Neither George nor I intended to experience a “real-ish” winter in our RV but here we are. I write “real-ish” since despite all the snow, the typical lows are in the upper 30s and highs have been in the mid to upper 50s. Not too bad at all. In any event, I thought I’d share some things that we have found necessary for a “real-ish” winter in an RV.
Propane Delivery Service
When we first moved into the colder mountain region, we were going through one 5 gallon propane tank each week. While we can fill our tanks at a nearby gas station, we gladly jumped on board when a fellow lineman in the park found a company that would supply us with a giant propane tank and take care of refills.
Hunt is the company that agreed with the stipulation that a certain minimum number of “households” in the park utilize their service. I’m not sure what that minimum number is, but 4 families opted in and our tanks were delivered.
Heated Water Hose
George did the research on this one and found the No Freeze Water Hose to be our best option. We ordered a 35′ hose and had a heated pigtail added to the side that connects to the water source. We’ve been very pleased with the hose and only had an issue with our water freezing once – water froze inside our water pressure regulator, not the hose. We’ve had no issues since removing the regulator. One thing to note is power is required for the No Freeze Water Hose to function, which leads me to our next essential item…
Generator
We’ve had 2 substantial snow storms so far – about 8″ fell during the first storm and 2’+ fell during the second storm. We lost power during both storms. Our battery backup was enough to keep the essential items running during the first outage which lasted less than 24 hours. However, the second outage lasted about 1 week. Had we been without a generator, the battery backup would have run out, leaving our furnace unable to kick on. We have a residential refrigerator, which does not run on propane like RV-specific refrigerators, so we would have been out of luck in that department, too. As noted above, we also wouldn’t have been able to turn on our No Freeze Water Hose.
Throughout the longer outage George turned on the generator during the day and off at night. He also turned off our water at the source each night since the No Freeze Water Hose wouldn’t be on. This system worked well for us. It was very strange to have my lineman home with us during an outage, but I was very grateful he was. We lucked out and our power turned on less than 12 hours before he returned to work.
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While the following items are not essential, they add some comfort to a way of life that can be void of other usual comforts (such as long, hot showers and not having to think about if a gray or black tank is full).
Joyful Movement
For as long as I can remember, joyful movement has been the best way for me to take care of my headspace. While good for my body, too, it’s the mood boosting and head clearing side effects that keep it a part of my life pretty much daily. I also engage in activities that I truly enjoy.
Since entering motherhood, long walks with Ellie in the stroller have been my thing. That’s not an option with the gigantic snow banks that crowd the streets and limit visibility. I enjoy resistance workouts (my own or YouTube videos) with dumbbells; however, I knew I was going to miss my walks heading into winter.
After a little online shopping I found a compact, folding treadmill – the Sunny Health & Fitness Easy Assembly Folding Motorized Compact Treadmill. George, thankfully, is very supportive of me and had no qualms about me adding this device to our small living quarters. It fits well in between our couch and dining area. While the belt isn’t wide or long enough to run, it is great for walkers like me…someday I’ll get back to running, but this is perfect for me right now.
WiFi
This one is in the works. Our cell signal/data is very unreliable at this RV park, as I’ve found to be the case at most. Even our hot spot and jet pack haven’t been much help, making it a very frustrating process to simply upload photos to this blog. Xfinity supplies this area and will be coming on 1/24 to get us set up. They offer a month to month plan which is very helpful for us transients.
Time Outside
This, like joyful movement, I find makes such a difference for both Ellie’s mood and mine. We typically spend a few hours outside playing after lunch each day. We’re so very lucky to have a few other line families with kids in the park. In addition to the fresh air and sunshine, Ellie gets to play with her little friends while I get to chat with their moms. I feel so grateful to have such wonderful company here.
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I hope we’ll never be living in our RV in the snow again, but if we are, we will be prepared. Our camper (2017 Jayco Northpoint 377 RLBH) came “winterized,” though additional preparations such as skirting or foam boards around the perimeter would be necessary to help retain heat if we were in a climate where below freezing temperatures were commonplace. Cheers to those of you who are more adventurous than us!
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*None of the items or services mentioned in this post are sponsors. We purchased each with our own money at full price. The opinions are our own.