Don’t get caught within the chilly in your RV! Listed below are ESSENTIAL RV winter driving ideas and different useful info, together with the hyperlink to all of the street situation maps for every state!
Winter RVing is usually a distinctive and thrilling expertise, nevertheless it additionally comes with its personal set of challenges. Chilly temperatures, snowy roads, and restricted daylight can all make for a tougher and harmful journey.
Nonetheless, with correct preparation and data, you possibly can safely navigate the winter roads and luxuriate in all the wonder and serenity of winter tenting.
On this weblog submit, we’ll share skilled tips about methods to put together your RV for winter months, plan your winter RV journey, and drive safely in chilly climate situations. We’ll additionally present tips about staying heat and cozy in your RV throughout your winter journey.
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Our High 5 Winter Tenting Ideas
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Make your winter campout much more pleasurable with these fast 5 ideas within the above video! It’s all about staying cozy so you possibly can deal with having fun with the great thing about winter round you. Watch the total size video to study extra.
- Cowl your windshield to maintain warmth in and chilly out.
- Put money into a battery heater (batteries work much less effectively within the chilly)
- Have a backup heater (i.e., transportable heater)
- Put Reflectix on home windows
- Deliver your contemporary water in jugs and flush your bathroom with antifreeze
Making ready Your RV for Winter
Earlier than hitting the street for a winter RV journey, it’s important to correctly put together your RV for the colder temperatures and inclement climate. Listed below are some ideas that will help you winterize your RV and get it able to drive and camp in winter situations.
Insulate Your RV
One other necessary step in getting ready your RV for winter is to insulate it towards colder temperatures. This may be accomplished by including insulation to the partitions, ground, and ceiling of your RV, in addition to round home windows and doorways. You can too use insulated window coverings or thermal curtains to maintain the nice and cozy air inside and the chilly air out.
Winterizing Your RV’s Plumbing and Water Programs
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One of the vital necessary steps in getting ready your RV for winter is to winterize the plumbing and water techniques. This course of normally includes draining the water tanks, including rv-specific antifreeze to the plumbing traces, and defending any uncovered pipes from freezing.
In the event you’re not sure methods to winterize your RV’s plumbing and water techniques, it’s greatest to seek the advice of your RV’s proprietor’s guide or have an expert do it for you. However, the above video and this text on Easy methods to Preserve Your RV Pipes from Freezing Whereas Tenting will assist.
Keep and Examine Your RV’s Tires, Brakes, and Battery
It’s additionally essential to keep up and examine your RV’s tires, brakes, and battery earlier than heading out on a winter RV journey. Be certain that your tires are correctly inflated and have sufficient tread to deal with snowy and icy roads. Test your brakes to make sure they’re in good working situation, and contemplate investing in winter tires or tire chains. Additionally, make sure that your RV’s battery is totally charged and in good situation, because it must work more durable within the colder temperatures.
Planning Your Winter RV Journey
As soon as your RV is ready for winter, it’s time to begin planning your journey. Listed below are some ideas that will help you plan a protected and pleasurable winter RV journey.
Test Climate Forecasts and Street Situations
Earlier than hitting the street, it’s important to test the climate forecasts and street situations in your vacation spot and the route you intend to take. This may allow you to put together for any potential winter climate, equivalent to snow, ice, or freezing temperatures.
Know the Winter Driving Restrictions by State
A member of our RV life-style neighborhood, Ed Varga, gave us some useful recommendation just lately. He identified that some states prohibit RV driving in sure climate situations, similar to industrial motor autos.
As an illustration, Pennsylvania DOT places motorhomes in Tier 1 (probably the most restrictive tier) with regards to “winter climate occasions.”
So, it’s at all times a good suggestion to google “winter driving restrictions in [state]” earlier than you permit. This would possibly spare you from getting stopped at a state border with completely different restrictions! Additionally, try our hyperlink to ALL the State Driving street situations under.
Select the Proper Route for Winter Driving
When planning your winter RV journey, it’s greatest to decide on a route that’s well-maintained and has decrease elevations. This may allow you to keep away from steep and winding roads that may be harmful in snowy or icy situations.
Keep away from mountain passes and distant areas if attainable, as they are often tougher to navigate within the winter.
Many state Division of Transportation have interactive street maps that may present you which of them have ice and snow – like this one from the Iowa DOT. The blue traces are roads which can be partially lined.
And HERE is the hyperlink for street situations for every state – Winter Street Situations.
All the time Carry an Emergency Package for Winter Journey
It’s additionally important to arrange an emergency package in your winter RV journey. This could embrace objects equivalent to blankets, heat clothes, a primary support package, a flashlight, and a transportable charging system in your cellphone.
It’s additionally a good suggestion to incorporate a small shovel, a bag of sand or kitty litter (for traction), and a bag of salt or de-icer.
Moreover, make sure that to have a totally charged mobile phone and a technique to cost it whereas on the street.
Know Easy methods to Correctly Use Snow Chains and Tire Chains
In the event you’re planning to journey on snowy or icy roads, it’s necessary to know methods to correctly use snow chains or tire chains. These units is usually a lifesaver in snowy situations, however they should be used appropriately. Be certain that to learn the directions rigorously and observe placing them on earlier than you hit the street.
In the event you’re going to be touring completely in snowy climate, contemplate placing snow tires in your motorhome or tow automobile and journey trailer.
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RV Winter Driving Ideas
When you’re on the street, it’s necessary to know methods to safely navigate snowy and icy roads. Listed below are some ideas that will help you keep protected whereas winter RVing.
When driving on snowy or icy roads, persistence is vital. Following the RV 330 Rule will assist set tempo in your journey, and the next ideas will assist preserve you protected:
- Decelerate and improve your following distance (it’ll provide you with additional time to cease)
- Use your headlights and switch indicators (rule of thumb: In case your wipers are on, your headlights needs to be on)
- Keep away from sudden braking or accelerating so that you don’t lose traction
- Steer within the course of a skid
- In case your RV has anti-lock brakes, press the pedal firmly and constantly.
- In case your RV doesn’t have anti-lock brakes, pump the brake pedal gently to assist acquire traction whereas slowing down
- Familiarize your self along with your RV’s heating and defrosting techniques earlier than you drive to maintain your RV home windows clear
Easy methods to Deal with Skidding and Sliding on Winter Roads
By no means take black ice as a right! Simply because you possibly can’t see ice on the street doesn’t imply it’s not there. Mentally put together your self by imagining what you’ll do for those who begin to slide.
In case your RV begins to skid or slide on a snowy or icy street, an important factor to do is to remain calm. Steer within the course of the skid, and keep away from braking or accelerating.
In case your RV has anti-lock brakes, make sure that to make use of them appropriately by urgent them constantly and firmly. In case your RV doesn’t have anti-lock brakes, pump the brake pedal gently to decelerate. (Pumping the brakes helps provide you with traction.)
What To Do If Your RV Is Stranded in Winter
If an emergency state of affairs arises whereas winter RVing, it’s necessary to remain calm so you possibly can suppose clearly. Name for assist instantly, and keep along with your RV if attainable. In the event you should depart your RV, make sure that to take your cellphone, emergency package, heat clothes, water, and a snack with you.
Listed below are some ideas to assist preserve you protected:
- Keep along with your RV, because it offers shelter and safety from the weather. It’s additionally a lot simpler to identify an RV from the air than an individual on foot.
- Keep Heat: Costume in heat layers, use a good-quality insulated mattress pad or sleeping bag, and preserve additional blankets within the RV for added heat. Use a area heater or transportable heater to complement your RV’s heating system, and ensure to maintain your RV furnace or heating system serviced and maintained.
- Create a sign for assist: Place a brightly coloured material or flag on the roof of your RV or on a close-by tree to sign for assist. Preserve a small gentle or lantern on at night time (ideally one that’s battery-operated and won’t drain your battery.)
- Preserve Gas and Energy: To preserve gasoline and energy, solely run important techniques such because the heating system and fridge. Flip off all lights and home equipment when not in use.
- Preserve your self hydrated and nourished: ration your meals and water to final for at the least a couple of days in case you might be stranded for an prolonged time frame.
- Preserve your cellphone on however protect its battery as a lot as attainable. Activate “battery saver mode” and solely use it when making an attempt to contact assist.
- Know Easy methods to Detect Carbon Monoxide in Your RV to make sure your heating home equipment don’t poison you!
Easy methods to Keep Heat & Cozy Whereas Tenting
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If you’re not on the street, it’s necessary to remain heat and cozy inside your RV. Listed below are some extra ideas that will help you do exactly that.
- Preserve home windows and doorways closed, and use insulated window coverings or thermal curtains to maintain the nice and cozy air inside.
- Use an area heater or transportable electrical heater to complement your RV’s heating system.
- Add weatherstripping or door sweeps to your RV’s doorways and home windows to stop drafts.
- Use a transportable generator to energy your RV’s heating system.
- Insulate your RV’s underbelly, pipes, and tanks with warmth tape, foam, and so on.
- Use an RV skirt* to cut back warmth loss from beneath your RV.
- Preserve the home windows clear to permit most daylight in in the course of the day.
- Use a good-quality insulated mattress pad or sleeping bag to maintain you heat in the course of the night time.
- Costume in layers and preserve additional blankets within the RV for added heat.
- In extreme chilly, confine your self to 1 room and deal with heating that small area.
*EZSnap Skirting and Fabricover skirting are very talked-about within the RVing neighborhood.
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