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solar07's avatar
solar07
Explorer
Oct 13, 2016

Storing first TT inside pole barn

Hello all,

This is my second post on here since we bought our first (new to us) TT toy hauler last month. It is a 2010 Sunnybrook THX 269.

I have a 60x40 pole barn. The roof is insulated and two walls. It still gets pretty cold in there. I have a few questions I am having a hard time finding answers for when storing inside here in our OHIO winters. I will try to keep them short and sweet:

A. Being inside the barn does it need to have the pink stuff added or just blow the lines out? If Pink is necessary, add it to all spots where water hits (including the black and gray tanks)?

B. Should I leave the vents, doors, windows open?

C. Any other advice? I have been reading about rodent deterrents. We lost our barn/field cat (was the neighbors) who really kept the mouse population down. I have trapped a couple Mice this year in the barn.

D. Lastly, this spring I am going to build a lean to in the back of the barn to store the TT in the summer so as to not take up my whole barn. It will be a roof and one wall to block the direction 99% of our snow and rain comes and have a gravel base. The question I have is, would it be better to store it there next winter as well to keep it in fresh circulating air and at colder temps to deter the mice? Thoughts?


That should do it :)

Thank you all for any time in answering my questions.
  • Agreed, if the temp is going to be below freezing you have to winterize.

    My opinion is, use the pink antifreeze. Using the air method does not guarantee that you will get all of the water out of the lines.

    My method. Fresh drained, hot water tank drained and bypass valves off. Starting from the closest tap to the furthest including the outside shower and low point drains etc, run each tap until pink flows. If I have any left I pour a bit down each p-trap. there will be enough in the black and grey tanks to reach the drains. Fresh tank does not need any winterizing.

    I don't leave my windows open but with the maxx air covers I leave the vents open slightly. I also have a couple dri z air pots in the trailer.

    As far as rodent traps, I leave a couple traps on the edges of the floor near the furnace vents. In all the years we have had trailers I have only had mice once and the vents were their preferred place to hide. Never did figure out how they got in though.
  • Most of us would love to have an inside storage space. It keeps rain, wind and snow off the unit.

    Unless heated it will get below freezing, so you will still have to winterize.
  • Thank you all so far. I will likely move it to the lean to for good next year if it will keep the mice out.

    Is there any harm to leaving it plugged in 24/7 or am I better off trickle charging the battery in our house basement? Does leaving it plugged in reduce any life expectancy of the electronics?

    Sounds like the group is 50/50 on leave some vents, windows, door open versus locking it up tight??

    If I add a de-humidifier would that go inside the TT?
  • We keep the MH in a 42x96 fully enclosed machine shed and leave the Bus open in the winter. Vents, a window or two and only the screen door closed. We do get mice, but the traps keep them under control. Since our barn has power we are plugged in 24/7 and do not have battery problems, especially with AGM batteries.
  • I have done exactly as you, first in the barn, then a lean to with back and one side closed. Strangely enough my mouse problems happened when it was inside and none since being under the lean to.

    I leave hatches opened with max air cover over them and about a dozen dryer sheets inside strategically located. Smells great and no mice.

    Someone told me that mice hate the gravel. Who knows. No mice in a couple of years. Plenty caught in the barn.
  • You should do a complete winteriae. Blow out the water lines using LOW pressure air. Add antifreeze to the toilet and "P" traps. If you have a washer or ice maker, then you need to push anti freeze thru everything to be safe. If you have enecteicity in there, add an electric dehumidifier. Close everything up tight. Be sure to add a bunchmof mouse traps to srop unwanted guests. Either take the batteries out and store them someplace warn with a charger on then, or leave the trailer plugged in. Check the batteries monthly and add water as necessary.