Winter Survival Tips for Heating RVs (without Propane)!
For those who use their RVs during the colder months of the year, proper heating is especially important. You need to make sure that the interior stays at a comfortable temperature and that your water tanks don’t freeze. Although propane heating works pretty well, there are lots of other ways to solve the heating problem.
Insulate the RV
Before we cover how to heat an RV without propane, let’s talk about insulation! Every RV loses some heat from time to time. No insulation system is perfect, but there are lots of things you can do to keep the heat inside and the cold outside. If you want to save some money on your heating alternatives, insulating your RV is the best place to start.
First of all, focus on the most vulnerable parts of your RV. Windows tend to lose a lot of heat because glass is tough to insulate. You can remove the original windows and replace them with double-paned alternatives. This extra layer of separation helps the window retain some heat.
You also may want to consider covering the windows with heat-absorbing materials. This could include curtains, blankets, or even cardboard. Any type of padding will help the RV to conserve heat.
Doors can also let the heat out. Make sure you check the seal around your doors frequently because any small crack can let in drafts of cold air. Re-caulk the seams around your windows and doors regularly.
Covering vents is also a good idea, especially if you’re not going to be using a propane heating system. Vents are direct openings that can let the heat out and the cold air in. Covering them with custom vent covers, styrofoam, or another type of padding will help you seal in the warmth. Just make sure you remove these covers when it’s time to cook, shower, or turn on your ventilation system.
Use RV skirting
Learning how to heat an RV without propane should include the inside and outside. RV underbellies can freeze if they aren’t properly protected, and this will cause a slew of problems for the occupants.
One way to conserve heat and insulate the underbelly of an RV is to use exterior skirting. This provides a layer of protection for your RV and protects it from undergoing extreme temperature changes.
Skirting can either be bought or made and there are a variety of materials it can be made from. Something is always better than nothing, but if you truly want to conserve heat, these inflatable Airskirts are worth looking into.
Use alternative heaters
Now that we’ve covered insulation, let’s talk about how to heat an RV without propane! There are many ways you can add a new source of heat, but portable space heaters are some of the most popular and most effective options. These are usually good for heating one room at a time. They’re really great for bedrooms and other rooms that have doors you can close.
In terms of total RV heating, these aren’t the best solution, but if you have a small camper, it could be perfect. Buying multiple heaters is a good solution and you can turn them on or off as needed. There are many different types of space heaters, but we’ll cover 3 of the best ones for RVs below.
Electric space heater
These space heaters are a good solution to the “How to heat an RV without propane” problem. All you need for these is an electrical outlet and maybe some batteries. These are usually quite small and portable, so you can easily move them to the areas where they are most needed.
The warmth from these heaters is usually fairly direct, so you need to be careful to avoid placing them near paper or fabric that could catch on fire. They are quite affordable, with most units costing less than $50. Some good options for RV owners include the andily Space Heater Electric Heater and the GiveBest Portable Electric Space Heater.
Oil heater
Oil heaters are a bit less common, but they are great options if you want a steady source of heat. These heaters resemble traditional radiators, but they work by heating up the oil inside and distributing the heat in a steady, even way. They tend to be larger and more expensive than electric space heaters, but they also work better for larger RVs.
Because of their indirect heating design, oil heaters also aren’t as much of a fire hazard. The heat is more ambient, so you don’t have to be as careful around them. Touching them while they’re on still isn’t a great idea, but you won’t need to worry as much about flammable materials. If you’re interested in buying an oil heater for your RV, a good product is the PELONIS Oil Filled Radiator Heater.
Radiant heater
Radiant heaters are similar to electric space heaters, but they tend to warm up more quickly. These operate by heating themselves up with infrared light. They are quite efficient and can quickly raise the temperature of a small room. Once again, they aren’t well-suited to heating large spaces, but they would be great for bedrooms.
Radiant heaters tend to get quite hot once they’re turned on, so there is a fire hazard. Keep flammable materials at least 3 feet away and never leave the heater unattended. The Homeleader ETL Portable Radiant Heater is a good product for RV owners.
All of the heaters discussed above will help you in your quest to find out how to heat an RV without propane.
Heated flooring
Another good way to keep warm in your RV is by focusing on the flooring. There are a couple of ways to do this. First of all, you can insulate the floors by adding carpet, rugs, and foam tiles. These materials are better at conserving heat and will feel warm against bare feet.
If you need to generate a bit of heat, you can also install heated panels in your flooring. This will keep your feet warm, conserve heat for the whole RV, and keep the underside of the RV a bit warmer as well! It’s more expensive to choose this option, but it can be well worth it if you hate stepping onto ice-cold floors each morning.
One of the best parts about RVing is engaging with the community of traveling enthusiasts. iRV2 forums allow folks to chat with other RVers online, and get other perspectives on everything RVing, including products, destinations, RV mods, and much more.
Related articles:
- 8 Ways To Stay Warm While Camping In Cold Weather
- Will There Be A Propane Shortage This Winter?
- RV Propane Heater vs Electric: What’s Right For Your RV?
You didnt mention small wood stoves. They work quite well, but like everything else you have to use them in a safe manner.
HELP where can I find powdered
eggs??
walmart has large containers of them. also REI has smaller packages of them…
A brand new type of heater can be used safely and economically to heat RVs etc. It uses a magnatron (microwave oven) and can operate on a 12 volt battery. Check it out at
microwaveheater.com.
A new type of heater can be used to heat RVs, vehicles, homes, etc.
It uses a magnatron safely and efficiently. It uses much less power than a heat pump and can also operate on a 12 Volt battery.
microwaveheater.com
I’ll ask again. Since you’re the inventor of the microwave heater, what is the advantage of converting electricity to microwaves by sending it through a 70% or so efficient magnetron, then heating a surface to transfer heat to the surrounding air? Compared to a direct electric heater that converts 100% of the incoming power directly to heat. (I’m a former RF tech).
Please don’t forget that just keeping the vehicle heated inside might not protect exposed plumbing lines underneath your chassis. It will certainly help, but, that’s not enough.
If you are in sub 32 degrees weather for any length of time, please consider adding pink antifreeze to your freshwater system.
Whenever we need to do this we simply add plenty of the antifreeze, run the water through the system and drink bottled water.
The pink antifreeze won’t hurt you diluted, but, it tastes terrible. It will certainly prevent your pipes from bursting. Most newer rigs have PEX lines, plastic pipes and they can withstand more flexing, but you’ll want to be safe not sorry.
We use a portable electric heater in our Arctic Fox 1140 truck camper when shore power is available. The propane forced air furnace is very convenient but is not only inefficient, it’s noisy and consumes battery power to run the fan. Though still propane-fueled, I have discovered and come to love Camco Olympian catalytic heaters for their quiet, comfortable radiant heat. Best of all, they don’t require electric power and sip propane. We use a Wave 3 for the shoulder seasons and a Wave 6 for winter. That latter has kept us comfortable down the low single digits Fahrenheit.
Yeah, if its so good why wont he answer?
I installed a 110 volt, 5amp mini split heat pump. Not only do we stay cool in summer but warm in winter using minimal energy. Best thing we have done to out camper for minimal investment.
A lot of good suggestions in the comments here. Most importantly is that many RVs keep the tanks and plumbing from freezing with ducting from the propane furnace. You can also purchase heated tank cover/pads.
When it’s below freezing I would use a heated blanket and a 750/1500W space heater on the floor set on “LO” to provide constant supplemental heat. Then I would set the furnace to 53° to keep the RV comfortable while also providing increasing heat to the underbelly as the temperatures fell.
I’m constantly outside with the dog, so I’m always wearing warm clothes and prefer to not sweat when coming inside from a walk.
I think this is a great idea! Do you have a link or can you tell me which unit you are using? Thanks!
This is all fine and dandy, but you still need to use your PROPANE furnace to heat the underbelly, so your plumbing don’t freeze! Your holding tanks will turn to a Turdcicle.
We use diesel-Aqua HOT
Here is the problem with your alternative RV heating. The electricity is provided by the RV park. Your methods just increased the cost for the RV park. As a maintenance person in an RV park. Other issues are created as well. The additional amperage the electric heaters draw create heat in the wiring and electrical sockets. Fire danger becomes severe. Over drawing of amperage damages the RV park wiring as well as the electrical socket your RV is plugged into. Your coach wiring and electrical sockets over heat as well.
Be wise!!! Use the propane heating system your RV is equipped with electrical heating only as a backup. It is not the responsibility of the RV park to heat your RV!!!!!!
My wife and I lived in Alaska for four years in a 26″ travel trailer. Two years were in Anchorage where we stayed year round. You are dead on with how it can and should be done. We used two electric space heaters with all windows insulated with 1″ foam board outside and a mylar bubble product on the inside. Our skirting was 2″ foam board with another space heater under the unit. A plastic ground cover was layer down first. I also sectioned off the sewer area with a 60 watt drop light to keep it warm and stop any gasses from the rest of the area. When I drained the black tank I also didn’t loose the warm air under the whole trailer. The water inlet was also in a heated foam box with heated tape wrap and another light bulb.
The hardest point is the transition from the hose at the trailer. Small air leaks can freeze a small spot if it hits any metal.
We are retired teachers and went to Alaska to be with our USAF son and his growing family.
Heating and air roof air conditioner they great
Another. Heat saver. Insulate the out side walls of all your cupboards and closets. With refectix. Keeps heat in. In winter. And out in summer you can
do skirting insulation with ridgid board. Insulation also it can be painted to match your. Unit works great as you can cut to custom fit
Electric blankets don’t use nearly as much electricity as a space heater, but will keep you toasty warm!
Try a mini wood stove. We are using the mini cubic.
Using a burning fuel to heat your RV introduces the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. CO is odorless, colorless, and can kill you in your sleep.
Propane is a ripoff. I used to have a 35 foot fifth wheel which had a 1500 watt electric space heater and a 30,000 btu propane heater.
There are 90000 btu in a gallon of propane, so the propane heater would burn a gallon in 3 hours. The electric heater would work but it took a while and it kept it warm once it was caught up.
If I used the propane to heat, my tanks would last maybe a week at most and cost 35 each to fill.
The electric heat was instant and definitely cheaper
I’ve heard about a electric heater that connects to your propane furnace using no propane supposed to be pretty good from what I’ve been reading what do you think
I didn’t see anything in your article about needing to keep your rv furnace on even when you are using alternative heating unit like ceramic, radiant or oil filled heaters. If the individual has a fifth wheel or any rv and it has an enclosed belly the use of the furnace is needed to help to keep the water pipes from freezing. A heated hose helps but that furnace is the main source for the heat to the belly and the water pipes. Even if the individual keeps the thermostat set at 50-55 degrees this will help keep the pipes clear. Auxiliary heaters do not put heat into the underbelly and that is the problem of using just the auxiliary heaters
Your article didn’t mention using heat strip on the fresh water hose. The strip with accompanying foam insulation will keep the water flowing. You go through a 20 lb bottle of propane “pretty quick,” so electric heat is a must. Also, 40 watt light bulbs are a must around your water heater. This trick will be obsolete with today’s LED bulbs, as these bulbs don’t get as hot as the incandescent models.
My wife and I used to work on industrial projects and would live in our 26′ 1968 Avion travel trailer. Of course, the jobs would continue throughout the year … summers were okay … winters not so much. One campground/trailer court where we wintered supplied hay bales as underpinning. These worked great.
We are retired now. Our current travel trailer is a refurbished ’63 Airstream Bambi and I seriously doubt that we will do any RV’ing in the dead of winter. Living in a travel trailer in the winter, especially in the northern states, is quite a challenge. But, we always liked having our own home away from home when we were on the road.
Since you’re the inventor, what is the thermal efficiency of your microwave heater? Most I’ve seen are about 70% efficient, that is requiring about 30% more power to produce the same amount of heat as a traditional resistive heater.
How did they heat up before propane!!! Everything is too modern go old school
I Live In A Travel Trailor And Im Running A Electrict Heater With A Fan To Circulate Heat But When I See The Weather Is Going To Be At Freezing Temputures I Run My Propayne To Heat The Underbelly Of My Travel Trailor So My Pipes Don’t Freeze.
Several people suggested wood stoves, only thing wrong with that is some of them have very little burn time – like one has to be tended every two hours. My plan is a coal or charcoal stove, burns wood way too fast to use wood, with something like an 8 hour burn time. Found out years ago that charcoal is amazingly simple to make. Stove is a good place to burn any paper waste too. There is a small car heater, plugs into your dash power socket; works well enough to make me open my truck window too cool off after about 10 minutes, around $20. And there are a number of other options available, not taking electricity or propane, both store bought, and a slew of DIY options.
Not true I installed 12volt heat sheet that you put it directly on the under side of your holding tanks just wire to your battery or direct to any 12volt sorce….
If you are able to park your RV in a spot that allows the sun to hit some of your windows during the day it is a great way to get heat into the RV without costing anything. Just re insulate the windows when the sun stops putting heat into the RV.
If your expecting freezing temperatures and there is risk of the parks electricity goes out, have a portable generator to power your electric heaters, or even to power your furnace.
Do what cross-county truckers do, install a diesel fueled bunk heater
This does not apply to gas propane users!! If you are using the absorption refrigerator (110v or 12v) block the venting that goes outdoors. DO NOT block vent if you are using gas propane!!!