DON'T FREEZE! - Insulating RV for Winter with Reflectix, Foam Board, & Skirting - RV Life

Don't freeze during the Winter in your RV! Use Reflectix radiant insulation for RV windows, foam board in open spaces, and skirting!
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[@RVingwithG]

Size the Blue formboard up to fit and CUT it in half. then put in one piece (side) at a time with string pulling them out and lock the string down with the door. ..??

[@johnnyellis9760]

Regarding the foam near the battery storage. Put the foam on the back of the doors. This way it will be present and easily access that area.

[@duncanyoung5482]

Exactly what I was going to suggest.

[@prepperjonpnw6482]

Greetings; I love your videos and would really like to try RVing full time but I have no idea how to make money remotely while traveling. Can you give me any advice please? Thank you so much for your awesome videos and any advice you can give me would be great.

[@AM.000]

I know I'm late, but for the pass thru foam. You need to just make duct tape loops. So top to bottom in the back, you have duct tape on the foam, then go toward the front extended as tabs to pull...and loop the tape to stick to itself, so the tabs are not sticky. Apply the duct tape, and loop indoors. Roll, to make sure it has adhesion. Give it 24 hours indoors, before you take it outdoors to the cold.

[@ssteele1812]

Having done 5 full time winters in central Iowa, skirting is a must. First year I just used plywood. Second year, I made my own tarp skirting with oiled tarp that I bought from a truck tarp mfg. Last few years I used 2" blue foam board. I just learned it up against the side of the camper and taped the seams. The shape and rigidity held it to the camper. I also made some "cleats" from lengths of 1x3 with a hole drilled thru them. I bought several 12" sections of rebar and hammered them into the ground behind the panels. Last winter hit -40 for several days with some days having 20-30 MPH winds. Foam board held up perfectly. Pro tip, taking the fender flares off the camper makes the foam board sit flush up against the camper walls in those areas. As for windows. Best results I got was from using the clear film on the inside and outside of the window. If you do both, it creates a large "air gap" and prevents drafts. No need to leave the weep holes open either because condensation can't form between the layers. You think the drafts are bad, wait until you realize that aluminum is a heat sink and all the window frames and door frames are made from aluminum. Even with it 70° in my camper there were days that all my frames were frosted over. This year, we are headed to AZ.

[@dsclassic6568]

Thanks for the tips!

[@homesweethome1494]

What about condensation on the windows or frames? You're very informative and have some great ideas

[@kennethjohnson7973]

I'm going to do the same thing to my camper thank you cuz I was going to just put it next to the frame but now you saved me alot of hard work so thank you.

[@BigDaddy-nn8kf]

What’s this clear film you speak of?

[@tom1959100]

I wonder if one can't take some thick, high quality duct tape and cover the outside aluminum portion of your doors and windows to prevent the "frosting" of the inside part during extreme cold temps. Also...use some thicker plastic to cover the inside and outside of your windows....kinda like what you get with the cheaper picture frames at Walmart. Then use some adhesive weather stripping next to the window, then again, use the heavy duty duct tape to hold it in place and help to seal it.

[@scottdiemer8006]

Put bubble wrap between window and reflective will help even more.

[@arthurperrea3714]

what Scott said , that would be the way to go

[@BeyondBlessed333]

They make bubble wrap reflective. All in one.

[@javaman2883]

@@BeyondBlessed333 Which is what's being installed here. I think what @scottdiemer8006 is going for is that bubble wrap is so much cheaper than bubble wrap with reflective, aka Reflectix, that plain bubble wrap could be used as a second layer for better insulation.

[@Genjonez-o763]

Big bubble bubble wrap works great for this. It lets the light in and there is a lot of air space which helps with insulation. Once you cut it to fit the window you just have to spray the window with water and it sticks.

[@in_8_ly]

This works well in old houses too.

[@lil_Marie_Red]

I do that in my cottage. plus it allows the sun to warm RV with sunlight during the day. Walmart sales rolls for about $45 to $50. I think. Dont throw any away during off season. Save it. I perfer the smaller bubbles for glass.

[@camerongawd01]

Something I have done as well to help draw the heat into the cabin is to put black cloth on the outside of the reflectics... so instead of reflecting away the heat, it draws it in. The inside part of the covering is very warm. In the Summertime, I simply flip the covering around and it reflects out the heat, lowering the temperature inside by at least 10-15 degrees.

[@Maven0666]

I forgot about that. I have reflective white shades in winter. No wonder it is freezing.

[@NCCaliGirl23]

how do you know which side is which

[@theaveragejoebody]

​@NCCaliGirl23 it doesn't matter unless you have silver on one side and black on the other. Black facing out during winter silver facing out during summer

[@outbackeddie]

Maybe spray painting one side of the reflectix black would do the same thing. I may give that a try.

[@chaolan77]

That was my suggestion too. Have had both white & dark color cars & the difference in direct sun is huge.

[@TheHunTwo]

Rock wool is great for insulation, sound proofing, fire proof and water proof. This stuff is expensive, but outstanding.

[@brucepennell3090]

I am using 1-1/2 R-Tech foam board with foil side facing in for skirting this winter. 4x8 sheets are less than $15 @ Home Depot. Cuts easily. Using same theory you did with other parts of your insulation process....just cut slightly larger than your ground to bottom of trailer height and tip the sheets in. I also drove a short section of rebar into the ground on inside mid panel before tipping panel in. Provides a stop at the bottom. In addition I added 3/4 inch foam pipe covering to the top of the panels before tipping in. This provided a tighter fit and since it has more give than the foam board makes up for slight variations in ground or trailer bottom. Taped the seam between panels with all weather 3m duct tape and then painted the whole thing. Total cost under $200 for a 24 foot trailer with a super slide. Has withstood 60 mph wind gusts without shifting and looks good. Took maybe 4 hours to install minus painting. Figure I can remove it in under an hour. It is inexpensive enough to discard at seasons end if you won't be staying in the same place again. No holes required in your trailer and probably better insulation than those expensive vinyl skirts. Second the idea of glueing foam to inside of your pass through doors.

[@adevore1971]

You make it sound so easy! Are you in my neighborhood? (South bc Canada) Lol hellllp!!

[@joellenbruce1423]

to insulate those front bay door....cut hard foam to fit the inside of the door....use double stick tape or velcro it to door...IE like an Attic entry board in a house

[@MamaBaer54]

Thats what I was going to suggest.

[@patriciat2609]

My thoughts exactly.

[@robbyboozer4122]

Velcro.

[@SmallJack86]

Use some washers and screw cabinet door handles to the foam insulation for easier installation and removal. We also do this with our ceiling vents

[@joanies6778]

Exactly, and on the inside you can add an extra layer of foam insulation around the opening. Just like you do to insulate a door on a house.

[@brucegillingham2793]

We purchased rolls of velcro and then attached sections to the window frames and the back of each windows reflectix.

[@mimijohnson7714]

We did this exact same thing in our previous camper a 2013, it DID help with keeping us warmer BUT we also had A LOT of condensation and unknowingly mold developed inside the walls. Ended up taking a huge loss on the camper. 😟😗 So if you can find a good dehumidifier DO and pull those away from the windows and check for moisture (at least once a day). Just a heads up I’d hate for someone else to go through what we have.

[@meredith2277]

Thanks for this heads up, Mimi :)

[@kellyjford1]

I used a lot of the Moisture bags XL from walmart in my camper and they help tremendously. I also want to get a humidity sensor also. Great comment/advice, thanks!

[@susans7091]

And using propane to heat and cook puts a lot of humidity into the air.

[@colty7764]

ventilation is important.. just some small openings to the outside to keep dryer air inside will do the trick. Reflectix prevents radiant heat transfer... conduction and convection are the other 2 ways heat is transferred. A small opening allows some convective heat loss, but the net loss is relatively small if the openings are small. The dryer air makes it feel warmer and keeps mold away.

[@MrGwizyadig]

@@colty7764 how do you make a small opening?

[@RoamingwiththeRamsays]

For the storage bay doors, cut the foam board insulation to the size of the door and use double sided tape to adhere it to the door. For ease of opening and closing the door you may want to take a knife and chamfer the edges at a 45 degree angle to make sure it doesn't catch when opening or closing.

[@mikemills4608]

Been FT stationary in Colorado for almost 2 years, & skirting helps a heap. Got ours custom-cut & installed, and it keeps it about 30 degrees warmer in the underside than the outside air. Only saw it drop down below freezing a couple times when it was below zero outside. Also, little tip for the shower vent cover - leave it up year-round. We bought an RV vent insulator (basically a foam pillow with reflection on one side) off of Amazon, & makes a huge difference. You want to put the reflection facing up to reflect heat in the summer. Ours would get so hot on the reflection side that you cannot touch it. I attached a cloth handle on the bottom so you can remove it everytime you want to use the vent.

[@krisg3984]

👌 true. Cold air seeps . And robs heat. You guys look prepared

[@mcp9930]

All good to keep cold at bay. Having said that, closing off windows like this with no view outside for us would equal 100% ‘major depression’. We’re fulltimers and are in Vancouver Canada right now. We’ve used 3M window insulator kits before in ours previous RV and they work great! Haven’t done anything yet this year.

[@VanLifeStorytelling]

I am moving into a small tiny home 8x16 in Newport, TN in mid-January 2023 and need to paint the interior of the home and until I get some blinds or shades made this Reflectix material should help temporary as I paint the interior. Thanks.

[@kathleenhartman5972]

thanks guys, Fate Unbound was one of the 1st KZbin’s we started watching in preparation to become a full timer, nearly 3 years ago. Oct 2020 we finally got our RV and we still come to KZbin to see what you two are doing. We did get a skirt made for our RV as we are skiers as we plan on spending the winter near different areas. The skirt was custom made for the ORV by Extreme Covers in Boise Idaho for $2600. It folds up into a Rubbermaid container. We have it staked to the ground. So we are pretty snug. We also keep our gas furnace at 55 degrees and use an electric space heater when we are awake. We hope to see you on the road sometime. Kat & Rog

[@harlandfazardo799]

Makes it nice and dark for day time sleeping as well

[@jakes1292]

Its been 3 years and we are all more traveled. ))) In Japan they sell 2 sided bubble wrap that is transluscent and made to insulate windows, supporting positive living space. In the US we can get 1" bubble wrap and double it up while taping closed the perimeter. This will make almost a R5 transluscent pullow for the windows. I tape or stuff the bubble wrap pillow over the aluminum window frame. When sealed over the aluminum window frame I find there is almost no moisture condinsation after cooking or showers.

[@no_worries_van]

To stay warm I taped clear painting sheet over the outside of the windows with aluminum foil tape (it doesn’t leave residue) and it keeps condensation down. I also got foam insulation board as skirting and just cut it to fit and taped it with the foil tape to the trailer and rocks/bricks against it to keep it from blowing away or you can dig a slit in the dirt for it to wedge into. Hope this helps! I survived the nasty week long winter storm in Texas with these solutions🤪

[@stevethune6780]

The lack of sunlight would drive me nuts, but the actions and work make perfect sense and are needed in cold weather. I would encourage you to look at some sort of dehumidifier as the propane heat puts out moisture - not to mention the moisture created by your entire family!

[@georgekatsinis5224]

They said they were using 2 x 750w electric space heaters with great success.

[@cmcdar]

@@georgekatsinis5224 The lack of sunlight drives me nuts too so I cut out a smaller 12x12 inch "window" in the Reflectix and taped in clear bubble wrap inserts. Now we get daylight in camper.

[@georgemoomaw9437]

How can the sealed burner of the propane heater add moisture?

[@HappilyEverHanks]

This is just what we needed to watch!! Thank you! We are full timing in our 5th wheel in PA this winter and are way behind with preparation! Safe travels! ~Renee and Kyle

[@Robyrob7771]

Reflectix helps a ton. With everything you’ve done the floor will be your biggest heat loss. Throw rugs for the floor and stuff in batte insulation in the stove vent.

[@Banagal]

I LOVE how Sweety gets up to bark & howl goodbye! :) Stay warm and toasty in the mid-west.

[@mstonitoni7381]

Skirting can be made from tarps and noodles and mounted using velcro. Cheaper and no drilling into exterior. Also, to mitigate the boxed in feeling that tends to come with reflecting all your windows you might consider using art either paintings, attached to reflectix or on the window blinds.

[@kontopoulos3107]

Or magnets, as I found Velcro in hot climate looses it's stickiness & falls off (if not sewn /stapled down) 😢

[@RVLIVINGLIFE]

For skirting, the people beside me used 2x2 and vinyl siding, cheap and easy. Discard it when spring comes. Also for those doors outside, you can buy none residue duct tape now to seal all air from going in.

[@NormRidg]

Great tips! We took our all season camper to KC when it was suppose to get down to 25 F. One morning was 3 F instead. We discovered reflectics. Windows went from open door refrigerators to something respectibile. Night and day difference. A must have for RV's in cold weather. Access door. Glue blue board to back of door, needs to recessed on edges to clear the door frame when it closes. Attach blue board from the inside to the opening with the blue board opening slightly larger than the actual opening. Sized so when the door closes the blue board on door and blue board around the back of the opening mesh. Works best if the blue board edges are at 45 deg angles.

[@kennethjohnson7973]

Thank you for this I just got a big camper 29 feet long with very big windows so I need to get the roll of that. I live in Southern Indiana its already ice cold I don't have heat in camper yet but I get a buddy heater next month. That will help me stay warm and that helped me better. So thanks again.

[@gerrypolinsky3305]

A couple of ideas: You can insulate the vent above the stove by filling the outside vent with a piece of memory foam. You can sometimes get scraps from places that work with that material. As to the doors to your battery compartment, you can hot glue foam board to the inside of the door. Cut it just wide enough to be able to close the doors and it will make a good seal. Added bonus, you won't need to remove the insulation to get at the working bits enclosed in that compartment.

[@richardlovins6222]

Yes that reflects works great I live in central Illinois year round at five below outside it was seventy five inside and I have one big slide out I just winterized my water lines and b/g tanks for some winter usage great job 👍👍👍

[@Nomadic_Justin]

Been doing this for years and it works great. Also nice to not be woken up by the light every morning .

[@dancingbearhollow7193]

Love you videos. We are new this year to RVing. But we did still figure out some of the installation issues. They actually make "pillows" that fit into the vents. They are easy to put in and take out. Because even if it is cold we use our vent when showing. Our windows are smaller so I bought windshield covers at a discount store which is same material as you used. But I cut ours the same shape as the outside edge of our windows. Then using four (one in each corner) Command velcro strips to attach our window installation to windows at night. And because we used the windshield covers they fold up nice and neat for storage! The other thing we did was in our understorage under our bed (like yours) we actually installed foam sheets cut to size between the studs. When I say studs I mean like where you have that utility light hanging from. Love your videos!!!

[@leighsheppard8614]

My wife and I are spending the winter on the south end of Vancouver Island. It is a very temperate climate but still gets down to freezing temperatures occasionally. We are in an RV park with dozens of other full-timers and notice that many of them have skirted their motorhomes, 5th wheels, Airstreams, etc with Reflectix at a fraction of the cost of commercial skirting. The Reflectix is held on with FlexPro silver tape that does not leave a residue when removed. Those that have used it claim it works like a charm and can be installed in a few hours for only a few hundred dollars in material.

[@rolandrivera9216]

To round the corners a little easier. Make a template using a clear plastic and with a little tape. Trace with a black marker, cut on the line and you'll have your pattern.

[@asadventures_moriicoddiwomple]

We do all of it for winter camping. We made our skirt out of reflectix (painted black) and used parachute cording around the frame under the edge. Then, we used Christmas light clamps attached to the inside edge of the reflectix so they can hook to the cord. We also put a few extention rods on some places between the ground and bottom of the trailer to help keep it in place in wind. Works pretty well and keeps it about 7°- 9° warmer under the trailer.

[@athroop1321]

I made a set for our camper two years ago. Used them the other night here in Indiana also. Work wonders in the summer and winter.

[@a.Shubel]

Thanks so much for these great tips!! 🎉 I have a Springdale 2016. And use STEEL WOOL in the cubby of the main PowerCable. It’s also a great thing to stuff in the Exhaust Vent. Hope that helps!

[@notyouraverageexplorer]

We made our skirting for our 5th wheel. Built wood frames & installed sheet insulation on it. No need to attach anything to your trailer. One Iowa winter was an experience for us. We were comfortable but prefer to chase the warmer weather.

[@larryjanson4011]

even easer. there are these little “pillows” made to fit the roof vents. they work great. good video on covering your windows, if i can add in a bit. go around inside and plug up all the little holes for the wires and plumbing. cover the fresh water piping as possible. there are just cold dead are locations in a rv.

[@jeffbruehl1531]

Super Good Tips! idea: Since you are plugged in you don't need your fridge venting for the propane mode. So seal the side vent and seal the chimney at the roof. The electric heating element does not need a chimney as it produces no dangerous gases. It only produces heat and it's electric heat at that. That's what you want anyway. The ammonia refrigerant in the system is sealed in the pipe works. I too am a mechanical engineer (1983). Use the heat from the back of the fridge to help heat the inside cabin. In these cold temps the fridge will still keep a normal inside temp easy enough assuming you are not keeping the camper at 40 or less. Get some rebar rods 8 feet long. Cut them in half with a cut off blade hand grinder tool. Stick them in the ground about a foot or so around the perimeter. Make a fence around the camper out of chip board OSB. Attach with conduit pipe clamps or equivalent. Paint it white with black vertical stripes to mimic the usual decorative planking. That will be your wind break skirt which is very important. It does not have to touch the camper. It just has to be close to it. I might be doing some winter trips to Fargo so this is all very important to me now. We Love Your Shows!

[@diannetipton8208]

She said “Rig”. I’m dumping “Gypsy Wagon”, can’t wait to say “The Rig”!! Pine straw or hay for under skirting. In the Spring, use it for landscape or barn etc. You guys are great!

[@Goaskval]

How about Gypsy Rig? 😊

[@skeeterforever6475]

We spent a winter in Alaska in our fifth wheel and we just took the skirting and just wedge it around the trailer. Worked awesome. Great job keeping your trailer warm.

[@crystolperry5150]

We love winter camping we had pop up campers for a few years and this stuff is amazing in winter and even in summer it reflects so much!!!

[@loriw2661]

You can use the “Pink” household insulation and hand stuff it into the oven vent. You can use insulation board, cut to size for the skirting.

[@johnkelleher8230]

Use the foam pipe wrap cut a small notch in the middle for the bar it will be easy to remove and re-install and will fit tight in the vent

[@AlcoholFreeRV]

Love the accent lights! Nice attention to detail on the insulation. We did the reflectix Year one. Too Dark for us. Year 2 was the window film. Not warm enough. This year, We are doing plexiglass storm windows, our video on that is coming out this wednesday! 😀

[@AlcoholFreeRV]

Oh one more thing, around these parts, some people use reflectix for that too! And foil tape apparently comes off cleanly. We chose a manufactured custom skirt, and those are $$$$ We paid around 2500! Worth it for us since we usually winter in Colorado. for one-time use, not ideal!

[@amandapotter7891]

U can use batting as insulation for your stove vent. It won’t damage the rod and u can stuff it in thick.

[@UsetoCud]

I also use small ceramic heaters. I use them with a remote thermostat that you plug the heater into and has a remote control that senses the heat at a distance so you get better regulated heat.

[@dereksuddreth8672]

To prevent moisture from building up inside the camper, we used reflective tape and attached our bubble film to the outside, overlapping our window frames. The tape is easily removed and leaves no adhesive behind to mar the finish of the fiberglass siding.

[@FateUnbound]

That's a really good idea! Probably more effective that way tbh.

[@dereksuddreth8672]

@@FateUnbound Our camper is set up on a permanent site on our property. We also plan to underpin to prevent air from stealing heat (or AC) through the floor. I am looking at exterior construction foam panels because of the ease of cutting to size.

[@RaymondMercier-s8o]

Thank you for the tips! I currently live full time in a trailer here in Canada to be exact and we get some cold winters! Definetly anything helps, but a massive piece was adding a wood stove and getting high density insulation Mat for floor and will be framing the bathroom floor and insulating with spray foam as there is no furnace and it’s more about keeping warm

[@Inspiringsuccess2]

What kind of stove did you install and how did you do it?

[@James-oo7bv]

One thing that works great for widows and roof sunlights and vents in the winter is clear plastic, heat shrink window covering. It is held in place with double sided tape and heat shrunk with a hair dryer, forming an air tight shield from the cold air also creating a barrier preventing condensation.

[@bigdaddeo76]

Here's an idea for those 2 storage doors: cut a piece of blue board the size of the lip. Then glue it to the inside of the door.

[@dianapearson1771]

Or use the gas tape so it's removable

[@javaman2883]

Tape a 2 inch strip of Reflectix to the outer edge of the blue board. It will act as a gasket to hold the blue board in the lip.

[@sonenelson7835]

cut the foam to block the storage area tight inside the door, cut a hole in that foam that you pop in and out smaller than the hatch door. over size the front with reflectiXs so it doesn't fall in, maybe let it flap inward. windows in the windows.... make window flaps aka make smaller windows, over size the flaps to keep cold out. hope short hand makes sense. BLESS

[@Tumbleweed2C714]

great job. thanx for all your ideas. check for condensation behind those window foil. I didn't think about the bathroom fan and the vent above the stove. mine is so high i'd have to get a ladder to open and close it so I don't use it. I'm def going to insulate that...I did use the blue insulation board on the back wall on inside of my cabinets where they are mounted to an outside wall. In the summer, the inside of the cabinets heat Dropped 10 degrees in summer and I know are going to be a great help in the winter. On to the cubbies outside cubbies.

[@stevenfrazier8939]

We live full time in a Class A Motor Home. We tried that on the inside first. The result was not good. The glass would get cold and the moisture would buildup as before and freeze. We then installed it to the outside and the glass stayed warm and no moisture buildup happened. we stay nice and warm now. We use Prodex which is a reflective reinforced foil over a closed cell polyethylene foam center core.

[@jackhinds7187]

For the front bay openings, cut foam to fit then cut it in half, then make some pull tabs and hinge with duct tape so that it tightens as you flatten it out...for the stove vent make a small box out of foam board with a small spring to attach to that support bar. Love the videos and seeing the fur babies...

[@stephkenaston2568]

lol I CANT STOPWATCHING! Maybe it’s just because it was 19° outside and 52° inside my class this morning. Thanks for showing me the ins and outs of it. Definitely going to get some of this.

[@alicial6072]

I use space heaters when I'm hooked up to power they work great.

[@davidnorton7037]

For the storage door, cut the Styrofoam to fit inside the lip then glue it to the door. It may not be a tight fit but it will insulate. For the cooktop cut it to the size of the cover. Then cut it in half and push the two pieces up inside. Again it may not fit tight but some is better than none. For the undershirt. Adhesive velcro and reflects. I think maybe the fussy part on the reflects and the hook part on the trailer. Cut the reflects a little wider because you may not be on level ground. When applying the velcro leave the two velcro pieces stuck together and apply to the reflects first. Then apply the reflect with the velcro to the trailer frame. Press down hard and you have a skirt. The outside temperature needs to be high when applying. For removing the Styrofoam that is in really tight, put two screws in opposite sides, screwed almost through and use as a handle to pull out. A 1/4 inch screw in diameter with course threads, then remove the screws. I hope this helps. Just found your channel.

[@coastsider7645]

Great real world experience you two share with us. My experience says listening to a fan driven portable space heater is distracting as heck and the smallest oil filled electrical space heater is under 100 dollars, is silent, and heats my trailer's relatively small air volume in a superior way to the fan driven space heater I have like yours. Also, when you activate the comfort temp button, it only goes to 68-70 and shuts off, I keep mine on 600 watts at half thermostat and only turn it up for showers etc in 30 to 55 degree weather and it is better than most houses though I have 2 pane windows

[@BrianSEPT11]

storage under bed could be reflectix on door and stove vent could be fibreglass insulation, skirting can be reflectix winter taped on trailer and rocks on ground for support. Maybe foam tape around the door

[@pauljenkins5159]

Use some of the foam insulation board to skirt the trailer use some cheap paint to make it look better. You can discard or recycle it when not needed any more. It will make a ton of difference in comfort and keeping water lines and tanks from freezing..

[@kablah777]

Use carpet tape to adhere blueboard to the pass through door. Cut the panel to fit but make all your edge cuts at 45 degree angles so there is room for the door to open and close

[@pgrant7688]

I’ve used that radiant barrier. It works for us, mainly in the summertime. Most of our RVing is in Texas and heat is our main problem.

[@patriotdarktolight1780]

stay in my RV trailer -37 last winter in Canada. Enjoy the RV winter season.

[@lovejoypeace9424]

Brave! Hi from Alberta!

[@TheMobilTrader]

Any tips? I'm going to this winter. Nervous about it. Having a skirt made

[@patriotdarktolight1780]

@@TheMobilTraderThis is my 3th years inside my RV, I got a Skirt 2'' foam installed all around, I remove all Propane { Freezer and stove and unplug the propane furnace } installed a Electric furnace, because propane heat make humidity inside the RV, you need to remove all humidity you can, feel like home. 72 degrees all winter. Perfect, Enjoy you RV. Lower temperature was - 37

[@amypayjack6481]

So you do anything other than the skirting? My brother lives in an rv in canada but off grid. He has a small wood stove but condensation and heat loss are a major issue. As soon as the stove dies its cold ​@@patriotdarktolight1780

[@AdventuraHighway31]

In Europe at ski resort campgrounds, many trailers and campers have reflective insulation outside the window not inside; these are like soft shutters made of reflective fabrics , kind of one used into aerospace industry. It's the good way to avoid inside condensation. Most important, closed skirt all around the trailer that can also be used as additional storage.

[@dominicverellen8820]

for the pass-through use, your laundry shoot to put the second panel in from the inside, as for skirting get some 4' x 8' x 7/16" chipboard from home depo for less than $10 bucks a sheet cut in half lengthways and lean it up against the RV and use 2"x 3" boards to connect them together it will stop the airflow under your trailer at least.

[@stinkysrvadventures8620]

might want to put some insulation on roof of storage bay. will keep your bed warmer.

[@TKnEarl]

I was thinking this too. That should help out a lot.

[@c50ge]

To help stay warm use hot hands warming packets place them on the back side of your hands under your gloves. You can make some reusable ones with rice or ceramic beads. Just learned this from a guy that learned this survival skill while in the military.

[@McTripleCheese]

I’ve been living full time in a 20ft travel trailer in Minnesota for 3 years. You’ll definitely want to skirt your camper, if you don’t you will not have a fun time with pipes that are frozen solid. The first month my water pump had ice in the filter😂 It’s a lot to work to live in a camper

[@zzzzhuhzzzz]

For the compartment door... cut a rectangular piece that's just a little larger than the door. Cut two quarter-sized finger holes about 12" apart along the vertical center, like this: x x Insert the panel into the hold lengthwise (short end first), then rotate it and pull it up against the hole using the finger holes. Use a sharpie to mark the inside hatch perimeter. Remove it from the hold, cut it along the sharpie line, then reinsert it in the hole like you did the first time. Use the finger holes to pull it into place, then use duck tape to cover the holes. You could also use some gap filler to fill the holes, but you wouldn't really need to.

[@laragreene8328]

tHE INSULATION FOR THE Storage DOORS ON THE OUTSIDE.....Raise the door,tape the insulation to the door and close the door 👍 Great video👍

[@BeverlyRichards]

For the oven vent tuck in tube socks or a few scraps of pink insulation. For temporary skirting on the outside of the trailer try using bales of hay.

[@janetfolkerts5827]

I saw a N.Michigan RV'r set bales of straw/hay around the base of his RV. Come spring, it is ready for mulching someone's garden / yard /etc. It's inexpensive and will benefit to as a future mulch.

[@hondagarage9331]

I made my own trailer skirts out of the same material you used for your windows works fantastic

[@jamestopeka2236]

I buy cheap tarp and clamp to my frame rails as skirting and I put a ceramic heater under my camper and put it on middle setting . It's been zero before and My water doesn't freeze . Only the outer floor isn't covered with tarp but all my tanks and plumbing is down the middle anyway .

[@Firechild704]

As far as the skirting goes, we just purchased some 12 mil tarping off of Amazon for around $40. We are operating off a 23-ft toy hauler in a 25-ft motorhome and we purchased two tarps. Our RV sits two to three feet above the ground so cutting 3' by 50' foot sections will allow us plenty of material to go around the RV. We found some plans for DIY skirting on Pinterest. We plan to use a collete kit to put in metal rings and attach adhesive hooks to the outside of the RV to hold it up. Simply tucking it under at the bottom, putting snow on or pieces of wood should hold it to the ground. Then of course using a small space heater or light underneath will help keep it warm. Some people use sandbags. With the blue board in the vent area in the bathroom make sure you takes some pieces of tape as tabs so that you can easily pull it out as you need to period especially if you have a lot of humidity you need to get rid of out of the bathroom after showers. Currently sitting in New Mexico at 17° and then headed to Hannibal Missouri in a month.

[@DennisCarron-x5m]

P.S As for the skirting. use heavy duty black plastic 6ML thick. and I just put button snaps on my trimming screw near the bottom of my camper and used large thin washers on the snap to put support on the plastic. We hid very high winds the other day and it held great. And we put large rocks to hold the bottom of the pistic to the ground. Last night the temp dropped below 20 degrees, and it worked out great.

[@kenatkins3781]

I am SO glad you are insulating the bays. From personal experience water components will freeze

[@detravel534]

Fluffy (r19?) Insulation, like the pink stuff in a house, can be used to shove in small spaces, it can also be glued to a rigid structure when having the paper back. I have used reflectix for years and even use it for skirting on my RV since it is easier to store and flexible for different locations. I also use heat lamps with auto heat plugs that turn the lamps on when Temps drop to 42 then turn lamps off when 50. Nice video and have fun

[@sr.chinta-louisetorpey5566]

We are new RV'ers and thank-you so much for this video, I'm going to use the same approach! Any more great ideas, please continue to share. Thank-you!!!!

[@williamschopf7105]

Underpinning under the RV is expensive, try the silt fencing, it actually helped keep the cold from blowing through under my 24ft 5th wheel this fridged Texas deep freeze. Silt fencing runs under 100 dollars at Home depot and was easy to install, eventually I will insulate under and around my RV but at 0 degrees it helped 100 percent. I also used a 6 inch air duct insulation duct around the sewage line which kept the black tank empty while hooking up to the park sewage. Great ideas you gave that I am implementing for my RV for future wintering.

[@manabouthome]

We used to wrap hay bails around the foundation exterior of our cottage, to extend the unheated season, and provide insulation around the foundation during our wood heating season. It would help keep your camper warm, to enclose the open perimeter on the bottom, by placing hay bails on the ground tightly against the sides. This would be a good temporary (all you need) solution to help you stay warm when you're visiting home, and the bails would make good garden mulch for family, friends. and neighbors after you've moved on. If nothing else, a listing on Craigslist would dispose of them quickly. We enjoy watching your channel at our house, and we don't ever camp! (Considering possibilities for travel after retirement.)

[@christophergreen669]

Could also try like 3 or 4 inch soft foam like whats in couch cushions so it would be easy to get in and out and get a 4x8 sheet of 1/4 inch solid foam, 3.2 r value and put under the mattress to help stop the cold from getting into the bed

[@rjhein]

Hey, at the 15:40 point in the vid I recommend you use a couple (one or two) small toilet plungers (for suction) to pull the insulation piece properly into place evenly... I've used that in the past and it works great! (you just suction it to the flat piece of insulation, and pull back towards you to put it into place, then can break the suction seal with your finger, and off you go :)

[@scottmctear6282]

Glue the blue board that you got for the other side. Cut it out perfectly and put it on the door so when you shut it, it's there. Preferently, I'm about to do some work on my own R. V. Good luck, love and light.😊

[@dinahsittniewski2149]

I put the pink board on the doors of the storage area and it made a big difference and I could still open the doors.

[@TKnEarl]

This is exactly what we were looking for! Even though we're staying mostly in the south during the winter, the nights can get near freezing. I'm stingy when it comes to the propane, so using the space heaters and insulating with your suggestions is going to be a big help. Thanks!

[@lindawood6936]

For your underskirting use fence pickets & make panels & prop it with a 2x4 & it is easy to take down & put up

[@mekomckracken2358]

My Mom is from Idaho where the winters get really cold - compared to Oregon where I live. She said people used to use bales of hay around their RVs and trailers as skirting. They would place them all around and then it breaks down come springtime. Tjey're cheaper than buying a skirt i-- nitially. That is only useful if you are stationed in one spot for the winter .;)

[@JesMae09]

Pull down the underbelly and put the pink/blue under between the floor trusses and then screw the underbelly back on it makes a huge difference even if you can’t put it where the tanks come down you can use the reflective stuff there and tape it with a good tape! Promise it is worth the money. We have a 33 foot 5th wheel and it cost us about $150 for the 4 4x8 sheets of foam board and some tape. We also prior to that bought the foam insulation that goes on the water pipes and did all of those also. Pipe insulation is super cheap and worth the extra security while already under there! Good luck with the cold weather this winter🥶

[@eeonv3]

Just a simple comment no need to respond. The mattress pads that are sold at places like Walmart you can use that as your insulation for your windows, you will find that it will provide you a little bit more heat than the thin reflective padding. And that can be cut to fit the windows and should take care of the whole insulation of the interior of the RV.

[@soniacheek6768]

Hey just looked at another couple use the foam board and extreme weather tape for installation skirting at the bottom of the RV. It looked really nice.

[@stevekiemele995]

They make insulating pillows that jam into the overhead vents. More insulation than the board, super easy to put in and remove. A throw cushion when out.

[@barbbrandon4634]

Another option is to make the windows double pane by simply adding a think layer of plex to the exterior or interior. Inside it can be applied with double stick foam tape. The foam tape also adds insulation when adhered to the frame as that's where cold air leaks appear. Plex is a little pricier depending on the window size. However, it preserves the lighting factor. Currently a 3' x 6' x .22 sheet of plex goes for around $140...plenty big enough to cover the smaller windows. At least that would preserve some of the light.

[@stinkysrvadventures8620]

I have the same big picture window. I cut mine in 2 sections. 1 for the top, and one for the bottom. I can take out the smaller lower piece when I want to see out or let a little sun in.

[@FateUnbound]

Good idea!

[@jslhopper]

I just fold it, if I want to see some light.

[@rmyerscmi]

Alternative to skirting if you live in a farm area. You might be able to get some hay bales from a local farmer and stack them around the bottom of the trailer. When you’re done, just return them to the farmer.

[@chefnic71]

for the kitchen excuse fan I took some scrap roll fiberglass thats like fiberglass cotton and stuff in there... look for straw bails in stead on skirting and in the spring give to friends or family for a garden...

[@petuniaromania6294]

Many folks forget about the wonderful benefits of skirting - no matter where or what they live in :) Some folks are also gluing carpeting to that window insulation, which I think is interesting as well :) Great video.

[@richardpalmanteer9798]

Good job guys, I’m up in the Northwest, 50 miles south of the Canadian boarder. And this winter is suppose to be wet and cold. I have used some heavy plastic over my windows but I think the reflexive stuff would work better. The plastic is cold and I used double sided tape to seal around the window. I sit at my table next to the window and my feet and legs get cold. I rap a blanket around my legs to keep them warm. Stay safe. Enjoy The Adventure. 👍😎🎄

[@daveerickson1330]

seen in Maine: Hay bale skirting may be an option. Evergreen brush can be used but is most effective after it becomes snow covered.

[@alecvance701]

The insulation in you straight through storage take gorilla tape all the way across the back and around the side with a tail sticking out to exterior side about 3 to 5 inches in all four corners to pull foam board in tight from the inside work great