Winter RVing in an older motorhome

Winter RVing

authored  by Dennis Wasserburger, former CC, Inc service team member and motorhomer

Back in 1999 a very seasoned RVer and then director of customer relations Dennis Wasserburger shared timely information on enjoying your motorhome during the cold winter months. Many of those Country Coaches are still out there on the road today so we share his insights on winter RVing again for those who enjoy traveling during the winter.

 Winter traveling means less crowds, a choice of RV parking spaces at most campgrounds open in the colder months, and as an added bonus usually lower overnight stay prices as it is the “off season”. If you have ever ridden a snowmobile through Yellowstone National Park you can appreciate the grandeur of the sights which are not as dramatic during the hectic summer months.

Be Prepared. The key to winter RVing is preparation, attentive coach maintenance, and a weather conditions. The coach components that should receive special attention pre-trip follow:

Batteries: If your coach batteries and engine cranking batteries are left in a discharged state during inclement weather they will freeze. This will render your batteries useless. Even when they thaw they will not accept and hold a charge after being frozen only one time. To prevent freezing batteries, 1) keep all batteries components tight and free of corrosion; 2) keep the water at the proper level with liquid batteries, and 3) keep your batteries fully charged as much as possible. While hooked up to shore power, Country Coaches have automatic charging. While dry camping, your onboard generator will be required to maintain an adequate charge level. The charging process should start when batteries drop to the 12.00 volt DC level. Solar panels will assist in keeping batteries charged. During cold weather, the drain on the domestic batteries which run your heating system is too great for solar panels to keep up with the demands placed on them.

Coolant. All the manufacturers of diesel engines in Country Coach motorcoaches (Caterpillar, Cummins, and Detroit Diesel) recommend that the coolant be maintained at a 50/50 mixture of low silicate anti-freeze and water. This will give freeze protection down to -34 degrees F. This is about as cold as most of us will encounter and colder weather should be left to the polar bears. If you insist on colder temperature use, a stronger mixture of anti-freeze and water may be required. Check with your engine manufacturer if you expect colder climates. Caution: Straight anti-freeeze should never be used since cooling and freeze protection require water mixed with the anti0freeze for proper circulation.) Annually, your engine coolant additives should also be checked and maintained at the proper levels. The engine manufacturer’s dealer service network can check the additive level and contamination levels of your coolant. This is a very easy test that is accomplished with a sample of coolant taken from your cooling system surge tank.

The same anti-freeze and water mixture is used in the hydronic heating system that is used to heat the interior of many Country Coaches. An added benefit of the hydronic interior heating system is that it can also be used to pre-heat your main diesel engine while heating the interior of your coach.

Don’t forget the onboard diesel generator’s cooling system. This system should be serviced using the same guidelines as above. You will definitely be using your generator during cold weather for battery charging purposes, so proper surfacing of your onboard generator is a must. Unfortunately, many owners tend to forget the generator until they need it and discover that lack of proper service has made it inoperable.

Engine Belts and Hoses. Any seasoned traveler knows you should always carry an extra set of engine belts with your coach. Cold weather can make rubber very  brittle and cause a worn belt to break. Any sign of cracking or fraying on any engine belit is the sign to replace them. Some models of Country Coaches have more than one belt driven accessory. A good rule of thumb is to replace all engine drive belts at the same time so they are all the same age and you do not have to remember which one you replaced last. Some of these drive belts, if broken will disable the engine (i.e., water pump, alternator). With a minimum of hand tools the drive belts can be changed. For this reason all owners should carry an extra set of engine drive belts. Hoses should be replaced if they have cracks appearing on the outside or if they feel spongy or brittlwe. Most radiator hoses will laast up to five years if not contaminated with fuel or oil spills which are allowed to remain on them. All hoses should be checked annually for signs of deterioration and be replaced as needed.

Engine Oil. Today’s engine oil technology has advanced in leaps and bounds. The multi-viscosities and additives in engine oil along with advances in engines has eliminated the need to let your engines run all night as some truckers still do. The fear in cold weather was if you shut your engine off it would not start after a cold night. The 15W40 engine oil recommended by Cat, Cummins, and Detroit Diesel eliminates this fear.

The 15W40 viscosity is recommended for all but the most severe weather conditions and can be used year round. Engine oil becomes contaminated from the combustion process and condensation during normal operation. Oil and filter changes are recommended by the engine manufacturer for this reason. Engine oil is inexpensive when compared to engine oil related repairs on an engine. A good rule of thumb is change the engine oil and oil filter at the beginning of summer and winter. Again, don’t forget your onboard generator.

Diesel Fuel. The fuel supply in your coach in most cases is diesel. This requires some special attention during cold weather operation. Unlike gasoline, diesel fuel will begin to gel at approximately 10 degrees F. If this gelling or clouding becomes too severe it can clog your fuel filter and stop your engine. Diesel fuel companies recognize this problem and produced Diesel #1 or “winterized” fuel. It may not give you as much power or the mileage as the Diesel #2 you are used to burning but it has all but eliminated the gelling problem except in extreme conditions.

Additives are available that can be added to your present fuel supply to prevent this problem until your fuel tank can be filled with the cold region winterized fuel. Speaking of filling your fuel tank, it is a good idea to keep your tank as full as possible. This will eliminate the air space in the tank that will allow condensation to form in your fuel tank. Moisture and diesel fuel don’t mix and will stop you cold, if allowed to enter your engine. Country Coach diesel pusher motorhomes are equipped with a fuel filter/water separator to stop water from entering the engine. Since you never know when you may pick up water-contaminated diesel fuel, you should always carry a spare fuel filter/water separator, and acquire the knowledge on how to replace this filter. Due to the volume of diesel fuel they sell, large truck stops usually have fresher, less contaminated fuel. They are also the first fuel supply locations to receive the winterized fuel in the cold regions of the country. Fuel heaters for fuel filters and tanks are available aftermarket. If you use the winterized diesel fuel and keep your fuel tank as full as possible, these heaters should not be required except in extreme conditions.

Block Heaters. Country Coach supplies an electric block heater on current model diesel coaches. This is especially useful to preheat your engine when 110 volt AC power is available from campground hook ups or from your onboard generator.

Although this electric block heater can be used all night if conditions require, it should never be used when the engine is running. On Country Coaches equipped with hydronic heating there is an added advantage in that when you are operating your hydronic heating system with the diesel fired furnace, you are also heating the coolant in your coach diesel engine. This makes cold starts much easier and the electric block heater becomes a back up system only.

Thermal Pane Windows. Coaches equipped with dual pane windows in all the openings except the windshield conserve heat in the winter and cool air in the summer months. An added benefit of the thermal pane windows option is the amount of sound deadening that is gained over the standard, single pane side windows.

Windshield Washer. Reservoirs should be filled with winter premix solutions (20/10 or equivalent). Don’t forget to run your windshield washers long enough to purge any non-winter solution from the hoses going to your wipers. This will prevent freezing in the entire windshield washer system. You will be glad you followed this simple procedure the first time your windshield is sprayed with slush and salt from oncoming traffic. Also carry extra solution to replenish your reservoir. You will be surprised how quickly you can go through a gallon of winter windshield solution during heavy use.

Water Pumps & Holding Tanks. Country Coach placed the water pumps, resh water storage tank, and black and gray holding tanks in one plumbing bay. This plumbing bay is heated by a radiant heater on hydronic heating system coaches and by a forced air heating duct on forced air LP heating system. The freeze protection in the plumbing bay is automatic and operational when the interior furnace is operating. The black or gray dumping valves should never be left open during cold weather camping. They should only be opened during the actual dumping procedure—black tank first, followed immediately by the gray tank. Failure to follow this procedure will result in frozen sewer lines and a real mess when they do thaw out. Black holding tank chemicals can also be used in the gray holding tank during cold weather camping.  The use of such chemicals will aid in breaking down solids that may enter either holding tank and promote complete dumping.

Locks. Exterior locks can present a problem by freezing and becoming inoperable. Once the lock is frozen, about the only things that will work to free it are the old heated key trick or a commercial deicer. NEVER throw hot water on a frozen lock. This will only cause it to have more moisture to refreeze later. You should also never wash your coach at the end of the day when freezing temperatures are expected at night, unless you have the ability to blow the moisture out of the locks, with compressed air before it can freeze. Parking your coach so direct sunlight will be on locks during the day is a good way to dry out the locks and conserve fuel needed to heat the interior.

Traction. Country Coach diesel pusher motorhomes have excellent traction due mainly to the weight on the rear drive axle. This weight is created by the large rear mounted diesel engines and heavy duty automatic transmissions. This added traction will assist you in most conditions of moderate snow. In icy conditions, studded snow tires and/or chains are required. Cable type chains are best for motorhome use due to the smaller tire to fender clearances. You may never need to use your cable chains. After you purchase them to carry along for safety reasons, always do a trial fit to insure proper operation in case you are required to use them in the future. Traction with reference to going is one thing, but traction with reference to stopping is something else. The weight factor of a motorhome (this is such a plus going) become a large minus when stopping. To stop a motorhome on icy road surfaces, increase your stopping distance dramatically. Depending on road speed which should be very slow on icy roads, your breaking distance may need to be extended by ten times. Your tow car also needs to be considered when judging extended braking distance, especially if you are towing a vehicle or trailer without independent braking capabilities.

Be Flexible, Hang Loose, Enjoy the Trip! Wiinter operation of your coach should always be done on a very loose schedule. If you plan on being a certain place a certain day you may not allow yourself the luxury of being able to hold up in a campground during severe storms with impassable roads. A more relaxed schedule allows you to wait out storms in the comfort of your coach. With a little planning, you could be in a campground with full hook ups enjoying hot chocolate and watching the storm pass by on TV.

If driving during inclement weather, especially snowstorms, go slow. Remember yoru increased braking distance and take frequent breaks. Driving snow has a somewhat hypnotic effect which can cause fatigue before you recognize it. Frequent breaks will eliminate any lasting effects of this problem and help ensure your safety as you continue on down the road.

Night driving should also be avoided during a snowstorm due to the drastic reduction in visibility. During a clear day you may be able to see for miles. At night that distance is reduced to a few yards, while your braking and stopping distance remains the same.

Winter RVing for the fun of it! Operating your coach in cold climates is rewarding with nothing to fear. Correct preparation and a little caution and you will be telling snowbird friends how much fun you had last winter. They will be wondering why they have not tried this aspect of coach ownership. Travel safely.