Surviving The Winter In Your RV

Now that the winter is nearly upon us, it’s important for those of us who travel year-round or live full-time in our RVs to take stock of our campers. Staying warm in an RV can be something of a challenge at times, but if it’s your permanent home or your means of traveling to see family or take a fun ski vacation, then it’s going to be important that you do everything you can to make your RV hospitable.

Happy Camper RV Sales, with locations in Boise, Garden City and Nampa, is proud to be your Idaho RV dealer. We’ve gathered up our best tips for surviving the winter in your RV so you can stay warm and cozy wherever you go this winter season.

Add Insulation

One easy way to make your RV warmer inside is to add some insulation in the walls. Your RV is likely already insulated to some degree, but now you have to prevent cold air from getting in through the windows. Foam board insulation or an RV skirt can help to insulate your water system and keep cold air out from under your camper. 

Adding film to your windows along with heavy drapes can help to prevent heat loss. Try lining your vents with foam to trap more warm air here as well. Finally, make sure that you look over your whole rig to see if there are any gaps or holes you need to plug up or fill in to prevent heat from escaping the interior.

Install More Sources of Heat

Small portable heaters and radiators are an easy solution to cold interiors. Just make sure that you are responsible with yours and that they are kept away from flammable items. Incandescent bulbs can also generate a bit more heat than LED lights, so you may want to swap them out for the winter.

To truly make your interior toasty, you can invest in a special heating system for your RV, like a propane heater that hooks up to the furnace or a pellet stove that will create less moisture and be more efficient.

Protect The Plumbing System

Your RV’s plumbing system is likely to suffer the most in cold temperatures. You can add heat strips to keep your hoses from freezing and insulate your waste valve. Make sure that all valves are closed when not in use. You can add antifreeze to your black or grey water tanks to prevent them from freezing, and make use of your freshwater tank if it’s in a warm place on your rig, rather than trying to use hoses with the city water, which might freeze up. Check to see that any hoses you use are dry before storing them.

Prepare For Emergencies

Finally, it’s important to plan for emergencies by having the necessary supplies on hand to deal with a crisis. Carry extra blankets, jackets, sweaters and other warm clothing items for bundling up against the cold. Keep additional food and water supplies on hand in case you get stuck or waylaid by a blizzard while traveling. A battery-powered or emergency hand-crank radio is another essential for listening to weather forecasts. Have some additional propane handy to fuel your heat sources. Make sure that you check the forecast before traveling so that you can determine whether it’s even safe to drive in the current weather conditions.

We hope this guide helps you to have enjoyable RV adventures this winter! Still need an RV? Come by one of our Idaho dealerships serving the Boise metro area to take a look at our full stock of new and used RVs for sale. We even provide financing options to help you get the camper you want. Happy Camper RV Sales proudly serves the cities of Nampa and Meridian, Idaho.