Forum Discussion

teegee1025's avatar
teegee1025
Explorer
Sep 09, 2019

Winterize or Not

Hi! This will be our first winter in Mooresville, NC with our 5th wheel. Coming from Syracuse, NY, it would be just about time to winterize if we were still up North. I was wondering if winterization was still needed down here. I know the winter isn't bad down here and I am not sure of how long the season for using the fifth wheel is so I'm uncertain as to whether or not we could use it in the winter. Any help/advice would be appreciated.

Thank you!

19 Replies

  • rhagfo's avatar
    rhagfo
    Explorer III
    gbopp wrote:
    Just blow out your water lines and pour some pink stuff in the traps.
    It's quick and simple. Then you don't have to be concerned with dropping temps and can do it after every trip during colder weather.


    X2

    Your climate is about the same as we have in the PNW. Do you plan on using the 5er through the winter. We use to go out all winter long I would just keep an eye on the temps if it was going to drop below about 28 overnight, I would blow the lines and put pink AF in the traps.
    If we went out and the weather was still mild would wait for the next cold spell before blowing the lines.
    As we used the 5er through out the winter, would only blow and Pink if temp was going below 28 overnight.
    We had unit stored at a storage yard, and I had/have onboard air so easy to blow the lines. Never an Issue.
    Enjoy your new climate, get out and enjoy winter camping!! We would keep the 5er stocked with cloths and non perishable foods so only needed to grab perishable food from home refer.
  • gbopp wrote:
    Just blow out your water lines and pour some pink stuff in the traps.
    It's quick and simple. Then you don't have to be concerned with dropping temps and can do it after every trip during colder weather.

    I will add open the faucets while blowing out & drain the water heater also. I open the low points, blow out, drain water heater , anti freeze in traps. But, I keep my heat on about 50 and it very seldom gets into the teens here.
  • Winterizing costs virtually nothing. Not winterizing could cost a lot. YMMV
  • Just blow out your water lines and pour some pink stuff in the traps.
    It's quick and simple. Then you don't have to be concerned with dropping temps and can do it after every trip during colder weather.
  • Do as others have said, and keep an eye on the longer term forecast. I'd go out and buy the RV antifreeze to have on hand, in case a cold snap sneaks up on you.
  • Below freezing temps are what I use to determine when to winterize, check monthly averages if you are winterizing in a new area. Looking at Syracuse weather it would be pretty early to winterize for us, all the way through October and midway into November average low temps do not breach freezing according to Accuweather. No doubt winterizing in NC will come later than NY.

    I would keep close watch on local NC weather starting near the middle of December, with weather being somewhat freakish last few years monthly averages may not reflect earlier than anticipated weather patterns. We empty our tanks within a few weeks of actual winterization anyway, keeps us from getting caught off guard from a freak winter storm.
  • Based on this, I'd say you were good to go until about January: Click here

    I lived very near Morganton, NC many years ago, for 2 years. Temperatures never got below freezing either of those 2 years.