How to STAY WARM inside a COLD RV ❄️

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[jeepgirl]

I’ve tried winter camping in a RV here in Maine. I have found that the best solution is to rent a cabin.

[hamisr]

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!

[johnd]

I installed a wood heater in my RV. But I live in mine full time. Keeps RV warm with just a few logs.

[justinlinnane]

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

[SpringfieldGuy]

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.

[thesandero]

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.

[brentross]

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

[Chicago_Clout]

I solved this problem by heading to Florida when the cold sets in.

[bearisland]

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.

[grantbowen]

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!

[JosieB]

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.

[donaldsteese]

We're fulltime rvers and we solved our heating problems by spending the winters in Arizona!

[nancyst.john-smith]

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!

[aljano]

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. 🧊

[ralphwright]

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.

[duanelundgren]

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!!!

[johnh]

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

[rickbartley]

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.

[teddyk]

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

[FarrellMcGovern]

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".