RV Winterize ?

[Blane]

I have been watching youtube videos this morning of how people winterize their RV's. We are going to be using ours as soon as next weekend so was just wondering with this cold snap over night, if I could just run the heater in the camper and open up the doors so that the majority of the lines are being heated? What do you guys do to winterize your campers?

[coker737]

Disconnect the water and drain the lines. Open all the faucets

Never had an issue.

[doghouse]

Turn water pump off, open cabinets, and open all faucets. Turing on heater should do it.

[careybirdwell]

I usually use a blow out plug and air compressor to blow out all the water in the lines when I'm not at the lease. When I'm there, I run the heater and open some cabinets doors, keep the water heater on, and even leave a small drip going over night. I also will pour a little antifreeeze into the holding tanks

[texasair]

The common way to winterize is to put the pink antifreeze in the water system and circulate it. After the pink antifreeze is installed, It will be necessary to flush the system and refill it with clean water to use it again as a potable water supply. The pink antifreeze is supposed to be non toxic and you might still be able to use it for flushing the toilet and bathing. I would bring a alternate source of drinking water and consult the label on the actual antifreeze bottle for directions and use restrictions. Do not use car or truck antifreeze as it is extremely toxic.



A second way is to drain all the water out of the system. To do a really good job use a shop vac or air compressor with the regulator set on a lower pressure to suck or blow remaining water from the pipes and fixtures.

If you have access to 120 volt power you can leave a small electric heater running inside or you can leave the 12 volt propane furnace on a low heat setting. Open all interior doors and cabinets to allow warm air circulation to all areas

You can get by doing nothing if a light freeze is forecast and the temp will be in the high 20's or low 30's for only a few hours in the early morning pre dawn hours.

[WItoTX]

Nothing. Use it year round, and the ground never freezes in Katy. If I lived further inland where the ground froze for days at a time, I would blow everything out and run a little antifreeze through everything.

[texasair]

The common way to winterize is to put the pink RV antifreeze in the water system and circulate it. After the pink antifreeze is installed, It will be necessary to flush the system and refill it with clean water to use it again as a potable water supply. The pink antifreeze is supposed to be non toxic and you might still be able to use it for flushing the toilet and bathing. I would bring a alternate source of drinking water and consult the label on the actual antifreeze bottle for directions and use restrictions. Do not use automotive antifreeze as it is extremely toxic.

A second way is to drain all the water out of the system. To do a really good job use a shop vac or air compressor with the regulator set on a lower pressure to suck or blow remaining water from the pipes and fixtures.

If you have access to 120 volt power you can leave a small electric heater running inside or you can leave the 12 volt propane furnace on a low heat setting. Open all interior doors and cabinets to allow warm air circulation to all areas

You can get by doing nothing if a light freeze is forecast and the temp will be in the high 20's or low 30's for only a few hours in the early morning pre dawn hours. When the temps get and stay below freezing for long periods of time is when you will have problems.

[bboswell]

in my trailer I just open the low point drains and all the faucets so that all the water can get sucked out. I then add antifreeze to each of the P-traps under the sinks.


That's all I have ever done since we got it in 2005, even the years that it stayed in Fisher County where it would regularly get in the teens or lower.

[BrianL]

If I was using it often I would just run the heater for a one or two night freeze, but here are a couple things to watch for...

I had a air fitting that hooked up to the freshwater that I could blow out lines.

Don't forget to flush the toilet to remove water from those lines

I had a clear bulb filter in the supply line under the sink. Looks almost like a fuel filter. Make sure the air removes water from this, or remove it. I removed it after it froze and burst.

Drain hot water heater.

[TheHammer]

Disconnect the water and drain the lines. Open all the faucets

Never had an issue.

Same thing I’ve always done. Open the low point drain, open all the faucets, and disconnect water. All good so far.

[Brazos Hunter]

We use both of ours 12 months out of the year and have never done anything beyond draining the holding tanks and opening the low point drains, ever. Now our RV’s are newer and have PEX but even in our previous Rockwood that’s all we did. Last night I drained the holding tanks and opened the lower water drains while cracking the hot/cold shower valves open. When sitting in my driveway not being used I will leave her like this until the below freezing weather passes. If we are camping, everything is above the belly liner and we rock on like it’s nobody’s business. Almost 20 years of RV traveling under our belts and knock on wood, no ruptures or leaks. Weekend Escape RV on fb and YouTube



Michael

[MisterB]

Drain water heater and lines , open all faucets and flush commode. Drain black and grey tanks. Add Rv antifreeze to p-traps. Should then be fine if your lines are all PEX.

[BigL]

if you can run heat that will cover most of it.

is it hooked to water? If not open the faucets and drain the hot water heater. If you are connected to water, turn on the hot water heater so the water in the tank doesn't freeze.

When I'm in mine in the cold weather I have heater + hot water heater running and I do nothing and it's fine. I guess if I was somewhere really cold then I would have to worry about the waterhose outside freezing up but never worried about that here.

When I store it, I drain all the water, open the faucets and drain the hot water heater.

[Dewey Johnson]

Air with all faucets openend one at a time (turn your air regular down) all faucets left open. Don’t forget hot water heater or outside shower. Then rv antifreeze in toilet and drains never a problem

[kumathebear]

All comments are spot on so at the LEAST, make sure your pump is off and open all the faucets (even the shower) to drain. Learned my lesson years ago with my 1st RV at our lease in Sterling City. Left the heat on low between trips, propane emptied and I did not drain or leave open water lines. NO propane left and a busted line in the bathroom.

Yeah, I was young and dumb but the 1st time was a learning experience and never made the same mistake again.