The Four Season RV: Advantage and Features

Some RVers Choose to Camp in the Snow

For many RVers the question of whether there is such a thing as a four-season RV is irrelevant. These people just winterize their RVs, put them in storage at the first sign of winter, and wait for spring. (If you’re in that group, be sure you know when to winterize your RV and how to winterize an RV.)

That said, there are some intrepid cold weather RVers who enthusiastically embrace the cold winter weather so they can enjoy their favorite snow sports, like cross country skiing, snowboarding, and snowmobiling. This is where a four season RV comes into play. 

Forest River fifth wheels may be outfitted with an all weather upgrade

Four-Season RV Features

Snow play is great fun, but your RV needs to be properly equipped to handle the freezing temperatures and accumulation of snow. Whether you prefer a camper, trailer, fifth wheel, or motorhome, you’ll need a four season RV that is specially equipped for cold weather camping.  

Some of the extreme weather features of four season camper RVs are:

• heated water and holding tanks
• extra insulation in the floor, roof, slides, and end caps
• a high output furnace
• insulated water lines
• roof vent insulation
• a special heated and enclosed under-belly
• double pane windows
• straight line foam core heating ducts
• and heated pad under the mattress

Snow play is great fun but your RV needs to be properly equipped to handle the freezing temperatures and accumulation of snow.

Extreme Weather Features May Require an RV Upgrade

A few four season RV options are sold with many of these features installed as standard equipment, but most brands offer extreme weather “Yeti packages” that can be added to any of their models. 

If you know you’ll likely be camping in extremely cold climates, the time to get these features installed on your RV is when you buy it because trying to retro-fit an RV with extra insulation, heated tanks, and other four season features would be very expensive. 

Additionally, some four season trailer and motorhome features may not be available after the RV is fully assembled. For example, the heated and enclosed under-belly that protects the pipes, holding tanks, and insulates the floor of your RV would need to be installed during the manufacturing process, as would the extra thick insulation that is installed between the outer skin and interior sidewalls of the RV.

Four-season RV upgrades protects you and your RV in both extreme cold and extreme hot environments.

Four-Season RVs Provide Year Round Benefits

Even if you don’t think you’ll ever camp in the snow or freezing weather these extreme weather features can be just as important in hot climates. After all, these rigs are described as four-season RV trailers and motorhomes, indicating the extremely hot summer is included.

Many of the features you’d rely on to keep you warm in the winter will also keep you cool in the summer. Extra insulation, an enclosed under-belly, double pane windows, and roof vent insulation, will all help to keep the cool air in your RV and the hot air out. 

RV Brands Recognized for Four Season Camping

A few of the brands that are well recognized for their four season RV packages are listed below in no particular order. You’ll need to do your own due diligence to determine which features will best fit your camping objectives, and which brands have the best combination of those features.

Four-Season After-Market Accessories

In addition to factory installed four season RV upgrades, there are also aftermarket products that could help you manage extreme weather. These are great if you already have an RV and are looking for ways to mitigate the impacts of harsh weather conditions. 

Under-the-RV inflatable bladders, called AirSkirts, are easy to install around the bottom of your RV. These bladders replace the fully enclosed, insulated, and heated under-belly feature of the four season RV package by creating an RV skirt to block wind and snow from blowing under your RV. 

There are also many after-market window and vent insulation products to keep the warm interior air in and the cold air out, and a heated water hose or hose insulation will help keep your water flowing in freezing weather.

If you already have an RV then after-market four season RV accessories can greatly improve your comfort level but the best option, if you plan to spend extended time in extreme weather, is to purchase an RV that is equipped for these conditions.

More Winter Camping Tips

A four season RV certainly makes winter camping easier, and the winter camping accessories listed above can help if a four season camper isn’t in the cards. That said, there are other things to keep in mind as well.

For one thing, it’s a good idea to grab some space heaters if you’ll be in campsites with electricity. Electric heaters are more efficient than RV furnaces and will save you money as well as a lot of hassle. That said, keeping plenty of propane on hand in case of power loss is important. 

Another one? Consider investing in a dehumidifier. Condensation on the walls and windows is a real problem when RV camping in the winter and can lead to mold and mildew. A dehumidifier helps reduce the moisture and might save your rig from costly damages. 

You can see more winter camping tips here, so you can head into your cold weather RV camping experience prepared. 

Use Your RV Wheels to Find Better Year Round Climates

Finally, if the weather is just too hot or too cold for your camping pleasure then take advantage of the single more defining feature found in every RV, the mobility of your camper or motorhome. After all, it’s a living space on wheels. 

If extreme weather is hindering your camping enjoyment, then move to a different environment. If you’re in the southern states in late spring and the days are getting too hot for you to enjoy being outdoors, take your RV and head north to cooler climates. Or if the snow is starting to accumulate and you’re just not enjoying the cold weather, there’s probably warmer weather available further south. 

All that said, if you prefer to camp in the snow, so you can go snowboarding or skiing then you are certainly going to need a four-season camper to keep you safe, warm, and comfortable.