Cincinnati Ohio - When is it usually safe to dewinterize?

This year maybe june possible july.

Welcome from a fellow Cincinnatian. As you know a couple of weeks ago, we set six all-time low temperature records in 7 days. So bets are off. Just don't listen to Tim Hedrick or Steve Raleigh, they seem to want to out-panic each other. Or as my S.O. puts it, "they never underestimate the weather."

Another variable is how your water lines run. Mine run under the TT in PEX so opening the cabinets and heating the interior won't help much.

I ggenerally dewinterize in early Apr in Dayton, then if its gets into low 20s I use a radiator type space heater. If you don't have a covered underbelly this might not be a good idea but have had 5 RVs and never had a freeze problem.

this years a shear guess, there buryed in snow and baby its cold out there.

As long as it's not below 32 (day and night) 2 or 3 days consecutively you should be fine. I de-winterized April 5th last year here in Cincy and it got down to 12 at night a few days later and the TT was fine. I plan on camping the last weekend in March, I'm sure it will be sunny and warm......right?

True...I realize that there are no guarantees!

The space heater idea is a good one. I could probably make that happen if need be.

Charles

Dragonfly wrote:
There is ALWAYS a chance of extreme weather here in SW Ohio. ( I have photographs of snow on flowering Redbud trees in late April. ) As long as you can plug in I have dewinterized in early April, even late March. If there is a cold snap just plug in an electric space heater and open the cabinet doors under the sink(s). That has even helped me through a few days gap between trips in mid winter when I didn't want to winterize, then dewinterize a few days later.

Finally, if you are traveling in cold weather you can still use the toilet. Keep the camper winterized and carry a large water jug/dispenser. Just add some to the toilet. Flush (with the water pump off so you don't pump in anti-freeze) and replace the bowl water. A touch of antifreeze in the tank usually isn't needed but may be wise if it is really cold.

There is ALWAYS a chance of extreme weather here in SW Ohio. ( I have photographs of snow on flowering Redbud trees in late April. ) As long as you can plug in I have dewinterized in early April, even late March. If there is a cold snap just plug in an electric space heater and open the cabinet doors under the sink(s). That has even helped me through a few days gap between trips in mid winter when I didn't want to winterize, then dewinterize a few days later.

Finally, if you are traveling in cold weather you can still use the toilet. Keep the camper winterized and carry a large water jug/dispenser. Just add some to the toilet. Flush (with the water pump off so you don't pump in anti-freeze) and replace the bowl water. A touch of antifreeze in the tank usually isn't needed but may be wise if it is really cold.

State parks in Indiana turn their water back on the first week in April. I'd say by April 1 you should be pretty safe... but .... with the weird weather we're having .... who knows? To be safe, watch for a consistency when the night time temperatures stay above freezing 2 or 3 nights in a row. By then, you are pretty safe.