If you’ve been on the lookout for an RV, you’ve probably noticed that each model is rated for three or four seasons. A three-season camper is meant to be used in the relatively mild temperatures spring, summer, and fall. These RVs are built to be winterized and stored for the coldest part of the year. But a four-season RV is a different animal.
If a camper is rated as a four-season RV, it means that it is meant to be used all year long, anytime you want to go camping. These all-weather campers give you the freedom to take off and embrace the RV lifestyle whenever you want. (And, in embracing winter camping, you’ll discover things other campers will never experience.)
So, let’s take a look at the elements you need to examine if you’re looking to purchase a four-season RV that you can rely on year-round.
Key Features to Pay Attention to in a Four-Season RV
The point of having an RV is to have access to the amenities and comforts of home, wherever you go. A four-season RV provides a cozy retreat when it’s cold out. (And, let us not forget, a cool oasis when it’s scorching outside.) In addition, all-weather campers offer running water for washing dishes, showers, and flushing the toilet.
Plumbing and holding tanks on four-season RVs are usually protected by an enclosed underbelly that also houses furnace ducting. When this isn’t possible (due to the design of the RV), plumbing is protected with heat tape and insulation and holding tanks that have heating pads. It’s all about keeping the water flowing even in sub-zero temperatures. Let’s take a deeper dive into all the ways an all-weather camper lets you enjoy all the comforts and conveniences of RV living, no matter what season it is. Ultimately, these are the things you need to ask about, research, and compare when buying a four-season RV.
Ask About the Insulation’s R-Rating and Layers
Four-season RVs have heavier duty insulation to retain heat inside the RV and keep exterior temperatures outside the RV. An R-value lets you know how well insulation performs. Logically, the higher the R-value,the better the insulation resists heat transfer. Most four-season RVs have insulation that’s rated R6 or more in the walls. However, the highest R-value insulation is found in the roof and beneath floors. Insulation values in the roof of the RV can be anywhere between R-10 and R-20. Floors in an all-weather camper are often insulated with layers of different insulation materials that add up to an R-value of 10 or more.
There are a lot of variables between makes and models RVs when it comes to insulation materials. For example, four-season campers usually use expanded polystyrene in their sidewalls because it has an R-value of 6-7. For comparison, with few exceptions, the sidewalls of three-season RVs are insulated with extruded polystyrene foam block insulation. This type of insulation has an R-value of R-4 to R-5. However, some RV manufacturers combine two or three layers of insulation in the ceiling, sidewalls and floor of their four-season RVs to provide even better insulation. (Hint, hint! So, R-level and layers of insulation are something to ask about.)
Check the Type of Double-Pane or Thermal Window
Four-season campers designed for all weather use always have double-pane/thermal-pane/thermo-pane windows installed. However, while dual-pane windows in residential homes can make a big difference in temperature transfer, this isn’t necessarily the case in RVs. That’s because double pane windows for RVs are constructed differently than the ones made for residential homes.
You’re probably aware that the thermal pane windows used in your home are made with two glass panes that have a layer of argon or other gas sandwiched between them. The layer of gas is what helps to reduce heat transfer and helps give the window an R-value of around 2. By comparison, a single pane window has an R-value of about 0.9.
In most RVs, thermal-pane windows have two panes of glass, but don’t have the insulating layer of gas between them. Instead, the two panes may be bonded directly to one another, or may have a layer of ordinary air separating them. In most cases, these windows offer an R-value of between 1.6 and 2, making them marginally better at reducing heat transfer than single pane RV windows.
With that being said, thermal windows made for high-end diesel pushers and all-season fifth wheels often come with residential style thermal pane windows. Therefore, it’s a good idea to ask about dual-pane window construction methods when you’re shopping for an all season camper (and their R-ratings). Whatever the case, you’ll be able to greatly reduce heat transfer from windows with the use of Reflectix or bubble wrap on windows to create an insulating layer of air between the interior and exterior of the RV. Additionally, you can add even more R-value to your RV windows by keeping window treatments drawn when it’s hot or cold outside.
Find Out If the Underbelly in Enclosed — and What Heats the Heaters
A true four-season RV offers insulated hatches on its basement doors and and enclosed underbelly. In addition, a true four-season camper will have furnace ducting that runs through its enclosed underbelly to help protect holding tanks and prevent pipes from freezing. Nothing is exposed here. The water pump may be inside the RV or else in an insulated basement cabinet to keep it from freezing. In addition, waste tank valves are concealed in a basement cabinet because no one ever wants to deal with a frozen tank valve. (Trust me.)
There are a lot of campers marketed as four-season RVs that don’t have enclosed underbellies. Instead, they have heating pads on holding tanks. They may also offer heat tape and/or insulation around plumbing lines. The problem with this system is that it uses a lot of 120-volt electricity and requires you to be plugged into shore power. So, it’s not much use when you’re up on the ski hill or ice fishing on a quiet lake. Aside from that, heating pads may offer little protection for exposed tanks when temperatures drop below -10 degrees Fahrenheit and there’s an even colder wind chill factor.
Look at the Total Package — Both Heating and Cooling Systems
The best insulation package won’t help if you don’t have a furnace and air conditioner. If an RV doesn’t have a good heating and cooling system, the interior temperature will quickly resemble the outdoor temperature. The interior of a four-season RV stays comfortable no matter what the weather is like outside.
Almost all four-season RVs offer a propane or diesel furnace. In addition, some RVs also offer a cozy electric fireplace that can be used when the RV is plugged into shore power. Larger RVs may have a heat strip or heat pump as part of the air conditioner.
Heat pumps can warm up the interior temperature of the RV when you want to conserve propane. Because they’re powered by electricity, heat pumps give you a heating alternative. They can go to work even if you run out of propane. However, there are drawbacks to heat pumps.
- The heat they create is usually pumped through ceiling ducts, cooling it as it travels.
- RV heat pumps don’t work when the temperature is less than 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
- The RV has to be plugged into 30-amp or 50-amp power.
Some high end motorhomes may offer hydronic heating systems, like AquaHot, that run tubing containing potable water into heat exchangers that disperse heated air. It’s not unlike the way a residential boiler system works. This system also runs water to faucets and appliances. So, it acts as a built-in on demand hot water heater too. Hydronic heating systems can use different combinations of the vehicle’s own surplus engine heat, on-board fuel, and/or AC shore power.
Don’t Neglect the A/C
Of course, all-weather camping doesn’t just refer to camping in cold temperatures. So, four-season campers also have between one and three air conditioning units installed to keep the interior of the RV at a comfortable temperature on scorching summer days. Air conditioners are rated as 13,500 Btus or 15,000 Btus. Either way, they’re power intensive. Most require either hooking up to shore power or a generator to meet their power needs. However, Class B RVs have a less power intensive option when it comes to air conditioning.
Class B RVs are sometimes equipped with 12-volt air conditioners. These run off any decent sized lithium-ion battery pack. Dometic’s offerings include the RTX2000, which they say can provide up to 6,383 Btus of cooling energy. That’s enough to let most van lifers sleep comfortably through the night, even whenever and wherever temperatures soar.
Final Thoughts on Four-Season RVs
Four-season RVs are perfect for anyone who wants to enjoy all the comforts and conveniences of RV camping all year round. A true four-season RV offers great insulation to help maintain comfortable interior temperatures. If you’re shopping for an RV, consider how you plan to use it. A fireplace will be a waste of space if you plan to be off-grid most of the time. An enclosed underbelly and insulated storage bays are a must for keeping tanks and plumbing from freezing in cold temperatures.
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