8 Simple Steps to Winterize your RV  

As the 2014 camping season comes to a close, we need to start thinking about winterizing our RVs to make sure that they are ready to go when spring finally rolls around! Winterizing can seem like a daunting and complicated task, but if you follow these 8 simple steps, you can have the RV protected from the harsh, cold temperatures coming in the next few months and you can rest assured that your RV will be safe from the winter weather and ready for your first trip in the spring.

1. Disconnect the outside water source. DO NOT DRAIN THE WATER HEATER until after you have filled your pipes with antifreeze.

2. Bypass your water heater. Bypass any under-sink water filtration systems.

3. Open the petcock to drain as much water from your pipes as possible. Open the water taps and flush the toilet to drain any remaining water from the system.

4. After draining as much water as possible, it is recommended a Blow Out Plug be attached to the Water Intake Fitting. Apply air pressure from an air compressor to drain the remaining water. Although blowing out the remaining water is not required, the remaining water will dilute your antifreeze. Close all faucets and petcock when complete.

5. You can add antifreeze either from the inside using the Water Pump Conversion Kit or from the outside using a hand pump. Be sure to check your progress by opening up one faucet at a time, starting from the highest and working to the lowest point in the fresh water system. Begin with the kitchen faucet. Open the HOT side of the kitchen faucet ONLY. Pump antifreeze until flow from the faucet becomes very pink. This will indicate that all the water has been flushed from your system. Close the faucet. Repeat on COLD side. Continue to the next lower fixture. This is normally the bathroom sink, then the shower and finally the toilet.

6. Pour at least 2 pints of antifreeze into all sink & shower drains. The ice maker, washing machine and external shower will also need to be winterized. Look for this information in your appliance manuals.

7. Open drain plug/valve on water heater and leave open.

8. Finally, leave antifreeze in lines until spring.

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