RV Winter Prep

[Ryan B.]

So I'm going to be living full time in my RV for at least the first couple of months during the winter. I've got a Jayco 24MBH. I noticed that the underbelly of the TT had this thin black protector sheet of something covering the entire under side.

How can I make sure my puppies and such are protected and tanks insulated? I don't totally feel comfortable pulling it off not knowing what is under it or of of even be able to get it back up again.

Anyone have this situation??

R

[Greg58]

Not knowing much about that model but the belly cover will insulate better than you think. The material traps air which helps insulation, if you keep heat on inside it should be good if it not extremely cold. The problem will be the water supply to the unit.

[Ryan B.]

Originally Posted by Greg58

Not knowing much about that model but the belly cover will insulate better than you think. The material traps air which helps insulation, if you keep heat on inside it should be good if it not extremely cold. The problem will be the water supply to the unit.

Where I live right now we can expect temps at night to dip to around 20⁰F or less in Dec/Jan.

Do you think I should consider skirting?

[Greg58]

We’ve camped when it was 18 in Tennessee with a previous TT and didn’t have any problems with the unit itself, keeping the hose to the unit from freezing was our problem. A hose with a heat strip is the way to go. I’ve seen many different ways to insulate, one guy had foam pipe wrap inside a 4” dryer vent, he said it had never froze.

[Greg58]

I have thought about buying a sewer drain hose and Run the supply hose through it, that would work here in Ga.

[Ricoace]

They sell a Heated water hose from Amazon. I spent last winter in my RV and that was my only issue. I had two infrared heaters that kept me warm all winter. The propane furnace in mine was not efficient. I went thru two 20 IB propane tanks in two days using the propane furnace. Buy some infrared electric heaters.

[Greg58]

We hardly ever use our furnace either, we camp year round and never winterize our outback but I do the jayco. We keep a oil type electric heater in ours that works well if it’s not below freezing.

[Wsw]

Most tt have vents which which heat the space in the underbelly. Those only work when the gas furnace is on.

I actually one year while living in mine taped up every hole and seam. I cut an access point in and put a small electric heater in the underbelly and sealed it up with a remote temp sensor to keep an eye on the temp under there. Never froze even at 0. Put heat tape on hydrant and wrapped insulation and dropped a 5 gallon bucket over that and used a heated water supply hose. That never froze either.

[ctbailey]

Skirted is the only way we can do it in the North East. The enclosed belly only increases the air about 10 degrees above outside ambient without skirting.
with skirting you can make it.

But, skirting needs to be installed before the ground freezes. And include COPIOUS amounts of mouse deterrant, because skirting a trailer and heating it is like setting up a huge neon sign that invites critters.

the heated hose should be only connected while filling the fresh water tank, and then run off tanks and not connected full time.

Take showers at the gym or at work.

It's gonna suck living in an RV during the winter. they are not tiny little mobile homes, no matter what the RV stealership told you.

The propane heat is going to be expensive. and you'll eventually want to switch to electric because of the huge amounts of water that the propane furnace throws into the coach.

But, as others have correctly stated... the underbelly is only "heated" when the gas furnace is running... and the insulation value of that corrugated plastic is probably closer to R0.05 then you think.

good luck, and work on getting a real home as fast as possible.

[pconroy]

Originally Posted by Ryan B.

Where I live right now we can expect temps at night to dip to around 20⁰F or less in Dec/Jan.

It's the "or less" that would give me pause. We've winter camped a lot.
It's not the average low's that will hit you - it's the actual low.


As well as what others have said - what's your expectation? Can you skip a few days of showering? If it gets bitter cold, can you leave the RV and stay someplace? For any one day, do you think it'll stay below freezing?


I'll just share our guidelines:
- we don't skirt, but I would if I was going to stay out for days or longer
- if I did skirt, I'd also figure out some ways to get electrical heat under and inside the skirting
- if you have some exposed water lines, slide some pipe insulation on them
- don't forget to research that absorption fridge's don't like extreme cold (I have a 60 watt lightbulb on stand by)
- think about your water heater, is there a risk of freezing?


Here, I won't worry if the temps dip into high teens during the night. It's only for an hour or so, and daytime temps will often raise us back above. Water lines are wrapped (and I just added heat cable).


Finally, if I know the temps are going to be mid teens or below, I just "give up" and winterize with Antifreeze before I go to bed. $8 of antifreeze; I can do it in 10 minutes. And then go to bed not worrying about things.

[Vedasl5]

I am living full time in RV this winter, not using the water tanks, should I just empty them?