What to Look for When Buying an RV to Use Year-Round
When buying an RV, the first question you need to ask and answer is, where and when do you anticipate using your it? If you’re going to use it year-round, primarily in the southern US then you probably won’t encounter too much cold winter weather and many of the features of an all-weather RV package won’t be necessary.
On the other hand, if you live in Northern Alberta or places like that and you want to use your RV year-around locally then you’ll need to protect yourself and your RV from an assortment of weather challenges like snow, ice, wind, hail and flooding.
No RV all-weather package can change the forecast, but you can minimize some of the discomfort and dangers of camping in the off-season with a properly equipped RV. Snow, Ice, Wind, Hail, Flooding are all weather conditions that can damage your RV and diminish your enjoyment, and you’ll need to consider each of these dangers before you start your camping trip. If the campground, park, or boondocking site where you intend to camp has a history of flooding at the particular times of the year when you plan to camp there you should definitely reconsider your camping plans.
Plan Ahead
Before every trip you need to evaluate and anticipate the weather conditions you might encounter on each trip. This will help you determine what to look for in a future RV purchase. After-all most people trade in their RV every 7 to 10 years and the average time a person owns their first RV is even less than that. So put your current experiences to work on your behalf. If you’re currently experiencing below freezing temperatures frequently on your camping trips you should shop for an RV with an all-weather package when you’re ready to trade in your current.
An all-weather package generally includes extra insulation in the walls and ceiling and extra insulation below the floor. Insulation is great to help you stay warm but it will do little to help you with a build up of ice on the top of your slide outs or help you get safely to and from your camping destination or keep the holding tanks from freezing. Insulation is not enough, to manage some of these challenges you should shop for an RV with heated holding tanks and all-wheel or four-wheel drive.
Of course, four-wheel drive is not relevant to campers or trailers but it certainly should be a consideration when buying a truck to tow a trailer or haul a camper,if you plan to camp in freezing weather. As far as the RV goes getting heated tanks, having awning over all the slide outs, and getting as much extra insulation as possible will make year-around camping more fun.
You might also consider using an insulated and heated fresh water hose so your RV has an adequate supply of water. Having a winter package installed on your RV won’t help in a flood or a damaging hail storm but for the typical winter challenges of snow and ice it will be greatly appreciated.
Other Winter Challenges
An often overlooked camping hazard is wind. A little breeze can be refreshing but too much wind is a real danger to you and your RV. We have been in campgrounds when the wind tore huge branches off the trees which then plunged down onto the RVs parked below. We’ve witnessed fully loaded dumpsters blowing across the parking lot (at greater than a walking speed) and nearly slamming into the side of a parked pick-up truck, and we’ve seen easy-ups and small tents lifted 20 or 30 ft into the air.
Winds this strong can damage awnings or other roof attachments like solar panels, air conditioner, antennas, or vent covers. In fact, one of our air conditioner covers blew off in a heavy wind storm and one of our awnings was severely damaged while driving through high winds in Wyoming. And let’s not forget about all the camping accessories around everyone’s campsites, like mats, chairs, bikes, and barbeques. All these can become projectiles in a wind storm and damage your RV or cause serious personal injuries.
Even if your RV did not come with an all-weather package and you can’t afford to trade it in right now, you can still add some of these features with after-market products. Talk to your RV service technician to see if they can add heaters to all the holding tanks, double pane windows and extra insulation particularly under the under carriage. At the very least, check the bolts and attachment hardware for all the roof mounted accessories to be sure they are permanently attached and won’t blow away in a storm.
If you’re in the market for a new RV and you think you’ll be spending time in your RV in harsh winter weather be sure to ask about an option for an all-weather package. This could also include all-weather tires for better traction and shorter stopping distances. Regardless of whether your RV is drivable or towable you’ll need tires with road gripping traction. You don’t want to be sliding down an incline sideways in a motorhome or have a fifth wheel or travel trailer lose traction and start to fishtail. Tires are a vital part of foul weather camping. Be sure your equipment is up to the challenge.
Winter is not the only Problematic Weather Season
Too much sunshine can also be a problem for RVers and may overpower a single air conditioner. Too much direct sunlight can damage the dashboard or the exterior paint or other surfaces in and on your RV. It can also cause problem with any RV’s batteries and the radiator of drivable RVs. Excessive heat and sunlight can also damage an RVs tires.
To minimize excessive heat on the inside of your RV think about installing double pane windows or ask your dealer if they are included in an all-weather RV package. Most all-weather adaptations are intended to minimize discomfort or disfunction in cold weather conditions but you are probably more apt to encounter severely hot temperature then extremely cold temperatures and you need to look for RVs that offer hot weather solutions as well as protection from extreme cold weather. These packages are also called 4 season camping packages, all-weather packages, and some manufacturing firms refer to these adaptations, as an arctic package. Jayco, Northwood, Keystone, and Newmar, are all brands that proudly offer all-weather packages.
What to Look for When Buying an RV to Use Year-Round
When shopping for an RV be sure to ask if the RV is equipped with extra insulation, thermal windows, slide awnings, and heated holding tanks. Don’t assume that all-weather equipment is standard on every RV (even though it should be) because camping is an adventure and you never know what’s around the next bend or over the horizon. And you never know if you’re going to wake up in the morning to fresh snowfall or some other adverse weather conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What features make an RV suitable for year-round use?
There are a few adaptations that make an RV suitable for year around camping. Extra insulation is key to your comfort and insulation should also be added to all the space under the flooring, Thermal (double pane) windows also cut down on cold drafts and heat loss, and they add more protection from extreme heat by reducing the loss of cool air from the air conditioners.
Other all-weather features include heated holding tanks and slide awnings which discharge excess ice and snow before the slide is retracted back into the RV. As an added bonus, slide awnings prevent forest debris, like needles, cones, etc from being drawn into your RV when the slide is retracted.
What storage options should a full-time RV have?
Living full time in an RV means you need more storage capacity than a weekend warrior. Certainly, you need ample interior space for your dishes, cutlery, and cookware. But you will also need convenient inside space to store food staples because it’s impractical to go out for all your meals.
You’ll need space for several pairs of shoes for each person who will be living full time in an RV. Just like you need all weather equipment on your RV you’ll need to have all weather apparel choices for each occupant. All the shoes and clothes can take up quite a bit of storage space.
If your RV is a van conversion or camper on a truck you might not have much storage capacity for extra’s like additional bedding or recreational equipment so pack light and smart. Motorhomes come with large storage spaces outside and multiple storage spaces on the inside of the coach but some spaces are not real convenient so try to put the high use items in the most accessible spaces.
Are certain RV brands better for year-round use?
Many RV manufacturers offer an all-weather option on some of their floor plans but not all floor plans can be modified for all weather camping. A few brands that proudly offer these features are Jayco, Northwood, Keystone, and Newmar.
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