Hi There. Arctic Fox owner here. I have two points. 1) My Propane furnace pulls out side air for combustion and forces the exhaust out side. So It is not contributing to my condensation build up. Breathing, showering and cooking put most of the moisture in. 2) I'm definitely a believer in Reflectix. I keep sections for windows under my mattress when not in use. I also have lined all cabinet covered exterior walls with Reflectix as well.This stays put year around. Insulation is good winter and summer. been watching for years. Keep up the good work!
@@justgivemethetruth All built in RV furnaces that I've ever seen work that way. They do not contribute to moisture in the rig. The propane flame portion is completely separated from the air inside the RV, just like a home furnace.
@@gwwj I completely agree! Every one of these on board, built in propane furnaces that I've seen, works this way. Moisture is not from the furnace. Remember, moisture will condense on any cold surface so unless you have NO humidity in the air, you're going to get condensation everywhere (but especially on the windows because they're the coldest).
Exactly, people are thinking "Mr. Buddy heaters" = All Propane Furnaces. Standard propane furnaces that are installed vent the exhaust out and have a heat exchanger so you have dry heat inside. No wonder your RV is cold and drafty...YOU OPENED A WINDOW
One of the cheapest and easiest heating mods to install is a diesel heater . I'm not that good at "D.I.Y" but I've installed two of these in my 30 foot vintage rv and have to say they are a revelation. I've hooked them directly into the existing ducting (and added two new outlets front and rear ) and it heats the RV perfectly. Each heater has its own 10 litre fuel tank that can be filled up easily form larger jerrycan or at the pump. They both sip diesel and power ( about .5 amp an hour on the low setting ) both have remote controls to turn on/off and just do the job you need them to do !!! total install cost was $300 for both
Could you expound a little on how you integrated it with existing ducting? Did it push enough air to circulate through the whole RV? Looking into a similar solution.
@@PowerPlatformRyan I'm in Europe so the original heating was provided by an older Truma blown air system . This already had the ducting fed throughout the motorhome fed by a gas fired furnace . I used a couple Truma T- junction adaptors to hook the diesel heater into that original ducting and it takes over form the Truma furnace to provide the heat . To make sure I had a good flow of warm air I fitted two diesel heaters. one right at the back and one at the front. Its extremely effective and far more economical than the older Truma . Loads of video on you tube about doing this modification . Its very straightforward. European motorhomes have double pane plastic Seitz windows rather than glass ones, so once you get the van up to temp it holds the heat pretty well . Another easy tip is to go back to underlay and good quality carpet on the floor (especially if you don't have a double floor) I know its goes against the current trend for hardwood floors, but there was a reason the manufacturer' s used to use to carpet in their RV's !!!🙂
I looked into a diesel heater for my shop and discovered that diesel has 140,000 btu(s) per gallon, propane has 90,000 btu(s) per gallon and a 1500 watt electric heater produces only 5,000 btu(s). I lived in my Airstream for the 18 months it took to build my home in a rural area. In the winter I had the Airstream inside the shop and heated the interior of the Airstream with an electric heater connected to a plug in thermostat. I was able to run the heater on the low (700 watt) setting and stay comfortable in single digit temps. The shop doors were shut and the shop is insulated. Wind is your enemy when it's cold.
Good advice to keep yourself warm first. If you can have a safe wood stove, those are great for getting thing really, really warm and the bonus is, it's dry!
2 things that make a big difference for us. Close the bedroom door. The body heat and breathing will keep the bedroom about 10° warmer than the rest of the camper. Also, our little 12# dog puts off a lot of heat and helps to warm up the bed
As a European,i'm stunned by how poorly this camper is insulated and cold weather proof. I own a '94 Fendt Joker caravan and that thing has 5cm insulated walls,10cm thick insulated floor,propane Truma central air heating system,all water lines inboard and all windows are dubble acryl glas. Just because you can go winter camping(Called wintersport here) in the Alps and the like. If i would use my caravan as much as you guys,i would instal a diesel heater and install it into the Truma air heating. I would recomment you have a look at that system. Easy to instal,it transports hot air througout the whole van with multiple air outlets. I never have cold feet in our caravan when the system is running.
I winter camped in Alaska for 30 years. I agree with layering and suggest totally ditching cotton in winter. If you perspire and it gets wet and soggy you will be freezing cold! Poly and wool both keep you warm when wet. Reflectix is a game changer, as is foam board. If the bed is next to the wall a sheet of 1” foam insulation board cut to fit around the bed will keep you from jerking awake when you hit the wall. If your bed has storage (and cold air) under it you can line the bed platform with Reflectix. I even used to make tent footprints for inside my tent with Reflectix. We would ski out to a remote location while pulling a plastic sled with our camping gear and backpacks in the sleds. The tent liner was bulky but lightweight. It is a delicate subject, but a full bladder robs your body of heat. When you wake up and need to empty your bladder, you will stay warmer if you get up and go instead of postponing it! Warm socks come in handy when your feet hit the cold floor! If you’re in a tent you can keep a plastic coffee can or a wide mouth Nalgene to urinate in so you don’t have to leave the tent. Staying hydrated and avoiding alcohol keeps you warmer. A fatty snack (peanut butter or a warm drink with butter in it) at bedtime will help you sleep warmer. We also used Reflectix on our cots under our sleeping matts to reflect our body heat back at us. Hot Hands brand of chemical heaters makes a body warmer size that you can apply to your inner layer for sleeping warm. These are great for kids and can be applied to the kids’ pajamas. I’ve also used a quart mason jar as a hot water bottle. I kept it close all night and had warm ish water to cook for my morning coffee (instead of ice water). I also made a cozy of Reflectix for keeping my drinking water from freezing on the trip out to camp. I’m sure I’m forgetting some of our tricks and tips on staying warm while camping. It sure was an adventure!
When I moved back up north to care for my elderly father and we traveled south in January. I had to think how to keep him and our pets warm during the drive south. In addition to the heated mattress pad I also used a flannel fitted sheet and fleece top sheet and blankets. I made him wear socks and stocking cap. I slept up above in the class c so I was close to the ceiling were heat rises so all I needed was flannel sheets and blankets I also wore socks and hoodie. For the two dogs, the little one slept with dad and didn’t want to be covered and the big dog I made a bed with a thermal blanket between the foam and fake fur cover then I threw a super fuzzy blanket on top that she could scrunch up to her liking and if she acted like she was cold I had a dog jacket/blanket I could put on her. My cat slept up on my bed near my feet. I would put one of those pocket hand warmers and a smaller blanket over it. Between him crawling under the blanket, my body temperature an the hand warmer he’d lay on, he seemed happy. During the drive time the cat traveled in a animal carrier (in case we had to make an emergency exit) with his blanket and the same hand warmer, it would retain heat for over 12 hours. Everyone stayed warm.
I lived in Alaska when in the Army. The Army doesn’t really know how to “camp”. We had to use the standard Army issue mountain sleeping bags. Now if you know GI’s you know they are a master of improve. First we would stuff the mountain with a civilian arctic 50-60 below bag. We also made a polar fleece liner to go inside of the Arctic bag. We did sleep in thermal long Johns with socks. The Army did do one thing right. They issued sleep caps. Yes, we used them. This sounds like a lot, but when your RV is a canvas tent, no heater unless someone wants to pull fire guard and it’s -60 to -70 you may wish you had a generator and one of those heating pads. Oh I forgot to mention how much fun it is when you wake up a 0300 and have to pee and the snow is 4-5 feet deep. You have to remember to close up your bag so it retains some heat because you will lose a ton of body heat in just a few minutes. LoLoHo.
I'm 75, have camped all my life in all kinds of weather and have had many RV's over the years. Freezing pipes aside, as far as keeping warm at night, socks and a down mummy sleeping bag have always worked for me. And I've slept in a tent with snow on the ground and stayed warm (with a sleeping pad underneath for insulation). Also, thumbs up to the Arctic Fox owner below, he's right.
I’m allergic to down, thank goodness for lightweight synthetics nowadays. Twenty years ago I had hump extra weight and bigger pack to account for larger 32F mummy bag
Ha! 😊 I’ve been using a heating pad for quite some time. My wife on occasion - on cold nights I ask her in advance if she would like to use the 2nd one we carry and she usually declines. We camped for the past week in Northern Michigan and there was no need to ask - I rigged it up for her when I went to bed (earlier than her) and she said in the morning how much she appreciated it, as nighttime temperatures were in the 30s. I really like the 2 hour shut off for the same reason you shared. Thank you for you continued excellent videos - I speak for many when I say you two are very much appreciated! ❤😊 Al and Cathy (25 ft Flying Cloud) in Michigan. 🧊
As for clothes and cold weather, I wear a merino wool top and bottom from Duckworth in Montana. I also carry a wool blanket from an army surplus store that goes over my sleeping bag. I'm good down to 20 degrees or so.
We have invested in 4 different bluetti's so we use an electric blanket when traveling and spending nites without hookups...We also have a little buddy to take the chill off in the morns....Thanks for the warming tips in the video...Stay safe, be well....
I’ve recommended this to many and they’ve been happy: Weighted blanket from (Amazon $89) then topped w comforter. I drop therm down to 50 and stay toasty because the glass beads hold heat. Yeah I walk on tip toes in am w cold floor but it’s a one time purchase that paid it self off. Last winter I ran out of propane middle off night noticed it was a bit chilly, got up saw it was 41 inside jumped back in bed fell right back asleep warm as could be
I have an electric “throw blanket” that is big enough to “preheat” my bedding before I climb into bed…it has 6 heat settings…I typically drape it over my feet and set it on 2 or 3…it has auto shut off like most heating pads. As long as my feet are warm I’m comfortable….but I can’t stand wearing sock to bed
I made reflectex inserts for all windows primarily for hot sun exposed windows in the summer. As you say, they’re also effective in reducing cold drafts.
My wife and I lived in our Airstream for a winter. Not too cold but really muggy. Freezing fog, freezing rain and occasional snow. We got a Dessicant Dehumidifier. They throw off a modest amount heat while dehumidifying the interior. It stayed on 24/7 which help keep the (modest) warmth steady
Great video guys. One thing we use is a “head blanket”. Our Jayco Whitehawk has a large front window at the head of our Murphy bed. Even when not “freezing” and our electric fireplace suffices, our heads can still feel the cool night penetrating that window. So we use a throw type blanket turned sideways to reach the width of our bed and tuck it in under the top edge of our pillows so it’s “collected” at the top of our bed. If we wake up and the window is allowing too much cold air, we can simply drape a 8-12” of that throw on top of our heads. (Hairs always a mess anyway after a nights sleep). And if the daylight comes too soon you can pull a little more and cover your eyes like a sleeping mask. I’ve even used it to block out unwanted morning sounds by covering my ears. Doesn’t cut all the noise out but certainly buffers it.
The Older I get, the Colder I get... (79+) I do love my heating pad at 'Home Sweet Home' I didn't realize how low the wattage use is, THANK YOU!!! Amazon shows $15 to $40 which is cheap enough!!!
Hi, up here in Canada, when you live in an older house/apt that doesn't have multi-pane windows, have a trick...We put double sided tape (NOT the 3M stuff! It's too good and can remove paint or cause other damage when removed in the spring) around the inside frame of the window, and then use clear plastic wrap like material to cover and seal off the window. This helps in two ways, first it helps seal any windows that are drafty, and it also creates a dead air space between the existing window and the plastic, which insulates. This is better than reflectix or window covers since it allows the light in during the day. You can buy complete kits with the clear plastic and tape, but the tape is not always that good in the kits, and may not stick to your window frames. It's a trial and error type thing to find out which tape will hold. on your frames. After that you use a hair dryer to make the clear plastic tight. I see some of the US hardware Search for something like "window insulation shrink kit".
Great tips from everyone! My husband and I have done our fair share of camping in the snow and in the mountains and have a few tips: 1. Face your camper or trailer windows where you will get the earliest and most sunshine and leave your blinds up during the day for solar gain. 2. I love using our Omnia stovetop oven at night or in the morning to make breakfast or muffins. It heats up a small space very quickly. 3. Even if you don’t like sleeping bags, pack one or two down bags for those very cold nights. I’ve slept just fine inside a sleeping bag in 18 degree temps.
Yes, believe it or not we shot some video about the sleeping bag idea and for some reason I did not include it in this final draft of the video. Now I am wishing I had included it. Maybe we will do a different video that includes some of these somewhat unconventional or tent camping ideas. Thanks for your post!
And for when it's cold but not cold enough to sleep inside the bags, sleep on top of them! It works like the hint in this video, insulating you from a foam or foam-topped mattress that's gotten cold.
diesel heater and/or pellet stove. kept my camper around 30 celcius when it was -40 or colder in the rockies. no electrical worries, no propane and condensation...just clean dry heat.
When I was a teenager, we'd camp in cheap summer tents in the winter in sub- freezing temperatures. We had those old style fleece lined green outers Coleman sleeping bags. We'd keep warm by heating large round river rocks in the fire. We'd pull them out with a shovel and put the red hot part in the cool sand or dirt for a bit. Then we'd wrap them in tin foil when cool enough. Then, we'd further wrap them in towels or clothing and strategically place them inside our sleeping bags. One at the feet and one at the tummy to spoon around. The rocks would stay warm all night. There is some skill involved in picking the right rocks and getting the rocks' temperature just right. Having a cotton sleeping bag liner is highly recommended for safety reasons. Super hot rocks will melt polyesters and even ignight them if the rock is too hot. We never had an issue. Once, a less experienced person used the wrong type of rock and the rock exploded in the fire. Luckily, no one was hurt. Therefore, I can only recommend the excellent hot rock method of heating to those with a lot of " horse sense."
1: Our motorhome had large single pane windows. We made some dual layer Refllectex window covers and used contact adhesive spray to cover one side with a decorative cloth print. They fit snug, look nice and really make a difference. Velcro tabs help hold in place. 2: we have sheets and use three optional layers...first is a thermal weave blanket, then a nice wool blanket, finally if needed a down comforter. The down beats fleece and other materials as it insulates best, packs up small and light. 3: a vented furnace does not add moisture to a room/vehicle. The condensation is from cooking, bathing and breathing. A little ventilation is needed.
Just to be fair to the RV, its not leaking windows, its the cooling of the air due to a lack of insulation causing convective air currents, while not a pretty fix foam insulation panels placed over the windows goes a long way. The condensation is also caused by the cold windows not the heater, as the air temp drops near the windows it goes below the dew point which leads to condensation.
I like the electric oil convection heaters because they mix the warm air in - and they do it silently which I love. But you're right ... watts = heat there is no getting around it.
Won’t stop air leaks at windows, but put bubble wrap sprayed with water bottle on windows. Light comes in but does keep things warmer... you can easily peel it off if you need to see clearly. Respray and put back up.
First time i boondocked i was shocked by how much battery i used just to run the rv furnace!! And i have four 6v batteries. Lots of blankets make a huge difference.
Where I live offgrid it gets cold, below zero on the coldest winter nights and renovating is challenging in an airstream for this old lady so I hang sleeping bags on walls and ceiling, and as curtains along with reflectix, I now use half the power to keep warm. O degree sleeping bag and old blankets on the floor for my three large dogs which also benefit me. I heat with wood and propane and have lots of tropical plants and one Australian treefrog who's habitat is heated by ambient room temperature and we all stay toasty warm 😊🎉. It's in the teens at night in November and it doesn't even look like an airstream inside. People are very intrigued when coming inside because it's not at all what they expected 😊
A very timely reminder of cold weather tips. We have a heated mattress pad for the winter months that has controls for each side of the bed - his and hers. Also, the heated throw has worked nicely for the chairs, but this year we are going to try it on top of the bed. Thank you for your video and suggestions. Keep warm.
We winterized our travel trailer two weeks ago. It probably won't be used again until spring. On cold weather trips in spring or fall, we'll use propane to warm the inside to the 50s or 60s, and we'll sleep wearing layers. We're snug in our 50-degree double camp bag. On rare winter trips, I've left the water system winterized and camped next to the restroom/shower building. Without onboard water we lose some benefits of self-contained RV camping, but it still beats winter camping in a tent. The eclipse in April 2024 was a special occasion, so we did a winterized trip to the zone of totality in Rangeley Maine. We used about 20 pounds of propane overnight with temperatures in the 30s. Our inverter generator ran all night too, because the furnace would have drained the house battery before dawn.
Bigfoot Artic addition; more R value, tanks and pipes have piped heat. It's still a challenge. On safety, don't put your old, dirty space heater in your RV. Just get a new one every few years. Love the heating pad and portable charger idea. I made window covers from "warm window" material. It has multiple layers. Good news- our window insultation is used in both really cold and really hot. We traveled to Grand Teton in June, beautiful, but we went mooseless.
Well Done. We camp in upstate NY during late fall/ early spring when nightly temperatures often drop into the mid-low 20s F. A heated hose is essential to keeping the water flowing and avoiding frozen pipes.
The video addressed the danger of small electric heaters starting a fire, but not a word on the very dangerous portable propane gas heaters that emit carbon monoxide. I want to add that a heated mattress pad can't be beat. Heat rises so having a heated mattress pad beneath you is perfect and the control for these are the same as those for an electric blanket.
In cold weather, we have fleece sheets and we have a heavy comforter on our bed. I also put a sheet of green foam insulation between the mattress and the plywood. Green foam insulation is mold and mildew resistant. This keeps us warm throughout the night. We keep the propane heater at 60 deg. in cold weather. We have tank heaters though. I use electric heater tape on my water line. My 2 stage water filter is kept in my heated pass through. Great video!
We insulate our windows with a sandwich of Reflectix, Corrugated plastic and Reflectix. We were in Austin during the cold snap (-9) at night and we were able to keep the RV at 70 degrees on our propane heater during the day and 65 degrees at night. The insulation works well with the A/C, which we use a lot more than winter camping.
Ok, I'm surprised you haven't mentioned DOWN Comforter, that works for me, it's awesome keeping in body heat. I also wash mine once a year and put it in the dryer with clean tennis balls it comes out fresh and new again! Brrr..I hate being cold. I forgot I don't use sheets while camping.
We have a 2017 Airstream Classic with the Alde system and we love it. Full-timed for a year and when we were in Texas it got down to 10 degrees! We stayed toasty warm using both electric and propane. We had cool spots, of course, but overall it was very good. It’s nice not to have the regular furnace motor blowing all the time. I love the quietness of the Alde.
I have a Northwood Nash 22h which is the same company that makes the Arctic Fox. i’ve spent two Idaho winters in it with electricity and down to 2°F. I was just fine. The only addition I could make to your comment about Skirtinng is it’s very helpful to have a milk heater underneath it to add a little Insurance that the underbelly will be warm. The only drawback to Propane heating is you burn in my small travel trailer about a gallon and a half or two a day. At 4 bucks a gallon, it adds up. Thanks for your videos. Always full of great information.
I am very comfortable with a quality Pendleton blanket. A wool blanket next to your skin or base layers is incredibly warm. It also wicks away perspiration. I will invest in a few heating pads. Thanks for the tip!
In addition to all the added layers of clothing you mentioned I go to bed with a hooded sweater turn the heater down to it's lowest setting around 40 degrees so it's not even remotely keeping my space warm but does take the edge off. And it's paramount I have the means to heat the space up once I get out of bed.
Helpful for your windows especially around the bed i made lined curtains sewed a rod pocket on top and bottom by doing both rods makes the curtains hug the window makes a big difference and still easy to open and close
There was no woodstove made to fit my cabover camper so i designed and fabricated my own. I can heat most of the night then the furnace only turns on for a couple hours. As I learn, ill be able to keep it burning all night. It uses controlled outside air for combustion. Love it. It drys out the camper as well.
In the 1960'swhile I was a teenager I stayed in a "fort" my buddies and I built out in the woods at the end of my street.. We made a wood stove out of a metal 5 gallon bucket and used an old steel downspout as a chimney. But, it would burn itself out quickly and I'd get so cold I'd wake up and build a fire in the middle of the night. Then I used my Dad's Army issued mummy bag from WW2. Actually that bag was a double bag, and I'd split them and share one with a buddy. They were down filled and I believe the outer shell was nylon. They kept us both warm enough even in Zero F. But, as an adult, I used to run a very small Briggs & Stratton gasoline engine on a car alternator connected to a car battery to power a 450 watt inverter I bought from J.C.Whitney, to run everything in my slide in camper. I never camped in a bonafide camp ground, always went off grid, so I'd run the generator to keep the battery charged for the lights and propane furnace while my kid and his buddy played Pack Man and watched videos. My generator setup was my own home built, so I used a belt and pulleys to make a 3 to 1 ratio to keep engine speed down. I had no tachometer but I always guessed i ran it at about 1,500 rpm. It was a lot slower than the store bought generators that all ran at 3,600 rpm. Mine really ran slower. So it never made all that much power, but it'd charge the battery just fine and it wasn't all that loud. I used to have two electric throws for the kids that ran from the inverter at night, but sleeping up over the truck cab, the floor under my mattress is exposed to the outside and it was cold. I got a "Tick" mattress and it made all the difference in the world. The Tick had down in it and feathers. They both came out once in a while so I saw them. Today I suppose they have space age materials that work as well. Just chiming in. ben/ michigan
In February 2021, while on Texas's South Padre Island, we had the GreatTexas Grid breakdown. It was 22 degrees on the island, no electricity and no water for three days. Completely unexpected conditions. Our trailer has two AGM batteries but smaller propane tanks. We dropped the temp to 55 on the furnace and occasionally hooked the truck up to top off the batteries.
We warm the Airstream up good before we go to bed then turn the heat way down. The first person up in the morning turns up the heat and it warms up quickly. That saves the battery life if Boondocking.
Ha! I’m sure we have fallen short in comparison to the hardcore winter campers. But honestly most of our northern friends don’t camp in sub-freezing temperatures because they just head south to warm weather, so they don’t have any tips for us. 😂
In my recent camping trip to Moab I had a powered heated blanket. I was in a roof top tent in the lower 30’s. I put it under my sheet for my mattress. It has a timer when I woke up a little cold. I would turn it on. It needed a charge every other night. It got toasty in there. It seemed almost heat the whole tent. ALMOST..
The coldest I have slept was the truck stop at Snoville Utah 8 degrees with a howling pounding wind 30 miles per hour . The cold found every gap and crack. Our propane heater could only do 45 degrees that night
We own an Arctic Fox trailer and have found it to be great for colder weather. But, before the Arctic Fox, we had a Jayco. Loved that trailer! ( It was stolen.) We spent a winter in an RV park while my husband recovered from a colonoscopy disaster to be close to family. We used the electric oil heaters to keep the trailer warm and the condensation to a minimum. There were 3 of us, plus 2 cats, 2 dogs and a bearded dragon. On the wet west coast, the humidity is high, along with cooking with propane and lots of breathing, lol. If I was to do this again, or spend more time camping in freezing temps, I'd install a little woodstove. We heat our home and cabin with wood, so it's our 'normal'. I'd enjoy the dry heat and the ambiance. The trick is wood small enough and plentiful enough.
Sitting here at home in MAINE watching this video, thinking, "why am I watching two nice folks from ALABAMA talking about staying warm?!" Doesn't everyone sleep with socks on, at least 11 months of the year?? The heating pad is a great idea. Same for wearing layers and wearing a knit cap inside the RV. For serious sleeping warmth, however, the gold standard is a down sleeping bag; second choice is flannel sheets and a down comforter. Thanks for all your great videos!
I’m in a 35 foot fifth wheel a Alliance 310 which is four season. I purchased a diesel heater which runs off of 12 V and I’ll leave it outside piped into my underbelly. It helps quite a bit and I cut down on my propane use. I run the 12 V off of one of my solar generators.
I have a 1969 12 1/2 ft red del slide in truck camper it has a furnace but does not require electricity it's either on or it's off LOL bought it from the original owner and he ordered it with a cold weather package I found even at 15 below zero for that furnace a medium water tank never froze pipes that freeze in the overhead bed area stade nice n toasty, when I had it on private property I had a connected to a 100-pound tank and generally depending on situations would last a month or more or moving around the 20 lb tank last about 4 days
Instead of a top sheet and blankets or comforters we use individual twin-sized duvets with our queen bed (the Scandanavian sleep method). We have two weights--a duvet designed for warmer weather and a much thicker, fluffier duvet designed for cold weather. Each person can wrap their own duvet around themselves and the lighter weight and heavier weight duvets can be used together for extra warmth. Works for us.
Most RVs the mattress is over a storage compartment where you can have your accessories. Getting a piece of hard styrofoam or polyurethane insulation with the foil and placing it under the mattress helps tremendously
We bake during the night without anything in the oven!.... at 350 degrees our propane oven heats the whole fifth wheel just fine with no time limit! Make sure to crack open a small fresh air window/vent and ALWAYS have your smoke alarm/carbon detector on and working!
Have you tried one of those Chinese diesel parking heaters? They don't draw a lot of power, the diesel fuel goes a long way, and they really crank out the hot air. Plus, you don't have to worry about condensation.
My rig has the "arctic package" yeah right! Last winter, I hooked up a diesel heater, which drew cold, outside air in, heated it, then blew it into the RV. The result was it pressurized the RV pushing warm air OUT through all the cracks and gaps which eliminated all the drafts. Warm air always moves towards cold air. Was it cost effective? No but it was more comfortable. Just remember your pipes are more important than your comfort.
I've used a Chinese diesel heater to heat the better part of my mobile home for four years. The only smoke/smell is when you first start it up and that's at the exaust port OUTSIDE. It lasts for about a minute and then it's just heat waves and not a hint of diesel smell. I think some of the negative commenters wouldn't know one from a loaf of bread. Inexpensive, reliable, miserly on fuel and electricity
We do not do a lot of cold weather camping we stay were we can plug in and use a eden pure heater plug in it has many settings and we love it it keeps the 36 ft fifth wheel warm
Olivers are designed to be 4 seasoned camper as well as a Bigfoot as another person mentioned. Watching how Olivers are made reveals unique design for extreme temps. We are picking up a similar fiberglass trailer, Escape 5.0, in two days! Woo hoo! It is a 3 season camper even with the sprayfoam around the tanks.
We have an Oliver Elite 2 and have camped in the mid teens with no condensation or drafts. I was camping solo, so not sure if that would be true with two or three people in the trailer, but I was happy with the performance in sub freezing temps.
@ We just got home from our maiden voyage🥰. Our first night in the trailer was in the 20s and 30s in Cheyenne. 🥶I think we did have only a little bit of condensation in the bed area of the fifth wheel. However, we didn’t have a dehumidifier. So it is now on the LONG “to buy list” for cold weather camping.
The only danger in a space heater is if it tips over. But a certified space heater has a switch that cuts the power when it tips over so they are the safest heater you can use. Plug it in, turn it on and kick it over and see what happens.
While I'm a super hot sleeper, my husband and I managed to spend the night comfortably in a tent in near freezing temps. We had our sleeping bags zipped together (one on the top, one on the bottom), with a thick blanket and sheet over us, another blanket under us, and a tiny space heater running (although I don't think it did much). Getting out of our "nest" and getting dressed in the morning was the worst part. 😂
Up until I bought an RV I ran an outdoor extension cord into my tent and used a heating pad in the foot of my sleeping bag. I’ve slept nice and toasty in 17F temps. I use it in my RV as well as a double sleeping bag and fleece liner if it’s super cold. It also makes a great boot warmer as well.
We used flannel sheets when it was cold with a Down comforter on top of that. Only problem was our Cotton pajamas stuck us to our flannel sheets, making it almost impossible to change positions, kind of like being velcrowed in bed. We had to buy satin like pajamas so we could move in bed.
What about towing your trailer in below freezing temperatures? Example: Right now you are camping in below freezing temps but the temps are going to get even colder as you tow the trailer. How do you keep your water and sewer tanks from freezing as you tow to your next destination?
I'm dealing with getting my Arctic Wolf better winterized. I'm at a point where I'm removing the inner windows and door trims to sprey gap foam in all the spaces as well as upgrading the furnace ducting and sealing up manufactuer holes that they randomly made. We've camped for 3 years in the winter and have "made it" but I have always frowned at the "drafts" in our trailer. Rugs on the floors and entire house version of room darkening curtions really helps too. If we have kids with us at all sometimes we will also place a throw blanket over thr headache pad above the door so when the door is opened to get in or out all your heat is not instantly lost out the door.
We have went through two new mattresses as they got mold from the cold under the Motorhome and the heat from our bodies , ugh we finally bought a plastic barrier to lift mattress up a bit to circulate air , and check often by lifting up our mattress
HI Thanks for the great tips. We own an Arctic Fox but we still supplement our heating with infrared. In other words we are heating bodies and surfaces not air so to speak. This lets us set the thermostat controlling the furnace at a lower temp. Whether it it is a infrared heating pad or small infrared heater, they still take power but up here in Canada we have found these work the best for us. That said we are not comping in the middle winter ether.
I'm heading out in a couple of weeks for a weekend of cold weather and you guys covered everything even a few things I did not think about like the heating pad under the mattress that would be a great game changer
Wow, you guys are still on the road. I remember both of you 15 years ago. The first Alumapoloza at Jackson center with Rich Lurh . Keep rolling and still learning thanks.
Good info. We use the fan "pillows" - they work for AC in the summer as well as heat in the winter. Note that opening a window when using your propane furnace is not needed - - but the furnace is a closed loop whereas a propane "Buddy" heater is open combustion and propane puts off water vapor when burning as an open flame. This past week we camped in state parks with hookups - we used two ceramic electric heaters and our furnace didn't come on at all. Contrary to Sean's recommendation, we carefully placed them away from combustibles and let them run all night. it was an even heat and much more quiet than the furance. The main way we keep warm is not to camp when its really cold!
I've got 3x electric heaters, I use my RV as my home office and the electric heaters with a little bit of home automation keeps me comfortable down to about 10F mornings, there the propane does kick on for a little bit as 90 minutes isn't enough to raise the temp from 42 to 72 (I let it get down to 42F overnight, the propane thermostat won't go below 40F so that's my emergency backup to keep things from freezing). Reflectix in all the windows, the big one has a quilt of insulating material and cloth sandwiching the reflectix. I've been thinking about getting a heat pump for the bedroom as my rig only came with AC, the heat pump would use about half the electricity as the electric heaters but at my current usage it would take 4-5 years to pay back but I'm pretty sure I'm not keeping this one that long so it wouldn't make economic sense (having a second AC for the bedroom and being able to use it instead of the main one when I'm on conference calls might be enough of an advantage that I'll do it anyways)
Socks I know about, wool 28 gram, the best they make $32. a pair. Plant operator at a rock quarry, winter maintenance. Multi layer every thing. Cut old Long John's for neck gathe. Oh ya I sleep in long johns. I do the same thing with my heating pad.
I found when using the heat pump at night to leave the bathroom door open in the hallway. Since the thermostat is in the front the bedroom gets toasty warm because the warm air isn’t getting to the thermostat. I also carry a Pelonis Ceramic heater made in 1989. They’re still around on Ebay and put out a lot of heat for the power consumed. Steel case. Being in Florida we get cold under 75 degrees!😮
Here's a little camper hack that you can try if you have single pane windows (what.. is there an alternative?) Cut some clear Bubble wrap the shape of your windows and mist the flat side lightly with plain water. Apply the bubble wrap to the window, it should stick. If it comes loose you can use some cellophane tape to help. You can still see out, and light will still come in but the little air pockets will create a bit more insulation than you had with the single pane glass.
I have been using an Empire propane heater in my campers since 2004 . It’s a 18,000 btu ceramic heater (glows orange) and has thermostat and uses no electricity. I tee off the propane from inside the camper useing a rubber line . Used in below O temperature and easily maintain 68 degrees. It has an oxygen sensor built into it and I open the window like you showed cuz it will shut off without doing that . Also lasts longer on propane than what you guys were saying you were getting .
The propane furnace is not exhausting gasses inside the trailer, so they do not cause excessive moisture in the interior air - they use outside air for combustion and vent to the exterior. The condensation is from the windows, which condense any moisture in the trailer and evaporate in the RV. Second, an electric blanket with a portable power station will keep you warm at night, in the recliner then in bed, but it needs to be a mid-size unit, with about 1,000 watt hours.
The Reflectix also blocks the Alaskan light for bedtime. Note however, we found out our trailer door let light in, where there wasn't a window! Try to test seal off the light coming through your windows, skylights and doors before you go. Have fun. My husband and I spent the summer of '23 there. I can't wait to go back!
HEAT HOLDERS! amzn.to/3YpxjzS
Yes! I just ordered two pairs! Can’t wait to keep my feet nice and cozy! ❤
Thanks for the suggestion!
I’ve tried winter camping in a RV here in Maine. I have found that the best solution is to rent a cabin.
Those little bitty coastal states are cooold.LOVELY but too cold for human life sustainshun. Ha! No word for that. Made one up.😅
Um, do you put the cabin in the truck or in the trailer? 🤔
😂👍
😆
Do you still get two weeks of summer up in Maine? 😂
Hi There. Arctic Fox owner here.
I have two points.
1) My Propane furnace pulls out side air for combustion and forces the exhaust out side. So It is not contributing to my condensation build up. Breathing, showering and cooking put most of the moisture in.
2) I'm definitely a believer in Reflectix. I keep sections for windows under my mattress when not in use. I also have lined all cabinet covered exterior walls with Reflectix as well.This stays put year around. Insulation is good winter and summer.
been watching for years. Keep up the good work!
Can you tell me what brand and model your propane furnace is?
@@justgivemethetruth All built in RV furnaces that I've ever seen work that way. They do not contribute to moisture in the rig. The propane flame portion is completely separated from the air inside the RV, just like a home furnace.
I've heard the Nash and ORV are also 4 season like the Arctic Fox - makes sense since they're built by the same company.
@@gwwj I completely agree! Every one of these on board, built in propane furnaces that I've seen, works this way. Moisture is not from the furnace. Remember, moisture will condense on any cold surface so unless you have NO humidity in the air, you're going to get condensation everywhere (but especially on the windows because they're the coldest).
Exactly, people are thinking "Mr. Buddy heaters" = All Propane Furnaces. Standard propane furnaces that are installed vent the exhaust out and have a heat exchanger so you have dry heat inside.
No wonder your RV is cold and drafty...YOU OPENED A WINDOW
One of the cheapest and easiest heating mods to install is a diesel heater . I'm not that good at "D.I.Y" but I've installed two of these in my 30 foot vintage rv and have to say they are a revelation. I've hooked them directly into the existing ducting (and added two new outlets front and rear ) and it heats the RV perfectly. Each heater has its own 10 litre fuel tank that can be filled up easily form larger jerrycan or at the pump. They both sip diesel and power ( about .5 amp an hour on the low setting ) both have remote controls to turn on/off and just do the job you need them to do !!! total install cost was $300 for both
I’ve heard that diesel heaters are very good…. I’ll look into it and see if one would work with our trailer. Would be fun to try!
Could you expound a little on how you integrated it with existing ducting? Did it push enough air to circulate through the whole RV? Looking into a similar solution.
@@PowerPlatformRyan I'm in Europe so the original heating was provided by an older Truma blown air system . This already had the ducting fed throughout the motorhome fed by a gas fired furnace . I used a couple Truma T- junction adaptors to hook the diesel heater into that original ducting and it takes over form the Truma furnace to provide the heat . To make sure I had a good flow of warm air I fitted two diesel heaters. one right at the back and one at the front. Its extremely effective and far more economical than the older Truma . Loads of video on you tube about doing this modification . Its very straightforward. European motorhomes have double pane plastic Seitz windows rather than glass ones, so once you get the van up to temp it holds the heat pretty well .
Another easy tip is to go back to underlay and good quality carpet on the floor (especially if you don't have a double floor) I know its goes against the current trend for hardwood floors, but there was a reason the manufacturer' s used to use to carpet in their RV's !!!🙂
I looked into a diesel heater for my shop and discovered that diesel has 140,000 btu(s) per gallon, propane has 90,000 btu(s) per gallon and a 1500 watt electric heater produces only 5,000 btu(s). I lived in my Airstream for the 18 months it took to build my home in a rural area. In the winter I had the Airstream inside the shop and heated the interior of the Airstream with an electric heater connected to a plug in thermostat. I was able to run the heater on the low (700 watt) setting and stay comfortable in single digit temps. The shop doors were shut and the shop is insulated. Wind is your enemy when it's cold.
Yep, I'm a fan also. Installed one in my cargo trailer camper that I built out.
I installed a wood heater in my RV. But I live in mine full time. Keeps RV warm with just a few logs.
I solved this problem by heading to Florida when the cold sets in.
But how about when the roof flies off?
Head back up about half way 😂@@WestShoreMan
Yes, problem solved. That's what I do.
@@WestShoreMan That's why campers are on wheels. You move them.
Where everyone also goes and it's hard to find a campground! You could boondock at "Wally World" I guess...for a bit!
Good advice to keep yourself warm first. If you can have a safe wood stove, those are great for getting thing really, really warm and the bonus is, it's dry!
2 things that make a big difference for us. Close the bedroom door. The body heat and breathing will keep the bedroom about 10° warmer than the rest of the camper.
Also, our little 12# dog puts off a lot of heat and helps to warm up the bed
Dogs are the best bed warmers! 🐶 I like your idea about closing the bedroom door too.
We're fulltime rvers and we solved our heating problems by spending the winters in Arizona!
That seems like a really good solution.
😊😂❤
It gets colder overnight in AZ than where I live in Canada. I won’t go down till it starts to warm up in Feb.
As a European,i'm stunned by how poorly this camper is insulated and cold weather proof. I own a '94 Fendt Joker caravan and that thing has 5cm insulated walls,10cm thick insulated floor,propane Truma central air heating system,all water lines inboard and all windows are dubble acryl glas. Just because you can go winter camping(Called wintersport here) in the Alps and the like.
If i would use my caravan as much as you guys,i would instal a diesel heater and install it into the Truma air heating. I would recomment you have a look at that system. Easy to instal,it transports hot air througout the whole van with multiple air outlets. I never have cold feet in our caravan when the system is running.
I winter camped in Alaska for 30 years. I agree with layering and suggest totally ditching cotton in winter. If you perspire and it gets wet and soggy you will be freezing cold! Poly and wool both keep you warm when wet. Reflectix is a game changer, as is foam board. If the bed is next to the wall a sheet of 1” foam insulation board cut to fit around the bed will keep you from jerking awake when you hit the wall. If your bed has storage (and cold air) under it you can line the bed platform with Reflectix. I even used to make tent footprints for inside my tent with Reflectix. We would ski out to a remote location while pulling a plastic sled with our camping gear and backpacks in the sleds. The tent liner was bulky but lightweight. It is a delicate subject, but a full bladder robs your body of heat. When you wake up and need to empty your bladder, you will stay warmer if you get up and go instead of postponing it! Warm socks come in handy when your feet hit the cold floor! If you’re in a tent you can keep a plastic coffee can or a wide mouth Nalgene to urinate in so you don’t have to leave the tent. Staying hydrated and avoiding alcohol keeps you warmer. A fatty snack (peanut butter or a warm drink with butter in it) at bedtime will help you sleep warmer. We also used Reflectix on our cots under our sleeping matts to reflect our body heat back at us. Hot Hands brand of chemical heaters makes a body warmer size that you can apply to your inner layer for sleeping warm. These are great for kids and can be applied to the kids’ pajamas. I’ve also used a quart mason jar as a hot water bottle. I kept it close all night and had warm ish water to cook for my morning coffee (instead of ice water). I also made a cozy of Reflectix for keeping my drinking water from freezing on the trip out to camp. I’m sure I’m forgetting some of our tricks and tips on staying warm while camping. It sure was an adventure!
Good tips
Replacing urine with hot coffee is the best advice I've seen. Thanks😊
Thanks for the helpful tips.
@@watchmanonthewall14 Great advice, the Reflectix is what I will try first.
When I moved back up north to care for my elderly father and we traveled south in January. I had to think how to keep him and our pets warm during the drive south. In addition to the heated mattress pad I also used a flannel fitted sheet and fleece top sheet and blankets. I made him wear socks and stocking cap. I slept up above in the class c so I was close to the ceiling were heat rises so all I needed was flannel sheets and blankets I also wore socks and hoodie. For the two dogs, the little one slept with dad and didn’t want to be covered and the big dog I made a bed with a thermal blanket between the foam and fake fur cover then I threw a super fuzzy blanket on top that she could scrunch up to her liking and if she acted like she was cold I had a dog jacket/blanket I could put on her. My cat slept up on my bed near my feet. I would put one of those pocket hand warmers and a smaller blanket over it. Between him crawling under the blanket, my body temperature an the hand warmer he’d lay on, he seemed happy. During the drive time the cat traveled in a animal carrier (in case we had to make an emergency exit) with his blanket and the same hand warmer, it would retain heat for over 12 hours. Everyone stayed warm.
We love our Camco Wave 3000 propane catalytic heater. It’s like having a wood stove without the mess. 99.9 percent efficient
I've heard of the Camco Wave 3 but never the 3000. Is that something new this year?
I lived in Alaska when in the Army. The Army doesn’t really know how to “camp”. We had to use the standard Army issue mountain sleeping bags. Now if you know GI’s you know they are a master of improve.
First we would stuff the mountain with a civilian arctic 50-60 below bag. We also made a polar fleece liner to go inside of the Arctic bag. We did sleep in thermal long Johns with socks. The Army did do one thing right. They issued sleep caps. Yes, we used them.
This sounds like a lot, but when your RV is a canvas tent, no heater unless someone wants to pull fire guard and it’s -60 to -70 you may wish you had a generator and one of those heating pads. Oh I forgot to mention how much fun it is when you wake up a 0300 and have to pee and the snow is 4-5 feet deep. You have to remember to close up your bag so it retains some heat because you will lose a ton of body heat in just a few minutes. LoLoHo.
Canvas tent camping in -50?!? Yikes! Glad you survived. Does not sound enjoyable! 🥶
pee bottle
@@kristymichael you know you can take the kid out of Alabama, but you can’t take Alabama out of the kid.
A canvas tent, no heater and it’s -60 to -70?? I'm sorry, but you would have frozen to death.
I'm 75, have camped all my life in all kinds of weather and have had many RV's over the years. Freezing pipes aside, as far as keeping warm at night, socks and a down mummy sleeping bag have always worked for me. And I've slept in a tent with snow on the ground and stayed warm (with a sleeping pad underneath for insulation). Also, thumbs up to the Arctic Fox owner below, he's right.
I’m allergic to down, thank goodness for lightweight synthetics nowadays. Twenty years ago I had hump extra weight and bigger pack to account for larger 32F mummy bag
Ha! 😊 I’ve been using a heating pad for quite some time. My wife on occasion - on cold nights I ask her in advance if she would like to use the 2nd one we carry and she usually declines.
We camped for the past week in Northern Michigan and there was no need to ask - I rigged it up for her when I went to bed (earlier than her) and she said in the morning how much she appreciated it, as nighttime temperatures were in the 30s.
I really like the 2 hour shut off for the same reason you shared.
Thank you for you continued excellent videos - I speak for many when I say you two are very much appreciated! ❤😊
Al and Cathy (25 ft Flying Cloud) in Michigan. 🧊
As for clothes and cold weather, I wear a merino wool top and bottom from Duckworth in Montana. I also carry a wool blanket from an army surplus store that goes over my sleeping bag. I'm good down to 20 degrees or so.
We have invested in 4 different bluetti's so we use an electric blanket when traveling and spending nites without hookups...We also have a little buddy to take the chill off in the morns....Thanks for the warming tips in the video...Stay safe, be well....
We use a heated mattress pad with a duel control. We love it. It is way better than a heated blanket and has a thermostat.
I’ve recommended this to many and they’ve been happy: Weighted blanket from (Amazon $89) then topped w comforter. I drop therm down to 50 and stay toasty because the glass beads hold heat. Yeah I walk on tip toes in am w cold floor but it’s a one time purchase that paid it self off. Last winter I ran out of propane middle off night noticed it was a bit chilly, got up saw it was 41 inside jumped back in bed fell right back asleep warm as could be
Oh I love the heating pad idea.
I have an electric “throw blanket” that is big enough to “preheat” my bedding before I climb into bed…it has 6 heat settings…I typically drape it over my feet and set it on 2 or 3…it has auto shut off like most heating pads. As long as my feet are warm I’m comfortable….but I can’t stand wearing sock to bed
I made reflectex inserts for all windows primarily for hot sun exposed windows in the summer. As you say, they’re also effective in reducing cold drafts.
We used out electric blanket under our sheet. Placed it in 1. Keep us both comfortable--- we wintered west of Cody, Wy
My wife and I lived in our Airstream for a winter. Not too cold but really muggy. Freezing fog, freezing rain and occasional snow. We got a Dessicant Dehumidifier. They throw off a modest amount heat while dehumidifying the interior. It stayed on 24/7 which help keep the (modest) warmth steady
Great video guys. One thing we use is a “head blanket”. Our Jayco Whitehawk has a large front window at the head of our Murphy bed. Even when not “freezing” and our electric fireplace suffices, our heads can still feel the cool night penetrating that window. So we use a throw type blanket turned sideways to reach the width of our bed and tuck it in under the top edge of our pillows so it’s “collected” at the top of our bed. If we wake up and the window is allowing too much cold air, we can simply drape a 8-12” of that throw on top of our heads. (Hairs always a mess anyway after a nights sleep). And if the daylight comes too soon you can pull a little more and cover your eyes like a sleeping mask. I’ve even used it to block out unwanted morning sounds by covering my ears. Doesn’t cut all the noise out but certainly buffers it.
The Older I get, the Colder I get... (79+) I do love my heating pad at 'Home Sweet Home' I didn't realize how low the wattage use is, THANK YOU!!! Amazon shows $15 to $40 which is cheap enough!!!
We’ve been full timing over 7 years and done lots of cold weather yet I still learned something new here! Heat Holders socks! Thanks! ❤
Hi, up here in Canada, when you live in an older house/apt that doesn't have multi-pane windows, have a trick...We put double sided tape (NOT the 3M stuff! It's too good and can remove paint or cause other damage when removed in the spring) around the inside frame of the window, and then use clear plastic wrap like material to cover and seal off the window. This helps in two ways, first it helps seal any windows that are drafty, and it also creates a dead air space between the existing window and the plastic, which insulates. This is better than reflectix or window covers since it allows the light in during the day. You can buy complete kits with the clear plastic and tape, but the tape is not always that good in the kits, and may not stick to your window frames. It's a trial and error type thing to find out which tape will hold. on your frames. After that you use a hair dryer to make the clear plastic tight. I see some of the US hardware Search for something like "window insulation shrink kit".
Great tips from everyone! My husband and I have done our fair share of camping in the snow and in the mountains and have a few tips:
1. Face your camper or trailer windows where you will get the earliest and most sunshine and leave your blinds up during the day for solar gain.
2. I love using our Omnia stovetop oven at night or in the morning to make breakfast or muffins. It heats up a small space very quickly.
3. Even if you don’t like sleeping bags, pack one or two down bags for those very cold nights. I’ve slept just fine inside a sleeping bag in 18 degree temps.
Yes, believe it or not we shot some video about the sleeping bag idea and for some reason I did not include it in this final draft of the video. Now I am wishing I had included it. Maybe we will do a different video that includes some of these somewhat unconventional or tent camping ideas. Thanks for your post!
And for when it's cold but not cold enough to sleep inside the bags, sleep on top of them! It works like the hint in this video, insulating you from a foam or foam-topped mattress that's gotten cold.
diesel heater and/or pellet stove. kept my camper around 30 celcius when it was -40 or colder in the rockies. no electrical worries, no propane and condensation...just clean dry heat.
Yup, I am currently in the process of taking out my propane furnace and installing a diesel heater. I'm sick of the moisture
When I was a teenager, we'd camp in cheap summer tents in the winter in sub- freezing temperatures. We had those old style fleece lined green outers Coleman sleeping bags. We'd keep warm by heating large round river rocks in the fire. We'd pull them out with a shovel and put the red hot part in the cool sand or dirt for a bit. Then we'd wrap them in tin foil when cool enough. Then, we'd further wrap them in towels or clothing and strategically place them inside our sleeping bags. One at the feet and one at the tummy to spoon around. The rocks would stay warm all night. There is some skill involved in picking the right rocks and getting the rocks' temperature just right. Having a cotton sleeping bag liner is highly recommended for safety reasons. Super hot rocks will melt polyesters and even ignight them if the rock is too hot. We never had an issue. Once, a less experienced person used the wrong type of rock and the rock exploded in the fire. Luckily, no one was hurt. Therefore, I can only recommend the excellent hot rock method of heating to those with a lot of " horse sense."
A survivalist's knowledge! Thank you very much.
1: Our motorhome had large single pane windows. We made some dual layer Refllectex window covers and used contact adhesive spray to cover one side with a decorative cloth print. They fit snug, look nice and really make a difference. Velcro tabs help hold in place. 2: we have sheets and use three optional layers...first is a thermal weave blanket, then a nice wool blanket, finally if needed a down comforter. The down beats fleece and other materials as it insulates best, packs up small and light. 3: a vented furnace does not add moisture to a room/vehicle. The condensation is from cooking, bathing and breathing. A little ventilation is needed.
Just to be fair to the RV, its not leaking windows, its the cooling of the air due to a lack of insulation causing convective air currents, while not a pretty fix foam insulation panels placed over the windows goes a long way. The condensation is also caused by the cold windows not the heater, as the air temp drops near the windows it goes below the dew point which leads to condensation.
I like the electric oil convection heaters because they mix the warm air in - and they do it silently which I love.
But you're right ... watts = heat there is no getting around it.
Won’t stop air leaks at windows, but put bubble wrap sprayed with water bottle on windows. Light comes in but does keep things warmer... you can easily peel it off if you need to see clearly. Respray and put back up.
First time i boondocked i was shocked by how much battery i used just to run the rv furnace!! And i have four 6v batteries. Lots of blankets make a huge difference.
Where I live offgrid it gets cold, below zero on the coldest winter nights and renovating is challenging in an airstream for this old lady so I hang sleeping bags on walls and ceiling, and as curtains along with reflectix, I now use half the power to keep warm. O degree sleeping bag and old blankets on the floor for my three large dogs which also benefit me. I heat with wood and propane and have lots of tropical plants and one Australian treefrog who's habitat is heated by ambient room temperature and we all stay toasty warm 😊🎉. It's in the teens at night in November and it doesn't even look like an airstream inside. People are very intrigued when coming inside because it's not at all what they expected 😊
A very timely reminder of cold weather tips. We have a heated mattress pad for the winter months that has controls for each side of the bed - his and hers. Also, the heated throw has worked nicely for the chairs, but this year we are going to try it on top of the bed. Thank you for your video and suggestions. Keep warm.
We winterized our travel trailer two weeks ago. It probably won't be used again until spring. On cold weather trips in spring or fall, we'll use propane to warm the inside to the 50s or 60s, and we'll sleep wearing layers. We're snug in our 50-degree double camp bag. On rare winter trips, I've left the water system winterized and camped next to the restroom/shower building. Without onboard water we lose some benefits of self-contained RV camping, but it still beats winter camping in a tent. The eclipse in April 2024 was a special occasion, so we did a winterized trip to the zone of totality in Rangeley Maine. We used about 20 pounds of propane overnight with temperatures in the 30s. Our inverter generator ran all night too, because the furnace would have drained the house battery before dawn.
Bigfoot Artic addition; more R value, tanks and pipes have piped heat. It's still a challenge. On safety, don't put your old, dirty space heater in your RV. Just get a new one every few years. Love the heating pad and portable charger idea. I made window covers from "warm window" material. It has multiple layers. Good news- our window insultation is used in both really cold and really hot. We traveled to Grand Teton in June, beautiful, but we went mooseless.
I use fleece blankets as sheets (top & bottom), then a down cover over everything.
Well Done. We camp in upstate NY during late fall/ early spring when nightly temperatures often drop into the mid-low 20s F. A heated hose is essential to keeping the water flowing and avoiding frozen pipes.
The video addressed the danger of small electric heaters starting a fire, but not a word on the very dangerous portable propane gas heaters that emit carbon monoxide.
I want to add that a heated mattress pad can't be beat. Heat rises so having a heated mattress pad beneath you is perfect and the control for these are the same as those for an electric blanket.
In cold weather, we have fleece sheets and we have a heavy comforter on our bed. I also put a sheet of green foam insulation between the mattress and the plywood. Green foam insulation is mold and mildew resistant. This keeps us warm throughout the night. We keep the propane heater at 60 deg. in cold weather. We have tank heaters though. I use electric heater tape on my water line. My 2 stage water filter is kept in my heated pass through. Great video!
Great info. You may want to look at Ecoflow alternator charger for your truck. Generate 800 w while driving, or a custom output while idling.
We insulate our windows with a sandwich of Reflectix, Corrugated plastic and Reflectix. We were in Austin during the cold snap (-9) at night and we were able to keep the RV at 70 degrees on our propane heater during the day and 65 degrees at night. The insulation works well with the A/C, which we use a lot more than winter camping.
Bubble wrap on the windows. 6 or 8 Glass jar prayer candles in sink will take the chill out.
Ok, I'm surprised you haven't mentioned DOWN Comforter, that works for me, it's awesome keeping in body heat. I also wash mine once a year and put it in the dryer with clean tennis balls it comes out fresh and new again! Brrr..I hate being cold. I forgot I don't use sheets while camping.
We have a 2017 Airstream Classic with the Alde system and we love it. Full-timed for a year and when we were in Texas it got down to 10 degrees! We stayed toasty warm using both electric and propane. We had cool spots, of course, but overall it was very good. It’s nice not to have the regular furnace motor blowing all the time. I love the quietness of the Alde.
But Alde is a fantastic system! We did some Airstream camping in Germany, and are European Airstream was equipped with something similar.
I have a Northwood Nash 22h which is the same company that makes the Arctic Fox. i’ve spent two Idaho winters in it with electricity and down to 2°F. I was just fine. The only addition I could make to your comment about Skirtinng is it’s very helpful to have a milk heater underneath it to add a little Insurance that the underbelly will be warm. The only drawback to Propane heating is you burn in my small travel trailer about a gallon and a half or two a day. At 4 bucks a gallon, it adds up.
Thanks for your videos. Always full of great information.
I am very comfortable with a quality Pendleton blanket. A wool blanket next to your skin or base layers is incredibly warm. It also wicks away perspiration. I will invest in a few heating pads. Thanks for the tip!
In addition to all the added layers of clothing you mentioned I go to bed with a hooded sweater turn the heater down to it's lowest setting around 40 degrees so it's not even remotely keeping my space warm but does take the edge off. And it's paramount I have the means to heat the space up once I get out of bed.
Helpful for your windows especially around the bed i made lined curtains sewed a rod pocket on top and bottom by doing both rods makes the curtains hug the window makes a big difference and still easy to open and close
There was no woodstove made to fit my cabover camper so i designed and fabricated my own. I can heat most of the night then the furnace only turns on for a couple hours. As I learn, ill be able to keep it burning all night. It uses controlled outside air for combustion. Love it. It drys out the camper as well.
In the 1960'swhile I was a teenager I stayed in a "fort" my buddies and I built out in the woods at the end of my street.. We made a wood stove out of a metal 5 gallon bucket and used an old steel downspout as a chimney. But, it would burn itself out quickly and I'd get so cold I'd wake up and build a fire in the middle of the night. Then I used my Dad's Army issued mummy bag from WW2. Actually that bag was a double bag, and I'd split them and share one with a buddy. They were down filled and I believe the outer shell was nylon. They kept us both warm enough even in Zero F. But, as an adult, I used to run a very small Briggs & Stratton gasoline engine on a car alternator connected to a car battery to power a 450 watt inverter I bought from J.C.Whitney, to run everything in my slide in camper. I never camped in a bonafide camp ground, always went off grid, so I'd run the generator to keep the battery charged for the lights and propane furnace while my kid and his buddy played Pack Man and watched videos. My generator setup was my own home built, so I used a belt and pulleys to make a 3 to 1 ratio to keep engine speed down. I had no tachometer but I always guessed i ran it at about 1,500 rpm. It was a lot slower than the store bought generators that all ran at 3,600 rpm. Mine really ran slower. So it never made all that much power, but it'd charge the battery just fine and it wasn't all that loud. I used to have two electric throws for the kids that ran from the inverter at night, but sleeping up over the truck cab, the floor under my mattress is exposed to the outside and it was cold. I got a "Tick" mattress and it made all the difference in the world. The Tick had down in it and feathers. They both came out once in a while so I saw them. Today I suppose they have space age materials that work as well. Just chiming in. ben/ michigan
In February 2021, while on Texas's South Padre Island, we had the GreatTexas Grid breakdown. It was 22 degrees on the island, no electricity and no water for three days. Completely unexpected conditions. Our trailer has two AGM batteries but smaller propane tanks. We dropped the temp to 55 on the furnace and occasionally hooked the truck up to top off the batteries.
We warm the Airstream up good before we go to bed then turn the heat way down. The first person up in the morning turns up the heat and it warms up quickly. That saves the battery life if Boondocking.
It was fun for this Northerner to listen to Alabamians share their strategies for surviving the "cold". 😉
Ha! I’m sure we have fallen short in comparison to the hardcore winter campers. But honestly most of our northern friends don’t camp in sub-freezing temperatures because they just head south to warm weather, so they don’t have any tips for us. 😂
Lots of good ideas. Watching from Kingman Arizona. 👍
In my recent camping trip to Moab I had a powered heated blanket. I was in a roof top tent in the lower 30’s. I put it under my sheet for my mattress. It has a timer when I woke up a little cold. I would turn it on. It needed a charge every other night. It got toasty in there. It seemed almost heat the whole tent. ALMOST..
The coldest I have slept was the truck stop at Snoville Utah 8 degrees with a howling pounding wind 30 miles per hour . The cold found every gap and crack. Our propane heater could only do 45 degrees that night
We own an Arctic Fox trailer and have found it to be great for colder weather. But, before the Arctic Fox, we had a Jayco. Loved that trailer! ( It was stolen.) We spent a winter in an RV park while my husband recovered from a colonoscopy disaster to be close to family. We used the electric oil heaters to keep the trailer warm and the condensation to a minimum. There were 3 of us, plus 2 cats, 2 dogs and a bearded dragon. On the wet west coast, the humidity is high, along with cooking with propane and lots of breathing, lol. If I was to do this again, or spend more time camping in freezing temps, I'd install a little woodstove. We heat our home and cabin with wood, so it's our 'normal'. I'd enjoy the dry heat and the ambiance. The trick is wood small enough and plentiful enough.
Sitting here at home in MAINE watching this video, thinking, "why am I watching two nice folks from ALABAMA talking about staying warm?!" Doesn't everyone sleep with socks on, at least 11 months of the year?? The heating pad is a great idea. Same for wearing layers and wearing a knit cap inside the RV. For serious sleeping warmth, however, the gold standard is a down sleeping bag; second choice is flannel sheets and a down comforter. Thanks for all your great videos!
I’m in a 35 foot fifth wheel a Alliance 310 which is four season. I purchased a diesel heater which runs off of 12 V and I’ll leave it outside piped into my underbelly. It helps quite a bit and I cut down on my propane use. I run the 12 V off of one of my solar generators.
Heating pad and a portable power source. Would have never thought of that and we have both! Great idea.
Great idea about the heating pad.
We usually use the Buddy.
Thanks for a great video!
Ram
Just follow the snow birds as they migrate south. You'll find warmth as they find a nice toasty spot.
I have a 1969 12 1/2 ft red del slide in truck camper it has a furnace but does not require electricity it's either on or it's off LOL bought it from the original owner and he ordered it with a cold weather package I found even at 15 below zero for that furnace a medium water tank never froze pipes that freeze in the overhead bed area stade nice n toasty, when I had it on private property I had a connected to a 100-pound tank and generally depending on situations would last a month or more or moving around the 20 lb tank last about 4 days
Instead of a top sheet and blankets or comforters we use individual twin-sized duvets with our queen bed (the Scandanavian sleep method). We have two weights--a duvet designed for warmer weather and a much thicker, fluffier duvet designed for cold weather. Each person can wrap their own duvet around themselves and the lighter weight and heavier weight duvets can be used together for extra warmth. Works for us.
Most RVs the mattress is over a storage compartment where you can have your accessories. Getting a piece of hard styrofoam or polyurethane insulation with the foil and placing it under the mattress helps tremendously
I live full time in my 5th wheel. Last winter, I installed a mini wood stove and it keeps my unit toasty.
We bake during the night without anything in the oven!.... at 350 degrees our propane oven heats the whole fifth wheel just fine with no time limit!
Make sure to crack open a small fresh air window/vent and ALWAYS have your smoke alarm/carbon detector on and working!
Have you tried one of those Chinese diesel parking heaters? They don't draw a lot of power, the diesel fuel goes a long way, and they really crank out the hot air. Plus, you don't have to worry about condensation.
Diesel heater is the way to go. 130.00 US is how much I spent. Amazon has many to choose from.
My rig has the "arctic package" yeah right! Last winter, I hooked up a diesel heater, which drew cold, outside air in, heated it, then blew it into the RV. The result was it pressurized the RV pushing warm air OUT through all the cracks and gaps which eliminated all the drafts. Warm air always moves towards cold air. Was it cost effective? No but it was more comfortable. Just remember your pipes are more important than your comfort.
I've used a Chinese diesel heater to heat the better part of my mobile home for four years. The only smoke/smell is when you first start it up and that's at the exaust port OUTSIDE. It lasts for about a minute and then it's just heat waves and not a hint of diesel smell.
I think some of the negative commenters wouldn't know one from a loaf of bread.
Inexpensive, reliable, miserly on fuel and electricity
We do not do a lot of cold weather camping we stay were we can plug in and use a eden pure heater plug in it has many settings and we love it it keeps the 36 ft fifth wheel warm
Olivers are designed to be 4 seasoned camper as well as a Bigfoot as another person mentioned. Watching how Olivers are made reveals unique design for extreme temps. We are picking up a similar fiberglass trailer, Escape 5.0, in two days! Woo hoo! It is a 3 season camper even with the sprayfoam around the tanks.
We have an Oliver Elite 2 and have camped in the mid teens with no condensation or drafts. I was camping solo, so not sure if that would be true with two or three people in the trailer, but I was happy with the performance in sub freezing temps.
@ We just got home from our maiden voyage🥰. Our first night in the trailer was in the 20s and 30s in Cheyenne. 🥶I think we did have only a little bit of condensation in the bed area of the fifth wheel. However, we didn’t have a dehumidifier. So it is now on the LONG “to buy list” for cold weather camping.
The only danger in a space heater is if it tips over. But a certified space heater has a switch that cuts the power when it tips over so they are the safest heater you can use. Plug it in, turn it on and kick it over and see what happens.
While I'm a super hot sleeper, my husband and I managed to spend the night comfortably in a tent in near freezing temps. We had our sleeping bags zipped together (one on the top, one on the bottom), with a thick blanket and sheet over us, another blanket under us, and a tiny space heater running (although I don't think it did much). Getting out of our "nest" and getting dressed in the morning was the worst part. 😂
We use a down duvet (edit) and when on shore power, a mattress heating pad. After that...time to go home.
Up until I bought an RV I ran an outdoor extension cord into my tent and used a heating pad in the foot of my sleeping bag. I’ve slept nice and toasty in 17F temps. I use it in my RV as well as a double sleeping bag and fleece liner if it’s super cold. It also makes a great boot warmer as well.
We used flannel sheets when it was cold with a Down comforter on top of that. Only problem was our Cotton pajamas stuck us to our flannel sheets, making it almost impossible to change positions, kind of like being velcrowed in bed. We had to buy satin like pajamas so we could move in bed.
What about towing your trailer in below freezing temperatures? Example: Right now you are camping in below freezing temps but the temps are going to get even colder as you tow the trailer. How do you keep your water and sewer tanks from freezing as you tow to your next destination?
I'm dealing with getting my Arctic Wolf better winterized. I'm at a point where I'm removing the inner windows and door trims to sprey gap foam in all the spaces as well as upgrading the furnace ducting and sealing up manufactuer holes that they randomly made. We've camped for 3 years in the winter and have "made it" but I have always frowned at the "drafts" in our trailer. Rugs on the floors and entire house version of room darkening curtions really helps too. If we have kids with us at all sometimes we will also place a throw blanket over thr headache pad above the door so when the door is opened to get in or out all your heat is not instantly lost out the door.
We have went through two new mattresses as they got mold from the cold under the Motorhome and the heat from our bodies , ugh we finally bought a plastic barrier to lift mattress up a bit to circulate air , and check often by lifting up our mattress
I have an Outdoors RV and it is designed for cold weather. Double pain windows and extra insulation.
Same! 😌
HI Thanks for the great tips. We own an Arctic Fox but we still supplement our heating with infrared. In other words we are heating bodies and surfaces not air so to speak. This lets us set the thermostat controlling the furnace at a lower temp. Whether it it is a infrared heating pad or small infrared heater, they still take power but up here in Canada we have found these work the best for us. That said we are not comping in the middle winter ether.
I'm heading out in a couple of weeks for a weekend of cold weather and you guys covered everything even a few things I did not think about like the heating pad under the mattress that would be a great game changer
2001 Monaco Windsor 40’ diesel pusher, fully insulated, dual pain windows, aquahot diesel furnace, heated bays. No problems.
Wow, you guys are still on the road. I remember both of you 15 years ago. The first Alumapoloza at Jackson center with Rich Lurh . Keep rolling and still learning thanks.
Make some insulated window covers for the winter.
Good info. We use the fan "pillows" - they work for AC in the summer as well as heat in the winter. Note that opening a window when using your propane furnace is not needed - - but the furnace is a closed loop whereas a propane "Buddy" heater is open combustion and propane puts off water vapor when burning as an open flame.
This past week we camped in state parks with hookups - we used two ceramic electric heaters and our furnace didn't come on at all. Contrary to Sean's recommendation, we carefully placed them away from combustibles and let them run all night. it was an even heat and much more quiet than the furance.
The main way we keep warm is not to camp when its really cold!
I've got 3x electric heaters, I use my RV as my home office and the electric heaters with a little bit of home automation keeps me comfortable down to about 10F mornings, there the propane does kick on for a little bit as 90 minutes isn't enough to raise the temp from 42 to 72 (I let it get down to 42F overnight, the propane thermostat won't go below 40F so that's my emergency backup to keep things from freezing). Reflectix in all the windows, the big one has a quilt of insulating material and cloth sandwiching the reflectix. I've been thinking about getting a heat pump for the bedroom as my rig only came with AC, the heat pump would use about half the electricity as the electric heaters but at my current usage it would take 4-5 years to pay back but I'm pretty sure I'm not keeping this one that long so it wouldn't make economic sense (having a second AC for the bedroom and being able to use it instead of the main one when I'm on conference calls might be enough of an advantage that I'll do it anyways)
Socks I know about, wool 28 gram, the best they make
$32. a pair. Plant operator at a rock quarry, winter maintenance. Multi layer every thing. Cut old Long John's for neck gathe. Oh ya I sleep in long johns. I do the same thing with my heating pad.
I found when using the heat pump at night to leave the bathroom door open in the hallway. Since the thermostat is in the front the bedroom gets toasty warm because the warm air isn’t getting to the thermostat. I also carry a Pelonis Ceramic heater made in 1989. They’re still around on Ebay and put out a lot of heat for the power consumed. Steel case. Being in Florida we get cold under 75 degrees!😮
Purchase A deluxe ice fishing trailer built for cold weather. You do not need to ice fish.
Here's a little camper hack that you can try if you have single pane windows (what.. is there an alternative?) Cut some clear Bubble wrap the shape of your windows and mist the flat side lightly with plain water. Apply the bubble wrap to the window, it should stick. If it comes loose you can use some cellophane tape to help. You can still see out, and light will still come in but the little air pockets will create a bit more insulation than you had with the single pane glass.
I have been using an Empire propane heater in my campers since 2004 . It’s a 18,000 btu ceramic heater (glows orange) and has thermostat and uses no electricity. I tee off the propane from inside the camper useing a rubber line . Used in below O temperature and easily maintain 68 degrees. It has an oxygen sensor built into it and I open the window like you showed cuz it will shut off without doing that . Also lasts longer on propane than what you guys were saying you were getting .
The propane furnace is not exhausting gasses inside the trailer, so they do not cause excessive moisture in the interior air - they use outside air for combustion and vent to the exterior. The condensation is from the windows, which condense any moisture in the trailer and evaporate in the RV. Second, an electric blanket with a portable power station will keep you warm at night, in the recliner then in bed, but it needs to be a mid-size unit, with about 1,000 watt hours.
We have to travel to Alaska mid April next year for work camping job. Thanks for these great tips.
The Reflectix also blocks the Alaskan light for bedtime. Note however, we found out our trailer door let light in, where there wasn't a window! Try to test seal off the light coming through your windows, skylights and doors before you go. Have fun. My husband and I spent the summer of '23 there. I can't wait to go back!