Camping in winter sounds like a dream, right? We think winter is the perfect time to enjoy life a bit slower than usual.
If you’re planning to take a relaxed tour around the snowy landscapes of your region, then taking an RV camping trip is one of the best ways to do it.
But before you even think about any of the other winter traveling essentials, you have to learn how to keep RV pipes from freezing while camping. Yes, that’s a very practical problem which often gets campers into nightmarish trouble. If these pipes freeze, you are done for!
To help you avoid that, we’re going to discuss some ways to keep your pipes antifreeze.
So stay with us!
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How to Keep RV Pipes from Freezing While Camping?
The best way to keep the pipes from freezing is getting and RV Insulation upgrade.
Insulation will reduce the flow of heat absorption, and thus it will essentially help to keep things warm inside. So, one of the best ways to make your RV plumbing antifreeze is to install a good rubber insulator.
The insulated walls will be less prone to damage. One of the finest places to start insulating a vehicle is from its base so that the ice under your vehicle cannot take the heat away from it. There are some other ways to block out the cold from bothering your pipes, and these below are some ways to do it.
So, let’s learn how to keep RV water lines from freezing.
1. Seal Windows
If your windows already have caulking, check and examine them again. Look for areas in which they are broken or missing.
If your weather stripping on the exterior doors is old, replace them. By all measures, make sure that the seals you are confident about have also been checked and replaced if required. Freezing cold wind can get in through the tiniest gaps and mess up your RV game entirely.
2. Cover your RV windows
Get some window film or some reflective foil for further insulation. If you stick a layer of reflective film over the windows, then they will be able to reflect and direct heat back to the camper.
3. Buy Some Curtains
Thick curtains, to be precise. Drape them up on your windows, and they will help to block out the cold winds from whooshing into your RV.
4. Get Insulation on the Floors
You can find special foam boards to layer your floors with. They will help you to further insulate the base and prevent the coldness from spreading under your feet.
If buying floorboards seem too much of a hassle, then you can use heavy carpets or rugs instead. They come in many different colors and designs that can also help to add a bit more life to your time inside the RV.
5. Skirting
Skirting is installing a wooden board along the lengths of the base in your RV. Like we mentioned earlier, covering the base is going to take you far. It will help you to block out the icy cold winds that may freeze up your floor and the pipes on the underbelly of the vehicle.
In the summer, you can store away the skirting or even leave them on if you want.
6. Use Trace Heating
There is a particular type of tape in the market that can be wrapped around pipes to help raise their temperature.
We strongly suggest that you get them. They will prevent heat from escaping out of the pipes, prevent cold air from touching the pipes and simultaneously heat them up for you.
Put heat strips on the insulated RV water hose on the hose connecting to the sewer and stop them from freezing up. You also have to apply trace heating on every valve that’s exposed.
7. Take Care of Internal Plumbing
By this, we mean the pipes in the kitchen, cabinets, and bathroom. Keep the doors of these spaces open so that the regular heating inside the vehicle can automatically warm them up.
Another tip is to keep your taps slightly loose so that drops of water are always falling from the faucet – this trick will help to keep water running and thus prevent a hard freeze coming on.
8. Fill Up Your Freshwater Tank
Do not connect your RV pipes to any water sources outside. The outside water is obviously going to be much colder than the one you have in the vehicle.
So, fill up your tank and use that as your primary source of water coming through the pipes.
9. Buy A Space Heater
Space heaters will be a tremendous help when it comes to protecting the water pump and the water lines from freezing in. But do remember to keep the space heater away from the vents in your RV as a safety precaution.
10. Add Antifreeze
An antifreeze is an additive that can help to lower the freezing temperature of the water. If you are going camping in extremely low-temperature regions, then this is highly recommended for you. But this is only for the pipes in your engine. Do not put them anywhere near your RV water pipes.
Conclusion
If the pipes freeze, they will be at risk of bursting and causing a massive mess that will give you a sure shock while trying to relax. You don’t want anything like that for sure. So take care of those pipes while you can.
We hope this article has helped you to learn how to keep RV pipes from freezing while camping. Now go and put them to use. Best of luck!
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