A Guide to Winterizing Your Recreational Vehicles

3- 4 gallons of antifreeze
Aluminum foil
Tape
Silicone spray
Big plastic bag
Lock

Drain the water tanks

There is a valve facing the front of the trailer. When it is facing up it is in bypass mode. Put the valve up before winterizing.

Open a hot water faucet and drain all the water. Make sure the water is cool and then remove the drain plug outside by the pressure valve.

At the lowest point of the trailer there will be a drain. Take out the plug to drain the water or in our case we just turn a knob.

Disconnect the shower hose at the faucet; turn on the water pump until no water appears at the tank. Rinse out the gray and black tanks. Then close the dumping valves and replace the cap. The point in the above is that your water should be drained. This includes the gray, black, and the hot water.

The antifreeze

The antifreeze has to get into the system. It can be put in the fresh water storage tank but that isn't the most efficient way to do this. Find your water pump and attach a tube to a gallon of antifreeze. Close all the taps and then one by one open then so that antifreeze goes into each faucet. Do the hot water first and then the cold water. Don't forget the outside shower if you have one.

Pour 8 to 10 ounces of antifreeze down the drains - the sinks, lavatory, and shower. Operate the toilet until you see the antifreeze. Press the city water intake button and leave your faucets closed.

You are now winterized. Please understand that each Recreational Vehicle may have its own quirks. Read the manual or ask the dealer about the one you own. We have a 25' travel trailer.

Other chores

Put moth balls in aluminum foil and place them in the vicinity of the gas burner assembly of the water heater; the interior areas of the RV (closets, for ex.), and outside areas such as tool areas. This will keep spiders away. They are drawn to propane.

Clean and dry the awning.

Lubricate all moving parts with silicone spray.

Turn off the propane tanks.

Check the battery level and make sure it is full.

Check your thermostat.

Close the windows, roof vents, and shades and keep one window slightly open to keep some air circulating.

Cover the appliance vents, furnace exhaust, water heater vent, refrigerator vent, and kitchen faucet exhaust with aluminum foil. This is especially important if your RV is stored in a woodsy area where rodents might come in.

Leave the refrigerator door ajar.

Remove the batteries from the clock and smoke detectors.

Lubricate your jacks and cover the front end jack.

Put planks under the wheels and blocks under the jacks.

Lock the hitch.

Remove and clean you're a/c filter and turn off the refrigerator.

This sounds like an ominous job but once you do it a couple of times it becomes second nature. Still we always have a list of things to do every time we leave a campground. One year we left the campground and headed to the highway only to realize that our rock guard hadn't been closed. That was an expensive mistake!