Joe T.
Newhall, CA
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I have a problem. I need to educate myself on what TRULY is a 'four season' RV.
I have a small business in a town about 50 miles from where I live. I live in Wichtia, KS. It gets REALLY COLD in south central Kansas. Winter before last itgot down to -17F!!!
I need a place where I can spend the nights a few times a week at our shop. Our shop does not have a shower or even hot water. I could add that, but I am thinking about a 5th wheel or a towable instead.
If I do this, I would pour a slab and put in full RV hook-ups. I might even put a 'roof' over the RV.
So, what is needed to have a truly winterized RV? Please educate me.
Thanks for al of your advice in advance.
Joe T.
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laknox
Arizona
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Joe T. wrote:I have a problem. I need to educate myself on what TRULY is a 'four season' RV.
I have a small business in a town about 50 miles from where I live. I live in Wichtia, KS. It gets REALLY COLD in south central Kansas. Winter before last itgot down to -17F!!!
I need a place where I can spend the nights a few times a week at our shop. Our shop does not have a shower or even hot water. I could add that, but I am thinking about a 5th wheel or a towable instead.
If I do this, I would pour a slab and put in full RV hook-ups. I might even put a 'roof' over the RV.
So, what is needed to have a truly winterized RV? Please educate me.
Thanks for al of your advice in advance.
Joe T.
Seriously, unless you're planning on using the RV for recreational use in the off time, add a shower and water heater to your shop. You'll be mucho dinero ahead. If you want to go ahead with buying an RV, the pad is a great first step, but you'll also want to fully skirt the FW, including the front overhang. Wind is a killer. You can run an extension cord with a couple 100w bulbs underneath to help prevent tank freezing; heat tape on the water inlet is probably needed, too. Electric heat is much cheaper than propane, so use some of the oil-filled radiator-type heaters to keep the coach warm. You'll want to leave these on all the time. You'll also want to consider a fan to circulate warm air around and will want to keep cabinets open on the coldest nights to prevent plumbing from freezing.
Lyle
2002 GMC Sierra 2500 HD Duramax Crew Cab 4x4
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Old-Biscuit
Across the USA
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All kinds of labels on what is a 4 season
Minimum:
Enclosed underbelly with high insulation value and heat source to tanks/valves/lines
High insulation value in floors/roof/walls
Attic space in roof properly vented to outside
Dual pane windows
Then you will need to skirt bottom of trailer and provide for some type of heat source under the trailer.........100W bulbs/heat lamps
Then you will need an insulated/heated water supply hose.
Insulate/heat wrap your drain line.....and have a convenient place to dump waste when needed
Extra electric heating to supplement the furnace....need furnace to provide for heat to enclosed underbelly etc. So plan on refilling propane tanks frequently or have a 100# propane tank set up. You will still need to take it to be refilled.
Then if you do not plan on staying there every day...you will need to shut off water/drain lines/anti-freeze toilet-'p' traps or keep the place real warm.
Might just be a heck of a lot easier to add that bath/shower to shop.
Cold weather and RVs.......constant vigilance. Not something that can be done hit or miss.
I've been in -14*F in our 5'vr.......handled it OK but we live 5'vr FT so had to make it work.
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Finally Fulltiming
Summer: NYS Finger Lakes; Winter: Someplace warm
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I don't believe there is any such thing as a "truly winterized RV".
Basically, an RV is like a tin can. Without intervention such as a furnace or other heating device plus heavy duty insulation, the inside temperature will match the outside temperature.
So unless you have other uses for the RV in warm weather, I think your best solution would be to add an insulated room with a bed, water heater & shower to the shop. More comfort & less cost in the long run.
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pianotuna
Regina, SK, Canada
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Joined: 12/18/2004
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Hi,
You will find a good discussion of what would be needed for rv use in cold weather here:
winter camping
Regards, Don
Kustom Koach Class C 28'5" 256 watts Unisolar, 875 amp hours in two battery banks 12 volt batteries, 2500 MSW watt inverter.
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Eycom
32043
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Tongue in cheek advice here, based on winter travel up north. A decent 29-32' four-seasoned 5th wheel, which you would want to skirt, of the 2000-2004 vintage would run in the neighborhood of 20-26G. Plus the cost of a tow vehicle of the same vintage would be within the realm of 14K +/-. During the winter, you'd have to winterize the 5er each time you to left for home or leave the heater on 7 days a week to avoid freezing pipes and tanks. If your choice is the latter, your propane bill is going to look like the national debt. Probably need an extended tank to avoid running out... just in case. You'd also need a tie-in for sewage.
With an average of 105 days below 32° and assuming the shop already has heat, water and electric, it would be cheaper and more practical to add a shower and water heater to the shop. Further, relative to stealth and without knowledge of the zoning laws in the area, it would be less conspicuous to occupy the shop for a couple of nights a week rather than parking a 30' 5th wheel next to the building. JMO.
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dqdick
Council Grove, KS
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Being from Kansas, I can tell you the wind is a bigger enemy than the temperature. 20 degrees and a 30 mph wind, not uncommon as you know, will freeze waterlines in a hurry. I'm with the others. Utility and ancillary costs to use a 5er over a couple of years would be more than adding a small room to the shop.
Dick and Joyce
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sue.t
Ibex Valley, YUKON
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Really cold? Gee, we had -45F last winter ... that is chilly.
Climate change means we no longer enjoy the really cold similar to the -76F I experienced as a kid 50 years ago.
sue t.
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Coalminer UG
Nakusp BC
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If I was going to do this I would look at a Fiberglass Bigfoot unit. A second hand one. They are as close to year round use as you can get.
I lived in a 78 Terry trailer one winter in Canada. I built a small extension on it. I also had a small wood stove. It was very hard but I survived.
As others have said, build a shower etc in shop. You will be better off.
Ches
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maniac007
South Carolina
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Follow this HERE It will give you some info as well. I did some camping in Jan of this year, just made sure that my water tank was 3/4 full and used two electric heaters in the 5er.
02 F350SD 7.3 CC DRW, 06 Cougar 314EFS
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