This being our first winter experiencing FULL TIME RV living, I’ll have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised to see how well propane has actually heated our fifth wheel. BUT…wow! ???? Propane can really make it’s mark on your wallet!
After noticing how fast we were burning through our 2x 30gal propane tanks, me and my family quickly began searching for ways to stretch this gas like gold, And Still Stay Cozy.
With a little brain power and the help of some friends & the internet, here are a few things we came up with!
1. Don’t Forget To Close Your Bathroom Vent/Fan Cover!
More than once I’ve walked in our tiny bathroom to realize the bathroom vent/fan has been open and on for who knows how long . I realize the importance of this vent, and that it’s often used to remove humidity from your RV during the winter months. But, If you’re like me and often forget to close it, you might consider turning the fan off and closing the vent whenever your finished up in the bathroom. And If that don’t work, try setting a timer on your phone to remind you to close it as soon as needed. You don’t want your precious heat unknowingly slipping outside, hours at a time!
2. Sleep Sacks & PJ’s
Any trouble with your little one kicking off the blankets at night? I found this second hand, homemade, sleep sack to be a great solution for my one year old! She has been using it since she was about 6mo old. Personally I would prefer to have a sleep sack made with sleeves to add even more warmth over her gown/shirt sleeves. But this one will do for now. For my 3yr old, The old fashion, one piece, fleece jammies are a great solution!
Add socks under these one piece, footed PJ’s for extra warmth.
3. Cover Your Floor Heat Vents
Living in a fifth wheel, the upper part of the camper always seems to hold so much more heat.
To balance this Temperature difference, I purchased a pack of 2 magnetic floor vent covers for 3.97 at our local wal-mart. I trimmed one to cover part of my upstairs bedroom vent. ✂️
This trick is often used in residential homes. It distributes part, or all of the rooms heat to the rest of the house. (In our case it pushed the heat down to the main living area of the fifth wheel)
The upstairs quickly felt more balanced with the downstairs temperature, and the downstairs was receiving the extra heat flow It needed. You may need to adjust how much of the floor vent you cover for a couple nights to find the happy medium before trimming your vent cover. (The more of the vent you cover the more heat will be pushed out of the room, and less heat will be left in the current room or area)
If the room becomes to cold, uncover more of the vent. If it’s still to warm, cover more. ☺️ (I started out with about half covered, now I only leave about 1-2in uncovered)
4. Use Electric Heaters!
This by far, has got to be my BEST tip.
Yes, it’s probably the most common and the most obvious. But, NEVER overlook the obvious! Depending on the size of your camper, you could possibly run more than one electric heater without throwing a breaker! Our RV handy man suggested trying it out like this, place one small heater on each end of the RV and leave the middle empty, to better your chance of not throwing the breakers.
You could also check your manual for Amp limit info, or you could do like me and just try your hearers in the different outlets until you see what works ????♀️ In our 42ft fifth wheel, I’ve found that I can run one mini-heater in my mid-bunk kids room and a second in the living room, along with the built-in fireplace heater in the main living area! This works out great since our bedroom seems to hold a lot of heat and doesn’t need a heater anyway.
You wouldn’t believe the difference this has made! This week has been single digit temperatures and we have stayed warm while still lengthening the use of our propane. No, I do not have statistic charts to compare the propane use of before and afterwards for you (I wish I did!)
But either way, I can confidently say that it has made a obvious difference in our home . So, first of all, if you have a built in fireplace, put that baby to use! And If you think it helps any, then jump to it and add a little heater (or two)! If you have been looking for a extra heat boost, It’s at least worth a try!❄️
5. House Shoes?
Now that we got the air nice and toasty, I know your just dying to ask … “Is the floor still cold?” Well, actually yes. Let’s face it. It’s a camper. It’s not insulated like a house. When the wind blows it’s still drafty, and YES the floors stay cold. (especially if you don’t have carpet!)
When we first moved into our fifth wheel my husband Mark declared house shoes were not for him, ever. A month or so into winter he quickly changed his mind! Matter of fact, this Family has become proud owners (And wearers) of house shoes all around! As silly as it may sound, they really do make a difference! If your hibernating in a camper full time or temporary this winter, don’t hesitate to pick up a pair. They are worth the money ????!
I hope these tips help you in someway!
No, I’m not a professional but hopefully something I share out of my learning experience will help simplify someone else’s RV experiece. ❤️
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