RVing in Winter: Our Favorite Winter RVing Gear

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The cold season is in full swing. Many RVers have headed south to keep warm during the winter months. Meanwhile, there are a number of other full-timers who have chosen to remain north and try their hand at RVing in winter. 

Honestly, we don’t recommend winter RVing if you can help it. It can be extremely difficult and can damage your rig. That said, sometimes RVing in the winter weather cannot be avoided. In these cases, there are gadgets you can buy to make your winter RVing experience more comfortable and help ensure your RV doesn’t incur damage during those cold months. 

Below are our favorite gadgets for RVing in winter. Stock up on a few of these items and you should be in good shape until the warm weather rolls around again. 

AirSkirts Inflatable RV Skirt

One of the best things you can do to ensure your RV’s plumbing is protected and your feet stay as warm as possible while winter RVing? Add a skirt to your home-on-wheels!

There are a number of different RV skirt options out there. Some choose to use bales of hay or plywood, while others buy custom-made snap-on skirting. Our favorite type of RV skirting though is the inflatable RV skirt from AirSkirts. 

We love this particular skirt because it is small, lightweight, and easy to set up and take down. These things make it perfect for RV living. 

RecPro RV Tank Heater Pads

Another great thing to have when RVing in the winter? A set of RecPro tank heater pads. These are awesome because they keep your water holding tanks warm enough to ensure they don’t freeze, no matter the weather. 

If you use these in conjunction with a skirt like the one mentioned above, the heat they provide might even help keep water lines warm under the rig, making these an extra great product!

Camco Heated Drinking Water Hose

One of the most annoying things that can happen when winter RVing is waking up to a frozen freshwater hose. This means no running water until the hose thaws out, and if the weather is cold enough, it might not thaw out at all. Not only that, but if your hose is frozen, there’s a good chance the hose, inlet, and/or water lines received some damage from the freezing. 

Fortunately, there is a fairly easy way to avoid this problem. A heated fresh water hose should do the trick just fine. These work by heating the water in the fresh hose, and they are extra great because they are such a cinch to use and are actually quite affordable. 

Lasko Ceramic Space Heater

Using your RV furnace is fine, and if you’re camping in below-freezing temperatures, you’ll want to use the furnace in order to keep your water lines from freezing.

That said, if the temperatures are above freezing but still chilly enough to require a heater, you might consider using something besides your RV furnace. This is because RV furnaces tend to be very inefficient, eating through propane at an astounding rate and costing RVers a ton of extra money. 

The vast majority of full-time RVers choose to use ceramic space heaters like this Lasko version when camping in a spot with electric hookups. These tend to work well when it comes to keeping the RV warm during winter RVing, and since electricity is usually included in camping fees, you won’t be spending an arm and a leg to run one or two. 

Mr. Heater Buddy Heater

Let’s say you do a lot of winter boondocking. In this case, you will still want to use your furnace if the temperature will be below freezing for more than an hour or so, but you really can’t turn to electric space heaters during other times. This is where the Mr. Heater Buddy Heater comes into play. 

The Mr. Heater Buddy Heater is an indoor-safe, portable propane heater. It does not require electricity and will heat your tiny home using much less propane than the RV furnace. Just be sure to follow the instructions carefully, including cracking a window while running the heater. 

hOmeLabs Energy Star Dehumidifier

In addition to keeping warm, you also have to worry about keeping condensation from taking over your rig when winter RVing. One of the best ways to do this is by using a dehumidifier. For this, we recommend the hOmeLabs Energy Star Dehumidifier. 

This dehumidifier can hold up to 22 pints of water, meaning you can go quite some time before emptying it. We also like that the machine is fairly quiet when running. That said, it is a big dehumidifier and might be overkill for those with smaller rigs. 

DampRid Moisture Absorber

If A) your RV is on the small side, B) you will be boondocking a lot and cannot run a dehumidifier, or C) you need extra defense against moisture in the cabinets and closets, DampRid is the product for you. This awesome product is essentially a container full of moisture-absorbing crystals that pull moisture out of the air and trap it. 

DampRid doesn’t require electricity to work, but you might find yourself needing several large containers if you plan to use them in lieu of a dehumidifier.

POP Design The Hot Seat

Lastly, we have a fun addition to the list that will allow you to sit outside with friends even when it gets chilly after the fun goes down. This “Hot Seat” from POP Design is heated using a rechargeable battery pack, so you can stay nice and warm when hanging out in cooler weather. Not only that, but the chair is actually very comfortable, so you won’t mind using it even when the weather warms up again (minus the heat feature, of course).

Note: The battery pack is not included with this chair, so be sure to add that to your purchase!

No, RVing in winter is not our first choice. That said, as long as you prepare properly, winter RVing can still be a fun experience. If you plan to spend the next couple of months in a colder climate, stock up on these items and get ready to have some winter fun!

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