5 Tips on Surviving Winter in the RV

Hello Campers!

Winter is just around the corner..74 days to be exact. Our first winter in our RV taught us a lot about the necessities of surviving winter in an RV.

Last year, we set off on a 4-month snowboarding road trip a few days before Christmas, and now I can say that I have learned a LOT about how to stay warm in an RV in subzero temperatures.

Here are some of our favorite things that helped us survive a winter in the Rockies and beyond:

1. Electric Blankets & Flannel Sheets.

The most important area to keep warm in our RV was our bedroom, in my opinion. Since it could be closed off with a door, it did retain heat well but we upped the ante with an electric blanket and flannel sheets. Nothing is worse than getting into a cold bed after a long, cold day skiing. Flannel sheets always feel warm so they’re worth toting along on your RV. My favorite thing to do is turn on the electric blanket well before climbing into bed. My dogs also loved the extra heat! They usually asked to be tucked in too :)

2. Ceramic Heaters.

We have spent the majority of our days this winter plugged in at RV parks, with only a couple of nights boondocking. We planned our trip this way because we knew we’d be in such cold temps (in CO, UT, ID, WY, WA and Canada) during the coldest months of the year. Due to using electric heat sources, our propane use was minimal and our tank lasted three months. We have two different sized plug-in heaters that we move around the rig depending on where we are or what we need. We even used the smaller one to defrost our frozen black tank on the coldest day of this winter - multi purpose!

3. Down Blankets.

We have two super lightweight packable travel size down blankets that tuck into tiny bags so they don’t take up any extra space. They were less than $20 apiece and they are a guarantee that I will stay warm on the coldest of days. Sometimes I use them on the couch, sometimes I throw one on the bed over top everything else and I’ve even used them in the passenger seat on an extra cold driving day waiting for the rig to warm up.

4. Slippers.

I brought two pairs of slippers on our RV this winter, down booties and Ugg moccasins. We have hard floor surfaces - marble tile and vinyl plank - and they are usually cold, especially in the mornings when we first get up and moving around the rig. We keep a pair of slippers in our bedroom and by the front door of the RV so we don’t have to sprint across the freezing cold floors when one pair is in the wrong spot. I’ve even crawled into bed in my down booties! They’re super smooshable and easy to pack away if needed.

5. Reflectix and Insulated Curtains.

I’m not a huge fan of blinds or curtains and don’t like to use them in a sticks and bricks home, and I really like the open feel of the RV when the windows are all uncovered. In fact, the day we removed the ugly upholstered valances and wonky blinds from our 2001 RV was one of my favorite days of owning this rig! However, winter is a different story. We hung curtain rods and insulated curtains over each window and also trimmed a big roll of reflectix to fit each one as well. When combined, they make a huge difference in the inside temperature.

Since we weren’t stationary this winter, we had to plan ahead and take a few extra steps to ensure that we stayed comfortable. Don’t let the snow scare you away from winter adventuring! The above tips kept us warm in many nights in the negative teens with even more days that never got above zero degrees.

Hope to see you on the road this ski season :)

Feel free to follow our journey on Instagram at @gogogallaghers

#WinterRV #WinterTips #FullTimeRV