FL for Christmas, are we nuts?
So my wife and I have had a vintage popup for a few years (73 Apache) but we just purchased an 04 Jayco Jay Flight Sport. The previous owner already had it winterized. However, we're getting antsy to ...
Forum Discussion
Penny and I (and two kitties) went from Virginia to Florida for 2 weeks last January and experienced everything you and others have discussed.
We travel 350mi. a day because I'm retired and in no hurry. Our TT was winterized when we left Va. (temps in the teens), so we carried water jugs with us on day 1 for drinking and flushing enroute. When we arrived at our overnight spot in Santee, S.C., I checked the weather report. Overnight temps above freezing. I drained the system using the low-point drains and collected the pink stuff in a tub to dispose of at the dump station. We hooked to services, remembering to open the bypass valves to the water heater. Weather reports predicted temps in the lower 50s for day 2, so we added some water to the on board tank for flushing on the road.
We toured the west coast of Fla. On the day of our return, an ice storm was predicted to tear through S.C. making I-95 dangerous so we stayed put an extra day.
When we overnighted on the return trip, I drained the system the next morning and pumped the pink stuff to winterize. We headed to Va. using the water jugs again.
Lessons learned from first time doing this:
1) Winterizing on the go is no sweat. Just be prepared with the antifreeze and necessary tools.
2) Check Wx forecasts and be prepared to react to any inclement conditions. Build an extra day or two into your itinerary so you can do this without stressing.
3) Go way south! We didn't outrun the dreaded "polar vortex" and woke up to 38 degrees in St. Augustine. Homosassa wasn't far enough south either. (Snowbirds advise going south of Orlando for a better chance of avoiding cold weather intrusions.)
Bottom line - do it.
Teach
We travel 350mi. a day because I'm retired and in no hurry. Our TT was winterized when we left Va. (temps in the teens), so we carried water jugs with us on day 1 for drinking and flushing enroute. When we arrived at our overnight spot in Santee, S.C., I checked the weather report. Overnight temps above freezing. I drained the system using the low-point drains and collected the pink stuff in a tub to dispose of at the dump station. We hooked to services, remembering to open the bypass valves to the water heater. Weather reports predicted temps in the lower 50s for day 2, so we added some water to the on board tank for flushing on the road.
We toured the west coast of Fla. On the day of our return, an ice storm was predicted to tear through S.C. making I-95 dangerous so we stayed put an extra day.
When we overnighted on the return trip, I drained the system the next morning and pumped the pink stuff to winterize. We headed to Va. using the water jugs again.
Lessons learned from first time doing this:
1) Winterizing on the go is no sweat. Just be prepared with the antifreeze and necessary tools.
2) Check Wx forecasts and be prepared to react to any inclement conditions. Build an extra day or two into your itinerary so you can do this without stressing.
3) Go way south! We didn't outrun the dreaded "polar vortex" and woke up to 38 degrees in St. Augustine. Homosassa wasn't far enough south either. (Snowbirds advise going south of Orlando for a better chance of avoiding cold weather intrusions.)
Bottom line - do it.
Teach
