Need to prepare your RV for the winter? Here are a few tips to help you winterize your RV to prevent damage.
Winterize Your RV by Emptying Your Tanks
Nobody likes the idea of cleaning out their RV waste tanks, but it’s a necessary evil. The RV life has a lot of benefits, and cleaning these tanks is just a price you pay for getting to enjoy those types of benefits.
There are actually 2 reasons why you need to clean these tanks:
Reason #1: Prevent freezing. Just because it’s waste water doesn’t mean it can’t freeze. If you leave that stuff in there and the temperature gets too cold, it can freeze the water, causing it to expand and cause damage to your RV.
Reason #2: Prevent bacteria growth. Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean bacteria all die. Instead of leaving waste in the tanks so harmful bacteria can grow, empty it out!
Ideally after you clean the tanks you will use a black tank cleaner or cleaning wand to make sure the job is done right.
Drain the Water Lines and Water Heater
Yep, we’re still draining water. But at least this water (should be) a bit cleaner than the last thing you did!
Even though you don’t have the issue of bacteria growing, you still need to drain your water lines and water heater to prevent damage from freezing. Just like the external pipes of your home, the water pipes of an RV can freeze, causing the water to expand and cause damage.
Just make sure you let the water heater’s temperature and pressure go down before you drain it. The last thing you need is a lot of high pressure, hot water hitting you.
Bypass the Water Filter and Water Heater
To winterize your RV, you’ll end up adding some antifreeze to the system as the last step. The problem is you don’t want antifreeze going into your water filter or water heater.
Your RV may already have a bypass installed. If not, you can either get one installed for you or try doing it yourself. Either way, it’s important to get one to help you protect your beloved RV from water damage.
Last Step to Winterize Your RV - Add Antifreeze
The last step is to add the antifreeze to your RV. Your owner’s manual should have some guidance on how to do this. In general, you’ll find there are a few steps.
- Connect your pump to a jug of antifreeze
- Close all drain lines and faucets
- Turn on the pump to bring antifreeze into the system
- On each faucet, turn on hot water and run until you see antifreeze
- Repeat with the cold water faucet
- Turn off the pump and open the faucets
- Pour antifreeze down the drains
Conclusion
If you live in the deep south or you plan on using your RV this winter, your process will probably be a bit different. But if you live in an area that gets cold in the winter and don’t plan on using your RV for a few months, these RV winterization tips will help you get started on the right foot in a few months.
