If you know that you’ll be spending a fair amount of time at the campground this winter, it might make sense to invest in the Yeti Extreme Cold Weather package for your RV. It’ll make the most difference for those who camp in sub-freezing temperatures and want to ensure their comfort. The question is: what comes included in the Yeti Extreme Cold Weather package?
The Yeti Extreme Cold Weather package includes an enclosed underbelly, tank heaters on the hold tanks, heat tape and insulation on the water line, radiant insulation, and heavily insulated floors. The pipes are upgraded to PEX piping, which is less likely to burst in freezing temperatures.
Here is what you need to know for more information on what you can expect from the Yeti package.
What Comes in the Yeti Extreme Cold Weather Package?
Campers who intend to spend much time in the great outdoors over the winter months want to ensure they stay as warm as possible.
No one wants to wake up freezing in the middle of the night! The Yeti Extreme Cold Weather Package is a must-have for your RV if you plan to spend a lot of time on the road during winter.
What are the benefits of this package for your camping experience? Check out how it’ll make you warmer, no matter how low the temperatures are.
1. Enclosed Underbelly
Avid winter campers know how crucial it is to keep the underside of your camper insulated in the cold weather.
While it’s possible to spend hundreds or even thousands on RV skirting, it may not be totally necessary with the Yeti Extreme Cold Weather package.
Campers with this package come standard with a heated and enclosed underbelly.
This saves you from having to set up vinyl skirting, foam insulation board installation, or plywood installation whenever you set up camp.
It can save you tons of money on materials you would’ve had to purchase to make insulating beneath the RV feasible.
2. Tank Heaters on Holding Tanks
Can you imagine being at the campsite and finding out that your hold tanks busted open? Not only does this make a huge mess, but it’s also not great for the environment.
Unfortunately, it could be a fact of life if you frequently camp in sub-freezing temperatures. The liquids inside the tank will expand when frozen.
If tanks are already near their capacity, there won’t be a place for the now-solid water to go, which results in cracks in the holding tank.
While this may not be the most glamorous feature of the Yeti Extreme Cold Weather package, it certainly warrants consideration.
It might mean the difference between moving around to pump out your hold tanks in those cold temperatures daily or semi-regularly, depending on how quickly your tanks fill up.
It’s important to note that you don’t necessarily want to turn this feature on just because you’ll see sub-zero temps.
Turning it on when the tanks are nearly empty (usually less than one-third full) will result in holes in the tank.
Instead, simply run the interior heater, and it should be enough to keep your hold tanks unfrozen when they’re this close to empty.
3. Heat Tape and Insulation on Water Feed Line
Much like the holding tanks that can burst due to ice buildup inside, you’ll also find that the line leading from your fresh water tank to the interior of your RV can burst.
Water trapped in the line when the temperatures dip below freezing will expand and lead to a burst pipe.
While it may just make a mess when the water thaws, it also means that you’ll be missing the luxuries of running water in your RV. The Yeti Extreme Cold Weather package makes this concern a thing of the past.
This heater can sense when the heat needs to kick on to keep your water line clear of freezing water and help keep you operational in winter.
Combined with the PEX piping (covered in a later section), you’ll be more comfortable and better able to function in freezing temperatures.
4. Radiant Insulation
Another way that the Yeti Extreme Cold Weather package also works to keep you warm via radiant insulation.
This insulation is found between the exterior and interior of the walls and ceiling. With high-quality insulation sandwiched between, you’ll find that your RV is warm and cozy, even with no heat running.
The benefit of this insulation is that it also works during the summer. It traps the cool air inside the camper instead of allowing it to escape.
The Yeti package may be designed for winter, but this is one area where it can benefit you all year long.
5. Insulated Floors
Not only does the Yeti package come with higher insulation values for the walls and ceiling, but it’ll also feel nice and warm beneath your feet.
The underside is enclosed and insulated, and there will be R-38 insulated flooring as well. Remember that the higher the R-value, the more likely it will perform better in extreme temperature fluctuations.
How much of a difference do the insulated floors make? Consider that the average camper is outfitted with foam board to cover the floors. It frequently has a lower R-value that ranges from 3.5 to 6.
Jumping up to R-38 is significant and will make a huge difference in how warm your RV feels when the temperatures drop.
This upgraded insulation level is equivalent to what is used in most home attics to give you some idea.
6. PEX Piping
This type of piping is the best on the market, with many people using it as a replacement for copper or steel pipes.
PEX piping is not only more durable than other types of pipes, but it’s less likely to spring a leak from corrosion or minerals.
However, the real benefit of PEX piping is that it’s more flexible in freezing temperatures. Where more traditional pipes might burst when water freezes and expands, PEX offers more flexibility.
Instead of bursting when the temperatures drop, it can usually withstand some of the more minor fluctuations in size.
This means fewer repairs and less money spent on expensive plumbing issues that stem from a quick winter camping trip.
Remember that PEX pipes can still freeze, so you’ll need to be mindful of insulating the underside of your RV.
The benefit is that they are less likely to burst when this happens, making it more inconvenient than an emergency.
Final Thoughts
The Yeti Extreme Cold Weather package is a must-have for campers who intend to spend a decent amount of time in their RVs over the winter.
It’ll make you more comfortable and protect your camper from some of the damage that the winter months can bring, such as burst pipes and cracks in the holding tanks.
Whether you want the improved insulation or the PEX pipes, you’ll benefit from this major upgrade!