Cold weather living - RV-Dreams Community Forum

magbos · RV-Dreams Community Member

Cold weather living

legrandnormand · RV-Dreams Family Member

I guess you can heat a camper to be confortable in the cold winter months, but what about using water to wash up and to flush toilets etc...
A camper or any type of trailer or motorhome is not built to live in it during cold winter months.

Rent a cheap apart for the winter months and winterize your camper or move South of the Border for the winter months. wink

magbos · RV-Dreams Community Member

Hi Normand

Thanks for responding . I probably should have elaborated some . We are avid campers when time allows , and I like to think we could be full timers some day . But for now we are looking to cut living expenses as we build our new dream home .

My thought was to get a reasonably priced trailer / 5th wheel, set it on site were there is the ability to hook up water and sewer , skirt the trailer and make necessary provisions to keep piping from freezing . And then heat with a pellet stove that we already own .

Thanks so much Mike

legrandnormand · RV-Dreams Family Member

Good luck anyway to try it and be safe heating that trailer with that type of stove ! Don't forget that a trailer is mostly built with plastic and wood, so it heats up pretty fast !

igotjam · RV-Dreams Family Member

We live in Canada but go south in the winter. There are however plenty who stay in their rv in Canada all winter. Haven't seen any with pellet stove (seems dangerous and likely against local codes) but those who stay, skirt the rv, bring in large propane tanks, get water delivered weekly (use their pump between deliveries). Dumping is no problem as you dump and then close valves so pipe is normally empty. The propane consumption is high and it would be too onerous for me, but lots do it.

Colorado_Kid · RV-Dreams Family Member

In what part of New England do you want to stay? I lived in the north part of New Hampshire for several years and I have seen wind chills dip to 70 below. I don't know how your RV could stand that type of cold even if you had an unlimited supply of propane, water and electricity.

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

I have spent the last 5 yrs boondocking in New England and as stated it can get nasty.......propane consumption can be high and with a pellet stove I would worry about make-up air and the potential for fire......it takes 7 minutes for an RV to become ashes and an inferno.....as others have stated the construction of the rig might not handle it......also with that type of heat your going to create ice buildup on the roof and seams , if you get ice in the seams it will expand and leave an opening for water damage...(been there ,done that).....also note that the heat system in an RV is not designed for this type of usage so be prepared with back-up parts and know how to repair.....most RV services in new england are closed durring the winter months

-- Edited by Lucky Mike on Monday 8th of August 2016 06:45:47 AM

Camper Chronicles · RV-Dreams Family Member

Jim of Explorvistas wintered in Michigan one year and did a great writeup on his blog about how they did it.

explorvistas.com/2014/10/23/preparing-for-ol-man-winter/

jayc · RV-Dreams Family Member

I would NEVER reommend heater with an open flame in any RV. There are just too many dangers of fire.

I have friends that go skiing in Breckenridge Colorado and it fruequently get to -20-30 degrees there and they make it. They very thoughtfully bought a suitably equipped fifth wheeland then made several additions to their equipment as needed. He just recently added the electric "Chep Heat" unit and only time will tell how well it works. The Cheap Heat unit bolts onto the back of the propane furnace and blows heated air through the same vents.

Second Chance · RV-Dreams Family Member

We've spent a few nights with the temps in the mid- to upper-teens and a week with the temps in the 20s with snow. This is in a fifth wheel with a heated underbelly and tanks and decent insulation but single pane windows. I've cut bubble foil to fit all the windows which helps a lot. The cold spell was in New Mexico where LP prices are extremely low. We spent about $10 a week on propane and $30 - $40 a week on the metered electric (an electric fireplace in the living room and a ceramic heater in the bedroom). As Jay says, I would NEVER install or use anything with an open flame for heat in my RV. Besides being dangerous, it would not protect all the systems you need to keep thawed. You might end up spending more repairing damage (as Mike alluded to below) than you would save by staying in the trailer. I would either buy a good, used high-end RV made for four seasons and skirt and prep it or move south. Always safety first.

Rob

PrairieRV · RV-Dreams Family Member

Around here, some folks who live in the country have wood-burning furnaces that are vented throughout the house. But the furnace itself is outside the house to reduce the danger of fire. Maybe something like that would work.

Patti