After a long, hot summer, the first cold front of the season will arrive before you know it. These 3 winter RV camping must haves will help you be ready for the drop in temperature.
Staying Comfy Starts with these 3 Winter RV Camping Must-Haves
The GasStop
If you’re like most RVers, your propane use goes way up in winter. Instead of using your RV barbecue, your furnace kicks in morning and night to keep you comfy. With greater use, comes greater risk of running out of propane. Or even worse, an RV propane explosion at a campground or when you’re traveling to get away from cold weather! But if you’ve got a GasStop, you’re one step ahead of these two problems.
A GasStop device automatically shuts off propane flow if a major leak happens in your system.
For example, let’s say you’re driving with your RV refrigerator on, and the propane line in your undercarriage gets punctured by road debris.
If you have a GasStop installed, the device immediately detects a rapid change in the gas flow rate of your propane system. Then it shuts it off to keep you and your family safe.
For under $100, you can put an end to the eternal RV debate about whether or not it’s safe to drive with propane on. The GasStop also lets know when you’re about to run out of propane.
Another bonus feature of the GasStop is the highly sensitive gas pressure indicator shows when you are low or out of propane. This is invaluable when you’re camping in cold weather.
Buddy Portable Propane Heater
I honestly don’t know how we went cold weather dry camping in winter for so many years without a portable Buddy Heater. On more than one occasion we wore down our batteries and couldn’t start our external Honda generator because it was so cold outside. I was always afraid of using propane heaters indoors, but the safety features of a Buddy heater finally sold me on giving it a try. I’m so glad I did.
Having a Mr. Buddy heater on board means you don’t need to run your furnace to keep warm. It’s especially nice on a chilly morning when you don’t want to turn on your generator. This quiet and safe way to warm your RV uses portable propane bottles, or a line connected to your RV propane system.
This type of RV-safe propane heater runs a very slight risk of releasing too much carbon monoxide, however. When using a Buddy Heater, always crack a window. Also make sure you have a working carbon monoxide detector, LP detector, and smoke detector.
No Freeze Heated RV Water Hose
I hate that first hard freeze of winter. If I’m lucky enough to get a warning, I fill my freshwater tank and disconnect from the RV park water connection. It’s such a hassle! But I can avoid it and stay warm inside with a No-Freeze Water Hose. This is the one of the ultimate winter RV camping must-haves for any RVer.
Made with food-grade materials, this heated RV water hose comes in several lengths. Rated for use in temperatures down to -40 degrees Fahrenheit, just plug it into a 110 volt outlet at the utility pedestal. It stays on to prevent a frozen water hose. The material remains flexible all the way down to -20 degrees, which makes it easy to coil, store, and scram at the first sign of a blizzard. The ultraviolet and fire-resistant coating means it lasts for years, too. One 25-foot hose uses about 2.5 kWh of electricity a day, and will only cost you about 25¢ a day to keep water flowing to your RV in the coldest of temperatures.
Fall is a gorgeous time to go leaf peeping in your RV. But don’t forget, that’s also our annual warning to get ready for cold weather RVing. These winter RV camping must-haves make the coldest time of the year more tolerable, comfortable, and fun for any year-round full-time RVer on the move.
