No question is to dumb, right? My new travel trailer will sit outside all winter but I do have electricity to it. I will winterize it. Do any of you place some electrical heat source in your RV during the winter months that is safe or is this is just a crazy idea and not even necessary? If you do use some kind of electrical heat, what device do you use?

As long as you have all of the water o ut of the tanks, water heater, lines and sewer traps you should have nothing to worry about. If you have an outside shower make sure that is also free of water. I use air pressure to winterize mine and pour a little pink stuff in the traps to get the water out. The heat will do nothing but run up wour heat bill.

RV's set on dealer lots all winter with no heat.

Things are a little dryer where you are then where I am. (well west of the mountains). I keep heat (low ~40) and a dehumidifier going all winter.Yes, dealers don't heat their rigs, but they are trying to sell them NOW, not keep them in great condition for 10 or 20 years.

A lot of rigs sit over the winter, and if they start leaking during the PDI, the dealer likely would have to pay for it.I live in TX, so I have some leeway. A bottle of cheap vodka pumped into the city water and run through the pump and faucets, then blown out via an air compressor, and my rig is ready for the relatively moderate Texas cold.

A fully charged battery will not freeze until it gets to somewhere about -90 F. I keep a Battery Minder on my house battery and a trickle charger on my chassis battery and run my generator from time to time. Some people just charge them up and leave them there, others bring their batteries inside.I don't use a heater of any kind.

Winterized RV/Electric Heater? | Good Sam Community

bsinmich
Explorer
Sep 16, 2013
As long as you have all of the water o ut of the tanks, water heater, lines and sewer traps you should have nothing to worry about. If you have an outside shower make sure that is also free of water. I use air pressure to winterize mine and pour a little pink stuff in the traps to get the water out. The heat will do nothing but run up wour heat bill.
rvten
Explorer
Sep 16, 2013
RV's set on dealer lots all winter with no heat.
n7bsn
Explorer
Sep 16, 2013
Things are a little dryer where you are then where I am. (well west of the mountains). I keep heat (low ~40) and a dehumidifier going all winter.

Yes, dealers don't heat their rigs, but they are trying to sell them NOW, not keep them in great condition for 10 or 20 years.
mlts22
Explorer
Sep 17, 2013
A lot of rigs sit over the winter, and if they start leaking during the PDI, the dealer likely would have to pay for it.

I live in TX, so I have some leeway. A bottle of cheap vodka pumped into the city water and run through the pump and faucets, then blown out via an air compressor, and my rig is ready for the relatively moderate Texas cold.
tenbear
Explorer
Sep 17, 2013
A fully charged battery will not freeze until it gets to somewhere about -90 F. I keep a Battery Minder on my house battery and a trickle charger on my chassis battery and run my generator from time to time. Some people just charge them up and leave them there, others bring their batteries inside.

I don't use a heater of any kind.
beemerphile1
Explorer
Sep 17, 2013
If it is winterized it would be a huge waste of money to run a heater.
colliehauler
Explorer III
Sep 17, 2013
My seasonal camper is left in -40 degree temps. I just pump the pink stuff and never had a problem.
ScottG
Nomad
Sep 17, 2013
Vinyl flooring in boats and RV's sometimes cracks and splits when it's subjected to hard freezing. It's also bad for woodwork and can make it do bad things too.
For those reasons I heat mine to just over freezing.
Ski_Pro_3
Explorer
Sep 17, 2013
I keep mine set for 3 degrees warmer than the outdoor air temperature or 3 degrees above freezing, which ever is higher. The hardest thing was building a thermostat that would track the outdoor air temps and keep the heater set for 3 degrees more. I couldn't find one, that's for sure! Works great and doesn't use much electricity to keep it warm.

Besides, when I'm in the 'dog house' with the little woman, I have a place to go. Hope she never finds out, or she'll get suspicious as to why I seem to look for trouble with her...
mosseater
Explorer II
Sep 17, 2013
The only time I use heat in the trailer (other than when we are actually camping in it) is when we still have a few trips booked near the end of the season and I need some heat as insurance against an overnight freeze or three. Otherwise, my winterizing has protected the water system over several tough winters without incident.