Winter time travel

Typically biggest draw back in cold country for a 4 season RV is no open dump stations.

BillHoughton wrote:
I've seen occasional references in passing recommending against winter (that is, below freezing) travel in an RV.

What is the reason that they say to not do it? Is it using the RV in the cold weather or using it with water in the winter?

If you are only having the temps drop at night and warming up during the day you are fine using your water. A solid time of cold then do what others say and take a tank of water and use RV antifreeze to flush.

Carry your fresh water in jugs, as mentioned. Can get the big water bottles from Wal-Mart or Safeway type stores.

When in the RV..using the furnace can get to be a power problem. I light one of the stove top burners...it's amazing how much heat is created.

As far as tanks...toss a gallon or two of RV anti-freeze into each of the tanks. There..that problem is solved. Have a jug of anti-freeze with you and each night toss a cup down the pee traps.

As for driving? Man..an RV on icy roads is just terrible. Mine is 4x4 and I engage as soon as the road is white and drive at a very careful speed. Once it slides..it won't stop until it runs out of pavement.


Gary Haupt

Working around the water issue in your camper, the bigger threat is ice on the roads. If there is Ice on the roads, don't do it. It's just that simple. Winter, Ice, and Mountains just don't mix ... for any type of motorized transportation.

As far as I know, the tanks are hanging under the RV, exposed to the world. This RV was not sold in snow country, so the original purchaser may have felt it was unnecessary. But thanks; I'll look into that question.

Glad I never read those posts some decades ago. We lived in MI and loved winter camping. We often camped at Lake Mitchell in Cadillac and Xcountry skied there. From time to time would need to call a tow truck to pull us out. Spent many many weekends camping at the casino near Sault Ste Marie. They would run an extension cord out the mens bathroom window for a AC hookup in well below zero temps. Coldest I remember traveling in was 35 below. We'd spend our short weekends at the Grand Haven SP where the manager would give us the combo to the back way lock and turn on a power pedistal for us.

We would carry what water we needed in milk jugs kept on the shower floor. The water system was winterized with plenty of antifreeze in the blackwater tanezek so the valves wouldn't freeze. Never used the grey water tank. There was a dump station about 10 miles from home open year round where I could dump every month or two. Slid backwards down a half mile icy steep grade near Cross Village one winter. Wouldn't want to do that part again. Would see quite a few camper pulling snowmobile in upper MI and in the UP. FWIW.

As Desert Captain says, if your motorhome is designed for cold weather operation (with enclosed heated tanks and plumbing runs, rather than them all hanging down underneath in the open) you should have no trouble at all. I've camped more with the overnight temperatures have been in the 20's and had no trouble, and would not expect you to either. The furnace does use propane at a relatively quick rate, so keep an eye on that.

My bigger concern is driving through winter weather, especially as they tend to salt the roads a good bit up in this part of the country. Road salt does a number on vehicle frames, and the angles etc. that the house part of the motorhome is built out of are not especially corrosion-resistant, at least on my unit. Washing it off afterwards if possible is a good idea. (I also prefer not to drive the motorhome on slippery roads, although when I've been stuck with having a drive through snow it behaved decently.)

It takes a lot of very cold to do any damage to an RV. I assume your Navion came with heated tanks, and a 30,000+ BTU furnace so you should have no issues there. As long as the temps don't get below the mid 20's for an extended period of time nothing should freeze.

Keep a few cabinet doors open so the heat from the furnace can circulate. If you are comfortable then your plumbing should be good. Warm up the coach well before retiring and you will be fine.