Airstreams are not meant for all four seasons, but they are great for the summer and spring seasons. These types of campers are not meant for late fall and winter nights since it will be too cold for you. However, there are plenty of other RV campers available for you during the cold months.
Airstream doesn’t have enough insulation to be considered a four-season trailer, but there are other means that you can get your Airstream ready for the winter. You can add insulation, buy heaters, and so much more. There are plenty of four-season trailers on the market that you can buy, such as Lance 2295, Jayco Redhawk 25R, Oliver Legacy Elite II, Northwood Nash 18FM, and Forest River Arctic 251MK.
The Lance 2295 Travel Trailer: Great for Your Winter Adventure Needs
Lance is the manufacturer that produces travel trailers that are made for all seasons. These travel trailers will keep you warm in extreme cold or heat.
Lance has a rig that has a Lance Four Seasons Certified option with dual pane windows and advanced ducted heating.
The ducted heating has a water heater bypass, winterizing valve, insulated hatch covers, and heated holding tanks.
This ducted heating system comes in all Lance’s four season travel trailers and is routed into individually insulated holding tanks. It will keep the system, the valves, and the PEX lines warm, which is great during the cold season.
The water heater system that is present in Lance’s travel trailers makes draining the system for winter storage so easy.
Unlike other trailers, this process is easier and efficient on the Lance model. In addition, the hatch cover will provide an extra layer of insulation that can help you during cold days.
If you are on the road during the cold months, the more insulation, the better since, the more insulation that you have on your big, the warmer you will be.
The best Lance model is the Lance 2295 Travel Trailer since it has a fireplace that will keep you warm during cold days.
It doesn’t only have a unique layout, but more importantly, it has an electric fireplace that is strategically placed in the center of the rig.
Now, you can’t exactly throw a bunch of wood and call it a day; the electric stove and fireplace will save you from burning on propane when you are hooked up in a campground or park. Aside from the fireplace, the bedroom also has a great bedroom space.
It has a beautiful sloping window which will let you see the start during the night. Since there’s a rig placed in the rig’s center, the bedroom feels more secluded than the other Lance models.
When you are sharing the travel trailer with another person, you will be getting more privacy in the bedroom.
The Lance 2295 Travel Trailer also has a full shower, a large slide-out dining area where you can invite your guests, and uses Adzel panels.
These panels are composite panels that are used as an alternative to plywood and are 50 percent lighter than regular wood. Adzel also is rot, mold, and water-resistant, so you don’t have to worry about mold growing inside your rig.
There are only two downsides to this travel trailer is moisture tends to build up inside the rig when you are cooking, so you need to open your vents and doors to avoid this from happening. The second downside is the entertainment center can be too big for the RV.
The Jayco Redhawk 25R: The Powerhouse Brand
Jayco is known to be one of the powerhouse brands when it comes to RVs. They offer different types of four-season rigs, and the main priority of the Jayco brand is to provide products to their Rvers that they can comfortably live in. All of Jayco’s products are made with extreme functionality and offer the best quality.
The Redhawk 25R is one of the best four-season motorhomes with different floorplans that you can choose from that will suit your preferences and needs.
It has a Climate Shield Weather Protection System, which is designed for efficient heating and cooling.
The Climate Shield Weather Protection System works well because of the RV’s fully enclosed, heated underbelly, double-sided flex foil insulation, and dark tinted windows.
Aside from that, it also has durable PEX plumbing making the Climate Shield deliver the ultimate weather protection you need during the cold days.
Another great feature of the Jayco Redhawk 25R is it’s built on a Ford frame and a V10 engine which makes it extremely durable and ensures longevity. Whether you want to take it off the grid or drive it on rough terrains, this is the best rig for you.
It also has a lot of choices when it comes to floorplans. This rig offers six different floorplans with different features and amenities that will depend on your needs and wants. When you have a smaller family or a couple, the Jayco Redhawk 25R is the best option for you.
Now, the Jayco Redhawk 25R comes in a steep price tag, and you might find it out of your budget. The starting price for the Jayco Redhawk 25R is $99,893. It’s also not suitable for families with more than four people.
Oliver Legacy Elite II: Great for RVers Who Loves the Cold Season
Oliver Legacy Elite II is one of the four-season rigs that is designed for those people who love going on cold-weather adventures. Rest assured that the Oliver Legacy Elite II will provide you comfortability in extreme weather conditions.
This rig is made with extreme craftsmanship and resources, which make the Oliver Legacy Elite II durable.
The Oliver manufacturer made sure to fully insulate this rig with an insulated dual radian barrier to keep you warm during the cold weather.
The dual radiant barrier has been prepared with reflective aluminum foil on each side of the polyethylene bubble center.
For you to be comfortable during the winter season, the manufacturer of Oliver made sure that the camper heats up instantly with the high-quality 11,000 BTU ducted furnace.
The furnace will balance the heat and then distribute it throughout the entire camper.
Now, the Oliver Legacy Elite II is not only great for the cold months, but it’s also great for hot weather conditions.
The rig is armed with a Dometic Penguin II air conditioning system which can be found mounted with a rood. It also has a MaxxAir Fan Deluxe feature included on the rig.
With these features, you will stay cool and comfortable inside your rig, no matter what the weather condition is outside.
The Oliver Legacy Elite II is also equipped with dual pane windows, which are great for traveling during cold weather conditions as they serve an additional layer of insulation on your rig.
The Oliver Legacy Elite II also comes with different features: a double hull fiberglass shell, bathroom with molded vanity and toilet, full wardrobe with lights, dining and dinette, overhead LED lights, reading lights, and so on much more.
For RVers that have small families, no more than three people, this is the best rig for you.
Now, there are some downsides to the Oliver Legacy Elite II. As mentioned before, this rig is not great for big families. It also comes with a small refrigerator so you can stock up too much food.
If you are a full-time RVer, you would have to do groceries often since the storage is too small. Lastly, this rig is not a good choice when you are traveling for an extended period of time or a full-time RVer. The reason for this is the water capacity is not so great.
Aside from these downsides, the Oliver Legacy Elite II is still one of the best rigs to get for the cold season.
Northwood Nash 18FM Travel Trailer: Durable and Winter-Ready
The Northwood Nash 18FM Travel Trailer is one of the best travel trailers for the winter season. They are well known for building durable and winter-ready RVs.
It is smaller than the Arctic Wolf that is listed next in this article, but you don’t want to sacrifice any winter-readiness for the space.
The Nash model is part of the ‘Absolute Northwood’ line which means it comes with standard off-road chassis that’s great for rough winter weather.
With this rig, you will get a whole lot of extra insulation on the roof, walls, undercarriage, and tank housing.
In addition to the winter features this rig offers, it also includes a Murphy bed that provides this rig a bit more space.
It also comes smaller than other travel trailers, which makes the Murphy bed a great addition. The Murphy bed can come either with a traditional bed or a memory foam bed.
It also provides residential-style cabinetry, which gives the Northwood Nash 18FM Travel Trailer some extra style.
This rig also comes with a four-season insulation package which includes a combination of batt fiberglass and block foam insulation for the cold winter.
Another great benefit of the Northwood Nash 18FM Travel Trailer is it’s budget-friendly. It comes with a price of less than $40,000.
Now, the biggest downside to this rig is the interior lighting. Once you walk into the rig, you can tell that the interior is a bit dark, and it’s clear that windows are not a priority when it comes to this travel trailer.
As I’ve mentioned, this is not one of the biggest trailers in the market and is pretty small, but it does include a slide-out.
Even with the slide-out, having more windows on this rig can still be beneficial. Of course, you want to see a beautiful snow-covered landscape from time to time.
Forest River Arctic Wolf 251MK: The Titan of the RVs
When it comes to RV manufacturers, the Forest River Arctic 251MK comes in extremely trendy products that are durable, trusted, and dependable. Suppose you are looking for a four-season travel trailer built with quality and excellent materials.
The best thing about the Forest River Arctic is the floorplans are armed with Elemental Protection Package.
The Elemental Protection Package helps with the insulation of the interior, which helps eliminate heat or retain air condition.
It also allows you to deal with humidity problems by reducing any vapor exchange. The following feature is a lifesaver when it comes to hot conditions.
The Elemental Protection Package is just one feature that helps keep you warm during the cold months, and it also has a 35,000 BTU heating system.
Aside from that, it also offers a great floor plan with a spacious bathroom, outdoor and indoor speakers, a full-size refrigerator, LED TV, a three-burner cooktop, and so much more.
The only downside to the Forest River Arctic Wolf 251MK is that some people have experienced leakage issues.
Keeping Your Airstream Warm: What You Can Do
Now, since the insulation that comes with the Airstream is not ideal for winter RVing, it doesn’t mean you can’t use it anymore. There are different things on how you can prepare it for the winter season. If you already have an Airstream, then these tips and tricks are best for you.
Add Any Extra Insulation on Your Airstream Windows
As I’ve said above, the insulation that comes with most Airstreams is not up to par for winter RVing. It will lead you to improve the insulation of the Airstream yourself.
The first thing that you want to do is insulate your windows. Windows are one of the weak points when it comes to insulation in any vehicle.
Air can easily escape or enter the rig through the cracks near the edges of the windows. There are several things that you can use when it comes to insulating your windows.
You can cover them with Reflectix, but this material can significantly reduce the amount of light that can get into your rig through the windows.
Another option that you can insulate your windows is using shrink plastic to help with your insulation. To install the plastic, you would need to put double-sided tape around the window frame. Once that’s done, cover the window with plastic stuck to the tape.
You can use a hairdryer to blow on the plastic when you’ve done this, and then it will shrink. Doing this method will remove all the wrinkles and smooth the entire plastic out.
The plastic window insulation is one of the more effective homemade insulation that you can do for your Airstream insulation.
Aside from plastic, you can also use bubble wrap to insulate your windows. All you need to do is cover your windows with bubble wrap, but before you place it on the windows, you should dampen the glass so that the bubble wrap sticks on the window. Make sure that the bubbles are facing the glass.
Make Sure to Add Skirting to the Exterior Perimeter of Your Airstream
Addin skirting to the exterior perimeter of your Airstream is a pretty good idea to do. The metal that you use can be steel or tin as both are effective as well as affordable. Skirting will help make sure that the more vulnerable portions of your rig near the bottom will not be a weak spot for your insulation.
Most of the time, the underside of the RV can be a huge weak spot when it comes to insulation. So RV skirting can keep your RV warmer for longer periods of time.
This way, you don’t need to worry about burning too much propane when you are trying to keep warm in your Airstream.
Making sure that the underside of your camper is well insulation is crucial when you head out on your cold-weather trip.
RV skirts can be pricey, but it is worth the money because it can provide the best insulation and keep you warm during the cold days. The price ranges from $1,699 to $2,999.
Add As Much Extra Heat As Possible
When you have taken the time to improve the insulation of your rig, you can tell that you are more comfortable inside your Airstream during the cold season.
Now, the insulation you do at a regular home will never be as good as the insulation installed by yourself on your Airstream. With this said, there are additional things that you can do to improve the heat inside your rig.
One of the things that you should consider doing after installing your insulation is to add extra heating.
You can do this by buying heaters, catalytic heaters, and electric space heaters to help you keep warm while it’s freezing outside. Space heaters are easy and effective options for heating your rig.
Once it’s plugged in, just turn it on, and it will emit a significant amount of heat. Since these heaters emit so much heat, they can quickly heat your rig.
So don’t set it to the highest setting and adjust it to your comfortability. Within just a few minutes, you will be nice and warm inside your Airstream.
Bring the Proper Tools in Your Airstream
If you are heading out on a winter camping trip on your Airstream, it is important that you bring the right tools with you.
You don’t want to be caught in situations where you don’t have what you need and can’t call for help. Make sure to bring chains, a snow shovel, jumper cables, a generator, and extra propane with you.
When you head out during the winter, you are bound to run into some weather that is not as great. You might experience a blizzard and get stuck in your campsite waiting out the story.
If you bring cable chains, you can add them to your tires to add traction. With this, you will have less of a risk of getting stuck in deep snow or mud.
A snow shovel can also help you clear an area or dig away snow present in your tires. There are also other things that you can do with a shovel during the winter season. It can come in handy in different situations.
Bringing jumper cables is not only for winter season situations; it’s also great if your Airstream breaks down.
When this happens to you, it can be a nightmare. When you are out during winter, and your rig breaks down, and no one is around, jumper cables can come in handy.
When you have an extra generator and propane on your trip is as important as any other tools that are mentioned above.
You will never know when you are going to run out of propane or need a backup generator. It doesn’t hurt to be too prepared when you are on the road.
FAQs That You Should Know
What does a four-season trailer mean? A Four-season trailer means a camper or a trailer that will let you travel or camp in any type of weather condition. Regardless of the weather condition, it can keep you comfortable inside. These types of trailers are insulated properly and have both air conditioning and heating systems installed on them.
Can I live in a camper or trailer during the winter season? Yes, you can! There are plenty of four-season trailers out there that you can purchase. Some will need additional winter accessories, while others are good to go on the road without any upgrades.
Why is Airstream not ideal for four-season travel? Airstreams do not have enough insulation for you to keep warm during the cold season. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t use an Airstream during winter. There are different insulation processes that you can do, such as insulating your windows, buying heaters, and so much more.
Final Thoughts
As mentioned above, Airstream may not be the best rig to use during the winter season, but there are other camper or travel trailers out there that you can purchase. However, if you already have an Airstream with you, there are plenty of things that you can do to make it ready for the cold months. Adding insulation, buying heaters, and adding air skirts are some of the processes that you can do to ensure your Airstream is ready for winter. Remember always to stay warm when it’s cold outside!
