My full time RV life took me to a remote and free hot springs in Tecopa California recently. I enjoyed a relaxing dip in the natural warm waters and had the pool all to myself.
If you love nature and exploring remote places and hot springs, check out this video.
Tecopa is just about an hour west of Las Vegas and while there are pay hot springs just up the road at the campground and resort, this pool is free. It can get crowded, but I visited on a rainy day and had it all to myself.
In case you missed it, check out this abandoned hot springs resort I visited in Warm Springs, NV recently. This was one of my favorites.
I also visited Wild Willie’s Hot Springs in Mammoth Lakes, CA recently. Watch that video here!
Life is an adventure… at least mine is- and that’s very much by design!
I was recently driving through the high desert in Nevada, on my way south, after spending Thanksgiving with my friend Bob (Bob Wells, CheapRVLiving.com – I know many of you know him) and his family in Medford, Oregon. Since I don’t have family, Bob was kind enough to invite me to spend the holiday with his sister, mother, son and him. It was a nice visit. His family is exactly what you would expect: warm, welcoming and kind!
Capone and Cody having fun in the snow!
Bob and I have formed the kind of easy and relaxed friendship that has been rare in my life. We’re like old friends, despite having met just a few months ago. We quickly fell into a comfortable and easy friendship and I’ve enjoyed him as a traveling companion. He’s as fiercely independent as I am and we respect each other’s privacy. This has allowed us to travel together, float in and out of each other’s lives and become good friends.
Since Bob and I were both heading south (he to Quartzsite – and me, to wherever I end up) – we traveled to NV together, stopping along the way near Winnemucca, NV. He probably would have driven straight through to the southern desert, but I wanted to lolly-gag, so he lolly-gagged with me. I’m not sure if he regrets or not. It was COLD! The nights dipped into the twenties and the days were barely above freezing. But we both had to catch up on work after spending time with his family and driving for a couple of days, so we decided to stay put a full day to get caught up.
That’s when I realized I needed to find a way to insulate the inside of my RV from the cold air that seeps through the many gaping drafts. On the spur of the moment I decided to shoot a video of the steps I took to insulate my RV with what I had on hand.
Austin, NV city view
Here is how I kept the inside of my RV at 50 degrees or above when it was 20 degrees outside (I added Amazon affiliate links so you can see the products I mention. If you choose to buy, it helps me out and it costs you nothing! – thank you!)
Closed all my blinds and curtains and then covered all the windows with heavy blankets.
Put a windshield cover on the windshield and one over the back emergency window at the head of my bead.
Closed all my vents
Sealed off the door with a thermal curtain and then stuffed dog beds and pillows into the step – that door is very drafty!
Draped a heavy blanket between the cab of the truck and the RV living space to keep the cold from the truck out and the warmth of the living space in
Used thermal curtains to close off the cab-over. They drape all the way to the floor, so it’s extra insulation from the cold truck cockpit.
Boondocking near Winnemucca in the snow
When I’m in the dining/seating area of the RV I open my bathroom door, blocking the bedroom off – that raises the temperature about 10 degrees.
Put throw rugs on the floor to cover the drafts and insulate the floors (I have laminate floors)
Other Tips to Stay Warm in Your RV in the Winter.
Bake! Do all your baking at night and/or in the morning. The oven adds a lot of heat