Winterizing Rig but Still Able to Use it?

Robert H · 09-09-2021, 06:12 PM

Hello Everyone!! I need your opinions. I have a 2005 Itasca Cambria 26a that we bought six months ago. It is a beautiful rig, showroom shape with 19,000 miles on the F450 chassis. Took it on a lot of 200 mile trips and one to Colorado this spring and summer. Every thing works great and we love it. So, we live in Vancouver, WA, relatively mild winters but once in a great while we will get a cold one. Stats: 46 days when temp drops to below freezing, average low winter temp is 35 degrees. We will store the rig at an RV storage lot under cover.

My question: What would you guys recommend to winterize bearing in mind that we will use the RV during the winter, probably twice a month a few days at a time. Now if the weather forecast is calling for a long below freezing period I would just go ahead and drain and blow out the plumbing but would like to not have to do that often when we're planning to use it.

What say you??

Thanks

Bob H

wyocamper · 09-09-2021, 07:01 PM

If it were me I would drain the fresh water and holding tanks between usages, blow out the water lines with an air compressor, and pour enough anti-freeze in the drains to fill the p-traps and protect the tank drains. This wouldn't take all the long to do and the pink anti-freeze is really cheap. I wouldn't bother with anti-freeze in the water lines.

When you're ready to use it again just close the drains, fill the fresh tank and roll. Rinse and repeat.

Morich · 09-09-2021, 07:38 PM

that's a tough one to set any firm methods as we all have different levels of what we want and what we feel like doing to get there!

But there is no need of having a firm set of how to do it but just keep in mind what is needed and how you might adapt things to fit the occasion as it comes along.

Got lots of times and don't mind the effort? BAH! Who wants to do it six times over a single winter?

So how about looking at how you might modify how you deal with water issues to allow for total safety for the rV, while reducing the effort? We find winter trips are okay for the holding tanks as we drain them before we store anyway, so when looking at winter, we drain but leave the caps off the drains to make sure liquid still dripping doesn't collect there in the low spots but we avoid filling the fresh tank.

For short trips, we arrange to use other showers like at the places we stay with folks we visit and then use bottled water that we store in gallon milk jugs for cooking, drinking and flushing the stool. When fully cold weather is expected, we do shorter quicker trips and put up with a few less convenient ways of doing things to avoid the trauma of redoing the winterizing after it gets fully cold. I don't like working in cold weather!

When doing a trip that is too long for feeling good about the shower for that long, we just go the motel route for a night to reset ourselves. Harder for the folks who have not been in any military but they need the experience!!!

be happy · 09-10-2021, 03:20 AM

I understand wanting to take your rig out in the winter every so often. I would however not make that a factor in winterizing or not. I am a firm believer in the pink stuff, living outside of Branson MO and our winters are not much to speak of compared to folks living in the north. However I use pink antifreeze for piece of mind. It doesn't take much cold weather to freeze some of the RV fresh water things.

If I were you I would winterize using pink stuff and come up with a fresh water source other than the in coach plumbing. For me its better safe than sorry!

**creativepart** · 09-10-2021, 09:23 AM

I keep posting this year after year as winter approaches.

Your RV is a large thermal mass that takes a good amount of time to get below freezing. When stored in a climate that is above freezing normally with occasional overnight “light” freezes you do not need to worry about freezing the pipes in your RV. Even an occasional hard freeze will not hurt your RV if it’s followed by above freezing temps.

Think of a small pond. It’s completely exposed to the elements yet in a climate like you describe the pond doesn’t freeze over during the winter. Neither would a gallon of water stored in an unheated shed.

However, if you park your RV in a locale that drops below 25 - 30 degrees consistently without any days above those temps for 48-72 hours at a time that’s a different situation and freeze protection might be advised.

Those of us in South Texas see 45 degree days and 28 degree nights for as much as a month each winter (February is like this where I live). And we occasionally see a 72 hour continuous freeze with lows as cold as the high teens. But no one here winterizes their RV. On those rare occasions with those temps I may bring the RV to the house and run the propane furnace at 55 degrees to add some extra protection to the tanks and pipes. But once that spell passes the RV goes back in storage without any winterizing.

Additionally, we like to camp in the early fall or late spring at higher altitudes for a week or two. In fact, we’re camping at 9,000 ft right now. It’s a warm early fall here now with lows only in the 40’s but we’ve surely seen extended freezes of 24-30 hours in other years. Using the RV in these situations isn’t a worry but if the low temps are going to continue then we leave and head to lower elevations.

paof6 · 09-10-2021, 01:50 PM

South Dakota campers here. We use our rig year round. Different low temps call for different methods. NO air compressor available to blow out lines. We stock up on the RV antifreeze in the spring when it's half price (15 gallons in the garage right now). Installed a winterization kit on the water pump. I've figured out it take a little less than 2 gallons to winterize. Even with tank and dump valve heaters on the valves will freeze at 20 degrees. I winterize 6-8 times per winter. You get really good at it. Best times going out IMHO is when you have the whole world to yourself.

Robert H · 09-11-2021, 08:40 PM

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions!! Still haven't made up my mind as to which suggestions I will use. Most of the winterizing valves are under the mattress and it is a bear to wrestle out of the way, but better safe than sorry even if it's a bit of work. Thanks Again!!

Bob H

paof6 · 09-12-2021, 12:29 PM

On my 25B the water pump winterize kit & fresh water drain are under the mattress as well. A royal pain in the ba-donka donk. Then I found I could access that area thru my basement compartment from outside. Maybe yours are similar? The rest of my valves are scattered under the kitchen cabinets.

CharlesMoore · 09-15-2021, 04:45 PM

What we do in NE Indiana: Winterize once in the early fall with blowing the lines, draining the water heater and the external shower/waterpump and open the two valves for pump and vertical stand pipe plus drain/clean grey & black tanks. We then feel free to use the machine. We carry our 10 gallons of home water and use the port-a-pot philosophy as we see fit in a pack in/out scenario.

McLee · 09-15-2021, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by creativepart

I keep posting this year after year as winter approaches.

Your RV is a large thermal mass that takes a good amount of time to get below freezing. When stored in a climate that is above freezing normally with occasional overnight “light” freezes you do not need to worry about freezing the pipes in your RV. Even an occasional hard freeze will not hurt your RV if it’s followed by above freezing temps.

Think of a small pond. It’s completely exposed to the elements yet in a climate like you describe the pond doesn’t freeze over during the winter. Neither would a gallon of water stored in an unheated shed.

However, if you park your RV in a locale that drops below 25 - 30 degrees consistently without any days above those temps for 48-72 hours at a time that’s a different situation and freeze protection might be advised.

Those of us in South Texas see 45 degree days and 28 degree nights for as much as a month each winter (February is like this where I live). And we occasionally see a 72 hour continuous freeze with lows as cold as the high teens. But no one here winterizes their RV. On those rare occasions with those temps I may bring the RV to the house and run the propane furnace at 55 degrees to add some extra protection to the tanks and pipes. But once that spell passes the RV goes back in storage without any winterizing.

Additionally, we like to camp in the early fall or late spring at higher altitudes for a week or two. In fact, we’re camping at 9,000 ft right now. It’s a warm early fall here now with lows only in the 40’s but we’ve surely seen extended freezes of 24-30 hours in other years. Using the RV in these situations isn’t a worry but if the low temps are going to continue then we leave and head to lower elevations.

I am in Huntsville about 70 miles north of Houston, and all i do is drain the tanks and lines. The winterizing procedure for the View is a pain. When the temperature dips to the upper 20s, I do nothing. If it gets down below 20, I turn the furnace on. We got down to below 10 last winter, and I had not problems with this procedure.

wyocamper · 09-15-2021, 08:25 PM

Every year since we bought our MH we've taken a spring break (wife is a teacher) trip the last week of March/first week of April. We de-winterize and go, then winterize again when we get back. First year was just a couple nights at a nearby state park. Next year was several days in Cortez, CO. Last year was COVID, everything was closed and we were in lockdown, no trip. This year was Fruita, CO.

Every year is the same routine: Winterize in the fall by opening all low point drains (esp WH) and then blowing out the lines. Winterize again when we get back from our spring break trip. Open the drains while I'm dumping the holding tanks, blow out the lines when I get home. Pour some pink A/F in the sink drains and toilet. Hasn't failed me yet, and we can go a week at a time with a daily high temp of less than 0ºF with dips to 20 below now and then.