New to RVs, going on first trip in January - any semi cold weather tips?

[thedinobots]

Hi all! First post here.

I just bought a 2024 3231CK and will go on a three to four month trip starting in January.

I’ve been living in a friends Renegade Verona for the past month just to learn the ropes, which has been really helpful.

My girlfriend and I (30’s, work full time remote) will be visiting Huntsville, AL for about a month and a half, then Asheville, NC for about a month and a half before doing a coastal trip down the east coast through NC, SC, GA, then across to Gulf Shores, and passing through Louisiana on our way back to Texas.

Weather in January/February in Huntsville and Asheville is about a high of 55, low of 31. I don’t expect below freezing temperatures regularly but we will see some chilly nights.

Anything we should be planning for in terms of cold weather? Do we need to skirt the Monty or add any heat in the underbelly? How much propane will we use to keep the tank warmers going at night?

Thanks in advance! Already learned so much here!

[Mikendebbie]

Welcome to the forum!

We spent a few months-long stints in Dallas/Fort Worth several times for my job 2015-2018. We had a few 20* days each winter. I bought a heated water hose. We used the furnace and electric fire place plus we had a ceramic heater. We had no problems.

The folks here that live in cold climates will offer better advice. Fill the fresh water tank and use water from there using your pump. We have an on demand water heater so the heated hose worked better for us.

[RMcNeal]

Your tank heaters are 12vdc and do not use propane. They are thermostatically controlled and will only turn on when the ambient temp gets too low (can't remember the temperature, but near freezing).
If you have a heat pump, you can reliably heat the RV down to the low 30's with some supplemental heat such as the fireplace and a small ceramic heater. If not heat pump, you will need to run the furnace which does use propane.
I've stayed in single digit temps while hunting for several weeks in the mountains of WV. Very seldom use the furnace except to break the chill in the early morning hours. The combination of the heat pump, fireplace and 2 small ceramic heaters can keep us in the mid 60's inside. I also purchased a wireless temperature sensor with 3 remote sensors and put one in our rear under belly, one in the front basement passthrough and one outside along with the head unit which stays inside. Underbelly and basement typically stay in the low 50's when outside temps are in the teens, so no real worry of freezing pipes or tanks.
As stated, fill your fresh water tank and drain and stow your hose so it does not freeze on below 32 degree days. If you expect below freezing temps for extended time periods, it doesn't hurt to turn on the tank heaters as they only get warm like a heating pad. Just enough warmth to prevent freezing in the tank. They do use a lot of juice, so if you are boondocking, use sparingly only when necessary.

[DutchmenSport]

I lived in North Carolina for 2 years (1979-1981) after living in Indiana all my life. I lived South of Morganton, in the foot hills, on a back gravel (ok, back then it was "rock") road. (I had more flat tires on my car in those 2 years than I've ever had all my life on everything else I've owned!)

Anyway, the temperatures were always mild, especially compared to Indiana, even in the coldest winter months. But my second winter there we did get hit with a thin layer of snow which lasted about 2 days. Road shut downs were done immediately, and I was bewildered why. In Indiana a light dusting is absolutely nothing. I was really bewildered.

I finally was able to ask one of the locals why? And they said, roads shut down .... especially in the mountains, because they get slick and cars and trucks slide off the edges and down the mountains! So, with even the slightest hint of ice on the roads, things shut down.

After thinking about that a while, and driving some of those mountain roads, that made perfect sense.

I camp hosted at Pilot Mountain State Park (Mount Airy), which has an all primitive campground. I asked the rangers about winter there and they said the park is closed for about 3 months. I asked way, because the winters are mild. For the same reason ... ice is dangerous on that road leading to the top of the mountain.

We've winter camped in Louisiana, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, the Pan Handle of Florida, Tennessee, and Kentucky. So here is the "golden rule." If the campground has water turned on during the winter months, then you have nothing to worry about in your Montana. Just keep the furnace running and keep your heated tanks on, and you'll be fine, anywhere in those states.

If the park shuts the water off, then you better be winterized or take some extra steps to live in the camper.

[thedinobots]

Originally Posted by DutchmenSport

I lived in North Carolina for 2 years (1979-1981) after living in Indiana all my life. I lived South of Morganton, in the foot hills, on a back gravel (ok, back then it was "rock") road. (I had more flat tires on my car in those 2 years than I've ever had all my life on everything else I've owned!)

Anyway, the temperatures were always mild, especially compared to Indiana, even in the coldest winter months. But my second winter there we did get hit with a thin layer of snow which lasted about 2 days. Road shut downs were done immediately, and I was bewildered why. In Indiana a light dusting is absolutely nothing. I was really bewildered.

I finally was able to ask one of the locals why? And they said, roads shut down .... especially in the mountains, because they get slick and cars and trucks slide off the edges and down the mountains! So, with even the slightest hint of ice on the roads, things shut down.

After thinking about that a while, and driving some of those mountain roads, that made perfect sense.

I camp hosted at Pilot Mountain State Park (Mount Airy), which has an all primitive campground. I asked the rangers about winter there and they said the park is closed for about 3 months. I asked way, because the winters are mild. For the same reason ... ice is dangerous on that road leading to the top of the mountain.

We've winter camped in Louisiana, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, the Pan Handle of Florida, Tennessee, and Kentucky. So here is the "golden rule." If the campground has water turned on during the winter months, then you have nothing to worry about in your Montana. Just keep the furnace running and keep your heated tanks on, and you'll be fine, anywhere in those states.

If the park shuts the water off, then you better be winterized or take some extra steps to live in the camper.

Thanks so much! Would you say it’s safe to assume that the ones that are open in the winter are probably keeping the water on unless a strange weather event rolls through? Many are closed for the winter so I assume those ones are probably in colder locations.

[thedinobots]

Originally Posted by RMcNeal

Your tank heaters are 12vdc and do not use propane. They are thermostatically controlled and will only turn on when the ambient temp gets too low (can't remember the temperature, but near freezing).
If you have a heat pump, you can reliably heat the RV down to the low 30's with some supplemental heat such as the fireplace and a small ceramic heater. If not heat pump, you will need to run the furnace which does use propane.
I've stayed in single digit temps while hunting for several weeks in the mountains of WV. Very seldom use the furnace except to break the chill in the early morning hours. The combination of the heat pump, fireplace and 2 small ceramic heaters can keep us in the mid 60's inside. I also purchased a wireless temperature sensor with 3 remote sensors and put one in our rear under belly, one in the front basement passthrough and one outside along with the head unit which stays inside. Underbelly and basement typically stay in the low 50's when outside temps are in the teens, so no real worry of freezing pipes or tanks.
As stated, fill your fresh water tank and drain and stow your hose so it does not freeze on below 32 degree days. If you expect below freezing temps for extended time periods, it doesn't hurt to turn on the tank heaters as they only get warm like a heating pad. Just enough warmth to prevent freezing in the tank. They do use a lot of juice, so if you are boondocking, use sparingly only when necessary.

I love the idea of the wireless temperature sensors - which ones did you purchase if you don’t mind sharing?

[DutchmenSport]

[QUOTE=thedinobots;1284930... Would you say it’s safe to assume that the ones that are open in the winter are probably keeping the water on unless a strange weather event rolls through? ...[/QUOTE]

That is probably true. However, Indiana (and I'm pretty sure Ohio), keeps their State Park campgrounds open all year. The only problem is, (Indiana)... between November 1 and April 1 water is turned off. No water at the campsites, no water at the dump stations, and bath houses are closed and locked. The only bathroom facilities are pit toilets, if they have them. Also, you can't make "reservations" for campsites in Indiana during those months either. They are walk-in only, and because water is not available, the nightly rate is much less than full season prices.

We are leaving for Louisiana on December 26. I tried desperately hard to find an open State Park anywhere within the proximity of Gilbertsville, Kentucky. None are open. Everything closed. Too far North, and that's about 250 miles from our home. However, we found a Lodge (motel) for that night that has RV sites and they say full hook-up is available. Now, on December 26 in Northern Kentucky, the weather could be anything. But, if they have water, I'm unwinterizing the Montana there and will burn the propane. It's only 1 night.

Next night, December 27, we'll be at Cosar State Park in Northern Mississippi. Everything is open and all campsites have water at the site. That's about 200 miles South of Gilbertsville, KY.

So, my best advise I can give you is, if you know the campground you plan on staying at, call ahead and ask about the water. But, once you get South of the 36.5 Parallel (That's approximately the horizontal boarder between Kentucky and Tennessee), you should find (almost) every campground open and have flowing water. But, call and confirm to be sure.

[DutchmenSport]

Update: I looked it up, the exact "parallel" between Kentucky and Tennessee is 36.582676 (Google Maps is great!)...

The 36.5 parallel also extends between Virginia and North Carolina.

[twindman]

Another thing to close up is the convenience center where the hose connects. With the bottom hole open the cold air can get in and no heat in that area. I don't camp in the cold, but have read about this and it makes sense. So maybe stuff something in the opening.

See what others say about maybe a light bulb in there to help heat it. Stay warm!

[MandK]

Welcome! We have traveled in mildly freezing conditions for three straight years now when moving south for the winter. The advise above is very good. One thing I did not see was the line for the ice maker mentioned. We blow that line out with air and cap it off in the fall and leave it capped off until we get to Florida, or warm weather. It is exposed under the kitchen slide and will freeze in cold weather. Not sure if your model is the same but I suspect it may be if you have an ice maker. We don’t use lots of ice so we just fill the ice bucket in the freezer with ice from the house before we leave and it lasts about a month before I have to hook the line back up.
If the temps are above 40 and going to dip to about 30, we heat the trailer with the furnace or the heat pump, shut that off at bed time and run the fireplace all night. We will wake up to about 60 degrees in the morning and then fire the furnace to bring it back up and then depending on the weather, the fireplace may hold it or use the heat pump. The heat pump will heat the trailer fine so long as the outside temps are 38-40 or above. If it’s going to get colder at night, we leave the fireplace on and set the furnace at 60 and turn on the tank heaters, as mentioned above the tank heaters are thermostatically controlled, I think they cycle on below 45 degrees as long as the switches are on. Last year we got caught up in that fridgid weather just before Christmas and that worked fine at 10 degrees. Just keep in mind that the water lines in the belly are only heated when the gas furnace is being used, so when it’s really cold, have the gas furnace in play.
We have found that some campgrounds that are open in the winter have self draining hydrants and ask that you fill your tank, close the hydrant valve and then disconnect your hose. Others have heat taped and covered hose faucets that you can use a heated water hose with. The first couple of nights will be your learning experience to see what method or combination of methods work for you.

[AZ Traveler]

Bring an extra comforter. Otherwise no need to overthink it. When it gets cold, turn the heat on.

[Rondo]

Be ready for a long one here on this response. We've wintered in AZ for the past 8-9 winters and we have experienced freezing temps and snow there. The idea of a heated hose works but I've just taken a regular rv hose and coiled a heat tape around it for about six foot or so and taped it to it. I then take a swim noodle split it on one side and put the hose in it. We always carry a small ceramic heater with us and run our furnace when the temps drop. Your furnace ducting should have a single duct running into the underbelly to put some heat into there for the pipes. You don't need to run it high temp but the warm air helps. I don't keep ours over 60 and use the ceramic heater and fireplace as supplemental heat. The idea of the light in the convenient center works well but I've just turned on the overhead light in there (ours has an incandescent bulb in it) and it keeps that area warm. I've also taken a piece of high density foam and cut it to the size of the hole where the hose comes in and that stops the cold there. I notch it just big enough for the hose to come in. If needed, I also put a trouble light in the basement pass through with an incand bulb in it to give it some extra warmth. I also have the three temperature sensors and put one in the pass through, one on the hitch for outside temp and one up in the bedroom just to know what the temp is up there when getting up and etc. The campground would let us know if they were going to turn off the water for the night so that was no problem and we always kept some water in the fresh water tank jus incase. We have an older Monte and do not have tank heaters so I can't advise on that. Good luck and have a good travel session and winter adventure.

[RMcNeal]

Originally Posted by thedinobots

I love the idea of the wireless temperature sensors - which ones did you purchase if you don’t mind sharing?

I bought them on Amazon. It appears they don't have that one anymore, but here is a similar one.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BYF6CTRK...WxfdGhlbWF0aWM
They are really inexpensive and give me peace of mind in cold weather.

[RMcNeal]

As for the hole at the bottom of the convenience center for the hose to enter, I use a car wash sponge and wrap it around the hose then stuff it in the hole. Even in the summer, it helps seal out any bugs or mice.

[Gonefishing]

Originally Posted by thedinobots

Hi all! First post here.

I just bought a 2024 3231CK and will go on a three to four month trip starting in January.

I’ve been living in a friends Renegade Verona for the past month just to learn the ropes, which has been really helpful.

My girlfriend and I (30’s, work full time remote) will be visiting Huntsville, AL for about a month and a half, then Asheville, NC for about a month and a half before doing a coastal trip down the east coast through NC, SC, GA, then across to Gulf Shores, and passing through Louisiana on our way back to Texas.

Weather in January/February in Huntsville and Asheville is about a high of 55, low of 31. I don’t expect below freezing temperatures regularly but we will see some chilly nights.

Anything we should be planning for in terms of cold weather? Do we need to skirt the Monty or add any heat in the underbelly? How much propane will we use to keep the tank warmers going at night?

Thanks in advance! Already learned so much here!

It can get cold In Asheville down into the 20’s. Running the gas heat in them temps a tank might last 3 days. I would get a heated water hose and if you have tank heaters I would use them. Now that is just me. Temps can stay below freezing for a few days in that area.

[R.S.O'Donnell]

Be careful trusting the heating pads. The one on our fresh tank came “unstuck” and was hanging by the tank support strap. Fresh tank froze solid.

[R.S.O'Donnell]

Originally Posted by Gonefishing

It can get cold In Asheville down into the 20’s. Running the gas heat in them temps a tank might last 3 days. I would get a heated water hose and if you have tank heaters I would use them. Now that is just me. Temps can stay below freezing for a few days in that area.

Maggie Valley is where we were when our fresh tank froze.

[newowneroldmontana]

Your information about temperatures always being mild in Huntsville is not accurate--you should expect many, many below-freezing nights in Northern Alabama during January and February. (I've spent many winters in my Montana about a hundred miles south of Huntsville.) Winter temperatures in Alabama can vary widely, from day-to-day and week-to-week, so an average low of 31 is basically meaningless. Overnight lows in the teens and twenties are very common, and the elevation of your campground will also help determine how cold it will get where you are. (Much of Alabama, including Huntsville, is in the foothills of the Appalachians.) The good thing is that temperatures usually rise above freezing pretty quickly in the morning.

I would call the campground where you'll be staying and ask what most people do there to keep from freezing up during extended stays. One big campground here just puts buckets over the spigots to keep the campground water from freezing, and allows you to plug in a heated hose or a heat tape-wrapped hose at the pedestal. They won't let you plug in anything to bring inside your rig, though, like a heater to put in your basement. It just depends on the campground.

[thedinobots]

Originally Posted by newowneroldmontana

Your information about temperatures always being mild in Huntsville is not accurate--you should expect many, many below-freezing nights in Northern Alabama during January and February. (I've spent many winters in my Montana about a hundred miles south of Huntsville.) Winter temperatures in Alabama can vary widely, from day-to-day and week-to-week, so an average low of 31 is basically meaningless. Overnight lows in the teens and twenties are very common, and the elevation of your campground will also help determine how cold it will get where you are. (Much of Alabama, including Huntsville, is in the foothills of the Appalachians.) The good thing is that temperatures usually rise above freezing pretty quickly in the morning.

I would call the campground where you'll be staying and ask what most people do there to keep from freezing up during extended stays. One big campground here just puts buckets over the spigots to keep the campground water from freezing, and allows you to plug in a heated hose or a heat tape-wrapped hose at the pedestal. They won't let you plug in anything to bring inside your rig, though, like a heater to put in your basement. It just depends on the campground.

That is super helpful information! Thank you so much!

Do you find that the tank heaters are sufficient in below freezing temps?

I’m thinking we use the heated hose to fill the tanks during warmer parts of the day - let the tank heaters handle the rest. Maybe disconnect the water line to the ice maker as I’ve heard that one can frees easily, anything else that you do to keep things from freezing?

[newowneroldmontana]

You're welcome!

I don't know a thing about tank heaters, so I can't help you there--I don't know how far below freezing they're effective.**

Most of the things others have talked about are things I don't do--I don't have tank heaters or a fireplace (in my 2002 3670RL fifth wheel), and I've never bothered with using the propane furnace or filling the fresh water tank and using the pump.* (I did find out after owning my Montana for about 3 years that the fresh water tank was full!* I don't know whether I filled it somehow by accident, or if it was already full when I bought my rig used.)* I don't even have a heated hose; I've used the old-school method, described by Rondo, of using heat tape on the water hose.*

My rig does have the "Artic Package" or something like that, which I think just means that there's a layer of Reflectix sandwiched between the floor inside and the coroplast outside. I don't know how much that affects heat loss, or the temperature in the basement.

So my advice on what you should do, in Alabama (and in North Carolina, if you think it's the same weather):

1)* If the campground doesn't make you unhook your water, don't.* Don't fill up your fresh water tank.* Use a heated hose instead.* The purpose of having a heated hose (or a heat tape-wrapped hose) is so you can keep your water hose hooked up to the campground spigot even when it's below freezing outside, and you can just keep using the campground water like normal without the hose freezing.*

2)* Use your tank heaters.* If you're not sure they're going to be enough to keep your tanks from freezing, make sure to empty your tanks before dark every night (or before it freezes).* I think it used to be conventional wisdom that keeping your tanks pretty empty kept them from cracking, even if they froze, because there wouldn't be enough water in them to expand enough to crack the tanks.

3)* For heat inside your*RV--I used the propane furnace in my 5th wheel once for about two minutes, then turned it off and haven't bothered with it since.* I use electric space heaters instead.* You might want to do the same, since you won't have to pay extra for electricity at the campground, but you'll have to buy and deal with propane if you use the furnace.* Open the cabinet doors under the sinks at night, like you'd do in a house, to help keep the pipes warm.

4)* For heat in the basement, where the pipes are, and above the tanks--If you use your furnace, I think heat will circulate down there and keep the basement above freezing.* I haven't used my furnace, but I've used the old-school method of putting a little lamp*down there with an incandescent light bulb that gives off heat--but I don't know that you can even buy real light bulbs anymore.* I've also had a little "personal" ceramic heater down there at times--($10?* $25? at Walmart), which uses only 250 watts but gives off enough heat to make a real difference.* You could also try putting foam pipe coverings on the exposed pipes in*the basement, like you'd do with a house. I've even used Hot Hands hand warmers to help keep pipes warm.

5)* Buy some square foam cushion things to stuff in your skylights, to keep the cold out.* (I can't remember what they're called, but I bought mine at Camping World.)* You could also buy some Reflectix at Home Depot or Lowe's, and cut it so that it fits into your windows.* Don't tape it there, because you'll want the light during the day--so you'll want to take the Reflectix out of the windows during the day--but it helps keep cold out at night.* You could also line your cabinets with Reflectix, as extra insulation.

6)* CATS!!!* YOU'RE GOING TO NEED MORE CATS!!!** * (Or dogs, whichever you prefer.)

Have fun!