When it comes to the skirting there is one thing I would have changed about the design I came up with. I would have built an extra storage area for the shovels, ice scrapper and broom. I just leaned them up against our outdoor bench and that made things look a little trashy. Trust me, my wife let me know time and time again how trashy we really looked.
One thing we did right was getting the 100 gallon propane tank. We just let the propane company know how much was left at the end of the month and they came out and filled it for us. The other people in the RV park had the smaller tanks so it was there responsibility to take the tank to the propane company to refill. It was nice knowing I wouldn’t have to transport a tank back and forth, especially when the roads got bad.
We had the black and gray tanks valves freeze at one point and that was something that would only happen once. My wife and I had to take turns in -14 degree weather holding a hair dryer pointed at the valves. It worked, eventually but that was only after about 45 minutes.
Learning our lesson I purchased two 500 watt utility lamps, one for each tank and that did the trick. We didn’t have any problems with freeze up after that.
Another thing that would have been nice was a waste hose that would be hooked up full time. We kept ours in two garbage bags in the front of the RV. It got to be a pain having to take it out, hook it up, dump and than clean it out time and time again.
If you do have a full time hook up, make sure it is wrapped with electrical heat tape and well insulated. Also, do not keep the dump valves open all the time, they will freeze. Only open when it’s time to dump. Putting non-toxic RV anti-freeze in the black and gray tanks right after dumping really helped to keep things from freezing up before the next time we had to dump.
When it came to the windows, shrink film on the inside of the RV worked real well. We also put up Reflective Foil Insulation with Bubble Core on the driver compartment windows and bedroom, this really kept the heat in and made it rather cozy.
Keeping the kitchen and window by the kitchen table open was a must. If every window would have been completely covered I believe cabin fever would have set in. We did put shrink film on the inside of these windows but you couldn’t even tell it was there after we took the hair dryer to it.
I also recommend either purchasing or making pillows that will fit into the ceiling vents to help keep the drafts out. It is essential that you can remove them during the day, it really helps and is nice to have the light coming in.
One last thing. To help keep condensation from accumulating on the windows during the night, I highly recommend a dehumidifier. They are a little expensive but if you have the means I would get one. Some people, including us, crack the ceiling vent windows during the night to let the moisture escape.
I hope this article helps answer some of your questions and feel free to visit our blog, you can find that in my profile. Happy camping to all.
Joel left behind 20+ years in the newspaper business for a more peaceful and less stressful life living in the mountains. Now an artist who works with wood, antler, leather, bones and whatever he can find in the mountains, He camps year round with his wife, Steph and there dog Takoda.
Living in the wilderness and there experiences while doing so is where Joel gets his knowledge for his articles. Trial and error is a great guide and being to stubborn to give up doesn’t hurt.
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