Winter Use of an RV

VAParrothead · 01-02-2014, 10:40 AM

Having just purchased our 2004 Itasca Spirit in September, I have ZERO experience with using an RV in the winter. The coach is winterized. My question is: Can I use the RV (leaving the antifreeze in the lines) if I wanted to take it on the road? Specifically, can I sleep in the RV and use the propane furnace to stay warm, running it exclusively off the coach batteries (no shore power) or the generator?

pagosajoe · 01-02-2014, 10:45 AM

Welcome to the forum! No problem. The only thing you can't use without re-winterizing is the water systems. You CAN, however, have a cheesebuger in paradise...

bachler · 01-02-2014, 09:15 PM

Welcome to the forum. Our experiance Of winter . was snowmobiling We would be in the snow country for 2 to 3 months. Snow parks have no electric hookups. We had 4 Winnebagos trought that time. The last one is an Ultimate DP. The furnace worked well. Over the night it kept it at 60 Degrees, We spent many nights at 20 to 37- below. What I did was install an external battery charger to help charge the batterys. And we run the Gen. in the morning for 20 minuts and in the evening for 20 minutes. ADD a Battery charger. Don't listen to the guy that says you don't need one. He will be knocking at your door in the morning Asking you for something.. A charger and maybe an extra Battery . You are good to go. Life is good.

Bondad · 01-02-2014, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bachler

Welcome to the forum. Our experiance Of winter . was snowmobiling We would be in the snow country for 2 to 3 months. Snow parks have no electric hookups. We had 4 Winnebagos trought that time. The last one is an Ultimate DP. The furnace worked well. Over the night it kept it at 60 Degrees, We spent many nights at 20 to 37- below. What I did was install an external battery charger to help charge the batterys. And we run the Gen. in the morning for 20 minuts and in the evening for 20 minutes. ADD a Battery charger. Don't listen to the guy that says you don't need one. He will be knocking at your door in the morning Asking you for something.. A charger and maybe an extra Battery . You are good to go. Life is good.

How does an external battery charger work when not on shore power?

WAGM · 01-02-2014, 09:51 PM

Hey, we use our mh in the winter almost every year, carry drinking water in gallon jugs and use the pink antifreeze to flush the toilet. The cookstove burners on low keep the air warm enough to be comfy. An electric blanket 60 watts per side on an inverter runs a lot longer on battery than a gas furnace (don`t go to sleep with the stove burners going).
Enjoy, Warren
Note that this thing is only 23 feet long so that helps on the heating thing!

skigramp · 01-02-2014, 11:03 PM

drinking water in jugs ... kept in the shower

we use windshield wiper fluid to flush the toilet

if you are not going to be travelling around make sure you install an extend a stay valve on your LP tank ...

bachler · 01-03-2014, 04:00 AM

All good advice. You can just throw a handfull of salt in the toilet. That works for us. and the Battery charger will be hooked up to the batterys , and pluged into the 120.AC outlit. when the gen.runs it will charge.. Unless you have a large inverter/charger built in. as stated befor. You will die of old age before the regular converter fully charges your battery.. . This issue is allways disputed, There output is anywhere from 1 to 6 amps... And for like ours 6 batteries. is is just a joke. Life is good.