Common Winter RV Problems to Avoid

Most people limit their RV use to the warmer months, but you can ride around the country during the colder months, too. Activities such as hiking are transformed when temperatures drop and the landscape is covered in snow, and there are some sports like skiing and snowboarding that are mostly inaccessible during the summer. However, there are some considerations to make so your RV stays in good shape as it faces the cold. Here are some common winter RV problems to avoid.

Blown Out Tires

When temperatures drop, the air inside your tires contracts. This means the pressure is diminished to a PSI that is lower than the recommended level you might have filled them to when it was warmer. As a result, your tires become more susceptible to blowouts, a fact which is only exacerbated by the harsh road conditions that ice and snow create. Prior to embarking on a winter journey, you should check that your tires are filled to the recommended pressure again. As you travel, check them occasionally for signs of cracks so that, if necessary, you can switch them out before they become a problem.

Lack of Insulation

You can get by in warm weather without paying much attention to your RV’s insulation. But in the winter, this factor can make a huge difference in the comfort of the interior when freezing drafts keep sucking out the heat. You can cover up windows where air might be moving in and out with Reflectix or foam to block up the openings. If you don’t want to lose sunlight, you can use shrink plastic instead. Besides the windows, the bottom of your RV is another area where warm air may escape. You can stop this by placing a skirt around your RV on the outside so that the wintry winds are halted before they reach the underside.

Frozen Holding Tanks

The water you carry with you in your RV may also freeze during the winter. You should avoid this at all costs; it will render your water supply unusable and prevent you from dumping out waste. Moreover, frozen water expands as it becomes ice, which can permanently rupture your pipes. Install holding tank and pipe heaters so that the water does not reach freezing temperatures and instead remains in a liquid state. You don’t have to worry that they’ll overheat those areas, either, as the heaters use built-in sensors to regulate temperature and shut off when the water becomes too warm.