ALT-1 A Guide to Winterizing an Rv
The leaves on the trees are changing to beautiful colors, the days are becoming shorter and the nights are growing colder which means fall is upon us. Many of us have gone on several camping trips over the summer months and some of us took those trips in our RV's.It's getting to the time where we will need to be parking our RV's for the winter months and preparing them for the cold months ahead. Winterizing your RV will help to avoid repair expenses due to the damage that can be caused by the harsh elements of winter.If you do not mind doing the work yourself can save quite a bit of money doing so. This winterizing check list is handy to use when doing the job. The check list also contains some of the standard supplies you will need. These items can be found at any RV parts store. To begin with you will need two to three gallons of a non-toxic RV antifreeze. A water heater by-pass kit will also be needed if there is not one already installed on the RV. For cleaning out holding tanks some kind of wand to do the job is essential. In order to connect the inlet side of the water pump you will need to get a water pump converter kit or tubing as well as basic hand tools to remove drain plugs and for other small tasks.The RV water system needs to be winterized to protect it from freezing. Refer to your owners manual for the specific winterizing suggestions. Simply follow the given steps which apply to your RV.Before starting remove any in-line water filters and bypass. The fresh water holding tanks will need to be drained. The gray and black holding tanks need to be drained and flushed as well. Clean the black holding tank out with a wand if your RV does not have a built-in flushing system. A product such as Flush King can also be used to clean out the black and gray tanks. Again this can be purchased at any RV parts store. Be sure to lubricate the termination valves with WD-40. Now drain the hot water heater. You should avoid draining the heater when it is under pressure or hot. To drain it remove the drain plug and open the pressure relieve valve. Open all hot and cold faucets including the valve on the toilet and the outside shower. Next you will want to open the low point drain lines and use the water pump to force the water out. Remember there will be one for both the hot and cold water lines. Turn the pump off as soon as the system is drained. Put the caps back on all of the drains and close the faucets. You will also need to bypass the water heater.
To install a water pump converter kit, connect a piece of clear tubing to the inlet side of the pump with the opposite end placed in the gallon container of antifreeze. In order to pressurize the system turn the pump to the on position. Beginning with the nearest closed faucet, open the hot and cold valves slowly until you just start to see the antifreeze. You can replace the antifreeze container as needed. From the closest to the furthest faucets you will need to repeat this process. The outside shower will also need to be done in this same manner. Flush the RV's toilet with the antifreeze until you just begin to see it. To release the pressure shut off the water pump and open a faucet. Turn the water pump off and open a faucet to release the pressure.
To take care of the city water inlet you will need to remove the small screen over the inlet. With a screwdriver push in on the valve until you begin to see antifreeze appear. Then put the screen back on. Pour about one capful of antifreeze into all the drains. Use a few cups of antifreeze in the toilet. Flush the toilet so it runs through to the holding tank.To protect the electrical heating element in a water heater make sure it has been turned off. Double check all of the faucets to make sure all of them have been turned off. If the RV has an icemaker or a washing machine, consult your owners manual for specific winterizing instructions.This is a basic winterizing check-list that will come in very handy when preparing your RV for the winter, however it is still important to refer to your owners manual since RV's can differ from one to the other.
