New to RVing and living in central Indiana. We will be leaving to go south for the winter in less than a month. The weather here is starting to get cold, with 20-30 degree nights. Just trying to be safe. Advice will be appreciated.

If you are going south and your overnight temps are that much below freezing, be safe and leave your furnace on 50-55.Are your holding tanks heated??Also, be careful with the hot water tank as it is insulated to the inside of the coach and the furnace won't help. You would have to leave the hot water tank on also to be safe.

Water freezes at 32 degrees. While a few degrees below that for just an hour or two probably will not be enough to freeze solid any water in the pipes, anything more than that is a risk. Only you can judge how much risk you are willing to take.

A month is a long time with the weather turning. I'd drain the water heater and put a gallon and a half of rv antifreeze through the water lines. I winterized mine today took maybe 15 minutes with me pumping the antifreeze and my wife talking to me on the phone opening each faucet till the pink comes through. I use a hand pump bought from Campingworld.

Usually takes extended periods of hard freezing for pipes to freeze, so if you're getting into the high 40's or above during the day you're *probably* ok. To be safe, you could drain the water heater and open low point drains. I would probably just run heat on lowest setting and open cabinet doors. This assumes you have no exposed water lines. Just my $.02. Have a great trip.

If you get under 20 at night, or above that but without being above freezing during the day, or just barely, you are risking getting things broken up. Outside showers are one of the worst, followed by exposed pipes and drain valves, and after that... almost any part at all.But if you have a modern C with it's drain pipes all enclosed, and some ducting to all cabinets that have water lines in them, put your furnace on at 50 and keep your propane up so it stays warm. If it's an older unit, don't risk breaking it for want of a little smelly pink in the lines, learn on here how to do it right and then clean it out when you are into a safe place. Above all, study all the methods here, there are so many places people forget to winterize, and if this is your first one, it's a big learning curve and you might as well go for it now and keep on reading. Lots of pitfalls and traps along the way will give you anxious moments.

How cold does it have to be to winterize the RV?

26 Replies

Jayco-noslide
Explorer
Oct 25, 2013
I feel I need to winterize when temps will fall into the 20's for more than a couple of hours. But, if I were heading south in a week or so I would probably leave the furnace on lowest setting or run an electric heater on a low setting.
maillemaker
Explorer
Oct 25, 2013
I use the blow out method every year and only use 3/4 gal. of pink stuff in the traps. You have to protect the traps because they don't get blown out.

Yup, me too. I don't put the antifreeze in the system lines.

Steve
bsinmich
Explorer
Oct 24, 2013
I use the blow out method every year and only use 3/4 gal. of pink stuff in the traps. You have to protect the traps because they don't get blown out.
maillemaker
Explorer
Oct 24, 2013
Thanks for all of your kind suggestions. I decided to take on the learning curve of winterizing it myself. The worst part being locating the required drains. I also had a difficult time finding a blow-out fitting, so I found a short piece of hose and installed a male air hose coupling on the other end. This worked well, so I am good to go.

Thanks again for sharing your knowledge. I look forward to learning more.

You may find the blow-out unnecessary.

On my 1990 Winnebago Warrior, once I pop the drains (there are 4 of them!) and open the faucets inside to prevent a vacuum, the system drains completely without the need to blow-out. I bought the blow-out fitting and tried it but nothing came out but air.

Steve
wbwood
Explorer
Oct 24, 2013
radar_indy wrote:
Thanks for all of your kind suggestions. I decided to take on the learning curve of winterizing it myself. The worst part being locating the required drains. I also had a difficult time finding a blow-out fitting, so I found a short piece of hose and installed a male air hose coupling on the other end. This worked well, so I am good to go.

Thanks again for sharing your knowledge. I look forward to learning more.

Went to investigate our new class c for the by pass valve and pump to prepare it for winterizing. What a PITA to get to. I thought a more expensive and nicer rig would make it easier, NOT! I decided I will just go ahead and pay to have it done and use CW's $10 winterizing coupon.
radar_indy
Explorer
Oct 23, 2013
Thanks for all of your kind suggestions. I decided to take on the learning curve of winterizing it myself. The worst part being locating the required drains. I also had a difficult time finding a blow-out fitting, so I found a short piece of hose and installed a male air hose coupling on the other end. This worked well, so I am good to go.

Thanks again for sharing your knowledge. I look forward to learning more.
Gene_in_NE
Explorer II
Oct 23, 2013
rockhillmanor wrote:
...When traveling from the midwest south most CG's are closed Oct 1, until you hit the real southern states BUT there ARE some CG's that stay open....I purchased a thetford porta pottie for the trip down with a winterized RV. For if nature called while on the road between CG's I did "NOT" have to use a public toilet!!....
Lesser expense would be to purchase some "Wag-Bags".
Coalminer_UG
Explorer
Oct 21, 2013
Vulcaneer wrote:
radar_indy wrote:
Just trying to be safe. Advice will be appreciated.

If you want to be safe, and want advice, just take 20 minutes and invest $12.00 and winterize it. Peace of mind.

x2
rockhillmanor
Explorer II
Oct 21, 2013
wbwood wrote:
..but that doesn't mean we won't use it. We just won't use the water inside. Many people often think they can't use their RV after they winterize it. You can if you will be at a location with a bath house....

Ditto X2
When traveling from the midwest south most CG's are closed Oct 1, until you hit the real southern states BUT there ARE some CG's that stay open. Usually the ones you can see from the interstate. They just don't have water hookups.

Their bathrooms/showers/laundry are 'always' open.
Carry a few bottles of water for washing hands, etc. For all else use the CG bathrooms!

Part of my route from north to south had no CG's open. Not EVER wanting to use gas and/or rest area station toilets 'while on the road traveling' so.....

I purchased a thetford porta pottie for the trip down with a winterized RV. For if nature called while on the road between CG's I did "NOT" have to use a public toilet!!

Looks and sits EXACTLY like the toilet in the RV. Has a removable cassette underneath that acts like a mini black tank. Placed it next to my RV toilet and when I reached a CG if I used it, the bottom comes off with a swivel pipe that you dump down the sewer hookup or a bathroom toilert. You don't see it or smell it. Real slick.

http://www.thetford.com/HOME/ApplicationHome/RecreationalApplication/tabid/85/Default.aspx

Depending on how much you think you might need it you can buy models with different size holding tanks! :B

Walmart used to sell them for around $60 bucks. I found it very useful.
mlts22
Explorer II
Oct 21, 2013
In Indiana, I wouldn't chance it, i'd go with the pink stuff. If one has access to enough power to run a heater, or just run the furnace at 40-50, then one can delay winterizing, but to be safe, it can't hurt just to winterize and not worry about it.