog isn't for you. This post is provided to share my experiences in a small RV which has propane and gasoline generator when disconnected from "shore power" and two 6V AGM batteries. During the winter months if we are in our RV,  we spend most of our time connected to shore power, unless we are in movement, and we move frequently. We have not yet stayed in one location more than 10 days. We chose this particular RV because we wanted the ability to experience true 3.5 season RVing from Michigan to Arizona and with few restrictions. If you are of similar interest, then this post is for you.

We prefer to travel when the temperatures are above freezing during the daylight hours. However, nature doesn't always agree with our desires and nor does our schedule. In January we took a trek and escaped most of the cold weather here in the Northland. But darn, a more southerly storm from the west coast brought snow and cold. The nighttime temperature in Roswell, NM fell to 5F. That was an inconvenience as I had to re-winterize the RT before the temperatures dropped. (I recorded a low of 2F that night and early morning).

There are a lot of things to be said about this, but the primary issues are to have adequate fuel, be prepared and have what it takes for comfort. Our personalized and improved Roadtrek 210P has what it takes.

Rule #1:  Be very familiar with your RV's winterization requirement and winter limitations. I can't stress this enough. Be prepared to dump tanks, add anti-freeze and so on if you are trekking anywhere that below freezing weather is even a remote possibility, Yes, one or more of your fresh water tanks may be in a heated area. But what do you do if the heat fails? I recommend we be prepared. We've had a propane regulator failure, twitchy AGM batteries and a generator that didn't want to start (after some coaxing and patience it did start).

Rule #2. If travelling in the winter, spring or fall, be prepared for freezing weather.

During our January trek, we began at 30F and became complacent when daytime temperatures reached 50F. However, a winter storm dropped temperatures in the Roswell, NM area to 2F.  We had blankets for sleeping and a supplemental electric heater and full propane for the furnace, so we were adequately warm at night. We also had winter clothing and an adequate supply of "pink" antifreeze. So, the weather was merely an inconvenience and not a problem. After all, most of us trekkers have to deal with such low temperatures only for a day or two. In Roswell, the temperature soon peaked at 61F!

Rule #3: When travelling in the winter, spring or fall, take along a couple of gallon jugs of drinking water and keep this inside and warm. We use this when we travel with winterized tanks. In other words, this might be the only drinking water available. Of course, you can use the toilet if you flush with pink anti-freeze, and we do that rather than getting out of the RV in the night to use the nearby toilet facilities, if there are any.

Rule #4: Take a supply of potable water system antifreeze and be aware of how to winterize your RV. We had done the above and so the re-application of anti freeze on a recent trek was simply an inconvenience.  As the temperature plummeted we dumped the gray and black water tanks, emptied the outside fresh water tank and simply added about a gallon of "pink" antifreeze to the outside fresh water tank. We then pumped it through the system and added some to the P-traps and toilet. It took about 30 minutes. This would have been a major problem had we not packed two gallons of anti-freeze. That is one of the reasons I consider our 210P to be the personal minimum space for two. We had the room for that anti-freeze, and all of our other gear and firewood and BBQ, too!

Rule #5: Know your RV. We travel with a copy of all of the manuals for our RV, and that includes the furnace, macerator and convection oven. I made it a point to check the model numbers of everything by looking at the plates on the equipment. Do you know which specific model battery separator your RV has? Or toilet? Or inverter? When things go wrong, that information is invaluable when you call on your cellphone for help.

Rule #6: Make certain your propane tanks are full before any trek.  We had done that. So when the outside temperatures dropped, we used the portable electric heater but also set the propane furnace at 65F, in the event interior temperatures fell or the electric heater could not keep up.  We were toasty throughout the night. Why have a home and live as if it is a cave?

Rule #7: RVs are metal cans and are not sealed to be airtight. (Mine is fiberglass shell and steel body). Most have single pane windows. In other words, if the insulation is R4.5 you are doing well; but those windows have an R value of about 0.91 (useless insulating value). In layman's terms, you will probably experience drafts and cold zones at night.

To be comfortable at lower temperatures we decided we needed to do a few things to improve the vehicle comfort.  Some of these are useful in higher temperatures, too.

Rule #8: Insulate your windows. We use aluminized bubble wrap insulation on our windows (Reflectix) and that makes quite a difference in both low and high temperature extremes. I cut the pieces to fit and roll them up and store them under the electric sofa bed when not in use.  I always put the window insulation in place in the coach area at night if the outside temperature is to stray very far from a mild 70F.  If it is mild, I may skip the front (driving) area. Single pane windows, with Reflextix have an R-value of about 2.0, which is about double the insulating properties of glass.

Tip: for extra comfort in the sleeping area use two layers of insulation on the rear windows.

Rule #9: Sleep warm and comfortable. If you have a good, restful sleep you will have a better day. We've used a variety of sleep aids including polartec fleece blankets and wool, but an electric blanket is probably the best when temperatures fall.  When I sleep at home I sleep in a bed with blankets. I don't sleep in a sleeping bag. That's what I expect when I sleep in my RV; a bed with blankets and that's what we do. We have a king sized bed in our 210P and we enjoy it. The sleeping bag I store with my tent.

We experimented with a small heating pad and liked it. So we now have a queen sized electric blanket. We set it at the lowest setting. With good blankets that is sufficient. The electric blanket is really helpful for anyone with arthritis.

Our electric blanket has independent dual controls with 10 heat settings each. It's a queen size and at the lowest setting uses 110watts per side. That's per my Kill-a-Watt P3.

We've found the lowest setting on the blanket "L" to be more than sufficient. If you want a boost, select the "preheat" feature to get your nest nice and toasty before entering for the sleep.

With an electric blanket I suspect we'll probably use less electrical power. I am also experimenting with a 12V fan to get better airflow in the sleeping area.

Rule #10: If you want that gasoline generator to start, keep it maintained and use a gasoline additive. I do run ours monthly and I add SeaFoam motor treatment additive regularly so as to be assured that the carburetor of the generator has additive in it. When we are travelling from point A to point B I see no reason to add an additive with each tank of gas. So I carry a 1 liter bottle in an outside compartment and add it to the last tank of gas for our trek. We begin the trek with additive in the tank and we end it with additive in the tank. I run the generator at the end of the trek to assure that there is additive in the carburetor. To save money, I purchase the additive in a gallon container at an auto parts store and transfer it to the smaller 1 liter container. I have used less than a gallon in 12 months.

This tip could also be entitled "Keep your RV maintained." If I want the generator and other systems to perform on demand that is a must. This is also why I am committed to replacing the AGM batteries.

Rule #11: Smaller is better, in my opinion. Many won't drive a larger RV through winter storms; I've never done that, but I have driven this RT in snow and ice. I've also driven a truck in bad weather and so I have an appreciation of the concerns of the Class A driver. It wasn't fun  but there was a deadline and I did need to be at the destination on time. For RV trekkers, that is not a paramount consideration and one can park the RV and ride out the winter storm. We did that for part of our first winter trek. We drove as long as possible to get beyond most of the storm, found a nice overnight spot and fired up the generator and propane heater. We were able to continue on our way the next morning and I have found that a rear drive "van" is reasonable and comfortable in many weather conditions. I also prefer the small, side entry door for entering the living space. Really wonderful for quick entry or exit in winter. We did rent a Sprinter and that large sliding door is enjoyable for admitting the outdoors when the sun is shining and it is mild. It sucks in rain, sleet, snow and when it is really, really cold outdoors.

It's useful to keep in mind that each time one opens that living space door, one lets all the heat out and in comes the cold, rain and snow.  The front passenger seat has been rotated when we are stationary and climbing over front seats with boots, etc. is simply not a good idea. That's my experience. It hit home when we rented a Sprinter. Yes, during those wonderful, mild and bug-free days we enjoyed that sliding door. But overall, we really prefer the smaller, easy open side entry door of the Chevy van.

Sprinter and the Outdoors

RT210P - Smaller side entry

There are other things one can do, and I could make an endless list. However, there are things we do that really make a difference and the above I consider most important. 

Comment: Our first winter trek was a spur of the moment decision. We quickly packed clothes, canned goods, boots, cold weather gear, kitchen stuff, tools, antifreeze, water, a VOM and duct tape, Goop, scotch tape, a white and black paint marker, 12V battery charger and so on. We really had enough stuff and the only thing we needed to purchase besides gasoline was a roll of teflon tape for the hot water heater anode. But, we have learned more about comfort and what it takes to be both confident and comfortable on our treks. Perhaps I'm a Murphy's Law buff. But in my business that is what it takes. I prefer to have more data on how the camper van systems are doing, and I also like to pack for breakdowns. So I've begun to improve the instrumentation on the internal systems of the camper van. The RT 210P is pretty good, but for example, adding internal, external and refrigerator temperature sensors is an aid. Ditto for better power monitoring (AC volts, current draw, frequency) and that includes a desire for better condition monitoring of the coach batteries. I haven't really spent much money doing this (less than 1% additional as compared to the original purchase price), but it really builds one's confidence when camping in very cold weather. My spouse who is somewhat skeptical now enjoys our treks with significantly less trepidation than she did that first one. Alaska, here we come!