Sorry my reply above got messed up, so much for a quick reply, so let me do it correctly here....
Winter camping is possible but enjoying winter in any RV is a lot more difficult than you would think. Unlike many others I have done this many times all the way down to the -30Cs and have survived. Was it enjoyable? As I get older I find it less so without a lot of work to make it enjoyable but I did survive. There are few, if any, RV's of any type that can be used as built in these conditions, they may say you can but they are stretching the truth.... a lot!!! If you are going with the majority of the time not plugged in you are adding to your challenges!
You are going to need to work on a lot of issues like:
- Adding additional batteries (the cold reduces the batteries capacity and if you want to heat the batteries that takes power to do that).
- Some will say run your generator but without shore power you will be doing it a lot to keep everything charged and running and you will need fuel for that - a lot of fuel, so solar is a better choice as the sun is free but in the winter there is a lot less of this. Add to the fact that in extreme cold a propane generator is not reliable as they can have issues with the fuel being too cold or all types of generators just plain not wanting to start in the really cold.
-Water needs to be kept warm and many RV's use the heat from the furnace to do this adding more run time to the furnace, needing more power.
-There is a lot of cold air that comes from the cab so either a door (the best solution for 24/7/365) or a heavy sheet is required.
- RV outside doors are horrible in the cold so another blanket over the door.
- You can get thermal windows, make storm windows or stuff insulation in the windows but they will never be as good as a house window.
- Add to this that in an RV you are closer to the walls and it can be hard to "feel" warm without cranking the heat a lot higher than you would at home.
If you are serious look at a Bigfoot (just one type but a good one) as they are geared to the cold, but even then you are getting the cold basics.
A few things to upgrade:
Furnace:
In really cold weather you need plugins or you will have to customize big time with a cat heater or two (get the vented ones to be safer and to vent the moisture of the propane). RV furnaces running for long periods will drain any battery set-up in winter months especially as you go further north and if you try to use solar to charge back up, a couple days should not be an issue but long term no go. A generator will help in recharging but as mentioned above you will be running it a long time to recharge with issues. RV furnaces are noisy and running 40 minutes out of an hour can make sleeping an issue. Electric heat with shore power is a great way to go as it runs quiet and you can put it where you need it. If you think that it is cold for one night in -20 try being in it 24/7 for a week or two!
Also you need to have a back-up or two in place. I use my RV furnace, a 110V electric and as a final back-up a cat heater to insure I can make it through the cold safely.
Water:
Long periods of time in REALLY cold weather and you are going to have issues with water and waste water as you can only carry so much fresh water and you will need to dump your waste tanks. Most RV's may have heated water tanks but only some have heated waste tanks. Most fall short on the dump valves as they are outside or not heated. If you are using a cat heater you will add more issues to it as you cannot push the heat around under the cupboards to do the heating of the tanks like most manufacturers think is enough, so now you are adding heat pads that will drain your batteries when not plugged in. Also try finding a dump station open past October in the north.
Condensation:
If you want a sauna you are in luck as after a few days in really cold weather you will find your RV will be REALLY humid!!! Cooking, showering, breathing, etc will make your RV a ice cube or a sauna depending on the inside temperature. I fix this by opening a window or vent during the day to air it out but then you are reheating the air, a dehumidifier is great if you have the power and the space. You will need to lift your mattress to allow air under it, this can be done with a number of off the shelf ideas.
These are just a few things other things like carpet and underlay, a skirt around the bottom of the RV, etc, etc can really help as well. I look forward to seeing your progress as you research this.
