Use Your
Winter !
RV During the
By Gary Bunzer
Greetings fellow travelers ! I certainly hope you were among the throngs of RV enthusiasts to gather at the 2017 version of America ’ s Largest RV Show this past September ! Wow ! Another recordbreaking show was on display in beautiful Hershey , PA ; over 64,000 people attended this year !
While many RVers get ready to winterize the RV during the fall months , there are those brave souls who still do go RVing even during wintry conditions .
If you ’ re the audacious type , winter RVing is not only doable but also encouraged ! Take the necessary precautions , such as staying tuned to a reliable weather forecasting source , and make sure all your safety devices have been tested and verified , and you should be able to enjoy your RV in even the chilliest winter weather .
Like those who store their units when the weather turns frigid , RVers who decide to “ winter ” IN their coach must make preparations to assure the vehicle is capable of operating effectively in harsh conditions . What follows is some useful information to help make that wintry trek comfortable .
Protecting The Water Systems
If you will be using the RV throughout the winter months , there are a couple schools of thought about how to protect the fresh water system . If your coach is wellinsulated and the plumbing lines are run through heated sections of the RV , then it may simply be a matter of ensuring the tank , the water pump , and all associated plumbing remain in temperatures above freezing .
Photo Courtesy of GO RVing
14 . EXPLORE PA 2018
Some RVers still drain all the fresh water and simply use bottled water for cooking , doing the dishes , flushing the toilet , etc ., and rely on the campground accommodations for showers . But with certain precautions , it is entirely possible to continue to use your onboard fresh water system throughout the winter , though it ’ s wise to have a few gallons of bottled water on hand just in case .
Begin by performing a detailed inspection to determine where and how the fresh water tubing is routed throughout the RV . It ’ s not uncommon to find the tubing run inside cabinets , above the floor , to all the fixtures . But oftentimes , manufacturers route the tubing inside storage compartments or perhaps underneath the RV for short distances . Try to visually locate every inch of the hot and cold lines . Split foam insulation tubes can be purchased at home improvement stores and easily slipped over exposed tubing . Extra insulation also can be placed around the water pump if it is located in an unheated compartment . Just be careful to allow air space around the motor portion of the pump to keep it from overheating during use .
If your RV ’ s plumbing bay is not heated it may be possible to modify the compartment so that heated air from inside the RV can be directed into that compartment . In some cases , the hot air distribution box of the furnace may be equipped with an unused duct outlet that can be tapped into and routed to the plumbing compartment . At the very least , a droplight with a 60-watt bulb should sufficiently warm the fresh water plumbing bay . If you can still find those old incandescent bulbs !
If necessary , aftermarket heating blankets and heat tape also can be used to keep the water tank and other sections of fresh water tubing warm . Not every RV will be identical , so the inspection and method of protection will vary from coach to coach . Leaving cabinet doors open or utilizing small circulating fans will help distribute the heated interior air into and around the majority of fresh water components .
Prolonged periods of temperatures below freezing may hamper the use of a city water connection , but if the temperatures allow it , heat tape and split foam insulation can be employed to some degree of success . I recommend thermostatically controlled heat tape , just to be safely protected .
Continue to use the water heater in the same manner as always . Using the electric heating element instead of the propane gas flame , if so equipped , will help conserve the supply of propane , but keeping the heater “ on ” all the time will eliminate any freezing concerns . You still may have to add foam insulation to the hot water tubing inside the RV , but the water heater itself will be safely protected .
If you plan to utilize the waste system ( black and gray tanks ) as you travel in colder climates , the aforementioned tank blankets and heat tape are available to protect your waste plumbing in freezing weather . This will probably be necessary if your holding tanks are exposed underneath the RV . For tanks mounted in compartment bays , typically they will have access to heated air anyway . If not , just like the fresh water tank , a 60-watt droplight should do the trick .
Keep all holding tank termination valves completely closed and periodically add a half-gallon of RV antifreeze as you continue to use the holding tank . Evacuate the tanks often if possible to prohibit the contents from freezing . Carefully warming the holding tank valves with a hair dryer will unfreeze stubborn valves in really cold weather . Avoid keeping the sewer hose connected all the time . Wait until it ’ s time to evacuate the tanks and then use the sewer hose . Keeping the hose clean and dry will help prevent residual water and waste from freezing and causing a possible blockage . During an extended campground stay in subzero weather , you may consider using a section of rigid Schedule 40 ABS drain pipe with the necessary adapter fittings and forego the flexible sewer hose altogether .
Insulating And Sealing
Consider yourself fortunate if your RV was constructed to cold-weather standards using higher R-rated insulation and dualpane windows . If your coach maker did