Camping in the winter months is something that many people tend to avoid. If you don’t have the resiliency or resolve, camping in the winter will be a tedious and frustrating process. However, RV skirting is an essential part or accessory and you can easily use the skirting to keep the cold weather at bay.
RV skirting is not something commonly sold with the RV. Many people take it into their own hands to make sure they have something to wrap around the bottom of the RV and keep the cold weather at bay. It tends to take some creativity or assistance from professionals to set these up and reduce the cold weather in the winter.
If you are looking for RV skirting ideas, you have come to the right place and this article aims to educate you on the different available options while giving you extra RV skirting ideas that could make your life easier. You should be able to reduce the cold weather and ensure that you can enjoy camping in the winter.
What Is RV Skirting?
One of the biggest issues with camping in freezing conditions is the risk that you run when it comes to plumbing components. In extremely cold weather, the plumbing components of your RV could freeze. However, RV skirting is a composite of materials that enclose the bottom of the RV and enables you to control the temperature.
It can be made from different materials. However, the main purpose is to ensure that cold air does not get underneath the vehicle to reach the vulnerable components. However, it should completely enclose the bottom and the sides of the RV, preventing any cold air from making it into the engine or close to the vital components.
How Does RV Skirting Work?
The main purpose of the RV skirting is to prevent cold air from getting into the engine and close to some of the vital components. It is a sheet or combination of materials that wrap around the sides and the bottom of the RV to prevent some of the cold air from getting inside. However, it also works by keeping the hot air inside the skirting.
Some people might even add a small heater to the skirting, which ensures that hot air is continually circulating underneath the RV. Some of the benefits include a warm floor, which means your feet won’t get cold and working components. The engine and the plumbing components are some of the most important that need protection.
What Is The Best RV Skirting For Winter?
Setting up a skirting on your RV might take some research and due to the different materials at your disposal, it is often hard to determine the ideal RV skirting that you should consider. For most people canvas is one of the best materials. While it is super easy to set up canvas skirting, the risk is that it does not have optimal insulation.
However, plywood is another material that some people prefer. A plywood structure could be durable for a sustained period, but metal and plastic are also great ideas for those that prefer to create skirting on their own. It might take some time to have the perfect skirting, but you should be able to use a combination of materials.
If you are looking for the ideal RV skirting solutions, you might want to consult the manufacturer of your RV. It might be the most expensive option, but they will be able to create a custom skirting that comfortably fits your RV. The only downside is that it is also one of the most expensive options but certainly works the best.
Is RV Skirting Worthwhile?
One of the biggest issues that stands between you and an RV skirting is often the costs and the time it takes to manually construct these. You also need to determine if camping in the winter is something that you do often. If you don’t go out camping in the winter months, RV skirting is not something that you need.
However, avid campers might find that having skirting they can use during the cold winter months is perfect. If you love camping throughout the year, RV skirting could be the perfect solution to your cold-weather issues. If you are wondering whether it is worthwhile, you will need to have a closer look at yourself and your camping endeavors.
If you look at your camping endeavors, it should give you a good idea of whether RV skirting is a viable option for you. Since the skirting does not require any real maintenance, it can be seen as a once-off purchase. It might be a hefty investment initially, but you will bear the fruits of the investment over the longer run.
Top 6 RV Skirting Ideas:
If you are looking to add skirting to your RV, you might be wondering how and what steps you should take. While this is not the install guide for your RV skirting ideas, it is a couple of ideas that you could put into practice. These camper skirting ideas will make it possible to ensure your RV remains warm and you have the optimal heat retention your need:
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Professional Skirting:
One of the first options that you should consider is professional skirting. The professional skirting is the one that the manufacturer of the RV can design for you. While not every brand will have skirting options for their users, many of the top brands will have this as an extra. These skirting are custom designed and fit perfectly.
Professional skirting can be designed from a variety of different materials and it is something that you will need to discuss with the manufacturer to ensure that you get what you need. You can also add any additional extras to ensure that your RV looks and feels like something more professional when you use it.
The biggest downside to having professional skirting is the price. As you might have guessed, this type of skirting can be very expensive. In some cases, the manufacturer might come to you and design the skirting for you. In other cases, you might need to travel to the manufacturer and leave the RV with them to have them design it and assemble it.
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Self-Installed Vinyl Skirting:
If the professional skirting does not suit your budget, you can self-install some of these skirtings. The company that designs and installs the skirting could be of great use here, especially if you don’t know where to start. You can buy the materials from the manufacturer and install the skirting on your own if you need to.
While this can be a tedious process, it could save you the costs of labor. Many of these custom shops make the most of their profit by charging for labor. However, you will need some basic skills and be useful with tools. Additionally, you could take the materials and the RV to a cheaper custom shop and have them install them for you.
In many cases, the vinyl skirting sent from the manufacturer should not be that hard to install. They usually clip into the RV, which makes it much easier to set them up. Additionally, you can remove them when you are done.
Video Help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMSeAadqGzw
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Inflatable Skirting:
One option that many people might not know even exists is inflatable skirting. This skirting is designed by one of the newer companies on the market and they are some of the easiest to use. One of the best features is that you don’t need to go through the process of installing this skirting to your new RV.
The inflatable skirting works by setting up the skirting underneath your vehicle. Once you have it installed underneath the vehicle and in the right position, you will only need to inflate the skirting to have it work. You might need to have some form of pump, but once the skirting is inflated, it should block out all of the cold weather.
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Foam Board Insulation Skirting:
The foam board insulation skirting is the most popular skirting used by many professionals. It is an affordable way to insulate the bottom of your RV and you will only need to have a couple of boards and some foam spray. The boards can be set up to cover the sides of the RV and you can use foam to keep these boards insulated.
One of the issues is that you will either need to create boards that already have foam inside or you need to carry around foam while you are going camping. For some people, it will be fine to have the foam carried around. While it might be one of the cheapest and most popular methods, it could be plenty of work if not done correctly.
Video Help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VpBhY36krg
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Automated Skirting:
Those willing to pay the price for a custom RV might even consider automated skirting. Automated skirting is one of the most unique options on the market today and these are often built into some of the most luxurious RVs. Some of the professional RVs that you often see artists and celebrities use to have this feature.
The skirting is built into the RV, which means that you can easily push a button to have them come out. At the push of a button, they should also be easy to retract, which means that these skirtings will be much easier to control. One of the downsides is that they are expensive and you will need a custom RV to install them.
If you have the funds, many companies will be able to do this for you. The downside is that your RV might be out of work for a while and you will need to spend plenty of money to have this custom job done professionally.
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DIY Skirting:
The final option is the DIY skirting and while many of these options can be related to DIY skirting, they often aren’t. When people refer to DIY skirting, they want something cheap and affordable that clips into the sides of the unit or only takes a couple of minutes to set up and have working. The goal is to be as cheap as possible.
When creating a DIY skirting, you can select from a variety of materials, but foam-insulated boards are often the most common for most people to use. The other materials might be harder to come by, but they will be much more durable. If you are planning a DIY skirting, we would recommend buying the materials professionally. Keep in mind that the R-value is a great tool to look at when choosing materials.
How To Install An RV Skirting Manually?
Now that you have seen some of the different options you have at your disposal, you might also be wondering how you can do this at home. While the steps will vary depending on the materials and the choice of skirting you go with, we have created a basic guide. These are some of the basic steps that you need to take:
Video Help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQVFj6Sp5uc
- Taking Measurements:
One of the first steps will be taking measurements and making sure that you have the correct sizes. This might not be easy without some assistance and it should be much easier when you have a partner. Break out the measuring tape and you should be ready to take some of these measurements.
- Choosing The Materials/Skirting Type:
The next step will be choosing the materials you are going to use and adding to that, you also need to know the type of skirting. Once you have an idea in your mind, it should be much easier to acquire the materials and set them up.
- Customizing The Raw Materials:
Once you have the raw materials, the measurements will come into play. You will need to use the measurements to cut out blocks of the board to fit your RV. We don’t recommend going for boards that are too long. You will also need to store these boards while you are driving and during the summer months.
- Assembly:
Once all the measurements are done, you will be moving on to the assembly of the skirting. While you might not need to use the skirting, you should try to install it on the RV and see what happens. It is the perfect time to see if you have any flaws or if some adjustments need to be made.
- Making Adjustments and Finishing Up:
If you have everything completed and you are satisfied that all of the components will fit when they are installed, you are done with your work. If there are any potential flaws, this will be the perfect opportunity to straighten them out and to make sure that everything works the way it should.
RV Skirting Costs:
Determining the skirting cost is one of the hardest things to do. Not everyone will have the funds and it comes down to a variety of factors. DIY skirting options can be under $500. However, the professional skirting kits can be close to $1000. If you are looking to go for custom camper skirting ideas, you could find yourself paying closer to $3000.
There are a variety of factors like the size of your camper and the type of skirting that need to be taken into account. Assembly can be expensive with manufacturers charging your labor. However, RV skirting is plenty of fun and you should be able to enjoy the skirting when the cold weather kicks in during the winter.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Having seen these winter RV skirting ideas, you should know what you need and what to install. However, many people still have some questions about these travel trailer skirting ideas. Here are some of the top questions that we want to help you find the answers for and ensure that your RV skirting works perfectly:
- Is An RV Skirting Mandatory?
Skirting on an RV is by no means mandatory and you don’t need to exceed your budget to have it. The main purpose of skirting is to keep you warm during the winter months.
- Which Skirting Material Is The Best?
When it comes to choosing the best material, the vinyl from the original manufacturer should be the best. It should keep the RV insulated and make sure that you don’t have to deal with cold weather. However, insulated foam boards are the most practical for those that want something for DIY purposes.
- Does The Inflatable Skirting Work?
Inflatable skirting is one of the easiest skirting options to install. You simply need to inflate the skirting and you will be ready to use it. The inflatable skirting is still new on the market. However, it is also a great and affordable option.
Wrap-Up:
If you are tired of cold weather and cold floors during the winter months, these RV skirting ideas should be helpful to ensure your RV remains warm. They will provide insulation, which ensures that plumbing also works as it should. Let us know what you think of these ideas and which ideas we might have missed,
