winter storage for RV

We just bought a used one and have similar questions. I intend to travel with it at least a weekend monthly during the winter, though winterised.

I was also told to run the generator for thirty minutes monthly, regardless of season so the gas keeps flowing.

The answer to this question will depend on what part of the country you might be from and will you be able to put it into indoor storage, cover with a tarp, or will it sit out in the open.

Our 2002 Trail-Lite does not have any parasitic electric draw so it will sit from the end of October to the middle of May and the engine battery has not discharged. For that reason, I see no need to exercise the engine and drive train. We are lucky enough to have indoor unheated storage.

The generator is a slightly different case. I worry that the little bit of gasoline in the carburetor will evaporate and leave a residue inside that will plug the jets. So,....I try to visit the RV every 4 to 6 weeks and start the generator and let it run for about an hour while I pop some popcorn and possibly the A/C while watching TV.

It might help if you would share what storage you anticipate, what part of the country, and do you have parasitic draw on the chassis battery.

I don't use my motorhome during the winter, mainly because I don't want to get road salt on the exposed framework underneath. A short drive (during which it doesn't get fully up to temperature) is much harder on the engine than sitting for the winter.

My winterizing procedures are fairly simple. I winterize the plumbing system by blowing out the lines with compressed air and pouring a cupful of RV antifreeze into each of the drain traps. I put in an appropriate amount of Sta-bil and fill up the gas tank (if the tank is full of fuel, with no room for air, there can't be any water that condenses out of the air to cause trouble) and park it outside for the winter. It's better to change the oil before storage rather than afterwards if it's time to do so.

Batteries in cold conditions won't self-discharge much, so one effective way to deal with them is to make sure they're fully charged and just disconnect them. Alternately, if there's shore power available, you can use some sort of a charger to keep them up to snuff, such as the RV's converter (preferably a multistage one that won't overcharge the battery continuously). Most often the converter will not charge the chassis battery, so disconnecting it or finding some other way to keep it charged is needed.

The generator should be run every month or so for a decent length of time under load to keep the gas in the carb fresh, the brushes and slip rings clean, and the coils dry. A portable electric space heater works nicely as a load in the wintertime.

Having a vent cover or two is a good idea, as it allows a vent to be left cracked open and any moisture to dissipate. There's generally no need to do anything at all for the television or other appliances over the winter.

We store (Class C) indoors with no trouble. I don't touch my RV for 4-5 months. Previous post has good info, I have a bypass on my water heater and use RV antifreeze instead of blowout method. I remove ALL foodstuffs and clean everything prior to putting in storage.

I have my Class C connected to power when being stored all winter. I do not start the engine or move the RV until spring, and the skiing is over. Where it's stored, it is blocked in by snow most of the winter, most winters.

I have a Battery Minder on the house battery and a trickle charger on the chassis battery. I don't use the converter during storage. I start the generator every couple of months during a warm spell.

Of course I winterize the RV in the fall before it freezes and de-winterize in the spring.

I put a switch in the power line to the fuel pump that feeds the generator. When I know that I'm not going to use the generator for a while, with the generator running I turn the fuel pump off and let it run out of gas. Did that for many years, never a problem.

SkiMore wrote:
What should we do to keep it running well?

Like a lot of subjects on here, this one has been discussed a million times already. And there are about a million different opinions too.

Living where you do, it's important to drain as much water out as possible and put RV anti-freeze in those points that can't be fully drained. See your owners manual or a dealer for information about that.

Then put stabilizer in the gas for the truck and gen.
It is not strictly necessary to run either but most folks like to once a month.....long enough to get them hot.

Doing that more or less keeps the batteries charged too, which is important.

Please do a search for more; a lot more.

Of coarse the best storage is indoors, heated in winter. That eliminates the need to do anything with the rig during the storage period.

We have heated indoor storage located at home. I disconnect the chassis battery during storage but keep the two house batteries connected because I occasionally go inside so the lighting is nice to have working.

Regardless of how long, during heated indoor storage at home.

I DON'T.....
- winterize the rig
- run the Ford V10 engine during the storage period
- run the generator during the storage period
- start the storage period with partially drained batteries

I DO....
- drain the water in all tanks, water heater and plumbing
- charge the batteries every month or two using a secondary charger on a low setting

If our rig was stored in heated storage located off-site, I would disconnect every battery and forget about the rig.

I think paying for indoor storage is worth consideration given how well preserved a motor home is when stored indoors. Our rig is over 9 years old with 30,000 miles now. I displayed it at a recent Father's Day event/auto show. Many people thought the motor home was brand new. It has the original everything including tires and brakes and it all works perfect too. Strange, but the rig even smells new inside. I do all my own work which has been just fluid and filter changes.

Shop around for a local indoor storage facility. Do the math. You may find it not much different in cost compared to paying for all the aftermath repairs related to outdoor storage and weathering of the rig, and degradation of everything rubber and caulk related. Then there is the protection against water getting inside if there was a breach.

Thanks for all the advice.

I live in a cold place and can not store the RV in my apartment complex. I will need to pay for storage. It sounds like I should spring for indoor storage. I assume it won't be heated, but you never know. I will winterize the plumbing. I don't know if there will be a way to charge the batteries in the storage building.

It sounds like I don't need to worry that much about running the engine during the down time, but I probably should exercise the generator.

SkiMore wrote:
Thanks for all the advice.

I live in a cold place and can not store the RV in my apartment complex. I will need to pay for storage. It sounds like I should spring for indoor storage. I assume it won't be heated, but you never know. I will winterize the plumbing. I don't know if there will be a way to charge the batteries in the storage building.

It sounds like I don't need to worry that much about running the engine during the down time, but I probably should exercise the generator.

Most people will tell you to run the generator at various intervals when the rig is in storage. But I have never done so for 9 years now and all is just fine. Again I am talking about "Indoor Heated Storage".

As far as cold indoor storage without electricity is concerned, I would remove all batteries and take them home to your apartment. If that is not feasible, then you have to do something to keep the batteries charged during the winter to prevent them from freezing. They won't freeze until discharged of which I can't say how long it takes for that to happen when the batteries are disconnected. I suppose you could take a chance and make sure the fluid levels are good, charge the batteries until full, immediately disconnect the negative battery terminals, and hope for the best.