Camping is undoubtedly a fun-filled and rewarding adventure. It has been established that camping, as an outdoor activity, produces profound beneficial effects on your physical and psychological wellbeing. Many campers seek to embark on a camping journey regardless of the year’s season. As such, camping is viewed as one of the best outdoor activities. Thus, people camp out even during extreme atmospheric conditions such as the winter season.
While RV camping during the winter season demands extensive preparation and planning, it would not mean that it would be less fun. This article shall help you avoid the common camping mistakes novice campers commit during the winter camping season by laying them down. Furthermore, we shall offer ways to prevent those common wrongdoings so that you can maximize winter RV camping benefits.
Avoidable Mistakes Committed on RV Camping on Winter Season
Any camping season demands ample preparation and careful planning. Rvcamping.com provides tips and tricks on ways of preparing to maximize the fun and benefits of RV camping. Despite the possibly harsh camping conditions due to extreme weather temperature, you can still enjoy recreational vehicle camping in the winter season. You have to make sure to avoid these common mistakes and consider following our suggestions.
Not Researching about Your Campground
Before you go, you must know whether or not your chosen campground is open. There are campgrounds, state parks, and national parks that do not operate during the winter season. As such, it is practical to research beforehand. This method will help you save time, energy, and fuel by not driving in a closed campground which you thought operates even during winter.
Bringing Inappropriate Clothing
Before heading to your campground, you must know the atmospheric conditions of your destination. With this, you will know the type of clothing and footwear you shall carry with you. In this case, winter RV camping shall demand you to bring pieces of clothing with thicker layers to keep you warm. These pieces of clothing may include winter boots, leather jackets, and coats. Make sure to carry along with you the pieces of clothing that, aside from keeping you warm, shall be comfortable and convenient when wearing. Buying winter clothes on-site may cost an arm and a leg; thus, do not forget to bring along your winter clothes with you.
If you are RV camping with your pets during the winter season, make sure that they are kept warm, too.
Not Thoroughly Checking the RV’s Condition
It is a divine law to go through parts of your recreational vehicle before embarking on a trip. As such, many RV campers encounter vehicular difficulties along the way or during the camping duration. The worst scenario you can get yourself into when you fail to conduct a thorough inspection of your trailer is getting involved in a severe vehicular accident. Thus, it is incredibly vital to check your RV parts to prevent such an unfortunate circumstance and ensure that they are all functioning correctly to certify that your recreational vehicle is in good condition and fit for winter camping.
When you conduct an RV inspection, apart from the usual routinary steps you do, you have to add more steps to address the challenges of camping during the winter season. These additional steps may include spraying RV antifreeze on the gaskets, examining the weather stripping on all doors, putting special pink RV antifreeze on grey and black tanks, purchasing electric pipe heaters, wrapping sewer hose in heat tape, putting insulated covers in windows, installing RV vent cushions, and getting an engine block heater. These are a few of the many things that can be done when inspecting and preparing your rig.
Forgetting to bring the Toolbox
It adds to your peace of mind to know that you have a toolbox onboard. Having a toolbox means having the capability of solving minor vehicular problems on the road that, in turn, can prevent any form of danger. As such, it is prudent to carry along with you a bunch of equipment that shall aid you in the instance that your recreational vehicle has problems. Apart from your typical repair materials, your toolbox must at least include an emergency GPS, blow dryer, tire chains, shop broom, snatch straps, shovel, shackles, diesel anti-gel, traction boards, windshield washer fluid, and the likes.
Not Stocking Enough Food and Water Supply
Not having ample food and water supply can be attributed to a plethora of factors. For one, you may not have followed your food/diet plan, or you have been engaging in energy-draining activities to ease winter boredom; hence, you have been consuming beyond the food plan. However, food and water shortage can be prevented. It means you have to stock more than enough supply of food and water. As such, it is a must to store foodstuffs with longer shelf life.
Conclusion
Recreational vehicle camping during the winter season could not be less fun. To make your winter RV camping fun-filled, enjoyable, and stress-free, do not forget to research about your destination and telephone the campground management if necessary. Furthermore, ensure that you are bringing the right type of clothes and footwear. You must remember that you cannot fully enjoy winter camping if you were not kept warm. Also, when you are traveling with your pets, ensure that they are kept warm.
When you plan to camp out in the winter season, you have to go the extra mile to inspect your trailer. There are pieces of equipment and tools that you must invest in to have a stress-free camping experience. To travel with peace of mind, you have to carry with you your toolbox; this shall aid you in removing snow off your rig. Moreover, if possible, you have to bring a more than enough supply of food and water along with you. With this, you can be sure that you will not run out of stocks.
By following the suggestions mentioned above, you are more than ready to experience winter inside your recreational vehicle.
