As you're on the road in your RV, it's incredibly important to know the weather forecast so you can plan your trip accordingly and stay protected.
In this post, we'll talk about the RV weather stations and the various types that are out there.
We'll also dig into some important considerations you need to make before you set your RV weather station up.
Best RV Weather Station: Comparison
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TOP PICK! |
1. AcuRite 02027A1 Color Weather Station
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2. La Crosse Technology 308-1414B Wireless Atomic Digital Color Forecast Station
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3. La Crosse Technology WS-9133BK-IT Wireless Forecast Station
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4. La Crosse Technology WS-9160U-IT Digital Thermometer
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5. AcuRite 02064MA1 Pro Weather Station
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Why you need an RV weather station
This is really the million-dollar question! With cell phones and TVs, why do you need a weather station?
Well, in reality, unless a person is watching the NEWS at a specific time of the day, they will not be able to accurately receive the weather.
With that, sometimes the weather is only a slight prediction of what the rest of the day might be. With a cellphone, sometimes the weather may not be displayed properly or it may range depending on the websites that you use.
This is where a weather station comes into play. A weather station for your RV is designed to give you the weather at a moment to moment’s notice.
It will track the indoor and outdoor weather temperatures, barometric pressure, moon phases, and more, depending on the brand. The best part about an RV weather station is its incredible accuracy.
Overall, the right RV weather station will ensure that you get the best out of your day. Whether it is rainy or sunny, an individual can better plan their day. With this in mind, let?s look at the five best 5 RV weather stations.
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The Best 5 RV Weather Stations
1. AcuRite 02027A1 Color Weather Station
If you are an individual looking for a feature-packed weather station with plenty of pros, this is it! In fact, this may be one of the best weather station sensors in the industry for the price. Planning the day with confidence is a breeze made with this self-calibrating weather station that has a colour display and provides 12 to 24-hour weather predictions. With an extremely accurate exterior sensor, these are the amazing benefits of this weather station.
Pros:
- Wireless accurate weather forecast.
- Easy to install and easy to use.
- Works in degrees as low as -40.
- Barometric pressure
- Moon phase indicator.
- Colour display for easy reading and appealing look.
- Time Clock & Date indicator.
- Tabletop design makes it easy to place on a counter or desk.
- It has a wireless range of about 330 feet.
Cons:
- Users have mentioned the wireless range is not as good as they thought.
How to Set up this RV Weather Station
This weather station is self-calibrating, meaning it does all predictions of the weather within a 12 to 24 for hour forecast range. It does so with an exterior sensor that can be placed outside of your RV.
2. La Crosse Technology 308-1414B Wireless Atomic Digital Color Forecast Station
For both indoor and outdoor use, this weather station may be one of the best for individuals looking for an in-the-moment reading. With a full-color LCD display with tiny icons that even kids can read, this atomic self-setting digital forecast station is perfect for both indoor and outdoor readings. This weather station is self-setting, giving individuals automatic DST updates.
Pros:
- LCD display with full-color icons showing sunny, partly sunny, cloudy, rainy, snowy, and stormy.
- Self-setting atomic time-saving technology is extremely accurate.
- Perfect for indoor and outdoor use.
- Displays both indoor and outdoor temperature.
- Indicators for both lo reception and low battery.
- Temperature alerts indoor and outdoor.
- Will monitor and show humidity as well.
- Easy to set up and easy to use.
Cons:
- Batteries are not included.
How to Power or Work the Weather Station
For this particular weather station to work, it requires two double AA batteries. However, shortly after that, the accurate atomic self-setting feature will begin to calibrate the outdoor and indoor temperature.
As far as operating the weather station, there are numerous simple displays to use, such as outdoor temperature and indoor temperature as well as two bottom buttons for alerts and alarms.
3. La Crosse Technology WS-9133BK-IT Wireless Forecast Station
This one is easily known as one of the most common. However, this one is also known as one of the simplest. With that it in mind, this weather station can monitor indoor and outdoor temperature wirelessly and it also features a 12 and 24-hour clock system. With a simple digital display, we believe for the price it is worth the functionality aspect of this one of a kind wireless forecast station.
Pros:
- Affordable wireless station with simple functionality.
- Not too much going on which can be distracting.
- It is easy to read and easy to use.
- Keep track of temperature and forecast.
Cons:
- Users have mentioned that it only has about 75% accuracy rating.
- Non-Color Display is plain.
How to Power or Work the Weather Station
As far as using this weather station, it is known to be one of the simplest in the industry. Running on 5 AA Alkaline Batteries, this weather station has a sensor that can read temperature and barometric pressure.
With that, it has been known to only have an accuracy rating of 75%-85% due to the simplicity of the weather station. We believe, for the price, this is worth it.
4. La Crosse Technology WS-9160U-IT Digital Indoor/Outdoor Thermometer
This digital thermometer is one of the best from this brand. With the simple design, it is highly touted as one of the best because individuals love the simple display and accuracy rating.
This digital thermometer, in particular, comes with a wireless remote and a clock. The sensor can, in fact, transmit data within a range of 330 feet for the best accuracy. With that said, the readings can be in both Celsius and Fahrenheit.
Pros:
- Budget-friendly and easy to install a thermometer
- A digital display is easy to read.
- The digits are extra-large, which is especially beneficial for individuals with eye-sight problems.
- It collects daily high and low temperatures.
- Receives weather data from three different sensors.
- 330 feet radius.
Cons:
- Other remotes sold separately.
- Users have mentioned that it is only slightly accurate.
How to Power or Work the Weather Station
When it comes to powering this particular weather station, also known as a digital thermometer, we can say that with all it needs is batteries for it to start working. With that, individuals should give it a bit of time for it to pick up all data from the three separate sensors. From there, the thermometer will quickly begin displaying the time, the indoor temperature and the outdoor temperature.
5. AcuRite 02064MA1 Pro Weather Station
We saved the best for last, because when it comes to weather stations that excel above the competition, AcuRite has it right. The AcuRite 02064MA 1 Weather Station is one of the best in the industry.
Although the price tag can shock you, it should only reflect the quality of this weather station. This one, in particular, has everything from an internet-connected access to data to the ability to be used from your smartphone or tablet.
In fact, the brand calls this one the 5-in-1 weather station due to the sensor accuracy that measures five different weather patterns and conditions. With that said, here are the many pros of this weather station.
Pros:
- Easy to install and completely wireless.
- One of the best in the industry.
- 2-year battery life guarantee.
- It can transmit up to 330 feet away.
- Works in as low as -40 degrees.
- High and low record pressures and temperatures.
- Humidity indicator.
Cons:
- The price tag can be considered expensive.
How to Power or Work the Weather Station
This weather station in particular works alongside different sensors to give you the most accurate reading. More so, this weather station can also be connected to a tablet or smartphone so individuals can receive real-time stats even while hiking or away from their RV.
With that said, simply put in the batteries and allow it to calibrate. From there, individuals can read further instructions to connect their cellphone.
How accurate are RV weather stations?
The level of accuracy of your RV weather station really depends on how robust the model is and how sensitive the sensors are. It also depends on how accurately you’ve positioned the sensors.
The higher-end models we’ve listed here are pretty accurate, but the cheaper ones can be hit or miss as they pull their data from nearby towers.
Can an RV weather station run off of battery power?
Many of the weather stations we’ve listed here actually run off of AA batteries. Others run off of AC power that you can plug into your RV. In that case, you’ll need to power your RV’s inverter or generator and run it as a regular appliance.
If your RV is fitted with solar panels, this won’t be an issue at all.
Otherwise, you’ll incur the cost of propane for running the weather station off of AC power. Still, these weather stations hardly draw much power, so it won’t be that high.
Wired vs Wireless weather stations
When you shop around for weather stations, you’ll find both wired and wireless models.
Wired models use a cable from the sensor to the display unit. You may need to drill a hole to run the wire, but once it’s set up, you’re pretty much set for uninterrupted data.
Wireless models transmit the information wirelessly, so as long as you’re in range, you’ll be OK. These models can also transmit the information directly to your smartphone or tablet, which is quite a useful functionality to have, since you can even be at a campfire near the RV and still receive weather updates.
What is the update interval for weather stations?
The update interval is the time period in which the weather station refreshes its data. High-end weather stations tend to update quicker with intervals as short as 2.5 seconds, while less expensive models have slower refresh rates at 30 seconds or more.
What altitudes do weather stations work best at?
Most weather stations work quite well at altitudes below 6000 feet above sea level. If you plan on going up into the mountains, you’ll need to make sure your weather station works at higher altitudes. This is usually written in the product specifications.
Conclusion: Which RV weather station is right for you?
As far as the best choice, it can be hard to pinpoint. Reason being that the best choice is determined by an individual and their needs. What we can say, is that if you are simply wanting a simple weather display, you do not need to spend a lot.
However, for individuals seasoned in the art of RV travel, we highly recommend any of the ones from the AcuRite brand. With this in mind, your next trip will be an easier and more enjoyable one, because you can better plan thanks to your RV weather station!