The problem with RVs is the fact that they are, generally, not really designed for Cold weather.

I mean, most Motorhomes have had furnaces for decades, but the older ones are not very efficient. Also, the older RVs were not as well isulated as the newer models.

So, if you want to travel into the more northern climates, especially in the winter, you need to make the appropriate preparations to assure your personal comfort.

OK, I am not proposing that everyone go out and buy a nice, new, well-insulated, Motorhome with the latest and best heating and cooling systems. This would be rather stupid.

The purpose here is to give the owner of an RV, Motorhome, or Camper, some reasonable tips to be more comfortable in their RV when it does get cold outside.

The first thing the owner can do is take a good inventory of their RV, and perform an inspection of all the slides and windows, and door seals on their RV.

Those cracked and torn rubber seals and gaskets should all be either replaced or repaired depending on their condition. If they are cracked and hard, then they are probably not going to give you a good seal against the elements. They are probably letting air into your RV, wherever the fit is not perfect.

Once you have taken care of these first line causes of cold in your RV, check for air leaks on the inside.

If the leak is something that can be fixed with a little Silicone rubber, or a little spray foam, then great, but if you have significant cold air coming into your RV, from wherever, you might consider a short-term solution.

One of the things that we used, in our older RV was a couple of those insulated "snakes". They are sold to put at the bottom of the door of your house, to stop the cold air from entering. They are cheap, and work well to halt that cold air that seeps into small spaces.

If you have Day-Night shades, and windshield window shades, as almost all RVs do, you should keep them closed. Even if you do not have thermal-pane windows, by closing the shades, you get an added layer of air between the window and the shade that aids in the overall insulation of your RV.

ANother thing you should do is place throw rugs n the central parts of your RV floor where you walk the most often. This will help keep your feet warm.

Keep your RV furnace in tip-top condition.

Read your owners manual, and perform any required preventive maintenance on your furnace regularly.  A furnace can waste a lot of Propane, if it is not kept in good shape.

Take the time to seal your RV well, as mentioned above, and then go to over to the furnace. It is a little silly to have a furnace that is booming heat into your RV, if the heat is immediately leaking to the outside world.

You should also be realistic with your Furnace temperature setting.

At night, just before going to bed, we set our furnace to a very low temperature of around 52-54 degrees.

Our reasoning is, that the furnace is only necessary to keep the base temperature of the RV at an acceptable level, not a comfortable level, but a very low base level.

When we get up in the morning, we immediately turn the furnace temperature up to around 63-64 degrees. The furnace will run for five to ten minutes, and then the RV will be at an acceptable temperature for moving around and starting your morning.

This procedure not only saves us significant money on Propane costs, but eliminates a lot of noise (propane furnaces are notoriously loud) and doesn't dry our RV and our sinuses out nearly as bad, as it would if we ran it at a high temperature all of the time.

The proper warm clothes are the next layer of cold management you should address.

With a little forethought, you can dress warmly while in your RV, and improve your comfort level dramatically. Here are some tips we have learned when we are in a cold climate:

• Keep a pair or two of warm Sweat pants and a Sweat shirt in your RV. They are not only useful when outside, but they can also keep you nice and cozy when sitting around inside the RV.
• Wear socks when inside. Don't walk around on your cold floor barefoot. The socks will not only make your feet feel warm, but they will block most drafts from affecting your feet.
• A pair of Bedroom slippers is also good to have and wear in your RV on a cold night.
• And, of course, when you go to bed, wear some pajamas.
  

One thing I cannot stress too highly, is the purchase of a good Ceramic type of room space heater.

It does not have to be an exotic or expensive piece of equipment, just a good one.

The purpose of having a space heater is to bring the RV interior temperature up a few degrees above what I mentioned for the RV furnace.

This space heater should be your second level of heating. It will be cheap to operate, and it will provide a steady heat in the section of the RV that you are using throughout the day. Place it in the Living area during the day, and in the Bedroom area during the night.

Get a space heater that meets the following requirements:

• It should be small. Storage space is always to be considered when purchasing anything for an RV.
• It should be a Ceramic design, as this type has a better safety record than some of the older open-element types.
• It should have a built-in sensor that will turn the heater off, when and if it is ever kicked over.
• It should have a multi-speed fan for adjusting the amount of heat it puts out.
• It should have a removable filter that can be easily cleaned and replaced when it becomes clogged with dust and dirt.

One of these heaters can make a big difference in a room's temperature, and it will keep the furnace from cutting on nearly as often, as it would if you did not use one.

Of course, one of these space heaters is of no use if you are rough camping without electricity, but in a campground with electrical hookup, it can be a very efficient tool for keeping your RV comfortable.

An electric blanket can end up being your favorite accessory in your RV on a cold night.

If you follow what I have said so far, with the furnace and space heater, you will remember that I recommended that you set your furnace down pretty low at night when you go to bed.

Well, with a good electric blanket on your bed, at night, you can be very comfortable, and sleep well, even when the space heater cannot keep the overall temperature very high.

The electric blanket is your third level of comfort control equipment, and once you use one a couple of times, you will never do without one again, on a cold night.

And, a good, dual control electric blanket will help you save electricity and propane on those cold nights.

In summary, if you are going to be RVing in a cold clmate, whether for a couple of days, or for a week or more, prepare for it, and attack the cold efficiently. 

You will enjoy your travels a lot more!