Keeping Trailer Safe In-Between Winter Trips

ChooChooMan74 wrote:
Drain and blow, with Antifreeze in the Ptraps would be my suggestion.

I would think that down there you could do this with no problems.

Depending on how your trailer is set up and where you store it could you just put a electric heater in it on the cold nights to keep things from freezing?

Doug33 wrote:
Unfortunately I'm resigned to parking the TT between November and March. Yes, there are some mild stretches here in NJ during which I wish I could take her back out for a spin. The problem is that there are very few CGs open in this area during the winter. Even if open, you usually have to dry camp because the water lines have been shut down. So un-winterizing wouldn't be necessary.

I am getting close to the point where I'd like to retire and travel down south for a month or two during the cold months.

In the same boat in Pennsylvania. I wait until the end of November and sometimes December. This year was odd with 10 day deep freeze in middle November and a foot of snow over thanksgiving.

Before our trip south last February, we took a shakedown trip to the State Park for a weekend. We dry camped and snowshoed. Three days later we were in TN and could add water, by the end of the week we were basking in southern GA.

The cold weather may have been more adventurous but the warm weather was certainly a pleasant change from the Indiana snow.

Unfortunately I'm resigned to parking the TT between November and March. Yes, there are some mild stretches here in NJ during which I wish I could take her back out for a spin. The problem is that there are very few CGs open in this area during the winter. Even if open, you usually have to dry camp because the water lines have been shut down. So un-winterizing wouldn't be necessary.

I am getting close to the point where I'd like to retire and travel down south for a month or two during the cold months.

DutchmenSport wrote:

dave17352 wrote:
Yes winterizing my rigs take a hour if I take my time and about 5 to 10 dollars worth of pink stuff depending on which rig. This is my hobby so I don't even think of it as work. I enjoy messing with my campers. I will gladly dewinterize for a good trip and winterize when I get home.

Yikes! You're making it too difficult!

We went to Florida over Christmas. I winterized at the end of October and un-winterized in Georgia at a KOA enroute to Florida a little over a week ago. Took 2 bottles of "pink stuff" and winterized when we got back to Indiana. I kept a close eye on the weather forecasts and decided to re-winterize once home as temps were above 32 pretty consistent.

Got home and first thing I did was re-winterize with the "pink stuff". It took less than 10 minutes (if that long), and that included popping the low-point drains. Glad I did it right away, because that night it dropped below 32.

I installed the in-line winterizing kit when I first purchased the camper. Drain the water heater, then Flip the valve on the water heater, Flip the valve at the water pump and stick the hose in the gallon jug and turn on the water pump, turn on each faucet, hot and cold until pink runs, and what's left over from the 2 gallons, dump down the drains for the p-traps. Then go under the trailer and pop the low points and let it drain. Close them, done! Total time ... less than 10 minutes.

Not sure I follow what you are getting at. Both of my rigs are in my shop. I could probably cut my time to 20 minutes on the 5th wheel and about the same for the TC. But I don't see it as a chore so I fiddle around and take my time. Looks like we both do the same thing.

Coming from a canoe and tent background, we simply dry camp in the winter and use the heated CG wash house.

We have an electric heater so we do not have to use the propane heater much.

We have a five gallon water jug for coffee and cooking. We do not use the black or grey water tanks.

dave17352 wrote:
Yes winterizing my rigs take a hour if I take my time and about 5 to 10 dollars worth of pink stuff depending on which rig. This is my hobby so I don't even think of it as work. I enjoy messing with my campers. I will gladly dewinterize for a good trip and winterize when I get home.

Yikes! You're making it too difficult!

We went to Florida over Christmas. I winterized at the end of October and un-winterized in Georgia at a KOA enroute to Florida a little over a week ago. Took 2 bottles of "pink stuff" and winterized when we got back to Indiana. I kept a close eye on the weather forecasts and decided to re-winterize once home as temps were above 32 pretty consistent.

Got home and first thing I did was re-winterize with the "pink stuff". It took less than 10 minutes (if that long), and that included popping the low-point drains. Glad I did it right away, because that night it dropped below 32.

I installed the in-line winterizing kit when I first purchased the camper. Drain the water heater, then Flip the valve on the water heater, Flip the valve at the water pump and stick the hose in the gallon jug and turn on the water pump, turn on each faucet, hot and cold until pink runs, and what's left over from the 2 gallons, dump down the drains for the p-traps. Then go under the trailer and pop the low points and let it drain. Close them, done! Total time ... less than 10 minutes.

I drain the black and gray tanks first.

To the OP:

No reason why you cannot winter camp. You have a couple choices. Dry camp (no water in your camper.... revert back to tent camping days when you used campground facilities and carried water in jugs or buckets. Nothing down the drains, no showers, but cat baths and toss the water out the door.

Second option is to ensure your tanks are heated and winter proof. Then you can use on-board water.

Either way ... don't let cold weather stop you.

sch911 wrote:

ChooChooMan74 wrote:
Drain and blow, with Antifreeze in the Ptraps would be my suggestion.

X 2

That's what we do and we're in Michigan!

X3
Same here.

Yes winterizing my rigs take a hour if I take my time and about 5 to 10 dollars worth of pink stuff depending on which rig. This is my hobby so I don't even think of it as work. I enjoy messing with my campers. I will gladly dewinterize for a good trip and winterize when I get home.

Once you get used to it, winterizing is simple. You will need to do it after each trip or at least before a freeze.