After 12+ years “on the road”, you’d think I’d have this “winter camping thing” with RV Skirting down, right?
Note: I originally posted this in Nov. 2017, I’m updating it today (May 2023) after using my skirting (detailed below) for several seasons. There was even one winter where I broke it down in late February. Parts of the skirt were “melded” to the pavement with ice acting as adhesion – and the skirting survived intact!
You too can get this skirting custom installed for YOUR camper. Read on to learn more about it and how to get special pricing.
RV Skirting to prevent plumbing disasters – and – to save on the propane budget
Here’s my story… I’m a full timer. I ski, a lot. I also work as a ski instructor to help fund my travel addiction! As a full time traveler in a 5th wheel (and since 2017 a REALLY GOOD fifth wheel!) I KNEW from the first winter in Steamboat in 2012 I’d need RV skirting as a way to keep my plumbing (and entire underbelly!) from freezing up and my propane budget from going through the roof!
My initial solution (with my 2011 Crossroads Seville) was blue-board (insulation board). Effective and inexpensive BUT bulky. This type of insulation is VERY labor intensive (see my old videos/posts on my website when I talk about this approach) and it is virtually impossible to transport once you break it down in the spring. In contrast, the skirting pictured below folds nicely and is easy to transport, taking up relatively little space.
With a new trailer came a desire to do RV Skirting right
My new trailer and desire to winter camp led me to a search of companies that provide custom RV skirts as well as “do it yourself” kits. Acknowledging that I am “mechanically challenged”, I rejected all the do-it-yourself options for a variety of reasons – starting with the challenge of ordering the right amount of material and connectors.
Significant mistakes at the outset of a do-it-yourself project will quickly erase any savings of time and money over a custom skirting company. I was also reasonably concerned about damaging my RV if I were to attempt screw-in snaps, and had real concerns about the effectiveness of suction cup strategies touted by some do-it-yourself companies.
Even among custom RV Skirting companies, there’s a wide disparity over how they do it
While costs are fairly uniform; I received quotes ranging from $1900. to over $3000. for my 35 foot trailer. I learned the approach among custom RV skirting companies varies. Some use just snaps, some use a combination of turnbuckles & snaps (the videos I share below help to explain this) and some use a channel (or rail) system.
Channel or rail systems are not widely used and I know of some RV’ers having problems with them, so I passed on this approach. As to snaps vs. snaps and turn-buckles, I learned in my research that the turn-buckles, when used strategically (at high stress points) are better than just snaps. Snaps when over-stressed can (and will) fail.
Ok, enough commentary! Allow me to share a few videos that were created largely as my rv skirting was being constructed. This first video illustrates the process of measuring and planning out the two day project. The technician’s name is Zach, and the business I used is Extreme Covers in Boise, Idaho.
Considering RV Skirting for YOUR Camper? Custom RV Skirting is most definitely the way to go!
If you decide to get RV skirting for your camper and you like the approach you see in the videos below, contact me and I’ll get you a quote at an “insiders price.” I’ve negotiated a discount with the owner of Extreme Covers for all my readers! Contact me – or – email me directly at traveler@rvacrossamerica.net. Tip: Dave is running pre-season specials as I write this update (June – August 2023), so, its a great time to take action!
Zach worked diligently through the balance of the first day and this second video shows continued progress…
Late on the 2nd day, Zach’s work is nearly done. In this next video, he is instructing me on various aspects of the skirting. Take note of the features built into the rv skirt and in particular how small it is when it is folded up.
Video 4 below introduces you to Dave – owner of Extreme Covers. As you’ll see, he’s quite a character, and the demo he has me do with the skirting was neither planned nor staged!
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The only thing really left to show you is the finished product – which can be seen in the 5th and final video in this post.
Summary of my experience with Extreme Covers
Extreme Covers does a first rate job creating & installing RV skirting. The work required 2 full days (and Dave tells me that some trailers / motorhomes require 3 days) – you CAN stay in your RV while the work is being done, and they will do the work onsite at their factory in Boise, Idaho OR throughout much of Idaho and in parts of the adjoining states.
Extreme Covers will charge a travel fee if you opt to have the skirting done at your location instead of theirs. For me, I opted to come to them and save the travel fee. I found it easy to get in/out of Boise (they’re less than a mile off the “Connector” (Interstate I-84) and their lot is easy to navigate and is secured. While there, I even took a couple of bike rides along the Boise bike path that runs adjacent to their property. (Remember – It’s a great time to take action as my readers get a break on the price and Dave is running pre-season pricing – so, contact me directly for a quote – traveler@rvacrossamerica.net)
As I mentioned earlier, if you’re looking for a RV skirt for your camper, contact me and I’ll be glad to get you a quote – as one of my readers, you’re going to receive a discounted rate.
RV Skirting UPDATE – Spring 2023
Folks often ask me “how’s it holding up?” Well, after some ROUGH winters, its holding up VERY WELL. Remember – its not just the skirting, its the snaps and turnbuckles. If they fail, they can damage your camper – mine are doing JUST FINE.
Further, towards the end of my first winter (February 2018), I elected to leave McCall, Idaho early. I struggled to free the skirting from the pavement as ice had “glued” the skirting to the pavement! It took LOTS of force to separate the two (the skirt and the pavement) – I succeeded at freeing up the skirting and there was virtually NO damage despite using massive amounts of elbow grease to free up the skirting.
Bottom line… this skirting is GOOD STUFF and while these guys are NOT cheap, they are THAT good!
Winter RV Camping
While you’re here, there are a number of posts where I talk about preparing for the winter months (if you camp in colder weather). You can find an index to my winter in a RV posts HERE.
Considering a NEW (or “new to you”) CAMPER?
I now offer a Concierge RV Buying (and Selling) Service. The goal? To save YOU time, money, and aggravation – and get you the RIGHT camper at the BEST price.
Discount RV Campground Memberships – TWO worth having…
As a full time traveler, I’ve found two memberships worth having. One is about to raise their prices, but they have an interesting offer to remain at the old, lower rate for life – see HERE for details on both.
May I suggest… Looking for a great navigating and trip planning tool?
I use something called AllStays – how I use AllStays is illustrated in this post about camping in the Helena Montana region. When I start my planning process, I always start with AllStays to see what campgrounds are in the region I’m considering. The database is interactive so I can learn more about the campgrounds AND other aspects about the region I’m planning to visit.
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Hi Al,
We have a 2018 Keystone Hideout 31BHDSWE Travel Trailer. It has the Cold Mountain Package. So, I’m not sure what we would really need. We will be traveling through Boise on Oct 1 and can stay a few days if needed. Can you give me an estimate on what a skirt would cost and if they could do it while we are there on the 1st?
Regards,
Joel & Meg
Joel and Meg,
Oct 7 is the first date they have available (and I had to press for that!) Its 1 opening and when it gets booked, the next appointment will be after Oct 15. The complete job is 2535. – they are NOT cheap, but they do about the best work I’ve seen. My skirt (and snaps and turnbuckles) are holding up quite well after 2 winters use and I’m ready for a 3rd winter. IF you want the Oct 7 appointment, CALL ME ASAP at 307 269 2546, I will get you directly in touch with the owner of the skirting company.
Al
Joel and Meg,
I wanted to touch upon your question about what you’d need presumably for successful camping in cold weather in your Hideout with the “cold mountain package.” Realize that there is NO formal definition of what a “winter package” really is in the entire RV industry, and only a handful of companies take winter camping seriously. Keystone Hideout is not one of them. You need to do as much as you possibly can if you plan to camp in a Hideout in cold weather (anything below +20F) – a skirt would be a bare minimum to keep plumbing from freezing and propane bills from going through the roof!
Al
Hey Al,
Thanks for checking on this for us. $2500 is a bit more than we want to spend right now and we can’t do the 7th. Maybe next time we are in Boise we will consider again if we want to do this.
Joel & Meg
Joel & Meg,
The “poor mans solution” is to go to home depot, get some blue board (it comes in 4 ft x 8 ft boards – I recommend 1 or 1.5″ thick) – you’ll need about 5-6 boards, cut it to fit and apply with gorilla tape. For under $200. you’re done. Its likely a 1 season solution as its bulky and hard to transport. Where do you plan upon wintering? Will you be stationary all winter?
Al
Hi I would like to inquire about the price for your skirt. I am also doing a full time RVing and was looking for options but they quoted my pretty high. Do you think you could share this information with me?
Gloria,
I need the year/make/model of your camper to give you a quote. Are you able to come to Boise to have the skirting work done – or will you need a tech to travel to you? (travel VERY quickly adds to the cost significantly) I must also share – it is unlikely that you’re going to get a lowball quote from these folks – but – you get what you pay for. Their work is SUPERIOR in every way – including the material they use. I’m going into my 3rd winter and the skirting has held up EXTREMELY well.
Al
Al,
I did get the information you sent. Thank you.
Perfect. Thanks for confirming – when dealing w/ email, one never knows! Al
Hi,
We would like a quote for our 2018 Grand Design Momentum 394M 5th wheel to include the spare room. We would want work done on site in Idaho Falls if possible or possibly come to Boise. Not sure yet.
Thanks
Paula,
I just sent you a quote to your email privately.
Al
Hello again Al,
I’m thinking that we would not be able to travel north for the service and with the added cost for them to travel south would put it all out of range for this year. Maybe next year!!
Understood, if things change, let me know. Al
Hello Al!
We are ready to have our 5th wheel skirted. We are unable to travel since we have our rig set up on our property that we are building on. We are located in Gardnerville, Nevada.
We have the Montana High Country 373RD. Only the dinette/frig slide out would be skirted. We would also like the extra “room”.
760-685-3452
Hi Al,
We just bought a 2020 3760 Keystone Montana and would like to know how much it would cost for skirt. We also live in Spokane, Washington.
John,
You have a 41′ camper (real length) that has 3 slides that the skirting will “wrap around” (as you see in mine it wraps around 2 slides.) Your 2 slides in the front will remain above the skirting. If you can bring the camper to Boise soon, they are running “pre-season” pricing. You’re looking at 2782. complete. It will be a full 3 day job, you can stay overnight at their facility and they can provide you with 15A access to electric. Right now, I know their delay to schedule you is minimal and they’ll honor this rate into at least early September. At some point, I know they’re going to go to “in season” rates and the delay to get the work done will grow (significantly.) If you’re interested in scheduling, I can get you the owners cell number – please call me at 307 269 2546. If you’d like the work done on-site in Spokane, you’re looking at about an additional 1075. fee for their travel costs.
John,
Just touching base. We had our first FROST yesterday morning! I know it won’t be long before I’m attaching my skirting. Did you receive the info I sent on 8/26 regarding skirting for your camper?
Al
Hi Al!
My husband and I are looking to purchase a 2020 Keystone Montana High Country 373RD.
Would like a quote on a full skirt with “spare room”.
Also, we live in Gardnerville, NV. There is a good chance we could come to you since we are only about 8hrs away but just curious about the price if they were to come to us.
Hi Tracy,
You’re looking at 2800. to skirt that 373RD. It has 3 slides (of the 4) that the skirting has to wrap around. That will include the “spare room” under the bedroom as you may have seen in my video. They can set you up on site in Boise with 15A electric and of course there’s no charge to stay while your work is being completed (likely 3 full days.) If you want it done at your location, I’d have to check with the owner to see if he will send someone that far, but if he will, his fee will be about 1175. for the travel.
As a side note, did you know I have a buying service now that can help you get the 5th wheel at the best price and advise you on a number of related issues to the purchase of your camper. Here’s my page that details that service – http://rvAcrossAmerica.net/buysell
All the best,
Alan Sills
Alan,
Thank you for your response on this. As I look at our fifth wheel, only one of the slides is at the normal height(?). The forward one and the two rear slides are all at a much higher elevation. Most definitely the spare room would be wonderful. If we were to wrap around the two rear slides it would block the side compartment doors located under the slides.
Tracy,
I see what you’re talking about now. So, yes, the skirt will NOT wrap around the two rear slides. Make that quote 2225. (plus travel if needed)
Let me know if you want the owners cell # and I will get it to you so you can schedule the work. They’re now booked a few weeks out as people have “noticed” that autumn is coming!
Al
Thank you again, Alan!
One more question…Can you tell me how the skirt has helped with the inside temps of your rig during the winter months??
The better question is has it reduced my propane bill – as I can get my camper to a comfortable temperature with or without the skirting. The skirting has reduced my propane usage by 35-40% and hence my costs. It also GREATLY reduces the risk of a FREEZEUP in the underbelly which can create all kinds of issues in the deep of winter. Al
Tracy, just touching base, we had our first frost yesterday morning! Did my response on the skirting make sense? I know Dave’s work list is growing and wanted to see if you were thinking of moving forward and scheduling the skirting work. Al
Hi Al
My name is Ryan and I’m going to be purchasing a 2018 Jayco eagle ht 29.5fbds in Washington and heading through Boise area. Wondering what the cost would be and what kind of time frame is needed to schedule a fitting/ installation. Thanks for putting together a great video series going over it all.
Ryan,
You’re looking at 1944. to do the full skirting including the “spare room” I have in the front of mine. It will require you stay 2-3 days in Boise – and you can stay on site while the work is being done. They have 15A electric to run your camper. If you’d like to schedule an appointment, text me at 561 676 1205 and I will get the owner in touch with you. He is likely not too backed up at this time. Al
Hi Al! I too am interested in a quote for a 5th wheel RV skirt. I have a 2007 Crossroads Cruiser 29RK that is currently located in Caldwell, ID. Traveling to Boise should not be a problem. Thank you very much for your informative videos!
Scott,
Thanks for reaching out. I’ve replied privately – please check your email inbox (or spam folder). Al