{"id":33,"date":"2026-01-25T01:53:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-25T01:53:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beaglebuslog.com\/?p=33"},"modified":"2026-01-25T01:57:42","modified_gmt":"2026-01-25T01:57:42","slug":"deep-winter-camping-in-the-winnebago-ekko-systems-notes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beaglebuslog.com\/?p=33","title":{"rendered":"Deep Winter Camping in the Winnebago Ekko \u2014 Systems Notes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Updated: January 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

These are field-tested notes from winter travel and camping in my Winnebago Ekko across Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and parts of Canada. This started as lessons from the 2023\u20132024 winter season and has been updated with what I\u2019ve changed and observed through January 2026<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don\u2019t live in the Ekko full-time year-round, but I spend extended stretches in it during winter travel and have regularly camped in temperatures down to -20\u00b0F to -30\u00b0F<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Thermal Weak Points<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Above and Below the Windows<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The biggest heat loss isn\u2019t the glass \u2014 it\u2019s the aluminum framing above and below the windows<\/strong>, which conducts cold into the living space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What helped:<\/strong>
I cut and press-fit \u00be” foam insulation board<\/strong> into these areas for winter use. This made a bigger difference than insulating the window glass itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Entry Door and Frame<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The metal door frame gets ice-cold and conducts a lot of heat out. My door doesn\u2019t seal perfectly, which makes this one of the most noticeable remaining heat loss points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next step:<\/strong>
A thermal camera pass is planned to pinpoint where the worst losses are around the door\/frame before deciding what to change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Heating Strategy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Propane Heat While Driving<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This isn\u2019t something you\u2019ll see officially recommended, but it\u2019s what has worked reliably for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I run both the Truma water heater<\/strong> and furnace on propane while driving<\/strong> in extreme cold. It\u2019s been the most consistent way I\u2019ve found to keep the rig and systems above freezing on long drives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have the Truma electric antifreeze kit<\/strong> installed, but the propane-only approach has worked well enough that I haven\u2019t seriously tested<\/strong> the antifreeze kit as a primary strategy. If I were in a place where running propane while driving could realistically cause a major fine or issue, I\u2019d experiment with it more, but I\u2019m skeptical it would handle deep cold on its own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Electric Heat<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Electric heat can absolutely be useful, and it can save propane<\/strong> if:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • you\u2019re on shore power<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • or you\u2019re trying to stretch propane and avoid refills<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    I\u2019ve used a small electric heater successfully:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • while traveling in Canada<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • on hookups<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • and experimentally via battery for ~3 hours before switching to the generator and continuing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      What works best:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • Put the heater in the main living area near the dinette<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Run the Truma\/furnace circulation fan at level 6<\/strong> to move heat<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        My cutoff:<\/strong> I generally wouldn\u2019t rely on electric heat below about 20\u00b0F<\/strong>.
        At that point, you\u2019re not pushing enough heat into the under-coach compartments. You end up mostly recirculating cabin air while the compartments can drift significantly colder than when the Truma furnace is doing the primary heating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Electric heat is a good tool \u2014 just not the tool I\u2019d choose as the primary system heat below ~20\u00b0F.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n\n\n\n

        Thermal \/ Comfort Setup<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        Cab Curtain Fix<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        The factory cab curtain is a major weakness because it hangs ~1.5\u20132 inches above the floor<\/strong>, which lets cold air pour in from the cab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        • Short-term workaround: stuff a blanket under it at night<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Permanent fix (what I did): buy fleece (Walmart) and sew a strip onto the bottom<\/strong> to extend it another 2\u20133 inches so it seals to the floor<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          The permanent fix is dramatically better than dealing with blankets every night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n\n\n\n

          Floor Insulation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          The floor gets brutally cold in winter. This season I covered nearly the entire floor with EVA foam interlocking puzzle mats<\/strong> (Costco), cut tight to fit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n
          • Massive improvement in how warm the coach feels<\/em> (especially feet)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Downside: seams can separate slightly and trap dirt\/debris<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

            Long-term I\u2019d prefer a single-sheet solution (SeaDek or similar), but even the puzzle mats made a huge<\/strong> difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n\n\n\n

            Sleeping Setup<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
              \n
            • Heated blanket under the mattress pad<\/strong>, turned on ~15 minutes before bed
              Keeps the bed warm without overworking the furnace overnight.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
              \n\n\n\n

              Moisture and Plumbing Management<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

              At around -20\u00b0F<\/strong>, I\u2019ve had the shower drain freeze overnight even after using it the night before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              What helped:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \n
              • Leave the bathroom door cracked ~6″<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Open the cabinet under the kitchen sink overnight<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Let warm air circulate around plumbing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                In sustained deep cold, I keep the Truma water heater in \u201cComfort\u201d mode<\/strong> overnight and while driving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \n\n\n\n

                System Observations<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
                  \n
                • I found a few partially crushed heating ducts<\/strong> and straightened them. No dramatic change, but worth checking.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • In deep cold, the rig seems to plateau around ~62\u00b0F overnight<\/strong> even with the furnace working hard. That feels like a realistic baseline for an unmodified Ekko.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                  \n\n\n\n

                  Notes Going Forward<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                  I\u2019ll keep updating this as I test:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    \n
                  • the electric antifreeze kit (if\/when I do)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • better door sealing\/insulation after thermal imaging<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • a cleaner single-sheet floor solution<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                    This post exists so I don\u2019t forget what works when temperatures get genuinely cold.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                    Updated: January 2026 These are field-tested notes from winter travel and camping in my Winnebago Ekko across Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and parts of Canada. This started as lessons from the 2023\u20132024 winter season and has been updated with what I\u2019ve changed and observed through January 2026. I don\u2019t live in the Ekko full-time year-round, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-systems"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/beaglebuslog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/beaglebuslog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/beaglebuslog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beaglebuslog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beaglebuslog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=33"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/beaglebuslog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37,"href":"https:\/\/beaglebuslog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33\/revisions\/37"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/beaglebuslog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=33"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beaglebuslog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=33"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beaglebuslog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=33"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}