Winterizing our trailer on our return trip to Canada

[K_and_D_plus_RD]

We are taking our first trip to Florida with our Outback trailer which has already been winterized. We know how to de-winterize when we reach warmer climates, but does anyone know where we should go to re-winterize on our return to Canada in March. Figure we should do it somewhere around north Georgia. Any and all ideas are appreciated. K, D & RD

[DavidandDayle]

There are 2 considerations. Check the weather maps to see where the overnight freezing temperatures start. We usually do ours in southern Kentucky and have a dry night in Michigan.
Also, it depends on where your plumbing is. If it's all internal, in a heated area, you may be able to get farther. Our tanks and drains are underneath and we had a trip where the drain was frozen.
After we winterize, we use the anti-freeze to flush the toilet.

[almcc]

We return to Ontario in late March or the first week in April. We haven't winterized until the RV is in the driveway a day or so after we get back. If your RV has heated and enclosed tanks and the daytime temps are at or above freezing you should be good, running the furnace overnight keeps the tanks and pipes warm even if the temps are below freezing. We've seen some folks winterize at Harbortown RV resort in Monroe Michigan but they were heading farther north.

We are currently in Carlsbad NM where it's currently a chilly -9C, we are running off tank fresh water as the cold was predicted (I stowed the water hose before retiring} and the furnace kept the systems from freezing overnight.

[63-Coupe]

Just watch your overnight weather forecast. We usually make it a two overnight trip home in March. I don't remember ever winterizing the first night, usually northern Georgia, but we do it the next morning before we leave.

Our second night is often at the Kentucky horse park and their washrooms, showers, and dump station are open all year round. That night we use a bucket of water in the trailer for flushing having put some anti freeze in the black water tank beforehand and only have to dump that tank on the way out.

[joebedford]

Depends on whether or not you're living in the rv. If you're heating it, you're possibly safe without winterizing.

I've never winterized mine on return to Canada but I don't return until April.

[Community Alumni]

We always did our's in Virginia.

[Community Alumni]

Last time we did it we just watched the temps at home to see if we needed to re-winterize (yes), and then looked at where we'd be stopped for the last night on the road before arriving at home. We stopped at a KOA southwest of Washington and winterized at the campground the morning of our departure. Winterizing takes 10-15 minutes.

I've got a 9.78L jug of RV antifreeze sitting in the garage, ready to stow in the trailer for this year's trip. We'll repeat the same routine.

[Fizz]

On your last day of travel open all faucets and low point drain. After a day of travel it will have shaken all the water lines empty. Drain the hot water tank. When you get home do a basic antifreeze procedure on all plumbing.

[grampscamper]

You could purchase a small compressor and blow the lines out before you get to the area it might freeze. You can purchase an adapter for a compressor at Camping World or Amazon. Bypass and drain the hot water tank, drain black and grey tanks, hook compressor to city water, blow out all water lines with 30 psi pressure. Don't forget the toilet and outside shower. Dump RV antifreeze down all drains. You can find videos on YouTube showing how to do this or the antifreeze method as others suggested.
Good luck.

[1492]

Moved from Forum Technical Support

[You_can_t_take_]

If you're leaving in early March do it before you leave your Florida Campground. Then bring an extra gallon or so of anti-freeze to 'flush' with and some jugs of water for drinking or the sink. If you're leaving at the end of March you can probably wait until you get home. You may have to leave some heat in the trailer for a day or so (once you are home) until you get to it. Unless the temperature gets into the low 20's F (which doesn't happen often in the London area in early April) you should be fine.

[cekkk]

Maybe it's just me, but what are you asking? What part of the country to rewinterize, or where to take it to have it done for you?

It's a pretty easy job that almost anyone with a trailer would be happy to help you with if you don't know how. If you've got a water heater bypass, you can probably do it in 15 minutes with a couple of gallons of $4 RV antifreeze. The dealers will probably charge a hundred bucks, and Lord knows when they'll get to it.