Embracing RV living in Canada throughout winter can be a rewarding experience. The crisp mornings, serene snow-covered landscapes, and the promise of adventure make the journey worthwhile. However, it comes with its own set of challenges, and preparation is essential to truly enjoy full-time RV living during the cold Canadian winter. Winterizing your RV is not just about surviving the frigid months; it’s about transforming your RV into a comfortable, safe, and cozy home on wheels that can withstand harsh conditions.
Proper winterization involves several key steps to protect your RV from damage and ensure a warm, livable environment. From insulating your windows and skirting the RV to managing your water and heating systems effectively, to preparing in case of extreme weather, each element plays a critical role.
In this guide, we will cover everything you need to ensure your RV is ready for a Canadian winter, making the experience not only survivable but truly enjoyable.
1. Why Winterizing Is Crucial for Full-Time RV Living
RV living during winter in Canada presents unique challenges. The freezing temperatures can cause pipes to burst, batteries to lose their charge, and general discomfort if the RV is not properly insulated. Proper winterization keeps your RV safe from potential damage and helps you maintain a comfortable environment. Ensuring you have a well-prepared RV will also save you money on repairs and maintain your peace of mind while you travel or settle down for the season.
Winterizing for full-time RV living means taking care of plumbing, heating, insulation, safety and other considerations, making it a top priority before temperatures begin to drop.
2. Insulating Your RV for Winter
A significant part of winterizing your RV involves keeping your interior warm and free from drafts. To insulate your RV effectively, consider the following:
- Windows: RV windows are often a primary source of heat loss. Use thermal curtains or reflective insulation (like Reflectix) to cover your windows. It’s also a good idea to add weather stripping around the window frames to seal any gaps. Additionally, consider using heat shrink window kits. These kits create an insulating layer by applying plastic film over the windows and shrinking it with heat, which helps to reduce drafts and further minimize heat loss. They are easy to install and can make a significant difference in keeping your RV warm during the winter. If you are living in a motorhome, heat shrink window kits can be used on your windshield as well – keep in mind that applying the plastic can be tricky, so patience is required.
- Skirting: Adding skirting around the base of your RV is another essential step. Skirting prevents cold air from circulating underneath your rig, helping to keep your floors warmer and protecting pipes from freezing. It’s also important to check with the RV park about skirting requirements, as some parks may have rules for when skirting should be added and removed. Skirting can be rigid, such as using plywood or foam, or more flexible – IE using Reflectix or snap on skirting.
- Floor Insulation: Use foam mats or thick rugs to keep your RV floors warmer. The added layer will help reduce the cold air seeping in from below and make it more comfortable to walk around in winter. Even if your RV has carpeted areas, adding additional rugs or mats can help improve the feel on your feet.
3. Heating Systems: Staying Warm and Cozy
When winterizing your RV for full-time living in Canada, a reliable heating system is non-negotiable. Here are some tips to keep your RV comfortably warm:
- Furnace Maintenance: Ensure your propane furnace is in good working condition. Clean the vents and check that the thermostat works properly. Stock up on propane if your furnace will be your primary heat source. Remember that the more your furnace runs, the more propane you will use. We found that a 30 lb. propane tank will only last a couple of days if the furnace runs often.
- Supplemental Heaters: Many RVers use electric space heaters as a supplemental heating source. This helps reduce propane usage and keeps the interior at a stable temperature. Electric space heaters are great because they can be moved to areas in your RV which feel cooler.
- Portable Heat Sources: Consider a ceramic or oil-filled radiator as an additional heat source. Make sure to use these safely, following manufacturer guidelines, especially when living in an enclosed space.
- Using a heat source under your RV can also be highly effective in preventing tanks and water lines from freezing during extremely cold climates, ensuring your water system remains functional and reducing the risk of damage.
Most full time RVers use a combination of the above suggestions. For example, we use an oil heater in the middle of our motorhome (the kitchen area) while also utilizing portable ceramic heaters in areas such as the bedroom and bathroom to help keep those rooms comfortable. The propane furnace, then, becomes our secondary (backup) heat source.
4. Managing Water Systems
One of the most challenging aspects of RV living in winter is managing your water system. To prevent frozen pipes and ensure access to fresh water, follow these steps:
- Use RV Antifreeze: Add non-toxic RV antifreeze to your holding tanks (especially the black and gray tanks) to prevent them from freezing. The antifreeze will keep residual water from expanding and causing damage.
- During the winter months: Keep your holding tank valves closed and only open them to dump when the tanks are full. Regularly emptying both tanks is crucial, with a good practice being to dump the black tank before the gray tank, as the gray tank tends to fill more quickly. This approach not only helps maintain proper flow but also ensures that your sewer hose does not freeze up, minimizing the risk of clogs or damage during cold conditions.
- Heated Water Hose: Invest in, or make, a heated water hose to connect your RV to a water source. A regular hose can freeze quickly, but a heated hose ensures that water continues flowing even in sub-zero temperatures.
- Tank Heating Pads: Apply heating pads to your freshwater, gray, and black tanks. These pads will keep the tanks from freezing, which is crucial for full-time RV living in cold weather.
5. Battery Care During Winter
Your RV’s batteries are at risk of losing charge quickly during cold conditions. To keep your batteries healthy and fully charged:
- Battery Insulation: Use battery blankets to insulate your RV batteries. This will help maintain a higher temperature, reducing the risk of your batteries losing their charge.
- Charging Regularly: Make sure your batteries are regularly charged. Cold weather causes batteries to deplete faster, so keeping them charged is essential. Solar panels can also help maintain battery levels if you have access to sunlight.
6. Ventilation Matters
Even in winter, proper ventilation is vital to prevent condensation inside your RV. Moisture buildup can lead to mold and mildew, which not only damages your RV but also affects indoor air quality. Here’s how to manage moisture:
- Vent Covers: Install vent covers that allow you to keep your vents open even when it’s raining or snowing. This helps in maintaining airflow without letting in the elements.
- Dehumidifier: Use a small dehumidifier to manage moisture levels. This is particularly useful if you are cooking or showering inside your RV frequently.
- Other Dehumidifier Products: Products like DampRid and Dri-Z-Air can also be used. These products help remove moisture from the air. They could be used in cupboards, closets, in drawers, under beds, and in basement storage compartments to ensure moisture does not build up in these areas.
7. Preparing Your Plumbing System
Water lines and tanks are particularly vulnerable during winter, especially if it gets very cold for an extended period. Here are some things you may want to consider doing to protect them:
- Drain the Lines: If it is going to be particularly cold for a stretch, consider draining your water lines and add antifreeze where necessary to prevent freezing. You can always flush the lines when it warms up. In cases like this you should consider using bottled water and minimizing what you put down the drain until the extreme cold breaks.
- Heated Tape: Wrap your water lines with heated tape to keep them from freezing. This is especially important if temperatures drop significantly, or some water lines are exposed to the elements. This may also be helpful if some interior water lines run along the outside walls of your RV, for example.
8. Stock Up on Winter Supplies
Full-time RV living during winter requires careful planning when it comes to supplies. Make sure you have enough of the following:
- Propane: Keep an ample supply of propane for heating and cooking.
- Firewood: If you have an outdoor fire pit, firewood can be a great source of warmth and enjoyment.
- Food and Water: Stock up on non-perishable food items and ensure you have enough drinking water in case of an emergency. Having extra drinking water will also come in handy if you get an extreme cold weather snap and need to winterize your holding tanks with RV Antifreeze for a short period of time.
9. Safety Precautions for Winter RV Living
Living in an RV in winter can be challenging, but following safety precautions can make it manageable:
- Carbon Monoxide Detector: Make sure you have a working carbon monoxide detector. Propane heating systems can emit carbon monoxide, and it’s crucial to be aware of any leaks. If you have a carbon monoxide detector, ensure it is not expired – be sure to test it regularly as well.
- Smoke Detection: As with ensuring you have a working CO detection system, having a working smoke detector is also crucial. Test it regularly as well. If you don’t remember the last time you changed the battery, then now is the time to change the battery.
- Fire Extinguisher: Check that your fire extinguisher is in good working order and does not need to be recharged. Space heaters and propane appliances can pose fire hazards if not used carefully.
- Emergency Kit: Have an emergency kit with blankets, a first aid kit, flashlights, batteries, candles, and other essentials in case of power outages or other emergencies. Candles can be an excellent source of both heat and light if, for example, your power goes out.
10. Checklist for Winterizing Your RV
To make sure you don’t miss anything, use the following checklist to winterize your RV for full-time living in Canada:
- Insulate windows with thermal curtains, or Reflectix
- Install heat shrink window kits to reduce drafts
- Add weather stripping around window frames
- Install skirting around the RV and check park requirements for skirting
- Add floor insulation with foam mats or thick rugs
- Service and check the propane furnace
- Get supplemental heaters (electric or ceramic)
- Use a heat source under the RV to prevent tanks and water lines from freezing
- Install a heated water hose
- Add heating pads to water tanks (freshwater, gray, and black)
- Use RV antifreeze in holding tanks
- Wrap water pipes with heated tape
- Insulate RV batteries with battery blankets
- Regularly charge batteries to prevent depletion
- Install vent covers to maintain airflow while preventing elements from entering
- Use a dehumidifier to manage moisture levels
- Place moisture-absorbing products like Damprid or Dry-Z-Air in compartments, closets, cupboards, and drawers
- Drain water lines and add antifreeze as needed
- Stock up on propane, firewood, food, and water supplies
- Ensure your carbon monoxide detector is functional
- Ensure your smoke detector is functional
- Check the fire extinguisher for proper operation
- Prepare an emergency kit with blankets, a first aid kit, flashlights, candles and batteries
Conclusion
Winterizing your RV for full-time RV living in Canada requires preparation, but once everything is set up, you will be ready to embrace the beauty of winter comfortably. From insulating your RV to ensuring your water system is safe from freezing, each step is crucial to make your winter RV living experience enjoyable. Use this guide to prepare your RV and create a warm, cozy home that keeps you safe and comfortable throughout the Canadian winter. With the right strategies and precautions in place, RV living can be a wonderful, year-round lifestyle choice.