When do you winterize?

Usually winterize first part of nov. even though leave for Fla. middle of jan. This year it was done a week ago since I'm having by pass surgery on Tuesday the 11th.

And it's snowing!

mike-s,

All you have to do is read the label on the windshield washer fluid as to the freeze point. Never seen a decent brand yet that didn't give the freeze degrees point sold in the USA, including when in Florida. Using logics, you sure wouldn't buy washer fluid in Florida for use in Minnesota in the winter as it would freeze solid just being in the vehicle washer reservoir also. There's a little very important thing in life called "commonsense".

Here in Michigan, the freeze point of washer fluid in gallon plastic bottles sold does NOT change as to freeze point on the labels during the year at all. Walmart, Meijer, Target, auto stores, etc have the very same washer fluid on their shelves year around! Been buying and using the stuff for over 50 years now and never seen real washer fluid with below -20F on the label. The alcohol in it actually aids in cleaning the bugs etc off the glass much faster and aids in faster liquid evaporation leaving the windshield looking much cleaner/clearer.

Because we often take the camper south after 1/1 we just drain the low pts, vac the lines and figure we are good to go. I do run the water pump mt, add pink to traps.

I used to wait until December because it sat in my driveway and I could keep heat in it when it got down low at times. We just moved and now it is in storage so I just winterized since I can't keep heat in it now. Since it is pretty easy I hope to still go out and re-winterize as I need to, if I can find the time.

travelnutz wrote:
Using windshield washer fluid which is good for -20 to -30 F in your porti potti flush tank and it never freezes nor does the stuff in the bottom tank as that's where it goes when you flush. Who'd a thunk it?

Washer fluid isn't consistent. The anti-freeze in it is methanol, and the percentage can vary depending on where it's purchased (N vs S), the season, and the brand. +20 F washer fluid contains ~7% methanol, -20 F washer fluid contains ~35% methanol (or ethanol or isopropanol). So, check the temperature rating before relying on it to not freeze - you might not want to use the stuff you bought on sale during the summer.

We live on the Lake Michigan shoreline in West Michigan approx. the same latitude as Grand Rapids and we almost never winterize until the Thanksgiving weekend or later and have never had any freezing of waterlines or filled items in any of our RV's over the last 52 years of our RV'ing.

very wide, deep, and long Lake Michigan takes most of the summer to heat up to the mid 70's+ and then takes most of the winter to cool down to the upper 30's. The lake never freezes solid but rather just gets a thin layer of ice near the shoreline. Heated rises from the summer warmed water naturally and that warm heated air blows right over us as our prevailing winds come from the westerly direction. Thus, much warmer near the lake in late fall and winter than inland 25+ miles or on the Wisconsin/Minnesota side of the lake as they get bitterly cold over there. Almost never have any surface ice on the river or Lake Michigan even near the shore until in January. Per the TV weather reports and trivia yearly around the holidays, 68 out of the last 100 years we have had a green Christmas as in no snow being on the ground here.

Heck, the shipping season for cargo ships don't stop coming and going here or on the great lakes until about the end of January and restart approx mid April. Lots of CG's and several State Park CG's are open all winter in Michigan and we used our RV's all winter long for snowmobiling up in the Upper Peninsula. Even Tahquamenon Falls State Park CG in the U.P. just a little ways from Lake Superior is open all winter and we have stayed there several times.

Therefore, living here, our answer is that we only gravity drain the water out of our RV's after Thanksgiving Day and seldom blow out the lines and have never put pink antifreeze in any of our many RV's. Besides, that's what water in 2 gallon or jenny jugs is about and using of a porti potti that you can dump in any toilet or pit toilet are for, so winter camping which has no "closed for the season"! Using windshield washer fluid which is good for -20 to -30 F in your porti potti flush tank and it never freezes nor does the stuff in the bottom tank as that's where it goes when you flush. Who'd a thunk it?

Just fill the lines with vodka, then you're always ready to go!

I winterized last weekend here in the Adirondacks of Upstate NY but it has everything to do with the fact that I am a deer hunter. Winterized camper last weekend, opening up and provisioning hunting camp this weekend, and heading out with the muzzleloader next weekend. Most campgrounds in this area close right after Columbus Day weekend anyways.

rbpru,
I'm located just a little South of you, and if you remember last year Fall and Winter, it stayed above 32 degrees almost until January 2016. We had a very warm Fall, and campgrounds could have kept the water turned on till almost Mid-December. So, what I'm saying is ... using a given date is not a good indicator. Last year at this time, I winterized near the end of October with pink stuff and blow. I unwinterized for a week-end of use in November, and then winterized again. Then we went to Florida over Christmas and unwinterized somewhere in Georgia, and coming back, winterized again at the right before new year in Georgia, just to return home to 50 degree weather again! (Sheesh!)

So around January 3 I winterized again, and then it turned cold. It was a crazy winter.

Then we went to South Carolina in early March and unwinterized there for the week, and watched the weather on the Indianapolis Channel 6 app on our phones and decided to NOT winterize again. By now it was middle March. We made the right call, it didn't get below freezing again after that. But early April, it did for a couple days. I didn't want to run the risk, so rather than pumping the pink, I blew the lines this time, couple days later, temperatures started staying above 32.

Early April (2016) we took the camper out again, and that was it, back in business.

So you know, there really is not any given date or time when to do it. All you can do is watch the weather channel and when it looks like it's getting below 32 for more than just a few hours, it's better to be safe and do it, and do it right then and not wait!

And nothing says you can't un-winterized a week later if you want to use the camper and the weather turns nice again!

I think this year I'm going to pick up about 10 gallons of Pink Stuff. My camper takes 2 gallons, so I can winterize and unwinterize 5 times, with blowing, maybe more over the winter.

We have a South Carolina trip planned over Christmas this year (not doing Florida this time ... found out the Southern - South Carolina campgrounds are virtually desolate in December as everyone heads for Florida, and also heads for Florida over Spring Break.) But the water is still turned on in the State Parks. To avoid the horrid crowds and scrambling for a Florida campsite over Christmas ... South Carolina is WIDE open this time of year.

So, basically.... use common sense to determine when you need to winterize. Watch the weather on television, and when temps appear to be hovering around 32 or less, make the call. Until then, you still have water.

(I actually hope this is another crazy winter, mild temps again)