For most campers, Fall is the time of the year when their camping season ends and the RV is tucked away till Spring. To store an RV somewhere safe and still find it in good shape in the coming spring requires some preventive measures; it has to be winterized.
![How to Winterize an RV [A Step by Step Guide]](https://pro.autospt.com/UploadFiles/202202/2022021616454656.jpg)
Now the question is how do you prepare your RV for Winter and who will be doing it? If you are like me and you enjoy handling the routine maintenance required to keep your RV in good shape, while saving a few dollars doing so, then the ‘who’ part is answered. As for the ‘how to winterize an RV’ part, this checklist is the same step by step guide I used to protect my RV from Winter damages. It has been very effective for me, and I’ve made it very easy to follow, so here’s how to winterize an RV:
It’s recommended to wash your RV before storing it, anyone who takes pride in their RV should do so, this way you’ll look forward to a sparkling clean vehicle in the next Spring. This preventive maintenance involves washing not only the exterior and interior surface of the RV, but the wheel wells, awnings, tires, and any nooks and crannies dirty may be hiding in.
![How to Winterize an RV [A Step by Step Guide]](https://carcarehunt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/RV-cleaning-1024x577.jpeg)
One area of an RV that’s usually neglected is the roof. After a Summer of parking under trees, birds perching, road grime, and the sun baking it, your RV roof definitely needs some work. To avoid streaks that make your RV look like a Zebra, make sure you rinse from the top down.
Once clean, make sure to dry the RV thoroughly to prevent corrosion.
Now the exterior of the vehicle is clean, it is time to turn our attention to the interior. Protect the interior of the vehicle by removing all food so insects and rodents aren’t tempted to come in. Wipe counter and seats, then sweep and mop the floor of the RV to ensure there are no crumbs left.
![How to Winterize an RV [A Step by Step Guide]](https://pro.autospt.com/UploadFiles/202202/2022021616454642.jpg)
Walk around the kitchen and open the doors to drawers, cupboards, and kitchen appliances to be certain there’s no food crumb left inside. The refrigerator needs to be wiped down, emptied and turned off for the Winter.
While you’re at it, check for any gaps or tiny hole in the RV and plug them, since rodents and insects might use it to gain access to the RV. Blocking these gaps and holes with caulk or wire gauge should only take a couple of minutes and can help prevent insect or rodent infestation of your vehicle.
On to the main course:
What I use is a simple 4-step process to make certain the water lines in my RV are protected from freezing.
If you do not have a way to dump the contents of your holding tank at home, you’ll need to start this first step when you leave the campground for your final trip. Spend a little more time when emptying your tanks to ensure all the water is drained. If your RV has a tank flush system, then use it to get your holding tank as clean as possible.
Draining as much water as you can is a very important step in Winterizing an RV. There are three locations to do so:
The simplest way to locate your RV drains is to look under your camper. If you spot a plastic water line sticking out from the underside of the camper, it is probably a drain line. They might just be a piece of tubing or might have a cap or valve. Most fresh water tank drains are usually located just below the tank, the low point drains for your RV waterline don’t have a specific location; if you don’t see them immediately just keep looking.
If yours is a plain tube sticking out there should be a valve located directly above it inside RV. You might have to reach into the back of a cabinet or remove an access panel to locate the valve.
If you have a cap or valve underneath the camper just open the valve or remove the cap and water should begin flowing. If it doesn’t, then search inside for a second valve.
Open a few faucets in your RV to help your system to drain a bit faster.
While you are draining the system turn on your water pump to also get rid of any water in the pump and the line that connects it to the water tank. Once the fresh water tank is empty, turn on your pump for a few seconds to purge the water in them. You shouldn’t let your pump run dry for too long so standby and listen to the sound it makes, once you hear the change in sound, count to 5 and turn it off.
While the water is draining below your RV. Locate the large hex plug at the bottom of the water heater. Loosen the plug and stand aside for the water to drain, except you want to wash your feet. If you plan to blow the lines just keep the drain plug somewhere, else wrap it with Teflon tape and reinstall it.
Caution: Do not try to drain the water heater tank when it is hot or under pressure.
Now that you’ve successfully gotten most of the water out you can force out any residual fluids in the system with compressed air.
To do so, you’ll need to connect the air compressor to the city water port on your RV – you might need an adapter for this purpose. Make sure you adjust the air compressor ‘s regulator to 20 PSI before connecting it to the RV. The water system on your RV is probably designed for low pressure (roughly 50 PSI or less). If you apply 80 PSI you will cause some damage to the system.
Once the system is pressurized, go from fixture to fixture and blow the water out of both the hot and cold lines.
This the final step to ensure complete protection from freezing temperatures. Any water that failed to be removed by draining and blowing will be forced out or diluted by the antifreeze.
Before pumping the antifreeze into the system make sure to remove any inline water filter and bypass them where possible. Don’t forget to bypass your hot water tank; you don’t want to waste 5-6 gallon filling the hot water tank.
From the easiest to the hardest, here are three ways to add antifreeze to your RV:
Most high-end and luxury campers have factory-installed selector valves. If yours doesn’t have one, you can get one installed. The process requires good plumbing skills so if you are not comfortable working with your RV’s water lines or any piping at all, then I’d recommend getting a professional. This option allows you to connect a hose to your city water port, insert the other end in a jug of antifreeze, and let it do its thing.
Some RVs come with this kit factory-installed, but if yours doesn’t, it’s a project you can easily DIY. The kit is installed on the line that connects your water pump to the fresh water tank. It’s usually located behind an access panel. Winterizing kits is basically a valve and a hose.
To use these, simply connect the hose to the open port on the kit and dip the other end in a jug of antifreeze, then adjust the valve to the winterize position. This will prompt the water pump to suck the antifreeze into the system.
This method demands manual labor. In the first and second method, the water pump pushes the antifreeze into the system, in this one all the work is on you. You’ll have to manually pump the antifreeze into the system.
Once you have your jug of antifreeze setup and ready to go, open a fixture and turn on the water pump. Leave the fixture open till you see a steady stream of antifreeze flowing then move on to the next. Do this for both hot and cold.
Remember the toilet and any outside showers and sinks. Refer to the owner’s manual if you have a dishwasher, ice maker, or wash/dryer.
![How to Winterize an RV [A Step by Step Guide]](https://pro.autospt.com/UploadFiles/202202/2022021616454645.jpg)
YES! If you bought your RV at a dealer, they might have offered you one free winterization. They expect you to make a habit of getting them to do the job for you, but that doesn’t mean it’s so difficult you can’t DIY. All you need I some time and a few parts you can order online or at your local parts store.
Depending on your experience and the size of your RV, your first try might take you over 30 minutes to complete because you have to find valves and drains. There are other things you’ll need to perform to get your RV ready for Winter, so I’ll scheduling a whole day to clear everything up.
Here are a few items you’ll need to have before getting started; you probably have some already, but there are some special tools you can get online or in a part store close by:
I do both. I’d rather spend a little more time preparing the RV for Winter than repair broken lines in the Spring, but if I had to choose between the two, I’d simply skip blowing out the lines and use antifreeze as it is. That’s because the antifreeze displaces the water and dilutes any remaining water to the point where it’s unlikely to freeze and damage anything.
You did it! That wasn’t too difficult, right? When Winter is over, make sure to de-winterize your camper in preparation for Spring. If you follow the steps outlined in this ‘how to winterize an RV’ article, you won’t have any unpleasant and costly surprises waiting for you next spring when you’ve prepared a list of fun things to do on your camping trip.
