Part of the charm of using a camper is its ability to take
you to another world without ditching the comforts of home. You can feel like
you’re “roughing it” in a camper—but without the bug-infested, cold late nights
that come with outdoor camping. But what if you want a little bit of both?
Whether you’ve temporarily lost electricity or simply don’t want to use it for
your camping experience, it’s a frequent question: how do you heat a camper
without electricity? Let’s take a look:
Tips for Heating a
Camper without Electricity
While electricity will make your job a lot easier, that
doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a comfortable, well-insulated camper without it.
Here are some tips to keep in mind:
- Insulation.
If you have heat in your RV already, you don’t want to lose it. That’s where
insulation comes in. The key here is to identify the spots that are most likely
to lose heat. For example, if you notice a leak in the roof, it’s time to
address that with a proper RV sealant. This can
help keep out moisture and trap in
the heat. And since it locks out cold air, you won’t have to worry so much
about the strong gusts of cool wind coming your way. - Add
interior insulation. What do we mean by interior insulation? Blankets,
rugs, window covers—anything that you can use to supplement the insulation your
RV already has will be a good way to conserve more of that body heat already
present in the RV. - Get more
people. Ever notice how hot it can get in a home when you’re having a
Thanksgiving meal? That’s because body heat is a real factor here. If you can
convince more of your party to spend time inside
the RV, you’ll have access to natural body heat that will permeate the air of
your RV. This is one advantage of having a smaller RV—it will heat up more
quickly. - Try a
propane heater. There are portable propane heaters that can be used in
enclosed spaces. Be sure to read all directions carefully to ensure it is safe
for your RV.
Tips for Staying Safe
During Winter
If you don’t have a source of heat in your camper, it’s
tempting to think you can make do for the night. But it helps to remember that
your camper is not a thermos—it can and will lose more heat than you might
think. To stay safe, make sure that you keep plenty of blankets on hand,
emergency supplies, and that you don’t venture too far off the beaten path to
somewhere where you can get warm in a hurry.
You don’t always need electricity to stay warm in your RV,
especially if you keep it well-sealed and insulated. But no matter what
happens, you should always do your best to maintain a high-quality RV that can
lock out the cold naturally. Browse
all the RV products available here at RV by LIFE to find more ways to keep
your RV in tip-top shape.
