Winter RV trips can be magical with crisp air, quieter campgrounds, and great views. Then one simple mistake quickly turns that “cozy” into “costly.”
For several years, my husband and I have traveled to southern Florida to escape the Midwest’s wild winters. Read on to see how even well-seasoned RV travelers, like us, can make winter blunders.
Not frequently checking the weather
There are no guarantees in life—or weather forecasts! Not checking forecasts (and rechecking them often) can be a big mistake. Ask me how I know…
Winter weather changes quickly. A sunny afternoon can turn to an overnight freeze or a late-day squall. Relying on yesterday’s forecast or your gut is a gamble.
Unexpected storms can strand you on icy roads, overwhelm rooftop drainage with heavy wet snow, knock out campground power (ending electric heat), or drop temperatures enough to freeze water lines you thought safe.
Avoid this RV winter blunder by checking official forecasts and alerts several times a day from trusted sources. Sign up for local NWS/NOAA alerts for the area you’re in.
Build flexible plans. Know alternate routes, campgrounds with winter services, and nearby towns with fuel and repair shops.
Carry weather-aware gear, including gloves/hat/coat, ice scraper, shovel, and sand or kitty litter for traction. (Yes, kitty litter works great for this!)
Parking in the wrong spot
We enjoy our annual trip south. Most times, campground sites are ours for the choosing. We haven’t always made wise choices! Here’s hoping you can learn from our mistakes.
Picking a site without thinking about drainage, slope, trees, or wind exposure invites trouble. A sunny-looking pull-through might be a low spot that floods when snow melts, or a slope that makes leveling difficult in mud or soft dirt.
Water pooling under your rig can freeze and expand around jacks, tires, and seals. Heavy wet snow or broken branches can dent roofs, crush slide toppers, or rip awnings. Parking on a slope can strain stabilizers and jacks and make slide-outs bind or fail.
To avoid this RV winter blunder, look for well-drained, level ground with good exit routes. Avoid parking under ridgetop trees with heavy snow load. Look for sites that allow electrical hookups near your RV service panels. That way, you can keep space heaters or tank heaters running if needed.
If you must park on marginal ground, use wide boards or weight-dispersing pads under jacks and tires. Clear snow off the RV roof and overhangs regularly.
If you park so that the camper side of your rig faces south, the sun can help warm your RV.
Skipping plumbing protections
We didn’t always have a heated water hose. What a mistake! Here’s why:
Leaving external plumbing, like water hoses, exposed lets water chill and freeze inside supply lines and fittings.
Frozen hoses and pipes expand and can crack fittings, split freshwater lines, and wreck external faucets. These repairs often mean paying for parts, labor, and downtime. A burst line overnight can also flood interior cabinets and floors.
Here’s how to avoid this RV winter blunder. Use a purpose-built heated water hose or wrap your hose with heat tape plus insulation. Use tank heaters or heat pads on vulnerable black/gray tanks and exposed plumbing runs when parked. Keep a spare hose and patch kit on board.
Now we winterize our RV before setting out on our trip. I keep gallon jugs of water in the shower to use for flushing and washing hands. This way, we avoid hooking up to the campground water altogether.
Here are the best heated hoses for RVers.
Underestimating fuel needs
There’s nothing quite like waking up and seeing your breath form a fog before your eyes. Brr! I’m cold just thinking about the time we ran out of propane as we traveled to Florida.
Cold temps boost fuel and propane consumption. That means heaters run longer, generators may be used more, and engines take more fuel to heat and run efficiently. What’s more, campsite power can be unreliable in wind or storms.
Running low on fuel or propane can leave you heating with only the smallest, least safe backup options. Letting batteries run down because you under-planned for inverter/generator use shortens battery life and can lead to dead-start situations in the cold. Ugh!
To avoid this common RV winter blunder, top off fuel and propane before you reach a remote stretch. Keep tanks closer to full than you normally would. (Fuel-line icing is a real thing.) Maintain and test house and starter batteries. Carry a quality battery charger/jump starter and bring backup heating options recommended for RV use. If you’re boondocking, calculate realistic heater run times and pack extra fuel for your generator.
Leaving the RV with a portable heater running
An unfortunate camper intended to make a quick run to the nearby grocery store. Fire trucks greeted their return. Since witnessing that ghastly total RV destruction (from a safe distance), I am diligent about using our portable heater. The heater goes off if we’re not there to monitor it.
Space heaters are handy, but they’re also one of the top fire risks in RVs. When no one’s around to notice a tipping hazard, a tripped breaker, or an overheating cord, a small glitch can escalate fast.
An unattended heater can overheat nearby fabrics, melt extension cords, scorch paneling, or, in the worst cases, start a fire that spreads before anyone notices. Even if it doesn’t ignite, constant unsupervised cycling can strain the outlet, damage wiring behind the walls, and shorten the heater’s lifespan.
Earlier this week, we reported on yet another fatal RV fire caused by an electric space heater.
To avoid this RV winter blunder, always turn off all portable heaters before leaving the RV, even for quick errands. Rely on built-in furnace systems or thermostatically controlled electric heaters designed for continuous use, if needed.
Keep heaters on stable surfaces, plug them directly into a wall outlet (never an extension cord), and give them at least three feet of clearance on all sides while you’re inside to monitor them.
Make “what if” a habit
Before you set out on your RV winter adventure, run through a quick “what if” list: What if the forecast worsens; What if snow piles on the RV roof; What if we run out of propane? In other words, think carefully about how you can avoid common RV winter blunders.
A few minutes of careful planning, a small gear investment (e.g., heated hose, heat tape, battery charger), and routine checks make winter RVing far more fun. It also makes it far less expensive than when blunders make things go sideways.
Have you ever experienced a winter RV blunder? Tell me in the comments below.
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- Yikes! There’s a freeze warning. Tips to keep the water flowing.
- Commercial heated RV hoses vs. DIY heated hose for winter camping
RVT1247
Nothing beats having two propane tanks, and when one is empty I promptly get it filled.