Winterizing Advice for North Idaho ?
We are newbie owners of a new winnie micro travel trailer 1706fb. The plan is to head south as soon as freezing arrives. As usual delays creep into the plans, so we need to consider what to do if it...
Forum Discussion
DrewE wrote:
Winterizing is not that difficult to perform. As ksg5000 said, if the nightly lows are 34 degrees, there's absolutely nothing to worry about, and even if they dip below freezing it's not typically a big concern so long as the daytime temperatures are warm (i.e. well above freezing). Exactly when to be concerned depends to some extent upon how well set up your RV is for cold weather usage; if the plumbing is all open and exposed underneath, it will be more likely to freeze than if it's contained within the insulated space of the trailer. The water heater tank is reasonably well insulated, so it won't freeze during these sorts of overnight temperature dips a bit below freezing; there's no need to run it continually to keep the water hot. If it were steady sub-freezing temperatures, that would be a somewhat different situation, of course.
Winterizing basically consists of getting the water out of the water system. This means draining the tanks (including the water heater tank) and what can be drained from the pipes via the low point drains, and then usually proceeding in either of two ways.
One of these ways is to displace whatever water is left in the pipes by pumping them full of RV antifreeze, which is non-toxic (at least in modest amounts--some brands are based around ethanol, so consuming too much would lead to intoxication, etc). Exactly how this is accomplished depends somewhat on how the RV is equipped. Each tap or fixture is turned on until the antifreeze runs out.
The other common method is to blow the pipes clear of water using an air compressor, generally hooked to the city water inlet. The air pressure should be set to something reasonably modest, such as 40 psi, and each faucet or other fixture in turn run until all the water is removed.
In both cases, a cup or so of RV antifreeze is poured down each drain trap.
For the antifreeze method of winterizing, dewinterizing consists of running water through the plumbing until the antifreeze is cleaned out, and then filling the tanks (and water heater) as usual. If the compressed air method is used, there's no need to wash out the pipework.
The owner's manual for the trailer probably has some information on where all the valves etc. are located.
One word of caution: don't turn on the water heater when it is drained, either on gas or electric mode. On electric mode, the element will burn out in a matter of seconds.
GREAT POST! :C:)
I would add for insurance with the compressed air method, the process be done several times for each outlet, including the toilet. I have used the compressed air method for years, in fact, I have never used RV anti-freeze.
Vic
