Writer: Marlene Rindå Jikita
Most people put their motorhomes and caravans away in the autumn and then take them out again in the spring. That's what we did as new motorhome owners, but not anymore. We bought winter tyres the second winter, so now we camp all year round. That's how we survive the winter.
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Winter storage for five months ...
We humans like to go with the flow. So when we bought a motorhome and winter was approaching, we did what (almost) everyone else did. We emptied the car of everything and followed all the rules and recommendations. Then we threw a cover over the whole car, so it looked like a big Christmas present. And there he was, outside the window, so we saw him every day. For five long months. How we agonised and longed.
We bought winter tyres ... and started winter camping!
What was the point of owning a motorhome and then only using it for half the year? For the life of us, we couldn't understand the logic. So the following autumn we bought winter tyres and set off excitedly for our first winter camping trip. What happiness! Why hadn't anyone told us how cosy winter could be?
We hate winter, snow, cold and sleet. In Stockholm, where we live, there is a lot of slush. One day there's half a metre of snow and it's minus 5, while the next day it's plus 5. The snow melts, everything becomes grey, dull and very wet. So-called Stockholm winter. We hate it.
Motorhomes and winter camping made winter a bit more cosy. Nowadays, it's a way to get through a very boring season. We still don't like winter, but with the motorhome we can cosy up and drive away from the slush in Stockholm. We don't go north to the snow, but south where the snow that may be there is actually white.
A hairdryer and lukewarm water will do the trick
We go, as we always have, to the sun for a couple of weeks when it's coldest. But we also go out with the motorhome a few weeks a month just because it's so cosy. Sure, it gets a little crowded with winter clothes and boots and sometimes the hatch freezes so you can't empty the toilet or fill up with water. But that's okay. There are solutions for that too. A hairdryer and lukewarm water will do the trick.
We have found our way to endure the cold part of the year. At least until the day when we can take the motorhome and drive far south and stay there from October to April. And nowadays we encourage others to at least dare to try. And those who try, in most cases like it. So now we are a small gang that meets all year round a little here and there.
Benefits of winter camping
The advantage of winter camping is that there is plenty of space on the pitches and campsites that are open. You can be more spontaneous when nothing needs to be pre-booked. When everything is quiet and completely white outside, it's quite magical. Sometimes it feels like you're all alone on earth when you're all alone as far as the eye can see. I never thought I would say that winter is cosy, but in the motorhome it actually is. As I said, a nicer way to spend winter when you don't like it.
Winter camping is something quite special. Would you like to try it?
Text and image - Marlene & Martin Jikita - Jikitas on an adventure
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Eval8 says:
No, not as long as we have a caravan. However, if we had a motorhome, it would be obvious that it was equipped so that we could drive out when we felt like it. The ultimate would be to have both caravan and motorhome, as we have the caravan on a seasonal site. However, no option, unless Eurojackpot hits😅
16 November 2025 - 9:48
Roland o Carina says:
Sorry about that picture of Adrian standing in the snow, doesn't appeal to us!
Back when we had a caravan in the 80s, we were out one winter, it was good enough.
Now we prefer to go south by plane to Sol o Värme, much better it 🙂
Have a good time and enjoy the Motorhome this winter then....
16 November 2025 - 10:45
Ann Karlsson says:
We go from snow, cold and slush in Småland every other year October - April. It has really been and is the best thing we have done and are doing now, because tonight 17/11 we have been on the roll with our ”Freedom” for exactly one month. Installed a fixed LPG tank so we have easy to refill LPG. Now we are sitting on a campsite a few miles south of Tarragona, staying here until 5/12 then further south. Second time we are in Spain, have also been to Holland, Netherlands and curiously heard
17 November 2025 - 23:11
Wani Löfgren says:
Yes, how exciting. Have not tested yet. But the idea is there. The question is how well winterised is our motorhome? I know that one early spring a few years ago it got relatively cold in the motorhome. It is not built in Germany. Then the gas froze. Certainly composite and a little bit left in, but still? You should then have a steel gas bottle and winter tyres. Thinking of switching to lithium battery for the living area in the spring. But 2026 we should be able to test some weekends anyway.
18 November 2025 - 10:40
Marie &Micke says:
We definitely use the motorhome all year round. In fact, we almost prefer to use it during the winter months. It's quieter out there, both at campsites and on the roads. We have everything we need in the motorhome, so we only need electricity. We also have more work at home in the summer and less during the winter, so it's natural that we have more free time during that part of the year.
24 November 2025 - 7:14