How to Properly Winterize Your RV
If you don’t plan on using your RV during the cold winter months, you need to make certain that you properly winterize it. If you don’t, you may be surprised to find that your RV is not in the same condition in the spring as it was in the fall. The damage the winter can do on an improperly stored RV can be extensive and very costly. Here are some of the basic steps you need to take to winterize your RV.
Drain the Tanks and Prepare your Water Heater
The first things you need to do involve the water tanks and water heater. First, you need to remove any water filters you have installed. If you don’t, the winterizing chemicals you need to add to your RV will damage them. This is also a good time to check the filters to see if they need to be replaced. Next, empty the gray and black water tanks. You do not want to leave water to freeze in these tanks over the winter. Take your time to clean the tanks thoroughly while you’re at it.
Next, drain the water heater and the lines running to it. You’ll need to turn the water heater off and wait for it to cool before you do this. Once the water is drained, you will want to bypass it. Some RVs have a bypass method installed already. If yours doesn’t, you will need to look at your owner’s manual to see how to bypass the heater. Like the filters, this is done to ensure no chemicals get into the water heater. Finally, turn off your water heater’s heating element if it has an electric one.
Add Antifreeze
Now that all of the water is out of your RV and you have bypassed the heater, you can prepare to add antifreeze. You will want to disconnect the inlet part of your water pump or have a water pump converter installed before you do this. If you disable the inlet line, you will want to use a piece of tubing to connect your antifreeze container to the pump. Then close the drain lines and faucets before you turn on the pump and allow the antifreeze to circulate.
Once the pump is working, start turning on your faucets one at a time until antifreeze runs out. You’ll need to do this to both the hot and cold taps. Be sure you turn on the shower, too, and your outside shower if you have one. You’ll also need to flush the toilet several times until you see antifreeze.
Next put a cup of antifreeze down each drain and several in the toilet. Flush this antifreeze to get it down into the holding tank. Close all of your facets after this.
Park it in a Winter Storage Shed
The final step to take to protect your RV during the winter is to park it in a winter storage shed. These sheds are not like garden sheds. Instead, they’re specially designed for RVs and other vehicles. They’re more like stand-alone garages that feature a large roll-up door that can accommodate your RV. Parking it inside a storage shed protects your vehicle from the winter weather and the damage it can bring. Your RV won’t be snowed upon, nor will you have to worry about ice building up on it. The shed will also protect it from falling limbs and from hail.
Animals have a bad habit of seeking shelter under vehicles, especially vehicles that don’t move. Rats and other small animals can get up inside your RV, eating away at the wiring and causing other damage. Parking inside a storage shed eliminates this type of damage, too. If you don’t have a storage shed for your RV, you don’t have to look into building one. There are a number of kits you can purchase that make installing a RV storage shed a very easy and affordable task.