Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
RV Trip Planning Discussions

Go Back   iRV2 Forums > MOTORHOME FORUMS > MH-General Discussions & Problems
Click Here to Login
Join iRV2 Today

Mission Statement: Supporting thoughtful exchange of knowledge, values and experience among RV enthusiasts.
Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on iRV2
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 01-22-2017, 04:05 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
Rvlegaleagle's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Holbrook Long Island New York
Posts: 1,369
So who is out there in the winter?

Just wondering if we have anyone out there is the winter and if so, could they share some of their "keeping warm" tips and tricks?
__________________
Smile, Father Loves YOU

Daniel
Rvlegaleagle is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 01-22-2017, 05:18 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
Gormleys's Avatar
 
Winnebago Owners Club
Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: CO
Posts: 928
Use bottled water until far enough south to hook up the hose for shore water. Use shore power with an electric heater to keep propane usage for the furnace low. Keep the slide-outs in to reduce the amount of air volume to heat. And, most importantly, lots of snuggling and blankets (and an occasional hot toddy) to keep both warm and happy!
__________________
Colorado '15 Winnebago Forza 34T w/MKZ hybrid toad '20 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk toad
Gormleys is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-22-2017, 06:02 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Little Rock, Arkansas
Posts: 2,594
We like winter camping and are still learning. For us, we carry plenty of firewood because we like to sit outside around a fire. I cut some wood about a foot long and split it to about the size of my wrist so I can keep a good fire going.

Inside, we also use electric space heaters to supplement the propane.

We usually stay above freezing, but in the case that we do hit below freezing, we unhook and drain the hose and just go to bottled water and the fresh water tank.

I guess that sounds pretty much like the Gormleys, huh? But there is the firewood; that's different
EdInArk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-22-2017, 06:10 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,565
I try to find the straightest road South from wherever I am and then worry about heading toward my final destination after I'm warm.

That and keep all the water lines winterized until we hit warm weather.
CWJK55 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-22-2017, 07:30 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
FatChance's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 2,984
We are winter camping in Flagstaff at the KOA. 22" of snow this weekend and a foot or two more by Tuesday. 19* last night, single digits the next several nights then it should warm up again. Since we will be here for the winter, we are hooked up to a 100# propane tank. We got it last Thanksgiving and it still has 40% left. We have a heated fresh water hose, a heated mattress pad, use one or two two electric heaters during the day (50 amp service included in our site rent) and have a dehumidifier to control humidity. We keep the coach around 68-70 during the day and 57-58 at night. I use a broom to sweep snow off the roof as needed. We are quite comfortable and our coach is working great. The coach has good insulation, dual pane windows and a heated, insulated basement. Regular propane furnace. No crowds, low rates, no problems. Works for us.
__________________
'04 Newmar Mountain Aire 4016
400ISL/Freightliner
FatChance is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2017, 03:17 PM   #6
Registered User
 
Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: NW Ohio
Posts: 7,114
On this trip, we were forced to spend one night in Iowa, Minus 17 degrees, winds blowing snow at 40 mph.

Lessons learned.

We ran our Mr Buddy for heat (9k btu setting) It tried to keep up but couldn't. We set the furnace at 60 deg and it cycled every 10-15 minutes.
NOTE - FURNACE PROBLEM - Evidently, the furnace had an issue where it would light, run for 5 seconds, then go out. It does this three times then stops trying and goes into fault mode with the blower running. This killed our chassis battery, we woke up at 4:30 am when the chassis battery got so low, the propane aalarm was chirping (low battery)

Lessons learned

Run the MHs engine all night
Run the generator all night (we were low on gas so couldn't)
Make sure to keep tank as full as posible.

Consider staying in motel at night.
Waiter21 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-24-2017, 07:34 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
Roger G's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Amory, Ms
Posts: 1,112
I live in the south, if it's that cold today it very likely will be 70 and the yard will need mowing tomorrow.
__________________
Roger And Kim Goodwin
bout them DAWGS!!
Roger G is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-25-2017, 09:45 AM   #8
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Moving out of Connecticut
Posts: 656
We used to do a lot of winter traveling. That was the only choice.

Most motorhomes are pretty much 3.5 season rigs. They heat well enough and the potable water is in the heated space. Our rig long precedes double pane windows, but if you have single pane, get some of the small bubble wrap and tape at least a single layer on the windows with the bubble side to the glass. Use it to make plugs for the ceiling vents too.

If the bed is over an exterior locker, it may be poorly insulated. Foam board works well here.

A black tank with moderate water use will be hard pressed to freeze, but the gray tank sure can. You have to watch the weather to know when you can dump both.

If you have an FHU site, use the electric to heat. It is quieter and probably less expensive (even at 0.22$/kWh) than propane and it won't run out.

Let the coach temperature down as low as you can live with. I our case, that was about 60°F during the day (bump up for shower times) and 55°F at night. First one up can bump the T'stat.

If you are traveling, always have three days of provisions (food, water, propane) onboard. It is easy to have weather hold you up for a day. Two days can happen, but the third day may just make life better.

Frank
F76Marion is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-25-2017, 10:47 AM   #9
Senior Member
 
Unicorn Driver's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 7,494
I do a lot of winter tent camping but have not used my MH in winter.

I had not planned to use my MH this winter but would like to do sometime if there was no ice/snow on the roads.

Do folks drive if there is snow or ice on the roads? How do you clean salt from the chassis?
__________________
2008 Phoenix Cruiser 3100
2012 Jeep Wrangler Sahara JKU.
Unicorn Driver is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-26-2017, 03:24 PM   #10
Senior Member
 
Gormleys's Avatar
 
Winnebago Owners Club
Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: CO
Posts: 928
We try really hard not to drive in snow, but occasionally sh*t happens. In small squalls, it is not that big of deal. More than an inch or so, pull over and wait it out is my general rule. I've also been know to keep driving an extra hour or so to stay ahead of a storm trailing behind me when heading east. Watching the weather while on the road is as important as watching where you are going during the winter.


As for road salt, yes the MH needs a good shower after traveling in snow. We typically find a good truck wash and let them give it the once over while traveling and then wash it really good when we get home. Luckily, Colorado is blessed with over 350 days of sun and usually at least a couple of days a week above 50F year round (except in the mountains). We usually don't travel in the RV in December or January, but traveling February through November helps justify the high cost of owning one!
__________________
Colorado '15 Winnebago Forza 34T w/MKZ hybrid toad '20 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk toad
Gormleys is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-26-2017, 07:35 PM   #11
Member
 
Fleetwood Owners Club
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 35
I'm in Kansas and its about 40 during the day here and just slightly below freezing at night (high to mid 20s). I've been considering de-winterizing it and staying places on the weekends, but my main concern is the plumbing when I'm not in it during the week. How cold does it need to be outside before I need to heat up the inside of the motorhome to keep plumbing from getting damaged?

I have factory head pads on the waste tanks.
gunterm is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-26-2017, 08:43 PM   #12
Senior Member
 
Unicorn Driver's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 7,494
Thanks Gormleys, great info, I appreciate it.
__________________
2008 Phoenix Cruiser 3100
2012 Jeep Wrangler Sahara JKU.
Unicorn Driver is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-26-2017, 08:54 PM   #13
Senior Member
 
powerboatr's Avatar
 
Damon Owners Club
Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: North East Texas
Posts: 4,946
unfortunately for us, a medical problem arose for me, i have about two weeks before i am stuck for about 10 weeks and we are stuck at home base on the rv port. I HATE the cold weather. i plan to do the annual this weekend if its warmer, using one arm and a guy from a friends truck center.

But we have a small brick heater on the dash that blows warm air up and around the big window.
two everpure dehumidifiers, one is large and the other is small(it sits by the entry door).
run the heat pumps till they cant exchange any more heat from outside, usually down to 35F if the humidity is low.

run an exhaust in the bathroom almost all day, it helps with shower steam.
showers...wet down the body, set shower to trickle, lather up and shampoo, then rinse with full water flow.
when done dry the shower walls, and any any off the walls.

small heater in basement to make sure everything is good.
our in the ground frost proof city water valve two weeks ago Froze..my heat tape on the pipe shorted out , so in the freezing rain i field stripped it and put a new one on...bout lost a finger

run floor lp heater as needed to keep floor tiles warm, dogs seem to like that.
i find i am using the avantium oven more ..as its to cold to grill.

once its below 45 i simple have a hard time.
__________________
USN Retired, Life time member of the DAV.
Enjoying the 2008 Damon Tuscany 4056, #3998 no your eyes are fine, there are really 6 slides
2022 F150 King Ranch or 2012 Edge toads

powerboatr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-27-2017, 01:23 AM   #14
Senior Member
 
DAN L's Avatar
 
Winnebago Owners Club
Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,976
Rvlegaleagle and Gunterm,
Get some wireless indoor-outdoor temp gauges to monitor compartments.
I use a trouble light with a 60 or 100w bulb in my aft water Svc compartment to keep my gray and black tanks above freezing.
My electric water heater keeps the fresh water tank and plumbing from freezing.
We use 4 1500w cube heaters to keep the inside to 45 degrees minimum when on shore power, 70-75 when living in it.
When shore power fails, our propane furnace return air goes through the tank area. I run the water heater on propane just to be sure. This is our 10th year of mostly fulltimeing and nothing has frozen yet!
__________________
01 WINNEBAGO 35U W20.8.1L 5sp allison SW Wa,. Good Sam, SKP. RVM 198 AMSOIL fluids. BANKS ecm program. SCAN GAUGE II w/ Ally temp. 2 LIFELINE GPL-6CT AGM Batts on their sides. Michelins, TST tptts. K&N panel air filter. AERO mufflers. TAYLOR plug wires. ULTRA POWER track bar. KONI fsd shocks, toad '21MB GLA FWD on dolly
DAN L is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
winter



Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
is there anyone out there with a 96 pace arrow vision? Brian313 Fleetwood Owner's Forum 1 10-06-2013 10:47 AM
Is there anyone out there that owns one of these? Raven75 Travel Trailer Discussion 3 03-13-2013 11:05 AM
Hello! Are there any Winn Spectrum 2000 Owners out there? Beancounter Vintage RV's 4 07-31-2012 10:54 AM
Are There Old Buyers Guide Copies Out There? RVNeophytes2 Class A Motorhome Discussions 4 03-01-2011 01:57 PM
Are there any other people owned by Westies out there? Duffy's Mom RV'ing with Pets 13 03-28-2008 07:56 AM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 09:28 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.