Protect Your RV In The Winter Months - Or Else!

Brrrr!

    Unfortunately, I live in a place where we have Winter. That means snow, ice, cold weather and most of all, changes in temperatures from below zero to above ninety degrees over the course of the year. This kind of a swing wreaks havoc with any house, let alone an RV. You see, water is evil. It can get into the smallest gaps and stay there. Add some below-zero weather and the water will freeze, expanding the gap further. Then when warmer weather comes and it all melts you see a tiny leak...but when it rains...oh boy, you have a real ingress of water. As always, locating where it's coming from is the toughest part. Here's a great place where an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure! Even small amounts of water over a long time can cause problems like mold, mildew and rot.

See The My;ar Thermal Cover!

So, what can you do about it? First start by making sure all the windows, doors and vent covers are closed. Especially on the roof. I know that sounds pretty obvious but often the roof vent covers don't close properly nor seal well. This should be checked BEFORE winter and attended to. It may just be an adhesive foam seal replacement or could be a full remove/replace of the offending vent itself. Pays to find out before it's too cold to repair! Believe me, you will NEVER be able to stop ALL the moisture from coming inside -- RV's aren't that airtight. Thankfully, since if they were and you were using propane it could become deadly! For the rest of the moisture (mostly to prevent mold and mildew) put at least one large dehumidifier inside. I use the crystal style.

Desiccant On Range Cover

I like to check on the interior of the RV periodically throughout the winter months and can empty and refill the dehumidifier as needed. This will keep the humidity levels down to a manageable level. Around 55% average humidity is acceptable to keep the bad stuff at bay. Be aware that if you work in the RV in the winter months and run the furnace it will put moisture into the air, so you should ventilate the interior. Opening a side window about one inch or so will be fine. If it accumulates too much, it will condense on the glass and other interior surfaces when the outside temps are low and the interior is moist. Think of a glass of iced coffee in the summer...all that moisture collecting on the glass, dripping down to the table? Use a coaster!

Simple, easy steps to make sure you don't walk into a nasty surprise come Spring. Last thing I would want to do is begin a lengthy water damage repair just when the RV season is getting underway. I'd rather be RV'ing...bet you would too!

Be Seeing You...Down The Road,

Rich "The Wanderman"
www.thewanderman.com