Winterizing tips and tricks

[SMGREENE12]

Hello

We bought a camper over a month ago and we have to winterize it. We want to know what are your go to products beside for the antifreeze? Also want to know else do you do to your camper to get it ready for storage? We fully under how to use the antifreeze. I know there is stuff we didn't think about. 

Thanks in advance!

[opnspaces]

Agreed, there is no reason to try to put antifreeze in the water heater or the fresh water tank. I'm in Southern California so have never had to winterize. But if I did I think I would flip the valve to bypass the water heater. Then drain the tanks including water heater. Being a bit OCD I would probably then pump antifreeze through the system and then drain and blow out the lines again.

[donmontalvo]

I read RV antifreeze has alcohol which can explode, so I’m keeping it away from my heater.

[opnspaces]

Somebody has been feeding you a line of Bull. RV antifreeze is not an explosion hazard.

[donmontalvo]

Reread my post.

[opnspaces]

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What am I missing here? What kind of heater are you referring to? If you're referring to the 99.9999 percent of the heaters that are installed in RV's then there is no open flame to ignite anything inside the coach. Yes there is a propane flame when it is running. But that flame is isolated and inside the heater and vented outside and definitely isolated from the inside of the coach. It has to be this way because the heater creates carbon monoxide gasses and would be potentially life threatening if it was allowed to mix with with the air in the RV. So no flame, no explosion. If I'm missing the point, can you link the source that you read about the dangers of RV antifreeze exploding so I can see where I'm going wrong?


@donmontalvo wrote:

I read RV antifreeze has alcohol which can explode, so I’m keeping it away from my heater.

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[donmontalvo]

Thanks for the helpful response.

[aftermath]

If you use the pink stuff make sure you drain your water heater and then bypass it.  You do not want the pink stuff in the water tank.  I did this once by mistake and it took most of the summer to get rid of the smell and foaming.  I use air only and have done that since 2009 without problem.  I live in Eastern Washington where it gets very cold in the winter.

[Rolling_Condo]

I have successfully winterized my trailers by draining all of the fresh water and hot water tanks. Then connecting an air compressor up to the 'city' water connection set at 40 psi. I blow starting the closest faucet to the inlet and work my way out to the furthest. Don't forget the toilet and when finished I remove my under counter water filter.Then I pour a could of cups of pink antifreeze down each drain and the rest down the gray and black tanks.

[craig7h]

There really is not much more to the plumbing winterizing than the pink antifreeze. I would remind you to open each and every value that deals with water. Its important to make sure the antifreeze touches everything.

Lets talk mice! You need a plan to keep those friendly little critters out of your camper. Everybody has a different method to handle this problem. I can only speak about mine do not know is right or wrong but for me it works. If you have access to keep unit plugged in. I use the Bell and Howell mice plug in sound things from one of the big box store. Mine are plugged in all the time. I also use an large quantity of moth balls, 2 boxes. I will pour some moth balls in small plastic cups and put in drawers, under bed, out in open, I even put in outside bays. Knock on wood not mice problems for many years. 

Good Luck

[Krusty]

Make sure your battery is fully charged and if there is something that is going to draw it down over the winter, disconnect it

[donmontalvo]

Would the battery disconnect work?

[SMGREENE12]

Thanks. We plan on disconnecting it from the camper. We are storing it somewhere and don't want to be stolen.

[pbeverly]

Where are you located? Winterizing in the North can be far different than in the South.

[SMGREENE12]

We are in Central New York. Smack right in the middle of the state.