Tips for Winter RV Usage

[Long & Winding road]

We use ours on "Day trips" (on the weekends) 10 mo or so per a year (AR is not very cold most of the time). Last year we only used it two or 3 times (During the day) when temps were 20's - 30's for highs. I just winterized mine but I put a gal of drinking water in the shower (In case it leaks) along with a gal of RV anti Freeze to flush with and add to gray tank if we wash hands in the sink.

Next year we might venture out for a winter trip but we are not big on cold weather.

[Bob Denman]

Your best bet?
Tie a snow shovel to the front bumper, and head South.

When someone stops and asks you what that is, that you've got tied to the front bumper: THAT's where you stay!

[Long & Winding road]

Originally Posted by Bob Denman

Your best bet?
Tie a snow shovel to the front bumper, and head South.

When someone stops and asks you what that is, that you've got tied to the front bumper: THAT's where you stay!

I dont even own a Snow shovel. LOL. No joke.

Why bother... any snow we get melts the same day or next day and then once every 8 to 10 years it snows a foot or two - then I just take out my jacked up Jeep Wrangler and watch the others try to shovel the driveways.

But im lucky. My driveway is in full sun - accross the street they are in shade so they dont melt as quick as mine.

[tinker3030]

That's all well and good for me, but the Mrs's doesn't like the idea. She agreed to it, but she says she is going to take a shower. I just have to put up with it.

[Soldier Girl]

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

Our Axis furnace burned through a tank of propane in a weekend camping in 32F weather.

Your Outlaw is larger (and likely has a larger tank) so it could go either way.

I have an A.C.E. 30.2, & I've been duckin & dodging winter storms & hard freezes between Maryland & Florida the entirety of my not quite 2 months of rv'ing.

In less than a week of only 15°F avg temp (at night), in my very 1st week, I went through an entire tank of propane! I was very concerned about my viability as a fulltime rv'er that 1st week, lol!

My mobility service dog (Radar), who normally is kenneled in the lower bunk, was used as an additional heat source that week & he was so cold he didn't protest snuggling up under 4 goosedown winter covers (he hates being put under any covering normally).

Additionally, the 1st night of those temps (and my 1st night rv'ing) I found out how poorly my batteries worked for this snafu (two 12 volt). We went to bed with the furnace on & just a couple of hours later I woke up freezing bc my batteries were dead. The rest of the night (& all that week), I got up every other hour to turn on the genie to make sure the batteries didn't die again!

The next morning I noticed that my full tank of gas had gone down maybe an 8th, or possibly a quarter, even though I only ran the geni about 25 to 30 min each time I got up - that really worried me!

The cw had assured me when I had my walk thru that the genie could run all night & wouldn't use hardly any fuel, & that the propane would last for months, "& besides, the generator will automatically shut off when you get down to about a quarter tank, so you'll never get stranded" - that was the only assertion they made where my soldier soul rebelled - it knew that 1/4 tank out in the midst of nowhere was a recipe for fubar!

But I had no measuring stick (of experience) to compare their assertion with about the fuel economy, so I pretty much took their word for it that 1st night...sigh. I might have saved myself from that character building experience, had I not ignored years of opportunities to learn about genis when I was a combat medic. We used massive diesel genies in evac units that I never had to maintain (medics are spoiled that way). My total disregard for the process & how my Cav troopers kept those genies runnin, was a mistake that has come back to bite me.

After my 1st week (a baptism of ice instead of fire), I replaced those 12 volt batteries w/two 6 volt agm deep cycle batteries. I had room for 3 lithium 12 volt batteries, but not the cash. It was a stretch for me to get the two 6 volt agms, & of course that means the space I have for one more battery is wasted till I finally make the leap to lithium.

Since that frozen week, I've never had my batteries die in the middle of the night. I don't know whether I just had two bad 12 volt batteries or if the agms are that much superior to 12 volts. But I still get up once a night when boondocking, if the temps are below freezing, to flip on the geni (just in case!).

I've added portable heaters of various types (battery & corded), to use during the day. Whenever I have shore power, I use them almost exclusively - even at night. When boondocking, I use one of the corded ones with a 12 volt inverter so that I can keep the furnace set at 60 degrees & use less fuel. That's really made a huge difference in my fuel consumption, both gas & propane!

I have tank heating pads & use them in freezing temps. My tanks aren't winterized. But I do use rv antifreeze - just not in the quantities others have mentioned. But I will heed their advice from here on out!

When I know it's going to be below freezing, I bring in my fresh water hose, as it's usually wet & I don't know if they're prone to cracking that way in the cold. I don't hook up to water at all if I know there will be below freezing temps, even if I'm at a military post where they often have electrical cords & insulation keeping their pipes from freezing - bc I Don't have any of that to wrap around mine!

Beyond that, I wear layers (long underware is the uniform of the day everyday). Radar wears sweaters I crochet him under his service harness & he has a down jacket that can be added (he Hates winter booties, they're a lost cause...). I have throw rugs all over my floors. I have the miracle dinette mattress in one of my windows, & all three bunk mattresses in the other side windows. I have two of my Army wool blankets tied up with paracord to my front windows (not very effective but they work in a pinch & are easy to take off in time to drive the next day). And I will make sure I get that insulation stuff (that so many have mentioned), that I can cut to fit each window for next year - if I don't manage it this year.

That's about it for our cold weather defense for this 1st year. I never expected to spend my 1st 2 months (or any months) freezing my tuchus off & racing away from every major storm whenever possible. I can't wait to finally get to drive South & West!

Hopefully that will be no later than mid March (even if my house hasn't sold by then). I'm still waiting for the warranty part to come in for my bathroom fan insert frame (it was cut too short but installed anyway at the factory). Cw told me today that the part was just ordered, after nearly two months, bc they just got the warranty approval, sigh...

I want to thank everyone for the many tips & ideas for surviving the cold for as long as I have to; y'all are absolutely amazing!!!

I'm probably the only vet in the entire nation who would volunteer to go play in the sandbox - just to get out of this bloody cold, lol!!!

[The Gritz Carlton]

Just got back from a week at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. It was windy, rainy and cold. Boondocking in constant cold weather is a different breed of cat. I carry two portable Honda 2000's with the parallel kit. I also bought/built the B.E.R.G. 3 gallon gas tank, Extended Run fuel system. Rather than use the 6K diesel generator, I ran one of the Honda's 24/7 with electric heater. It kept the inside a nice 69 degrees with the generator running mostly at idle in "Eco Mode". During the day when microwave was needed or hair dryer, I would connect both Hondas together with the parallel kit to provide 4K watts (or occasionally crank the house unit). I used around 5-6 gallons of gasoline over a 4+ day period. The house diesel unit would have used around 30-35 gallons. For smaller campers, a single Honda 2000 (or similar) will run a small electric heater easily. As the heater cycles on and off, the generator will drop in RPM (Eco Mode) using very little gas, as it also keeps your batteries charged. If you have room to store one along with a couple 5 gallon jugs of gas...as in a rear hitch rack...it will extend your resources tremendously, preserving coach gas and unnecessarily running more generator than what you need.

[Bob Denman]

The best Wintertime use for an RV?
Park it on your property in a place where it can act as a snow fence, and reduce the amount of driveway shoveling for you!
http://www.thorforums.com/forums/att...1&d=1551186539
http://www.thorforums.com/forums/att...1&d=1551186539
http://www.thorforums.com/forums/att...1&d=1551186539

[Pete'sMH]

I think 15F is going to be pretty taxing on any RV - especially one that is not on shore power. If I was fulltiming I’d go somewhere else! If that’s not an option then running a portable generator like the Honda 2000 will run a portable space heater and a small battery charger. As you’ve seen the furnace has a ravenous appetite for propane. You can bring an external tank to supplement your onboard supply and you might be able to find a mobile propane service that can replenish your supply on site every few days.

[Soldier Girl]

Originally Posted by The Gritz Carlton

Just got back from a week at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. It was windy, rainy and cold. Boondocking in constant cold weather is a different breed of cat. I carry two portable Honda 2000's with the parallel kit. I also bought/built the B.E.R.G. 3 gallon gas tank, Extended Run fuel system. Rather than use the 6K diesel generator, I ran one of the Honda's 24/7 with electric heater. It kept the inside a nice 69 degrees with the generator running mostly at idle in "Eco Mode". During the day when microwave was needed or hair dryer, I would connect both Hondas together with the parallel kit to provide 4K watts (or occasionally crank the house unit). I used around 5-6 gallons of gasoline over a 4+ day period. The house diesel unit would have used around 30-35 gallons. For smaller campers, a single Honda 2000 (or similar) will run a small electric heater easily. As the heater cycles on and off, the generator will drop in RPM (Eco Mode) using very little gas, as it also keeps your batteries charged. If you have room to store one along with a couple 5 gallon jugs of gas...as in a rear hitch rack...it will extend your resources tremendously, preserving coach gas and unnecessarily running more generator than what you need.

Omg I'm lost - and I can tell this is an important subject that I need to understand!

I get the concept of what you said, but of course I don't understand any of the details. I want to understand this better. It may save me a lot of grief before I can get off this coast this winter, if not early spring at this point, sigh...

Can you explain in the dummies book style how I can tackle maybe one geni to add to my ACE 30.2 and I'm extremely interested in how to add propane to my outside tank (if I understood y'all on that)? That's probably even more critical for me right now.

It's a pain in the tuchus to pull up stakes every couple of days to refill my tank when I find a place to hunker down from the latest variety of frozen dumped on me with each new storm. I can't outrun them all & sometimes I miscalculate where I'm safest from their path.

Plus, yesterday's cw trip got most things done; Atwood fixed, WeBoost Connect4 added, satellite t.v. put on hold for now - but one warranty issue still waiting on parts & now I may still be here on April Fool's day - kind of apropos, don't you think???

I'm worried about the possibility of Not being able to pull up stakes to refuel if I'm snowed in, iced in, or stuck in place due to fallen trees, etc.

Gritz, I'd really appreciate it if you & hopefully the rest of the guys, could help me understand this well enough to tackle this project. I've been wondering why my propane tank couldn't be filled from a smaller tank ever since I got the rig & chalked it up to the designers never actually using the system day in & day oht.

Yeah, I know I'm probably close to a lost cause for any advanced mechanical stuff, but I'm determined to tackle as many new ideas as I can so that I'm at least somewhat competent & safely ride the roads for years to come.

It would really make a huge difference to my peace of mind if I can learn this particular subject well enough to put it in place on my rig & it might save me some mileage by not needing to run in front of every winter storm coming down the pike.

If I understood you guys, I should be able to store those portable propane tanks I see on bbqs & the backs of tt's, I suppose under my rig? And that I can attach some kind of hose to it & that hose to my propane tank - like a direct blood transfusion (medic outlook, sorry)! Is it possible for me to do that without machinist skills (or maybe not any skills, lol!)???

Thanks Gritz!
- Donna & Radar

[Pete'sMH]

Well, your easiest option is to plug into campground power and buy a small electric space heater. It won’t be able to keep you completely warm if it’s 15 degrees outside but it’ll help some and take some of the load off your furnace and so extend your propane supply. If you can’t plug in to shore power you can make your own with either your coach generator again powering a space heater (that’s what it’s there for) or with a portable generator like a Honda 2000. The coach unit is easier but burns a good bit of fuel and is pretty loud. You’ll be surprised how quiet a Honda generator is and it’s more economical to operate. But they are pretty expensive and heavy. And you’d need to run a high quality extension cord in through a window to your space heater. Getting more propane is not especially easy. You’d need to have a fitting installed in your propane system that will allow you to use an external tank. Gas grill tanks will work but won’t last long and are bulky and heavy. Perhaps having one on hand to use for that late night emergency would make sense. If you are planning to stay in one place for like a month or more you might be able to rent a big tank to sit next to your rig but it’s not likely. Your best bet for propane is to see if you can find a mobile service that will fill you up. They are not available everywhere and you might find them reluctant to come by every few days even if you do find someone. And it can be pretty expensive. Are you sure you can’t just go somewhere warm for the next month or so?!

[The Gritz Carlton]

At beach house in PCB paying fencing guy with only my phone that has tiny keys that don't like big thumbs. Will expand on my portable setup tomorrow night. Basically, coach plugs into portable generator just like a 30A shore power plug. Generator powers coach for days on end with just a few gallons of gas. Portable heater keeps if very warm isnide and you never use your gas guzzler house generator.

[The Gritz Carlton]

Originally Posted by Pete'sMH

CUT.....Are you sure you can’t just go somewhere warm for the next month or so?!

I'm going to write a book...name it "Tips For RV Usage In The Winter". It will only have 2 pages...this is exactly what will be on the first page...the second page will be the "credits" page. Taking "pre-print" orders now!!

[Bob Denman]

What's your fax number; I want to email a payment to you for it!

[lwmcguire]

We camp primarily in cool/cold weather for several reasons. Not sub zero by choice for sure. Given the heating situation the diesel Aqua Hot was a must having dealt with exchanging propane bottles every couple days. The 40 pounders were getting heavy to replace in the cold for an old guy.

Many of the folks that are camping in the colder areas and have propane heat do use external tanks. If you are going to be in one spot long enough to justify it that is the way to go.

Running a generator no matter what size uses fuel and is less efficient than running a heater albeit many propane heaters are in the 60% efficiency range. Inverter generator like already noted are the most efficient

Electric blankets, heat pads and so on really help take a chill off and are low power users

Don't know if it was already noted but I keep water in the tank as you wont want to be handling the water hose at 15 degrees or so and fill up on warmer days if possible

We use the fireplace as the supplement electric which works well and is the same as a heater with the same watts.

One last thing is to check for any drafts or daylight that might allow air flow. Foam or spray foam can usually take care of those and many campers/coaches will have one or two openings that might not have gotten sealed. check slide seals and windows to be sure they are completely sealed off also.

High wind is the worse thing by far and will test your heating systems in a hurry

[The Gritz Carlton]

When boating we head to a "safe harbor" in times of storm. RVing is no different. Boondocking is fun but everything has it's limits and lifetime. If I were out and about seeing the world and super cold weather was approaching...I'd move on to warmer weather...BUT...if it wasn't possible, I'd find a campground or somewhere with shore power. These little boxes are just not set up to operate efficiently in really cold winter for very long.

[Bob Denman]

I agree: a good supply of power is worth it's weight in barbecued ribs!