Winter RVing in a Class C

Not 'any' class C can sit on a freezing mountain top and not freeze the tanks.

However many can. My Bounder can sit in 19F weather without any damage. Many class C and class A have 'enclosed' tanks, that are in the basement, with a 1" heater duct into the basement, and that 'should' stay above 32F.

I have a 415 watt solar panels and 4 golf cart batteries.

For winter heat, I have a Olymmpic Catalytic heater, 6,000 Btu's. I put in a tee and quick disconnect for the heater, and store it covered in the closet. You might consider the smaller heater in your tiny RV. Or leave the windows open further. I have MAxx Air covers on all my roof vents, so I can leave them open in the rain, or driving too.

If you stay plugged in during storage, it will keep the battery full. Just check the water levels every 2 months.

Check your tries for clearance. I used cables on my Ford Edge, and they worked fairly well. Chains will require more space between the tire and RV body. I would put cables on all 4 rear tires, because if you only do say the outer pair of tires, then those tires outside diameter is more than the inner tire without cables on it. You do not want the other tire scrubbing and traveling another revolution per mile.

If you have 'exposed tanks' under the class C, then you should consider camping with wine! Buy a gallon of the really cheap stuff, and put it in your fresh water tank, it will not freeze until it is really cold. Put about 1 quart in the black water tank, and some in the fresh water tank.

You will barely taste the wine in the fresh water tank. And it should keep it from freezing until the water is around 28F.

Good luck, Have fun!

Fred.

Since low power use may help... here is a hot water circulating system that I installed. Pump runs about one amp to keep the pipes happy from the propane heated water. Save water too with instant warm/hot at the faucet.

> Recirculate hot water-completed-pictures added

If you have a "winter ready" RV, use the furnace. Typically it has a little duct that goes into the (enclosed) compartment where the water tanks are to keep them above freezing. If the tanks and drain valves are exposed rather than enclosed, you more or less can't use the RV plumbing systems when it's below freezing. (Sufficient anti-freezing chemicals of some sort could keep it working if it doesn't get too cold.)

A 12V heater is entirely impractical for keeping the RV from freezing. One pound of propane has the same amount of energy as about 500 amp-hours at 12V—specifically, 21600 btu or 6.33 kwh. Put another way, a pair of golf cart batteries stores about the same amount of usable energy as 4 ounces (weight, not fluid ounces) of propane. A typical RV furnace might be around 25000 btu/hr, for comparison, and often needs to work pretty hard in freezing temperatures to keep the temperature inside reasonable. 120V electric heaters (with a generator) might be an option if it's not too cold, though you still need to make sure the heat gets around the tanks.

Most RVs aren't really designed for subzero use, even if they are built to withstand freezing temperatures. There's not a whole lot of insulation, and often single pane windows throughout, and thin plastic skylights, and so forth. The cab of a class C is not very well insulated at all—it's like a car in construction. Blocking it off with a heavy curtain or similar can help keep the rest of the unit warmer while parked.

Personally, I don't drive my class C durning the winter due to the salt on the roads and the corrosion it causes. It's a tradeoff, of course; the RV should last longer, but I don't get to enjoy it during several months of the year.

How cold are we talking? I've successfully been in -37 C (-34 f) but I've made a LOT of modifications to be able to do so.

Are your waste tanks enclosed?

There is a wonderful sticky thread on winter camping under the full time forum.

You may need to add some heat to the exterior of the fridge.

I am able to heat electrically at campgrounds that have 50 amp service. I'm also able to do so if I have access to three 15 shore power outlets (on different breakers, of course).

Do NOT use an unvented combustion heater.

FredRV wrote:
We live near a ski mountain and want to camp with our 23' Class C on weekends at the mountain. So, how do I eep things from freezing both while camping and while stored ( outdoor covered - with power). My initial thoughts, which could be way off are as follows:

Tank heaters for fresh, gray and black tanks.
Cargo heater in cargo space near valves and pipes
Small electric Heater inside near sink and bathroom.

These would all need to be DC and running when in storage or camping. FYI, there are no hookups at the mountain so I will need to hook up an external generator to keep batteries charged and run appliances.

I need details as to why this might not work or specifically what products I should use etc. the more information the better.

Thanks!

The buddy heaters are dangerous and will cause HUGE moisture build ups.

stevekk wrote:
Also watch out for moisture buildup.
Get a "Buddy" type heater.

Moved from Forum Technical Support

Also watch out for moisture buildup.
Get a "Buddy" type heater.
Use RV antifreeze in black tank/ traps/ etc.
Use bottled water vs your fresh water tank.
Just some ideas.

I found a few videos on Youtube regarding rv living in the winter. Although they were mostly aimed at full timers, you might find some useful information. I typed "Rv winter camping" for the search. Good Luck.

Assuming your c is not setup for winter camping ....while camping with no hookups, the generator will have to be running 24-7....You have the heating needs just about worked out...you will not need the extra heater in the bathroom if the entire unit is kept well above freezing...Your batteries setup will not keep heaters of any kind running for long....even LP with a fan pulls a bit of juice, tank heaters, and electric elements of any kind will not work off batteries...

Motorhomes and freezing temps don't mix well. This is not a good plan!