Winter is hard on camper vans, with freezing temperatures damaging water systems and harsh weather battering external materials. If the right precautions aren't taken, you could end up with frozen plumbing, a dead battery, and a leaking roof. Besides this, a cold RV isn't a nice place to spend time. Winterizing your camper involves protecting water systems from freezing, making sure the bodywork is watertight, and keeping the interior warm and cozy. In this article, we'll talk about these processes and how to prepare your RV for winter storage as well as for all-season use. We'll also discuss the winter gear you might like to equip yourself with and finish with some tips on winter RV living.
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Shane, the founder of The Van Conversion, is a campervan professional dedicated to helping people transform ordinary vans into homes on wheels. He has authored Roaming Home, and teaches The Van Conversion Course, guiding many people through their van builds. Shane also writes The Van Conversion Newsletter, where he shares practical tips and insights. After completing two van builds and living on the road full-time since 2020, he is passionate about sharing his expertise with others.
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Why Winterizing Your Camper Van is Essential
Winterizing your campervan protects the valuable components of your water system from malfunction and damage. In winter, water freezes and blocks your water pipes, tanks, pumps, valves, and filters, making them unusable. Water also expands as it freezes, possibly damaging or breaking these components. If you've ever left a glass bottle in the freezer for too long only to pull it out with the cap forced off or the glass shattered, you've seen the damage freezing water can do. Your plumbing isn't the only thing that's affected. Your RV's engine is liquid-cooled, incorporating a coolant tank, pipes, and other components. These can also be damaged by water freezing inside them. Winterization protects your water system and engine from this kind of damage, which would otherwise put your camper out of action and be costly to repair.
Winterization also involves the inspection and renewal of seals on the outside of your RV. Our article on seals discusses them in detail, but in summary, seals are the materials that keep the outside of your campervan watertight. Harsh weather and bigger temperature fluctuations make winter very hard on exterior seals. Checking over these seals and renewing them if they're degraded is an essential part of winterizing your RV.
The final main component of winterization is about keeping the inside of your RV warm. If you're planning on using your camper during the cold months, this process has two sides; heating and insulation. Heating (using either a diesel, LPG, or woodburning heater) warms up the inside of your RV, and insulation keeps that warmth in. A well-heated and insulated camper is cozy even in the depths of winter, allowing you to adventure year-round.
What Does Winterizing a Camper Van Involve?
When talking about how to winterize a campervan, we first need to know how it'll be used. If you don't use your camper in winter at all, we need to focus on preparing it for long-term storage. If you'll be living in your camper over winter or using it for trips, the focus is more on keeping it warm.
How to Winterize a Camper Van for Storage
Storing a campervan indoors and above 32°F (0°C) negates most of the need for winterization. In this case, the only thing you need to do is make sure all the tires are inflated to the right pressure. Most vehicles have a tire placard inside the driver's side door jamb, the fuel tank door, or the glove compartment. This sticker gives the recommended tire pressures for your vehicle. You might like to slightly overinflate the tires to 3-5 PSI over the recommended pressure for winter storage. Properly inflating the tires ensures they don't sag and develop flat spots during their long winter standstill.
Most people can't afford to store their camper in temperature-controlled facilities all winter. In this case, winterization is more involved. You should still make sure your tires are at the right pressure, but there are additional things to think about.
How to Winterize an RV Water System for Cold Storage
As we've previously discussed, water freezing in your plumbing will expand and likely cause damage. If you won't be using your RV in winter, the solution is to drain your plumbing of water before putting it in storage. Fully drain your water system by opening all taps and draining the components one by one.
Tanks
Water tanks (clean, grey, and black) should be drained by opening the drain valve and letting all the water drain out. Tilting your RV slightly by driving it up onto leveling ramps will get rid of the dregs. If your clean water tank doesn't have a drain valve, you'll need to run your water pump with the faucet open until water stops flowing. Be careful not to run the pump dry for more than a few seconds.
Water Heaters and Showers
Water heaters and showers designed for RV use always have a drain valve. Open this valve and the faucet according to the manufacturer's instructions and let all the water run out. If you've got a domestic-style water heater and shower, you'll need to find the drain valves and open these, or disconnect the inlet and outlet pipes to let the water drain out. Some water heaters, like this one from Furrion, incorporate in-built antifreeze protection, making winterization much easier.
Alternatively, if you have a portable shower/water heater combo, simply bring it inside.
How to Winterize an RV Pump and Pipes
Pumps and pipes can be flushed using compressed air. First, run the pump with the faucet open until it runs dry for a couple of seconds to remove as much water as possible from the pump and pipes. Some pumps incorporate a bypass valve, which allows you to bypass the pump or attach a bypass kit for doing so. This is beneficial as pumps can be damaged by compressed air. If the pump can't be bypassed, check with the manufacturer on how to use compressed air to flush it. Attach a blowout plug to the water inlet (make sure it's the correct diameter) and connect an air compressor. Use low pressure (20-30 PSI) to blow air through the system until no more water comes out.
Water Filters
Your water filter can be winterized by removing the canister or cartridge and storing it somewhere warm. This includes UV purifier cartridges. You can then use compressed air to blow remaining water out of the cartridge housing. In-line filters should also be disconnected and stored indoors. If you can't disconnect your in-line filter, you'll need to purge it with compressed air as described above. Consult with the manufacturer to make sure you don't do any damage.
Antifreeze
Finally, use a non-toxic, propylene glycol-based antifreeze (not automotive antifreeze) to guarantee protection. Pour it into your plughole and shower drain, and into your clean water tank. You can then use your pump to run the antifreeze through your faucet, shower, and any other outlet. This ensures any dregs remaining in your plumbing are treated with antifreeze.
How to Winterize a Motorhome Electrical System for Cold Storage
Most components of your electrical system won't be affected by the cold. Your leisure batteries, however, are more delicate. Cold temperatures degrade the chemistry of the cells, reducing the battery's lifespan and potentially killing it altogether. It's important to disconnect your leisure battery and bring it inside your home for winter. When not in use, batteries need to be periodically charged and discharged. This is called 'trickle charging', and the correct trickle charging regime will be specified by the battery's manufacturer. A low-amperage, smart trickle charger is specifically designed to monitor your battery's status and feed it a small current all through winter. This will keep it healthy and ready to be reinstalled in your RV next year.
How to Winterize an Engine for Cold Storage
Winterizing your engine also involves antifreeze, but for this, it's better to use automotive antifreeze. In most cases, it's pre-diluted and ready to use. If it isn't, you'll need to dilute it yourself. The manufacturer will provide instructions for use. Drain your RV's coolant reservoir if you haven't already done it this year, and refill it with fresh antifreeze. Your wiper fluid reservoir should also be filled with wiper fluid containing an antifreeze component.
How to Winterize a Camper Van's Exterior for Cold Storage
If you're storing your RV inside or under cover for winter, seals don't need to be a big focus as they're most affected by harsh weather. However, you should still check over and renew your seals once a year, and the end of the traveling season is a good time to do so.
If you're storing your RV outside, it'll spend the winter getting battered by cold wind, rain, snow, and hail. This treatment takes a toll on seals and external components. It's very important that your seals are all in good condition before winter comes, as you may not notice a leak in an unused camper until significant damage has been done. Additionally, we would highly recommend covering your camper with a breathable cover that will protect it against wind and precipitation.
How to Winterize an RV to Live in
If you're planning on continuing your adventures through winter, the winterization process is a little different. Your water system will be in use, meaning you won't be able to drain it, and the interior will need to be warm enough to live in.
How to Winterize an RV Water System for All-Season Use
As you'll be using your water system, you can't simply drain it of water and fill it with antifreeze. The good thing is that as long as you're in your RV, the interior should be warm enough to keep water from freezing. However, it's important to note that cold comes up from the ground outside and is easily conducted by your RV's metal floor. This means that even if the air in your camper is warm, the floor can be freezing. If your water tank or any elements are close to or in contact with an uninsulated floor, they could still freeze. I learned this the hard way during my first week of winter in the Georgian Caucasus. Having spent a day ski touring in the mountains, I returned to find that my water pipes, pump, and tank had frozen solid. The cold was coming up from my van's poorly insulated floor. I spent the next few days melting snow on the cooker for water and running the heater 24/7 in an effort to thaw the plumbing out.
The solution was to raise the water tank, pump, and piping a couple of centimeters off the floor using wooden blocks. I then filled the gaps between the blocks with heat-insulating foam. Had I properly insulated the floor of my campervan in the first place, this wouldn't have been an issue.
If your RV uses underslung water tanks, it's much harder to keep them above freezing. Wrapping them and any external pipes in insulating foam is essential, but might not be enough. A guaranteed solution is to equip your tanks with 12V heating pads. These are adhesive pads that mount to your water tanks and wire up to your electrical system. They continuously supply a small amount of heat, keeping the water in your tanks just above freezing.
If you'll be using your RV for winter trips but not living in it full-time, you won't be running the heater every day. You therefore need to think about keeping the interior above freezing when you're not using it. It's a good idea to run an electric heater out to your camper using an extension cord and keep it on a low setting overnight. Alternatively, you could run your RV's diesel or LPG heater on the lowest setting to keep temperatures slightly elevated.
How to Winterize a Motorhome Electrical System for All-Season Use
As with plumbing, your leisure battery also needs to be kept away from your camper's cold floor. Insulate the floor and install your battery on top, or raise it off the floor on blocks and insulating foam.
How to Winterize an Engine for All-Season Use
Winterizing an engine for use is much the same as winterizing it for storage. Keeping the coolant and wiper fluid tanks topped up with antifreeze-containing products will ensure nothing freezes and breaks. If you regularly have trouble starting your engine after cold nights, it may be worthwhile investing in a heating blanket for your starter battery. Most of these plug into mains power and are suitable for use when your RV is in your driveway. 12V versions which wire into your leisure battery are also available for use on the road.
How to Winterize a Camper Van's Exterior for All-Season Use
The principles of sealant maintenance apply even more if you're using your RV during winter. Check and renew them at the start of the season, and stock up on sealant tape for quick repairs.
If using your RV for trips during winter, a breathable RV cover is still a very good idea. Covering your camper up in between trips will significantly reduce the overall wear and tear on seals and exterior materials. If you'll be living in it full-time, you can't protect the outside of your camper from the brunt of the weather. Again, properly maintained seals will reliably keep out water and last the whole season without failing.
Winter tires are mandatory in most places with significant snowfall. Now is the time to change your tires over. A good set of winter tires makes a shocking difference to safety and traction, even in only a few millimeters of snow. To avoid paying for a tire change twice a year, you can source a set of wheel rims from a scrapyard and pay a garage to fit winter tires to them. In the future, you'll be able to change the wheels over yourself, saving a lot of money in the long run.
How to Winterize a Camper Van's Interior for All-Season Use
The final and most important component of preparing an RV for winter use is keeping the interior warm. A well-insulated camper can be heated efficiently and retains that heat, meaning you can turn off the heater at night without waking up shivering. Our article on insulation goes into this subject in depth.
Heating your camper in winter is a matter of choosing and installing a heating system. Our articles on diesel and LPG (Propex) heaters explore these common solutions in full. To summarise, heating a campervan using electricity is highly inefficient and should be avoided unless running from a shore hook-up (mains power). Diesel heaters are comparatively cheap and work very well. However, they require both a connection to your vehicle's fuel tank and an exterior exhaust, making installation more complicated. LPG (Propex) heaters, meanwhile, connect to the LPG tank you likely already have fuelling your cooker. Further, they only produce water vapor as an exhaust, which doesn't need to be vented outside. They are, however, more expensive than diesel heaters.
A third option is a woodburning stove. These require a far more involved installation, as you need heat shielding on nearby surfaces and a chimney going through the roof. They don't produce heat immediately, the fire needs looking after, wood takes up space, and you need to get rid of ash and sweep the chimney. However, if a woodburning stove is right for you, all of this inconvenience becomes irrelevant. I installed a wood burner in my campervan because I love chopping wood and maintaining a fire. I was attracted by the rustic nature and cozy ambiance that an old-fashioned wood stove provides and I was always certain that I wanted to put one in. I loved it immediately. A fire produces a lot of heat using cheap, readily-available firewood, meaning I'm never cold even in bitterest winter. The heat is also very dry, meaning my wet winter clothes dry in a heartbeat. I love my woodburning stove, and each autumn I excitedly stack the year's supply of dry firewood in anticipation of that first cold night.
RV Accessories for All-Season Use
Besides the above modifications, we'd highly recommend equipping yourself with the following tools before heading into winter in your RV.
A shovel for digging your RV out of snow. Being a skier, I always have my collapsible avalanche shovel in the van during winter. A handful of times a year, every year, it does double duty getting my van out of snowdrifts. An essential item.
Traction boards will often come out at the same time as your shovel. You'll only try using your van's floor mats to get unstuck once before investing in a more dedicated solution.
A snow clearer for getting snow off your roof and solar panels. Brooms with bristles aren't rigid enough to clear compacted or frozen snow, but scrapers are too rough for solar panels. Vehicle-grade snow 'brooms' are perfect for the job.
A collapsible or vehicle-mounted ladder for clearing snow off a tall RV. We have a full article dedicated to the choosing and installation of campervan ladders.
A scraper with a long handle makes short work of an icy windshield.
Window covers provide valuable insulation and prevent condensation from forming and freezing on the inside of your windows.
A towing eye is essential, as getting stuck beyond your shoveling capabilities is always a possibility. Many vehicles have frame-mounted recovery points, which might be hidden behind panels. If your RV doesn't have these, or if you can't find them, you need to make sure you have a towing eye. This might be included in your vehicle's breakdown kit, alongside the jack and tire iron. Make sure you know where yours is and how to fit it.
Living in a campervan in winter is much harder than in the rest of the year. The rewards, however, are substantial. Pursuing winter sports from your camper gives you immense freedom and allows you to enjoy the outdoors when they're at their most dramatic. Beauty spots are also quieter (if not deserted) in winter, meaning you can find solitude much more easily than during the rest of the year. The modifications and gear we've discussed are recommended from personal experience of winter van living. If you prepare and equip yourself correctly, winter can be a very adventurous and rewarding time to get out in your RV.
Step-by-Step Guide to Winterizing a Camper Van
Sealing: check over all the seals on the exterior of your campervan. This includes seals around fixtures, seals between the roof and body of your RV, the roof sealant material, and seals around windows. Replace them if they're cracked or if you notice any gaps. The start of winter is a good time to re-seal the roof of your plastic- or aluminum-roofed RV.
Protect the exterior: if you'll be storing your RV outside or leaving it outside between trips, consider investing in a weather cover. This will considerably reduce the degradation of seals and exterior materials as well as rust.
Tires: if you'll be storing your RV, inflate the tires to the manufacturer-recommended pressure (or 3-5 PSI over). If you'll be using it, change over your RV's summer tires to a good winter set.
Water systems: if you're storing your van over winter, drain, flush, and treat your plumbing with antifreeze. Bring your water filter cartridges and shower inside if you can. If you'll be using your van, make sure your piping and plumbing components are insulated from the van's metal floor. Consider heating pads for underslung or exterior tanks, and have a solution in place for keeping the interior of your van above freezing during periods of non-use.
Engine: make sure the coolant reservoir is topped up with antifreeze-containing coolant, and that the wiper fluid reservoir contains an antifreeze-containing wiper fluid. Consider a battery heater if your engine has trouble starting in cold weather.
Leisure battery: if you'll be storing your RV during winter, disconnect your leisure battery and bring it inside. If you'll be using your RV, make sure the battery is insulated from the metal floor and walls.
Insulation: make sure your RV is appropriately insulated, including the floor and ceiling. Consider purchasing covers for your windshield and windows to prevent heat loss through uninsulated glass.
Heating: if you'll be using your camper van during winter, make sure you've got a heating solution in place. Make sure it works and that you've ironed out any kinks before winter arrives.
Accessories: we highly recommend having one of every accessory in the list we discussed earlier. I've used every item on that list at least once, and am now never without them.
Tips for Living in a Winterized Camper
Besides the above essentials, there are certain knacks to living in a camper in winter. Many of these are learned the hard way, and not everything is foreseeable. Allow us to offer some handy tips from our own experiences that may help your first winter go more smoothly.
Moisture Management
Moisture is a real issue in winter, as evaporation happens less readily and water condenses on cold surfaces. You'll be drying damp clothes inside and cooking with the windows closed. Further, if you have an LPG heater installed, this will be venting water vapor into your RV's interior. Condensation is a real plague inside an RV, leading to rust and mold. I've had friends who had to completely redo the insides of their campers because condensing water destroyed their wooden furnishings and insulation.
Venting
For these reasons, venting is absolutely vital. A campervan roof vent is already a very good idea for keeping cool during summer and keeping your camper's interior fresh. In winter, a vent sucks out moist air and controls condensation. In addition, it's a good idea to have a secondary, non-powered vent near the floor of your RV. Opening this whilst the ceiling vent is running encourages airflow from the floor to the ceiling. This airflow very effectively evacuates moist air, reducing condensation on your walls, ceiling, and windows.
Vapor Barriers
Having a solid vapor barrier is also an effective way to protect your RV's insulation and bodywork from condensation. This is a waterproof barrier that's installed between your insulation and the furnishings that go on top. Be warned that a vapor barrier can backfire if installed incorrectly, so do your research and consult a professional if necessary.
Dehumidifiers
In addition to venting, a dehumidifier can be a temporary fix if you find condensation to be a real problem. We wouldn't recommend these as a long-term solution due to their power usage. However, they're a valuable tool if you need to do something about condensation immediately before putting in a more permanent solution.
Gas and Smoke Detection
When burning any kind of fuel in your camper, carbon monoxide (CO) and smoke detectors are recommended. In winter, when you'll mostly have windows closed and might sleep with your heater running, they're absolutely essential. At minimum, we recommend a carbon monoxide (CO) detector and a smoke detector. In addition, it's a good idea to have a detector for the kind of gas you use in your camper, whether this is LPG (propane) or LNG (methane). A combined carbon monoxide and flammable gas detector is ideal for use in a campervan.
Snow Clearing and Getting Unstuck
Especially if you're using your RV for ski and winter sports trips, snow clearing will be a part of daily life. Even if you're staying in one place, your solar panels need to be clear of snow. Then, when it's time to move, you'll need to clear snow from your roof and from behind your wheels. Make sure you're properly equipped to clear snow efficiently and figure out a system that works. Using a ladder and a brush with a long handle is the only way to efficiently get snow off the solar panels and roof of a tall RV.
Make sure you like your snow shovel before using it in anger. A good shovel makes the difference between digging your van out for 15 minutes and digging it out for an hour. Traction mats are just as important, and will save your bacon sooner or later. However, the possibility of getting stuck beyond self-rescue is ever-present. Make sure you know where your vehicle's recovery points are. They're usually found under the front and rear bumpers and might be hidden behind removable panels. If your vehicle doesn't have any, you'll need to have a traction hook or eye and know how to fit it.
Wet Clothes and Shoes
Wet gear is the bane of the winter van lifer. Wet, snowy, and muddy shoes make a terrible mess of the inside of your van, so make sure you have a place to store them whilst they dry. This could be as simple as a plastic tub or collapsible laundry basket.
Clothes need to be able to dry quickly in your RV without dripping water everywhere. In my van, I have laundry lines strung above the front seats. If my jackets are really sopping, I protect the seats with plastic sheeting that I cut to size. This system gives me room to dry two people's worth of ski gear, as well as hang out my climbing skins and harness. In combination, my woodburning stove puts out very dry heat and is placed just next to the sliding door, about a meter away from the cabin.
You could also set up a drying rack in your shower cubicle, where dripping water conveniently runs straight down the drain. Alternatively, the rear of your camper by the back doors could be an ideal location to hang drying lines from the ceiling. Make sure the floor is waterproof, and ideally have a solution for catching drips. Finally, a simple folding laundry rack may be the best solution if you have the space inside.
Small Comforts
Personally, I've found a thick, fluffy rug to be a very welcome addition to my van in winter. Even though it's insulated, my floor gets uncomfortably cold for bare feet. My slippers also see daily use throughout winter (I have a spare pair for guests). In the same vein, a healthy stock of warm blankets makes the van an invitingly cozy space no matter the weather.
Finally, and without being indelicate, it's worth considering how you'll be using the toilet. We have a full article on this subject, which explores all the viable options. However, many van lifers are happy with no toilet at all, instead relieving themselves responsibly outside. During freezing nights in winter, this practice becomes very unappealing. As we've said before, being a happy van-lifer is all about minimizing the effort of daily tasks. As such, we'd recommend having a solution for going to the toilet inside at night. This can be as simple as a bottle, famously endorsed by Alex Honnold himself. For those who can't use a bottle, a small collapsible bowl or jug works well, as does the SheWee and other similar devices. For non-liquids, the most palatable minimal option is a foldable bucket toilet.
How to De-Winterize Your Camper Van
The grass is coming out, streams are flowing, and your windows have stopped frosting over at night: another winter is passing into spring. Time to de-winterize your RV and prepare it for another traveling season. De-winterization is as important as winterization, and you'll need to carefully reverse the steps you took all those months ago.
Remove your winter tires, and reinstall the summer ones. As previously stated, having two sets of wheels with tires fitted significantly reduces garage costs.
Reconnect all your plumbing linkages. Reinstall your shower and water filter cartridges if you removed them. Completely fill your clean water tank and run this full tank of water all the way through your water system to flush out antifreeze, including your shower, pumps, and faucets. Rinse out your grey and black water tanks. Test every element individually, including your shower, faucets, pumps, and drains, checking for leaks.
Reinstate your leisure battery and test your electrical system in full.
Disconnect your engine battery warmer and water tank warmer.
Using non-toxic antifreeze for your plumbing means that flushing the system after winterization isn't life-or-death. Traces of non-toxic antifreeze aren't harmful to your health but might leave an unpleasant taste and smell in your water. On the other hand, antifreeze of any kind should not enter the natural water table. Do not flush your plumbing anywhere other than a street that drains into the sewage system, or a designated RV dump station.
Final Thoughts
Whatever your winterization process, it's important that you do it thoroughly and consistently, and that you reverse it appropriately at the end of winter. To this end, it's useful to make a checklist of every individual step. Work down this checklist before the first frost of the year. At the end of winter, you can work back up, reversing each step as you go. Winterization has many individual steps that are easy to forget, but doing so could result in costly repairs. An organized checklist is the best way to make sure you don't forget anything and winterize your RV the same way every year.
As previously stated, every tip and piece of gear in this article is a recommendation from personal experience. We learned things the hard way, but you don't have to. Whether you'll be using your RV or not, the objective of winterization is peace of mind. Do it correctly, and you'll be able to rest easy, knowing your camper is safe no matter what the weather's doing.
Don't forget to subscribe to The Van Conversion Newsletter for everything you need to get started with your own van conversion (we'll send you a free wiring diagram when you join).
If you're looking for some guidance with your van conversion, you might be interested in our book Roaming Home, or in our online course The Van Conversion Mastery Course. You'll learn directly from our founder Shane how to convert a van into your dream home - no prior experience needed!
Until next time.
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