Off-Grid Winter RV
From O'Connor RV
Living off the grid in your RV during the warmer months is one thing, but living off the grid during the winter comes with a whole new set of rules. If you are spending the winter on your property or want to go winter RVing off the grid, here are some of the most important winter living tips.
- Get your travel trailer covered and protected. The biggest concern with the winter weather is having adequate protection for your RV or travel trailer. Make sure it is heavily caulked in every nook and cranny. You could use a large tarp or buy a shelter like a garage-in-a-box.
- Keep the cupboards open on cold nights when the propane heater is on. One of the big risks to living in a travel trailer in cold climates is your pipes, tanks and water pump freezing. When it’s especially chilly outside (under 25 degrees or so), turn on the propane heater at night and keep cupboards open in the RV. This allows the warm air to circulate around the pipes (bathroom and kitchen) as well as the area above your water tank.
- Don’t buy an RV with in-floor or hidden plumbing. In-floor or hidden plumbing will make it very difficult to keep things from freezing.
- Find a way to heat your RV structure on extra chilly nights to keep the tanks and pump from freezing. The inside heater of a travel trailer will only go so far and it won't keep your outside tanks from freezing in low temperatures. If you can’t manage to keep the inside of your RV structure from freezing (maybe if it gets to below 0 degrees Fahrenheit), one option may be to use a propane heater aimed at your water and septic tanks.
- Insulate your RV structure. In addition to having adequate protection for your travel trailer, you’ll want to be sure that it is insulated. If you simply have an un-insulated shell for your RV, then you won’t be able to retain any heat.
- Have thermometers outside and inside your RV structure. It’s important to know what’s going on with the temperature at all times as it helps to understand your RV/travel trailer and your shelter. Keep one by the front door both inside and outside, as well as one at the front of your structure.
- Keep some antifreeze on hand and add it to your tanks when they're empty because it's not ideal for your septic system. You should only resort to this option when it's below 20 degrees F for a sustained period of time. You can dump a little bit of antifreeze into the black and gray water tank before you fill them up again. This is enough to keep things from freezing, but not enough that it would do damage to your septic system.
- Only dump your tanks when they’re full. This is probably a no-brainer for experienced RVers, but only dump your tanks when they're at capacity. Full tanks are less prone to freezing.
- Have an extra set of propane tanks. Propane is critical in the winter. It’s best to have an extra set of filled propane tanks on hand especially if driving conditions are extremely poor and you've used up a lot on the trip.
- Keep water jugs near a wood stove so they don't freeze. It's always good to have extra water.
If you need parts, camping supplies or RV service stop by O’Connor RV.