Well, it's that time of year when I generally DON'T think much about RVing.  October came and the RV was put away until Spring thaw... However, that's not the way it's always been.  There's been more than one occasion where we've had to brave sub-freezing temperatures in the RV, with mixed results.  Here's some tips I learned along the way:

Winterize your RV as much as possible

Without a doubt, the first line of defense is to winterize your RV as much as possible.  That means:

• Wrap all exterior water lines in insulation.  Even those in the water/sewage compartment should be insulated as much as possible.
• Install heaters and/or insulation on your fresh water and grey/black water tanks.  Just something to keep it above freezing.
• Make sure the basement has warm air circulation from above.  Many RVs have vents that help to circulate the air underneath.

When you first purchase your RV, some manufacturers have a winterized option.  If you think you might ever be going it in the cold, it's well worth the expense (and usually not that much).

Parking Smartness

Ok, so "smartness" might not be a real word, but there are several things you can do when locating a spot to park your RV in cold climate weather:

• Protect the North side as much as possible.  That means, face your door South, with the length of the RV running East/West.  That will give you optimal sunlight as well as protection from the north winds.
• Put up a skirt if you're going to be in one place for any length of time.  This will help to protect the underside from those cold winds, and help keep the heat in underneath the RV.
• Don't use external water hookups unless you've got a heating cord to wrap your water line in.
• Keep the interior of the RV as warm as practical.  The warmer it stays in your living area, the warmer the undersides and basement with all your pipes will stay.  Also, open cabinet doors where pipes are to let the air circulate and keep pipes from freezing.