Canadian here, my tip: get a heated blanket and place it under your fitted sheet. Turn it on about an hour before bed. Toasty warm. Luv you guys! Cheers
Good Evening Hanks! Love the content and the transparence your RV living! I lived in my fifth wheel for 15 years while working as construction site manager. I traveled coast to coast, and as far north as Indiana and south to SW Florida. Me and my rig have endured temperatures of -15 in Vevay Indiana to +109 in Waco Texas. Loved the lifestyle. After getting my wife and my adult kids and grandkids watching The Hanks, we're all talking about doing it again. Thanks for reminding me of the great and the not so great times. But trust me, these are times that will be with you the rest of your life. Keep putting out the great footage and always remember to keep the same positive attitudes you both have. After 38 years of marriage I can still laugh at me and my wife loves laughing at me too. Hope to meeting you at one of the rallies. BE SAFE in your travels!!
Haha love that you guys called out Canada! We live in Ontario and stayed in our Cougar 30RLS all winter last year. End of Jan/early Feb there was a prolonged period where temps stayed around the -30’s. We never had any issues BUT preparation is definitely the key for that. Skirting is a MUST! Multiple thermometers to constantly monitor the temps inside the RV, in the under belly and even in the skirted area beneath the RV. Snow actually acts as a great insulator against the skirting also! To keep inside comfortable we ran 2 space heaters as well as our furnace. To avoid any water freezing we use the “NoFreeze” brand heated water hose and it works fantastic! We’re starting to prep for another winter coming… best of luck with your winter camping adventures!
I'm in the same province and been looking to take 9n this lifestyle. Is there an easy way for an old person like me to understand how to set up for keeping water running in those cold Temps without wrecking the rig or burning it down?
I have a semi with a sleeper like camper. I have to pleasure of running in the Dakotas Northern MN all year. Truck is set up like a camp with shower, toilet, connection oven and cooked tops. We crank the heat up when cold 🥶. I will run water back into tank a few times a day to keep water flowing. Also put insulated panels in the windows. Put tray in sink to catch water. So drain doesn't freeze. Shower has a valve that we keep closed and only open it to drain after a shower. The fun and joy of running in the north besides trying to keep fuel from gelling
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. 4 years full-time in our 1988 Itasca Class A, 31ft no slides. We go through at least one Polar Vortex every winter with temps in the -40 range before windchill...without a furnace. We use a Buddy heater, an electric heater and electric blankets on the bed and couch, with a small heater in the under bay. We have a composting toilet and turn our water off if it gets too cold. We have ordered a diesel heater for this winter so we should be able to leave the water on longer this year. I love my home most in the winter, it's so cozy.
I’ve only had my trailer for a few months, but so far I’ve used it down to -15F. Mine is a small travel trailer, and doesn’t even have an enclosed belly much less a heated one, so obviously there’s no way I’m running plumbing in those conditions. I just have the water systems all winterized, use water out of handheld jugs kept inside, and have other arrangements for a toilet rather than the one in the trailer. Once plumbing is out of the picture you can handle far more extreme conditions without even stressing about it. I’ve also camping in hammocks and tents both down to -30F, so a heated trailer is easy mode.
-20F. Skirted (air skirts), incandescent bulbs (4) under the RV, one bulb in the water bay, heated water hose, 30 pint per day dehumidifier, shrink wrap plastic on the windows, three layers of shrink wrap on the door, insulation board all around the slides. We had already insulated the storage bays. We used about 100lbs of propane a month. We used Reflectix on the bedroom windows between shrink wrap layers. When it was sunny, all the blinds were up to take advantage of passive solar. We used $165 of electricity in a month because we used space heaters too. We stayed toasty.
We spent 14 months working in Indiana- Feb 2022 was COLD, had 13(?) days below 20 degrees, & about 1/2 of those never got above freezing- Dehumidifier is a must! Tip-We also have a heated water hose- for us it was a must have investment. You’re videos & enthusiasm make my day!
Our first night in our Solitude was early this year in eastern Montana. It was -10 degrees. Burrrrrr. Had a space heater in the bedroom and blew through the propane.
We used pool noodles around all the windows by stuffing the pool noodles on the sides of the windows in between those things that go down the sides of every window, and in places where we would feel drafts. They really helped keep the drafts out!
Hey Hanks! We are RV owners in Colorado. We have a 2-1/2 season travel trailer. No underbelly heat. We winter camp mostly, (no bugs or people). Don't use the fresh tank. We do use the black and grey tanks though. Have our water in 7 gallon jugs, keep in the bathtub of the bathroom. We put table salt in the tanks to keep from freezing, about 1/4 pound per use. Its cheap and works well. Coldest we have been in was -10 for three nights.
Well, I don’t RV. I live in an off grid tiny cabin (12x29) in the Smoky Mountains…. But I love watching you three(love me some Dexter) ! all of the challenges that you overcome, and positivity is refreshing! But even more, ya’ll are funny as heck! And so darn cute! 😁 some things do apply for off grid living, as well. Love the info!
I RV in Pennsylvania where I’m from. Definitely skirt, stuff foam in all the ac vents, bigger propane tank, blanket your propane tank like you would your home water heater, pipe insulation around slides inside, definitely use reflectics over windows, make sure you take vitamin D supplements, underbelly heated, basement storage heated, wrap heat tape around your fresh water hose then keep it behind your skirting, hard pipe your sewer with pvc piping, and dress in layers. I’m sure I’m forgetting something, but all of this prep is necessary. Have a great winter ❄️
We were making a trip from Florida to Indiana in 2019. stopped for the night in Cave City, KY. The noise of the furnace was keeping my wife up so she shut off the furnace at 1:00 AM. Woke up at 8:00 AM., it was 37 in the RV, 5 degrees outside. Everything was Frozen in the belly. Had to thaw out the RV when we got home 4 hours later with a propane heater.. Keep up the great videos.
Hello! As a FT RVer for over 6 years, I’ve done multiple winters in New Hampshire and at 7500 feet in Colorado. Extreme temps in NH reached -25 degrees, without a skirt one winter. It was quite an adventure, and I learned a lot. Luckily, I was able to avert any major issues, but I had to be very mindful and stay a step ahead of weather on a daily basis.
The coldest we have RVd through was -20 Fahrenheit. We full time RV in our Vanliegh Beacon, but our "home" is in South Dakota. During the winter we camp on our property in South Dakota and use straw (not hay) as skirting. Most little rodents do not like straw, and we supplement with plug in mouse deterent. Never have had an issue. Having farm cats outside and two cats inside certainly helps also.
The coldest we camped in was 13deg at the grand canyon in February. We had to do just as you said, fill up our fresh water and roll our hose up and put it away. We were only there for about 3 nights, and then moved to Zion np which was much warmer. Thanks for all the good advice! Be safe!
We insulte our windows with reflectix…. Last winter we camped in South Carolina and froze the fresh water hook up lol it happens… great to remember to unhook that! Heading up to SC in November…. And Virginia…. So good reminders!! Love you two ~ Brad and Diana
Thanks Hanks! We bought our RoadTrek in March 2018 and drove it to Branson MO the next day. Spent our first night in a WV Walmart lot. Unexpectedly it was 28° and snowing. We were tooled off with fresh water. Ran propane furnace and had no freezing issues. But the coldest trip was Feb 2021 in Texas when the nights were in the teens. We went to be extras in the series "The Chosen." We were trying to outrun that big ice storm the day after filming. It was nasty and driving was unnerving, but we did ok.
We wintered in Northern Utah last year, it was our first winter in our Grand Design Solitude 377 MBSR, and the lowest temperature we had was -4 degrees! We have vinyl skirting that snaps around the bottom of the rig, which we then weigh down on the inward side with sandbags so the skirting doesn't move in the wind. It's a little dicey with the skirting around the cap, but usually works really well. We also invested in two 25' Camco heated hoses last year and that made a ton of difference as we didn't have to worry about frozen water hoses. Another thing we learned was the value of throw rugs. Cover your floors with throw rugs! We use the thick, long bathroom mat type and that little bit of insulation makes a difference PLUS the extra color in the rig offsets not being to see outside because of the reflectix on the windows! Wintering in your rig is quite comfortable when you take the time to prepare! Great video! #thankhanks!!!
Hey camping friends! My wife and I did a week at Taquamenon Falls in the UP of Michigan in Febuary of 2021. The coldest temp we endured was -13F. We have a GD Momentum 21G and it did awsome. we hooked up a 100# propane tank and used 90% of it in 5 days. Awsome time for sure. Thanks Hanks for these great videos!
Thanks Hanks! Coldest camping was about 20 years ago in northern Maine during a late December snow storm. Had a '77 Coachman truck slide in camper. It was -4 F overnite with wind chill around -20 F. Batteries went dead during the night, so no furnace. Started truck to charge them. It was that night that I learned I had not wired the camper plug to the truck correctly for charging. Ooops!
From Canada here, we left our town in the north last Dec 28 in -40, to pick up our RV in Kelowna, we made it to our spot another 30 minutes south, we set up and skirted in at -22 C, so happy we informed our selves before hand. Your video when you were sitting out in your lawn chair gave us some good cheer and have been following you since, Great content! And lots of laughs! Keep it up.
After watching your last year's videos winter camping the first thing i told my wife is we are going to chase the 70s. I hate the cold. Great video you covered a lot of content.
The coldest we did was one winter in Alaska. We had a fifth wheel and did the skirting and all the things needed. Our hot water tank was the only thing that froze a few times. We did put the reflectix in the windows. We are in a motorhome now in Texas and we have it in our windows to help keep the inside cool from the hot weather here. We will leave it up for the winter. It does make a big difference.
Hi guys! We lived in our rv all last winter in our rv in Idaho. Saw several 10 to 20 below zero nights. Watched your winter tips SEVERAL times to make sure we were ready. We skirted using 1.5 inch styrofoam. We also used the REFLETIX It worked great. We did freeze twice on really windy days. We were lucky and only had to place a space heater near our pipes for about an hour. We insulated our sewer hose also with the same styrofoam. Pretty easy to cut out a box to cover it. It worked great as well. We kept it closed until it was time to dump. The park did ask us to keep our gray tanks open with a trickle of water running all the time below 23 degrees F. We could kee the rv pretty consistently 60 to 70 degrees. We got on a propane delivery every month. It was pretty spendy but way better than freezing. We solved it this year by moving to FL lol. Thanks Hanks for the great tips!
Just started full-time this month, finally! Traveling with my daughters until my wife can join us in November. These videos are so helpful! Thanks! I’m learning and making plenty of mistakes. Lol
Great tips! On February 1st this year we were Dispersed camping just south of Carlsbad, NM. A freak cold front came through dropping the temperature to 14 degrees and 4" of snow. Thank goodness we had full propane tanks and a dual fuel generator. Our 2022 Grand Design Reflection was comfy and cozy!
We live in North Dakota and manage a year round RV park. Yes we live in our RV year round and it does get down to -50 with the wind chill. To keep your propane door from hitting your 100lbs propane tank, take the pool noodle and wrap it around the door.
Hey Hanks, As a "wise" 17 year old I spent a -25 degree night in a cargo van in upper Michigan with no heat or insulation. Just LOTS of layors quilts & sleeping bags. In the morning there were icicles on the inside of the steel roof, brrrrrrrr! Happy trails~~~
We have winter camped stationary in a camp ground for a few years now. We winterize the rv and dont use the water or sewer. We dry camp like we are tent camping and use the facilities at the camp.
Great video and great tips! We've winter camped on numerous occasions due to my being in the field, so we know what to do. We wintered over in Golden CO in 2005 in a 3-season trailer. Yikes! Mostly it was OK but it got snowy and went well below zero (two nights were -20° but it was at or near zero for about 2 weeks). We had an exposed under belly (no cover, no heat, no tank heaters, nothing) so we had to rig up our own tank heaters and insulation under the trailer. We used blankets over the windows to keep the cold out and that worked pretty well. The propane heater struggled to heat the place but we had 2 40-lb bottles, a 100-lb bottle and 2 20-lb bottles. We made it just fine but it was COLD!!! 🥶🥶 When we headed to Texas the next January the warmth was so nice!! It was wonderful!!What relief from the cold! We have a slightly smaller travel trailer and it has a heated underbelly but no tank heaters. If we buy another trailer, it will be a full 4-season unit with tank heaters and proper insulation for cold conditions. We understand that the Arctic Fox trailers are the best insulated. We got rid of the 100-lb bottle (it wouldn't pass certification anyway) but we would get several 40-lb bottles that we could string together easily (there are kits available to tie the bottles in with your regular propane bottles easily). We have just such a kit, just in case. Safe travels, y'all! Bob and Dottie
We have a small ceramic heater in our wet bay which manages to keep the black gray and fresh from freezing and I agree 100% with propane and the furnace with the ducting through the coach assisting with the heating process. And don’t forget the block heater! Also yes on the light bulb program. Thomyt
My wife and I wait for your videos every week and find your videos very informative and entertaining. This one is great because you’re on your way to Alaska!
Great video. We just camped near Mount Rushmore last weekend and it got down to about freezing for a couple of night. Had the propane heater on and everything was perfect. Thank you for all the tips.
my family and i have gone camping many times in Wisconsin in october and on more than one occasion we had very cold temps around ten above F with snow. we enjoy it. we used a lot of propane but the camper stayed at a comfortable 68 degrees F
One winter under my belt. I did it Oklahoma City. Lessons learned. I dumped my tanks too much. I had to dump lots of chemicals down the toilet to be able to flush them out. No damage done as far as I know. It got down around 7 degrees. I’m now in Mesa AZ for the winter.. I cracked open my emergency wine one night. Last winter you could find those at Sam’s club for under $7.
I have a great RV tip for people who are looking to purchase a new RV and are wondering if their vehicle can handle the weight. I know this has nothing to do with cold weather like this video is about and I know you guys touched on this in a previous video before but this definitely an issue I see out on the road. So the following equation below is what I have been told by an RV salesman and I hope it helps everyone out there choose an RV that they can tow safely. Obviously this is more geared towards the hitch weight for 5th wheels but should work for bumper pulls as well. So, lets get to it. Go to the trailering sticker on the trailer and take the "hitch weight and divide it by the empty weight" that should give you a ration like ".15" for example which is equal to 15%. Take that .15 and times it by the max GVWR and that should tell you roughly what the pin weight is with the trailer fully loaded. Example: Grand Design Reflection 324MBS (UVW: 10864 / GVWR: 13995 / Hitch Weight: 1950) 1950 / 10864 = 0.18 | 0.18 x 13995 = 2519 hitch weight fully loaded Obviously there are other factors to take into consideration when choosing an RV but this is a good start. You guys are awesome and I look forward to your videos every Thursday. Stay safe out there!
My husband and I are getting ready to buy an RV to stationary live in this winter, in Maine! 🥶😬 I've been watching so many videos like this and I feel like we have no idea what we're getting into. It'll be an adventure for sure!
We camped in Pigeon Forge last year over Thanksgiving and temps got down in the low 20's at night. Seeing that it was going to be that cold, I bought a heated hose for the trip and was glad I did. It worked great and others were dealing with fozen hoses and water filters in the mornings (didn't use a filter for that reason!). Even if you would have to fill your fresh water tank more than once, you may still want the heated hose to do that. Dealing with a standard water hose in freezing temps is a PITA. My opinion: make the investment.
It's been high 30s and mid 40s over night so far in south Carolina. Been using electric fireplace and space heater. Never propane, the heater is a pig with propane it's a waste. Heading to Florida next month. I'd keep moving to maintain temps above 30 and below 90 basically heh I was a bit surprised at the mention of drafts thru your slides that weird I've never seen that. I had the rv tipping in the hurricane wind and not even a tickle of air came thru the walls...
First of all thank you so much for having such a fun channel and keeping it motivating, we are fairly experienced RV’ers we have full timed it and now we are officially SunBirds, part time/home base in Clearwater, Fl, our coldest RV’ing temps were -8f in Kansas 🥶🥶 let’s just say never again nope not for us. Now we try to keep it above 25f the coldest. We are getting to test out Durango, CO in December I am sure that’s going to push our limits
This is FANTASTIC, yes we have been out in the winter. We wanted to go from Missouri in January to a warm spot... We went to Magnolia Beach Texas, the first day was GREAT about 65degrees, much better than 25degrees at home. But then came the second day, 35degrees with WIND on the beach. COLD.
What great information you shared. I lived in Bend Oregon for 17 years before becoming a full-time RV'er. In September 2020 I sold my home and started living in my travel trailer. It was an interesting learning experience spending that time, Sept 2020-April 2021, in the cold. It wasn't a bad winter, but I had never previously camped in my trailer during the winter. There are definitely things I learned, and I think you have done a great job to help educate people on what they need to know for winter camping.
Been catching up on your videos, we love them so much. We always look forward to watching them. Maybe one day we can do your met up. I almost sent a message to you when I was down south near you guys. Keep up the great work with videos. 🎉 ….We did a year in CT through the winter while I was in the middle of a military transfer. We got lucky with snow that year. We definitely learned a lot from neighbors lol 😂
I want to give you a tip…… use kao wool for insulation…. It doesn’t burn and hot and cold doesn’t go through it…. It’s used in furnaces for melting metal….. re insulation to everything ….. you will be in basically an oven…. No heat escaping…. No cold entering …. Best choice you’ll ever make….
I know cold temperatures can get you anywhere in the winter months. I know that I will need this information too! But there is a part of me saying "NOOOOOOO!" So, my plan is to hang out with my family in Northern California where normally it doesn't get that cold, but it does drop down some nights into the freezing temperatures which is why we used to have to put out heaters for the trees in the orchards. I tend to think it doesn't get cold there because I never buy winter coats. The truth is I just beach a lot when it gets cold about how I need to give in and buy a winter coat! Now I am in Georgia, and it gets a lot colder, and I am still beaching a lot about not owning a winter coat. 3 years of freezing my *ss off!
Great tips guys. I’m currently in Granby CO for a week and it was 15 degrees the other morning. Every night is in the low 20’s. The employees here gave me pretty much these tips too. They talked about how it was -30 for a while last winter. Some have skirting but some don’t.
Yep...winter RVd. It was skirted but it was a 80's run down camper and I only had a space heater. It was 30 degrees on the floor and 60 degrees on the ceiling. And actually it got a bit warmer once it was all covered with snow. Wear a hat, use down comforters. 😊
#Thanks Hanks. I’m here in Wisconsin a lot of us use our campers until the end of November we deer hunt out of them most of the time we winterize the waterlines and are camping in the middle of the woods using generators and battery power. I have a friend of mine that has a camper called an ice house so you can walk right into it he used it all summer as a camper and in the winter time he takes it on the ice and ice fishers from it. Thanks from Wisconsin
Our lowest temperature was 17 degrees during a week in Colorado in October, with about 9 inches of snow. We applied most of the techniques you mention. It seemed like the furnace was on as much as it was off. We did have a partially frozen line into the kitchen sink, so we will keep the cabinet doors open at night in that situation in the future. We had a 24 inch icicle hanging off the back of the trailer by the time we left.
Oh my goodness, that is freezing! Winter RV camping can be tricky and temperamental lifestyle, but definitely doable. Thank you for your support, Michael!
Great video guys! We use our little travel trailer when staying weekends at my parent's farm in mid Missouri. They have a small house and there isn't a guest room. October- March we drain the tanks, winterize them and rely on water from their house. We installed electric hook-ups in the barn. When we are parked there we are between the barn and the hill so are super protected from the wind from the north and the south. I think the coldest it's been is about 0°F. We do usually get SUPER cold in Missouri. We have not installed skirting, but I will admit I'm tempted as the floor gets COLD. I have fabric to make quilted curtians to help with the drafts.
Hey guys! We have done some winter full-time camping in South Carolina, just south east of Augusta, GA. I did cold there and we did get some snow too! No skirting was necessary, but it was a thought. We did have an electric heater strip for our water and external pipes, it prevented us from getting frozen pipes (no poopcicles!) Something you may want to look into if you are having to go north. I hated the condensation on the windows and walls. All your points are on spot, good for those who haven't camped in the cold/snow. Glad you both are doing well and glad Dex kitty is doing well too!! XOXO Stay safe and take care of each other! #ThanksHanks! (Sorry its been a while since I have commented).
Survived my first winter full time rving.. my tip - A HEATED HOSE.. if you have a power outlet , such as at a campground.. it keeps your hose from freezing.... no more unhooking and hooking back up... its cold out there ... thanks for the tips!!!
Timely advice. Even though UCLA (Upper Corner of Lower Alabama) is mostly above freezing, we've already had a couple of 29 deg F nights! Hard freezes here aren't rare but expected in our winter. In the past my '94 diesel pusher did well (P-trap antifreeze, air-blow lines & drained tanks). Now our 21' TT hopefully will fare well with the same procedures BUT with the opportunity to turn on the line & tank heaters for those shorter, overnight issues.
Hi guys,, I told my husband to make sure to watch this as our kids just moved to Indiana and hubby retires in December. We want to spend Christmas with our only grandbabies, ages 18 mos and 3. Both of their birthdays are in February so we will going back again at that time.......weather permitting of course. We are from So Ca and we aren't use to such cold weather.
Been in my 5th wheel Terry Dakoda 3 years first year the winter up at Kapuskasing plowing the HYW 24/12 GMC Canadas cold weather testing ... Learned much and cold winters with the right trailer is done eazy
Never really "winter camped" but spring and fall in Michigan is almost winter - lows get near 33 degrees at night. It is chilly but great camping time. We camp mid April through mid October. Winter coats, boots, hats and gloves for the beginning and end. Love all your videos - learn so much and enjoy the laughs!
Hi to you Kyle, Nene and Dexter 💜🐾 I'm I noticed in the section where you were talking about getting the biggest propane tank you can and it showed the tank connected to the small hose with the door to the underside open to the Cold ❄️🥶. Why not drill a small hole to run the propane line through to the outside and put a rubber gasket seal in to seal and insulate from the weather but leave just enough room that the hose will pull out and go back in. This way you won't be exposing your understorage area to additional cold thus making your interior colder and you won't lose any heat out from that area be it from direct heat or ambient heat loss. The hose when retracted would just have the connector end just on the outside of the door and you can put a tethered cap seal over it when not in use. I hope you found this suggestion helpful. Love you guys and your videos and love Dexter 💜🐾
HEY! Not everywhere in Canada is absolutely ^%&( ing cold in winter! The Vancouver area (where we live) can be almost tolerable during winter... as long as you don't mind months of incessant cold rain..
In our Airstream heading from Canada 🇨🇦 to Florida we hit a snowstorm in Jan 2022 north of Nashville, at 8,6 Farenheit or minus -13 Celsius for 2 nights, just made it to next campground beside I-75 and hooked our electric heater and ran the propane furnace ! Electric blanket was a big help, but we got lots of iceflowers on the inside of the windows .since you hey are only single pane! So don’t forget to leave one roof vent open enough so humidity can escape ! It’s worth it 😊
We are from Montana and have done multiple winters at -36. We don’t have tank heaters but if it get -20 we will ad a small thermostat heater under the rv in the fully insulated space.
You two are just awesome. I’m an aspiring RV’er. Hoping to go full time one day. I watch every episode, and really appreciate so much VALUABLE evergreen content. Great channel. Come back West!! You guys find great sites and I really would like more of your West Coast recommendations and content! Keep it coming!
Ben and -31 for 2 days follow you guys all over and I have no skirting on but I've spent $5,000 on fuel just to keep the camper warm excited to see your next adventure
My idea of winter camping is Arizona as in Tucson. One thing I will add depending on circumstances is investing in a heated water hose. They are expensive but may be a good thing in the long run. I really like the trap door for the sewer hoses. If I ever get to the point I am wintering over, that is one thing I will definitely do. Thank you for all your effort in providing good information. Still want to know why the Dex had to go to the vet. George just did a trip and wasn't a happy camper. A bad experience a year ago has definitely damaged his view of vets. He even went after me with tooth and claw. I feel so badly for him. BTW: Everything came back AOK on my boy.
Last year was our first year in our 34' class A in Minnesota. We couldn't afford to head south and saw night time temps as low as -35 below. We had running water the whole time, but it took a lot of preparation and planning!
I live in cold country in Michigan but in winter i go to Tucson Arizona till spring. We really don’t have any issues there. It will get cold at night but doesn’t freeze usually. I have to add this, nay nay you are totally beautiful. Your husband is a very lucky man.
I love you guys! Great advice! However since my recent change of occupation, I would like to encourage you guys to help small businesses and *also* recommend a local RV dealer with a parts store. Amazon is great and it's sometimes hard to beat their prices. But Amazon doesn't have answers to your questions or offer experienced advice. Do's and don'ts. Throw us a bone Hanks! 😉
I’ve been in my RV at about -10°F Was also in single digits for like a month or two ITS ROUGH MAN It was my first winter in the RV, but I learned a lot and now I’m more prepared for this winter in the RV!
I think the lowest temps we've been in were high 30's low 40's when we were in Maine in 2020. The temps started cooling off by September 1st and we didn't leave until the end of the month. We ran out to Walmart and purchased a space heater and warmer clothes.
Hunting camp in Montana -20 and screaming wind. At that time in our previous RV, Springdale was not a 4 season unit. No skirting and no slides. I had several jugs of water stored inside. The water tank froze right at the pump. Used blower dryer and generator to thaw on day 2 or 3. We were warm and cozy although no hunting took place.
We are currently in West Va and it has been down into the upper 20's and low 30's at night recently, so our furnace has been working hard. The belly pan of our Airstream is heated by the furnace so our pipes have been great so far. The coldest temps we have camped in while owning this unit have been around 19. I love Reflectix and use it summer and winter. We also use a really small dehumidifier we found on Amazon. It really helps decrease the condensation from cooking, showering, and yes-breathing.
We have not camped in the winter. We have had temperatures in the teens here at home a few times. Will remember to put the dehumidifier in the Rv this winter, good information. We have reflectix in all windows anyway when not camping due to the heat in our area.
I have three questions to ask Number one what kind of showerhead do you guys recommend because mine sucks 2 how do you get rid of the odor in the bathroom from the toilet 3 what are some ways to winterize an RV that you only use on weekends what do you need to do when you are out of the RV for the week
Colorado Springs Winter 2021-2022 lowest temp ~10 below. We used straw bales. Had about 50-ish bales around our fifth wheel. We did not include anything under the bedroom area. We used an ultrasonic rodent repeller and plugged it in, stuck it on the end of an extension cord at one end of the rig and let it shoot under the entire rig (Hopefully that made sense.) We never saw a little itty-bitty critter or any evidence of an itty-bitty critter. If you do use straw bales we highly recommend the ultrasonic rodent repeller. They have worked for us for years in our homes and now in our full-time travels.
We could have used your nurse skills in fl after the hurricane Ian. FEMA was in tents treating patients in the parking area of our brand new hospital. My husband fell twice and hit his head and had to be rushed to the hospital ( fema tents) !! Then got shipped to winter haven hospital 2/5.hours away 😢. 10 hospitals south of us were closed or damaged and didn’t have enough staff to help them locally 😢😮💨😱.
Great tips Hanks! We spent last Winter in Eastern WA and it got down to-13 plus wind chill at times. Not fun but learned a lot. Black tank valve froze so couldn’t empty until put a heater under it inside of skirting! Ugh!
*Items In This Episode*
▸_Dehumidifier_
urlgeni.us/amzn/newdehumidifier
▸_Three Channel Indoor/Outdoor Thermometer_
urlgeni.us/amzn/tempmonitor
▸_Reflectix_
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▸_Foil Tape_
urlgeni.us/amzn/foiltape
▸_Vent Insulator_
urlgeni.us/amzn/ventinsulation
▸_Slide Out Barrier_
urlgeni.us/amzn/pipewrap
HappilyEverHanks Amazon Page 📦
urlgeni.us/amazon/HanksStorefront
Canadian here, my tip: get a heated blanket and place it under your fitted sheet. Turn it on about an hour before bed. Toasty warm. Luv you guys! Cheers
My cat, George, is a regular furnace and sleeps under the covers with me. Lots can be said about a toasty bed. Great idea!!
They actually make heated mattress pads for this purpose, rather than putting a blanket there.
Great idea!
-44 in North Dakota while building my house
Sucked, just use lots of propane and skirt your Rv with foam board
Good Evening Hanks! Love the content and the transparence your RV living! I lived in my fifth wheel for 15 years while working as construction site manager. I traveled coast to coast, and as far north as Indiana and south to SW Florida. Me and my rig have endured temperatures of -15 in Vevay Indiana to +109 in Waco Texas. Loved the lifestyle. After getting my wife and my adult kids and grandkids watching The Hanks, we're all talking about doing it again. Thanks for reminding me of the great and the not so great times. But trust me, these are times that will be with you the rest of your life. Keep putting out the great footage and always remember to keep the same positive attitudes you both have. After 38 years of marriage I can still laugh at me and my wife loves laughing at me too. Hope to meeting you at one of the rallies. BE SAFE in your travels!!
Haha love that you guys called out Canada! We live in Ontario and stayed in our Cougar 30RLS all winter last year. End of Jan/early Feb there was a prolonged period where temps stayed around the -30’s. We never had any issues BUT preparation is definitely the key for that. Skirting is a MUST! Multiple thermometers to constantly monitor the temps inside the RV, in the under belly and even in the skirted area beneath the RV. Snow actually acts as a great insulator against the skirting also! To keep inside comfortable we ran 2 space heaters as well as our furnace. To avoid any water freezing we use the “NoFreeze” brand heated water hose and it works fantastic! We’re starting to prep for another winter coming… best of luck with your winter camping adventures!
I'm in the same province and been looking to take 9n this lifestyle. Is there an easy way for an old person like me to understand how to set up for keeping water running in those cold Temps without wrecking the rig or burning it down?
I have a semi with a sleeper like camper. I have to pleasure of running in the Dakotas Northern MN all year. Truck is set up like a camp with shower, toilet, connection oven and cooked tops. We crank the heat up when cold 🥶. I will run water back into tank a few times a day to keep water flowing. Also put insulated panels in the windows. Put tray in sink to catch water. So drain doesn't freeze. Shower has a valve that we keep closed and only open it to drain after a shower. The fun and joy of running in the north besides trying to keep fuel from gelling
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. 4 years full-time in our 1988 Itasca Class A, 31ft no slides. We go through at least one Polar Vortex every winter with temps in the -40 range before windchill...without a furnace. We use a Buddy heater, an electric heater and electric blankets on the bed and couch, with a small heater in the under bay. We have a composting toilet and turn our water off if it gets too cold. We have ordered a diesel heater for this winter so we should be able to leave the water on longer this year. I love my home most in the winter, it's so cozy.
I’ve only had my trailer for a few months, but so far I’ve used it down to -15F. Mine is a small travel trailer, and doesn’t even have an enclosed belly much less a heated one, so obviously there’s no way I’m running plumbing in those conditions. I just have the water systems all winterized, use water out of handheld jugs kept inside, and have other arrangements for a toilet rather than the one in the trailer. Once plumbing is out of the picture you can handle far more extreme conditions without even stressing about it.
I’ve also camping in hammocks and tents both down to -30F, so a heated trailer is easy mode.
I agree, if you just live in it and dont use water you can go all winter fairly simple
-20F. Skirted (air skirts), incandescent bulbs (4) under the RV, one bulb in the water bay, heated water hose, 30 pint per day dehumidifier, shrink wrap plastic on the windows, three layers of shrink wrap on the door, insulation board all around the slides. We had already insulated the storage bays. We used about 100lbs of propane a month. We used Reflectix on the bedroom windows between shrink wrap layers. When it was sunny, all the blinds were up to take advantage of passive solar. We used $165 of electricity in a month because we used space heaters too. We stayed toasty.
We spent 14 months working in Indiana-
Feb 2022 was COLD, had 13(?) days below 20 degrees, & about 1/2 of those never got above freezing-
Dehumidifier is a must!
Tip-We also have a heated water hose- for us it was a must have investment.
You’re videos & enthusiasm make my day!
Our first night in our Solitude was early this year in eastern Montana. It was -10 degrees. Burrrrrr. Had a space heater in the bedroom and blew through the propane.
We used pool noodles around all the windows by stuffing the pool noodles on the sides of the windows in between those things that go down the sides of every window, and in places where we would feel drafts. They really helped keep the drafts out!
I am new at the whole RV thing this will be my first winter in it in Eastern Idaho
Hey Hanks! We are RV owners in Colorado. We have a 2-1/2 season travel trailer. No underbelly heat. We winter camp mostly, (no bugs or people). Don't use the fresh tank.
We do use the black and grey tanks though. Have our water in 7 gallon jugs, keep in the bathtub of the bathroom. We put table salt in the tanks to keep from freezing, about 1/4 pound per use. Its cheap and works well. Coldest we have been in was -10 for three nights.
Well, I don’t RV. I live in an off grid tiny cabin (12x29) in the Smoky Mountains…. But I love watching you three(love me some Dexter) ! all of the challenges that you overcome, and positivity is refreshing! But even more, ya’ll are funny as heck! And so darn cute! 😁 some things do apply for off grid living, as well. Love the info!
❤
I'm planning on moving to east Tennessee soon near Johnson City
I RV in Pennsylvania where I’m from. Definitely skirt, stuff foam in all the ac vents, bigger propane tank, blanket your propane tank like you would your home water heater, pipe insulation around slides inside, definitely use reflectics over windows, make sure you take vitamin D supplements, underbelly heated, basement storage heated, wrap heat tape around your fresh water hose then keep it behind your skirting, hard pipe your sewer with pvc piping, and dress in layers. I’m sure I’m forgetting something, but all of this prep is necessary. Have a great winter ❄️
We were making a trip from Florida to Indiana in 2019. stopped for the night in Cave City, KY. The noise of the furnace was keeping my wife up so she shut off the furnace at 1:00 AM. Woke up at 8:00 AM., it was 37 in the RV, 5 degrees outside. Everything was Frozen in the belly. Had to thaw out the RV when we got home 4 hours later with a propane heater.. Keep up the great videos.
Hello! As a FT RVer for over 6 years, I’ve done multiple winters in New Hampshire and at 7500 feet in Colorado. Extreme temps in NH reached -25 degrees, without a skirt one winter. It was quite an adventure, and I learned a lot. Luckily, I was able to avert any major issues, but I had to be very mindful and stay a step ahead of weather on a daily basis.
The coldest we have RVd through was -20 Fahrenheit. We full time RV in our Vanliegh Beacon, but our "home" is in South Dakota. During the winter we camp on our property in South Dakota and use straw (not hay) as skirting. Most little rodents do not like straw, and we supplement with plug in mouse deterent. Never have had an issue.
Having farm cats outside and two cats inside certainly helps also.
We are in NH for another week then heading to Indiana and on to Florida! Can’t wait to get to Florida.
The coldest we camped in was 13deg at the grand canyon in February. We had to do just as you said, fill up our fresh water and roll our hose up and put it away. We were only there for about 3 nights, and then moved to Zion np which was much warmer. Thanks for all the good advice! Be safe!
We insulte our windows with reflectix…. Last winter we camped in South Carolina and froze the fresh water hook up lol it happens… great to remember to unhook that! Heading up to SC in November…. And Virginia…. So good reminders!! Love you two ~ Brad and Diana
Thanks Hanks! We bought our RoadTrek in March 2018 and drove it to Branson MO the next day. Spent our first night in a WV Walmart lot. Unexpectedly it was 28° and snowing. We were tooled off with fresh water. Ran propane furnace and had no freezing issues. But the coldest trip was Feb 2021 in Texas when the nights were in the teens. We went to be extras in the series "The Chosen." We were trying to outrun that big ice storm the day after filming. It was nasty and driving was unnerving, but we did ok.
We wintered in Northern Utah last year, it was our first winter in our Grand Design Solitude 377 MBSR, and the lowest temperature we had was -4 degrees! We have vinyl skirting that snaps around the bottom of the rig, which we then weigh down on the inward side with sandbags so the skirting doesn't move in the wind. It's a little dicey with the skirting around the cap, but usually works really well. We also invested in two 25' Camco heated hoses last year and that made a ton of difference as we didn't have to worry about frozen water hoses. Another thing we learned was the value of throw rugs. Cover your floors with throw rugs! We use the thick, long bathroom mat type and that little bit of insulation makes a difference PLUS the extra color in the rig offsets not being to see outside because of the reflectix on the windows! Wintering in your rig is quite comfortable when you take the time to prepare! Great video! #thankhanks!!!
Hey camping friends! My wife and I did a week at Taquamenon Falls in the UP of Michigan in Febuary of 2021. The coldest temp we endured was -13F. We have a GD Momentum 21G and it did awsome. we hooked up a 100# propane tank and used 90% of it in 5 days. Awsome time for sure. Thanks Hanks for these great videos!
Thanks Hanks! Coldest camping was about 20 years ago in northern Maine during a late December snow storm. Had a '77 Coachman truck slide in camper. It was -4 F overnite with wind chill around -20 F. Batteries went dead during the night, so no furnace. Started truck to charge them. It was that night that I learned I had not wired the camper plug to the truck correctly for charging. Ooops!
From Canada here, we left our town in the north last Dec 28 in -40, to pick up our RV in Kelowna, we made it to our spot another 30 minutes south, we set up and skirted in at -22 C, so happy we informed our selves before hand. Your video when you were sitting out in your lawn chair gave us some good cheer and have been following you since, Great content! And lots of laughs! Keep it up.
Plymouth, Massachusetts here. We winter camp -7F, 6 - 8 weeks, no problem. Put trash bags over hay bales, use duck tape to wrap them tightly.
After watching your last year's videos winter camping the first thing i told my wife is we are going to chase the 70s. I hate the cold. Great video you covered a lot of content.
The coldest we did was one winter in Alaska. We had a fifth wheel and did the skirting and all the things needed. Our hot water tank was the only thing that froze a few times. We did put the reflectix in the windows. We are in a motorhome now in Texas and we have it in our windows to help keep the inside cool from the hot weather here. We will leave it up for the winter. It does make a big difference.
whoah! thats cold!
Hi guys! We lived in our rv all last winter in our rv in Idaho. Saw several 10 to 20 below zero nights. Watched your winter tips SEVERAL times to make sure we were ready. We skirted using 1.5 inch styrofoam. We also used the REFLETIX It worked great. We did freeze twice on really windy days. We were lucky and only had to place a space heater near our pipes for about an hour. We insulated our sewer hose also with the same styrofoam. Pretty easy to cut out a box to cover it. It worked great as well. We kept it closed until it was time to dump. The park did ask us to keep our gray tanks open with a trickle of water running all the time below 23 degrees F. We could kee the rv pretty consistently 60 to 70 degrees. We got on a propane delivery every month. It was pretty spendy but way better than freezing. We solved it this year by moving to FL lol. Thanks Hanks for the great tips!
The temps in Idaho can be brutal no matter the season. There is no place like home...miss Idaho.
Just started full-time this month, finally! Traveling with my daughters until my wife can join us in November. These videos are so helpful! Thanks! I’m learning and making plenty of mistakes. Lol
Great tips! On February 1st this year we were Dispersed camping just south of Carlsbad, NM. A freak cold front came through dropping the temperature to 14 degrees and 4" of snow. Thank goodness we had full propane tanks and a dual fuel generator. Our 2022 Grand Design Reflection was comfy and cozy!
We live in North Dakota and manage a year round RV park. Yes we live in our RV year round and it does get down to -50 with the wind chill. To keep your propane door from hitting your 100lbs propane tank, take the pool noodle and wrap it around the door.
Hey Hanks,
As a "wise" 17 year old I spent a -25 degree night in a cargo van in upper Michigan with no heat or insulation. Just LOTS of layors quilts & sleeping bags. In the morning there were icicles on the inside of the steel roof, brrrrrrrr!
Happy trails~~~
It’s our first year!!!! We are full time rving in New England. Doing all our prep now!!
We have winter camped stationary in a camp ground for a few years now. We winterize the rv and dont use the water or sewer. We dry camp like we are tent camping and use the facilities at the camp.
Great video and great tips! We've winter camped on numerous occasions due to my being in the field, so we know what to do. We wintered over in Golden CO in 2005 in a 3-season trailer. Yikes! Mostly it was OK but it got snowy and went well below zero (two nights were -20° but it was at or near zero for about 2 weeks). We had an exposed under belly (no cover, no heat, no tank heaters, nothing) so we had to rig up our own tank heaters and insulation under the trailer. We used blankets over the windows to keep the cold out and that worked pretty well. The propane heater struggled to heat the place but we had 2 40-lb bottles, a 100-lb bottle and 2 20-lb bottles. We made it just fine but it was COLD!!! 🥶🥶 When we headed to Texas the next January the warmth was so nice!! It was wonderful!!What relief from the cold! We have a slightly smaller travel trailer and it has a heated underbelly but no tank heaters. If we buy another trailer, it will be a full 4-season unit with tank heaters and proper insulation for cold conditions. We understand that the Arctic Fox trailers are the best insulated. We got rid of the 100-lb bottle (it wouldn't pass certification anyway) but we would get several 40-lb bottles that we could string together easily (there are kits available to tie the bottles in with your regular propane bottles easily). We have just such a kit, just in case. Safe travels, y'all!
Bob and Dottie
My wife and I are starting RV Life!!! We'll be starting in January from Chicago soooooo cold weather soon... wish us luck!
TIMELY!!!!! Can't say it enough.......windows, windows, WINDOWS. You guy's rock! Keepem coming!!
Our first camping trip it was 28 at night. I was worried but the underbelly stayed warm and so did we. Love that fireplace.
Hey @HappilyEverHanks PLEASE NOTE THE REPLY ON MY COMMENT- spam or something
We have a small ceramic heater in our wet bay which manages to keep the black gray and fresh from freezing and I agree 100% with propane and the furnace with the ducting through the coach assisting with the heating process. And don’t forget the block heater! Also yes on the light bulb program. Thomyt
My wife and I wait for your videos every week and find your videos very informative and entertaining. This one is great because you’re on your way to Alaska!
Thank you for the great info. I so admire you two -- your humor and gutsiness to try new things.
Great video. We just camped near Mount Rushmore last weekend and it got down to about freezing for a couple of night. Had the propane heater on and everything was perfect. Thank you for all the tips.
my family and i have gone camping many times in Wisconsin in october and on more than one occasion we had very cold temps around ten above F with snow. we enjoy it. we used a lot of propane but the camper stayed at a comfortable 68 degrees F
One winter under my belt. I did it Oklahoma City. Lessons learned. I dumped my tanks too much. I had to dump lots of chemicals down the toilet to be able to flush them out. No damage done as far as I know. It got down around 7 degrees. I’m now in Mesa AZ for the winter.. I cracked open my emergency wine one night. Last winter you could find those at Sam’s club for under $7.
I have a great RV tip for people who are looking to purchase a new RV and are wondering if their vehicle can handle the weight. I know this has nothing to do with cold weather like this video is about and I know you guys touched on this in a previous video before but this definitely an issue I see out on the road. So the following equation below is what I have been told by an RV salesman and I hope it helps everyone out there choose an RV that they can tow safely. Obviously this is more geared towards the hitch weight for 5th wheels but should work for bumper pulls as well. So, lets get to it.
Go to the trailering sticker on the trailer and take the "hitch weight and divide it by the empty weight" that should give you a ration like ".15" for example which is equal to 15%. Take that .15 and times it by the max GVWR and that should tell you roughly what the pin weight is with the trailer fully loaded.
Example: Grand Design Reflection 324MBS (UVW: 10864 / GVWR: 13995 / Hitch Weight: 1950)
1950 / 10864 = 0.18 | 0.18 x 13995 = 2519 hitch weight fully loaded
Obviously there are other factors to take into consideration when choosing an RV but this is a good start. You guys are awesome and I look forward to your videos every Thursday. Stay safe out there!
My husband and I are getting ready to buy an RV to stationary live in this winter, in Maine! 🥶😬 I've been watching so many videos like this and I feel like we have no idea what we're getting into. It'll be an adventure for sure!
Not to mention quite a learning curve. I may have trailered for 10+ years but I still am learning to stay focused--not doing so can be costly!!
We camped in Pigeon Forge last year over Thanksgiving and temps got down in the low 20's at night. Seeing that it was going to be that cold, I bought a heated hose for the trip and was glad I did. It worked great and others were dealing with fozen hoses and water filters in the mornings (didn't use a filter for that reason!). Even if you would have to fill your fresh water tank more than once, you may still want the heated hose to do that. Dealing with a standard water hose in freezing temps is a PITA. My opinion: make the investment.
I agree...cold is cold.
It's been high 30s and mid 40s over night so far in south Carolina. Been using electric fireplace and space heater. Never propane, the heater is a pig with propane it's a waste.
Heading to Florida next month. I'd keep moving to maintain temps above 30 and below 90 basically heh
I was a bit surprised at the mention of drafts thru your slides that weird I've never seen that. I had the rv tipping in the hurricane wind and not even a tickle of air came thru the walls...
First of all thank you so much for having such a fun channel and keeping it motivating, we are fairly experienced RV’ers we have full timed it and now we are officially SunBirds, part time/home base in Clearwater, Fl, our coldest RV’ing temps were -8f in Kansas 🥶🥶 let’s just say never again nope not for us. Now we try to keep it above 25f the coldest. We are getting to test out Durango, CO in December I am sure that’s going to push our limits
This is FANTASTIC, yes we have been out in the winter. We wanted to go from Missouri in January to a warm spot... We went to Magnolia Beach Texas, the first day was GREAT about 65degrees, much better than 25degrees at home. But then came the second day, 35degrees with WIND on the beach. COLD.
What great information you shared. I lived in Bend Oregon for 17 years before becoming a full-time RV'er. In September 2020 I sold my home and started living in my travel trailer. It was an interesting learning experience spending that time, Sept 2020-April 2021, in the cold. It wasn't a bad winter, but I had never previously camped in my trailer during the winter. There are definitely things I learned, and I think you have done a great job to help educate people on what they need to know for winter camping.
I'm guessing that's a spam bot?
@@LukeRT What do you mean?
@@LukeRT what's a spam bot?
Been catching up on your videos, we love them so much. We always look forward to watching them. Maybe one day we can do your met up. I almost sent a message to you when I was down south near you guys. Keep up the great work with videos. 🎉 ….We did a year in CT through the winter while I was in the middle of a military transfer. We got lucky with snow that year. We definitely learned a lot from neighbors lol 😂
I want to give you a tip…… use kao wool for insulation…. It doesn’t burn and hot and cold doesn’t go through it…. It’s used in furnaces for melting metal….. re insulation to everything ….. you will be in basically an oven…. No heat escaping…. No cold entering …. Best choice you’ll ever make….
Northern Michigan here and yes the windchill can go well below zero. However, 100W light bulbs attached underneath help
I know cold temperatures can get you anywhere in the winter months. I know that I will need this information too! But there is a part of me saying "NOOOOOOO!" So, my plan is to hang out with my family in Northern California where normally it doesn't get that cold, but it does drop down some nights into the freezing temperatures which is why we used to have to put out heaters for the trees in the orchards. I tend to think it doesn't get cold there because I never buy winter coats. The truth is I just beach a lot when it gets cold about how I need to give in and buy a winter coat! Now I am in Georgia, and it gets a lot colder, and I am still beaching a lot about not owning a winter coat. 3 years of freezing my *ss off!
Great tips guys.
I’m currently in Granby CO for a week and it was 15 degrees the other morning. Every night is in the low 20’s. The employees here gave me pretty much these tips too.
They talked about how it was -30 for a while last winter. Some have skirting but some don’t.
Yep...winter RVd. It was skirted but it was a 80's run down camper and I only had a space heater. It was 30 degrees on the floor and 60 degrees on the ceiling. And actually it got a bit warmer once it was all covered with snow. Wear a hat, use down comforters. 😊
#Thanks Hanks. I’m here in Wisconsin a lot of us use our campers until the end of November we deer hunt out of them most of the time we winterize the waterlines and are camping in the middle of the woods using generators and battery power. I have a friend of mine that has a camper called an ice house so you can walk right into it he used it all summer as a camper and in the winter time he takes it on the ice and ice fishers from it. Thanks from Wisconsin
Our lowest temperature was 17 degrees during a week in Colorado in October, with about 9 inches of snow. We applied most of the techniques you mention. It seemed like the furnace was on as much as it was off. We did have a partially frozen line into the kitchen sink, so we will keep the cabinet doors open at night in that situation in the future. We had a 24 inch icicle hanging off the back of the trailer by the time we left.
Oh my goodness, that is freezing! Winter RV camping can be tricky and temperamental lifestyle, but definitely doable. Thank you for your support, Michael!
Great video guys! We use our little travel trailer when staying weekends at my parent's farm in mid Missouri. They have a small house and there isn't a guest room. October- March we drain the tanks, winterize them and rely on water from their house. We installed electric hook-ups in the barn. When we are parked there we are between the barn and the hill so are super protected from the wind from the north and the south. I think the coldest it's been is about 0°F. We do usually get SUPER cold in Missouri. We have not installed skirting, but I will admit I'm tempted as the floor gets COLD. I have fabric to make quilted curtians to help with the drafts.
Ice Castle RV. Camp all winter in -40F to -50F on the lake ice fishing. It's great!
Hey guys! We have done some winter full-time camping in South Carolina, just south east of Augusta, GA. I did cold there and we did get some snow too! No skirting was necessary, but it was a thought. We did have an electric heater strip for our water and external pipes, it prevented us from getting frozen pipes (no poopcicles!) Something you may want to look into if you are having to go north. I hated the condensation on the windows and walls. All your points are on spot, good for those who haven't camped in the cold/snow. Glad you both are doing well and glad Dex kitty is doing well too!! XOXO Stay safe and take care of each other! #ThanksHanks!
(Sorry its been a while since I have commented).
Survived my first winter full time rving.. my tip - A HEATED HOSE.. if you have a power outlet , such as at a campground.. it keeps your hose from freezing.... no more unhooking and hooking back up... its cold out there ... thanks for the tips!!!
this seems sus ^^^^ telegram? lol
We were in our Airstream in Massachusetts at 4° F. Nice and cozy with our di heating system.
If only we could all own an airstream!!! ❤
The coldest I have endured in my old travel trailer was in Norfolk, NE in 2020. Ice storm during the winter dropped to -22 degrees. 🥶
Timely advice. Even though UCLA (Upper Corner of Lower Alabama) is mostly above freezing, we've already had a couple of 29 deg F nights! Hard freezes here aren't rare but expected in our winter. In the past my '94 diesel pusher did well (P-trap antifreeze, air-blow lines & drained tanks). Now our 21' TT hopefully will fare well with the same procedures BUT with the opportunity to turn on the line & tank heaters for those shorter, overnight issues.
Hi guys,, I told my husband to make sure to watch this as our kids just moved to Indiana and hubby retires in December. We want to spend Christmas with our only grandbabies, ages 18 mos and 3. Both of their birthdays are in February so we will going back again at that time.......weather permitting of course. We are from So Ca and we aren't use to such cold weather.
Been in my 5th wheel Terry Dakoda 3 years first year the winter up at Kapuskasing plowing the HYW 24/12 GMC Canadas cold weather testing ... Learned much and cold winters with the right trailer is done eazy
Never really "winter camped" but spring and fall in Michigan is almost winter - lows get near 33 degrees at night. It is chilly but great camping time. We camp mid April through mid October. Winter coats, boots, hats and gloves for the beginning and end. Love all your videos - learn so much and enjoy the laughs!
Not to mention fickle spring and fall weather.
Hi to you Kyle, Nene and Dexter 💜🐾 I'm I noticed in the section where you were talking about getting the biggest propane tank you can and it showed the tank connected to the small hose with the door to the underside open to the Cold ❄️🥶. Why not drill a small hole to run the propane line through to the outside and put a rubber gasket seal in to seal and insulate from the weather but leave just enough room that the hose will pull out and go back in. This way you won't be exposing your understorage area to additional cold thus making your interior colder and you won't lose any heat out from that area be it from direct heat or ambient heat loss. The hose when retracted would just have the connector end just on the outside of the door and you can put a tethered cap seal over it when not in use. I hope you found this suggestion helpful. Love you guys and your videos and love Dexter 💜🐾
HEY! Not everywhere in Canada is absolutely ^%&( ing cold in winter! The Vancouver area (where we live) can be almost tolerable during winter... as long as you don't mind months of incessant cold rain..
In our Airstream heading from Canada 🇨🇦 to Florida we hit a snowstorm in Jan 2022 north of Nashville, at 8,6 Farenheit or minus -13 Celsius for 2 nights, just made it to next campground beside I-75 and hooked our electric heater and ran the propane furnace !
Electric blanket was a big help, but we got lots of iceflowers on the inside of the windows .since you hey are only single pane! So don’t forget to leave one roof vent open enough so humidity can escape ! It’s worth it 😊
We use PVC pipes for our sewage and use block's to prop it up
40° here in florida is cold enough for us, thank you.
We are from Montana and have done multiple winters at -36. We don’t have tank heaters but if it get -20 we will ad a small thermostat heater under the rv in the fully insulated space.
You two are just awesome. I’m an aspiring RV’er. Hoping to go full time one day. I watch every episode, and really appreciate so much VALUABLE evergreen content. Great channel. Come back West!! You guys find great sites and I really would like more of your West Coast recommendations and content! Keep it coming!
Great information Thanks Hanks we are first timers and always look forward to your videos they are informative and fun
Ben and -31 for 2 days follow you guys all over and I have no skirting on but I've spent $5,000 on fuel just to keep the camper warm excited to see your next adventure
My idea of winter camping is Arizona as in Tucson. One thing I will add depending on circumstances is investing in a heated water hose. They are expensive but may be a good thing in the long run. I really like the trap door for the sewer hoses. If I ever get to the point I am wintering over, that is one thing I will definitely do. Thank you for all your effort in providing good information.
Still want to know why the Dex had to go to the vet. George just did a trip and wasn't a happy camper. A bad experience a year ago has definitely damaged his view of vets. He even went after me with tooth and claw. I feel so badly for him. BTW: Everything came back AOK on my boy.
Last year was our first year in our 34' class A in Minnesota. We couldn't afford to head south and saw night time temps as low as -35 below. We had running water the whole time, but it took a lot of preparation and planning!
I live in cold country in Michigan but in winter i go to Tucson Arizona till spring. We really don’t have any issues there. It will get cold at night but doesn’t freeze usually. I have to add this, nay nay you are totally beautiful. Your husband is a very lucky man.
I love you guys! Great advice! However since my recent change of occupation, I would like to encourage you guys to help small businesses and *also* recommend a local RV dealer with a parts store. Amazon is great and it's sometimes hard to beat their prices. But Amazon doesn't have answers to your questions or offer experienced advice. Do's and don'ts. Throw us a bone Hanks! 😉
I’ve been in my RV at about -10°F
Was also in single digits for like a month or two
ITS ROUGH MAN
It was my first winter in the RV, but I learned a lot and now I’m more prepared for this winter in the RV!
I think the lowest temps we've been in were high 30's low 40's when we were in Maine in 2020. The temps started cooling off by September 1st and we didn't leave until the end of the month. We ran out to Walmart and purchased a space heater and warmer clothes.
The coldest we’ve stayed in was minus 6 in Arizona - it can be done but since I’m from So Cal - I’d avoid it.
Thank you for those cold weather camping tricks, I have camped in 15 degree weather
With my old RV and about 25 degrees in a tent.
Hunting camp in Montana -20 and screaming wind. At that time in our previous RV, Springdale was not a 4 season unit. No skirting and no slides. I had several jugs of water stored inside. The water tank froze right at the pump. Used blower dryer and generator to thaw on day 2 or 3. We were warm and cozy although no hunting took place.
We are currently in West Va and it has been down into the upper 20's and low 30's at night recently, so our furnace has been working hard. The belly pan of our Airstream is heated by the furnace so our pipes have been great so far. The coldest temps we have camped in while owning this unit have been around 19. I love Reflectix and use it summer and winter. We also use a really small dehumidifier we found on Amazon. It really helps decrease the condensation from cooking, showering, and yes-breathing.
We have not camped in the winter. We have had temperatures in the teens here at home a few times. Will remember to put the dehumidifier in the Rv this winter, good information. We have reflectix in all windows anyway when not camping due to the heat in our area.
Yes, we camped in NH and it got down into the 20’s BRRRR.
We use reflectix on the windows. Instead of tape we used small strips of Velcro. Then we could easily remove and reattach the Reflectix.
Received a reply from you via email. Is that legit?
This video came out at the perfect time for us to prepare, thanks!
We full time in Anacortes Washington, last year we dropped to low 10s and got about a foot of snow Christmas time. Heated water hose helped so much
I have three questions to ask
Number one what kind of showerhead do you guys recommend because mine sucks
2 how do you get rid of the odor in the bathroom from the toilet
3 what are some ways to winterize an RV that you only use on weekends what do you need to do when you are out of the RV for the week
Colorado Springs Winter 2021-2022 lowest temp ~10 below. We used straw bales. Had about 50-ish bales around our fifth wheel. We did not include anything under the bedroom area. We used an ultrasonic rodent repeller and plugged it in, stuck it on the end of an extension cord at one end of the rig and let it shoot under the entire rig (Hopefully that made sense.) We never saw a little itty-bitty critter or any evidence of an itty-bitty critter. If you do use straw bales we highly recommend the ultrasonic rodent repeller. They have worked for us for years in our homes and now in our full-time travels.
We could have used your nurse skills in fl after the hurricane Ian. FEMA was in tents treating patients in the parking area of our brand new hospital. My husband fell twice and hit his head and had to be rushed to the hospital ( fema tents) !! Then got shipped to winter haven hospital 2/5.hours away 😢. 10 hospitals south of us were closed or damaged and didn’t have enough staff to help them locally 😢😮💨😱.
Howdy Hanks, love the video , hope all is well with you 😀
Great tips Hanks! We spent last Winter in Eastern WA and it got down to-13 plus wind chill at times. Not fun but learned a lot. Black tank valve froze so couldn’t empty until put a heater under it inside of skirting! Ugh!