Should I winterize?

[klinner28]

It's been 50's and 60's as high each day here in PA.

However, in a week, it's forecasted at 33-34 highs with nighttime lows of 20 for 2 consecutive days.

My RV sits in a covered garage and it protects from windchill, but there's no heat.

I've been told by a worker at a dealer to not worry about winterizing unless it's below freezing entire day for 3 days... but I have read varying responses.

 

[Racinforthefinish]

Same here. I will drain my water heater including the water lines and low point drains and leave the faucets in the open position and I will not worry about it. I won't blow them out but just let them drain. Never had a problem with this type of weather. Most likely if I do nothing it would be fine for this short time.

 

[GHen-JAY]

If it’s in a garage, I shouldn’t get as cold inside as it is outside.

I wouldn’t winterize. For me, I don’t worry unless the high temp is in the 20’s for more than 3 days.

If you’re worried, just open all the faucets so there is not any pressure in the lines. Maybe let just a 1/4 of the water out of the hot water tank.

 

[Kim Gass]

When we got back from Florida we did not winterize again right away. There were several days of temps like you are expecting before we went back to below freezing day and night ( and then we did winterize).

I would love to see 50 degrees. It got close yesterday.. 46 but nice and sunny. Snowing again today along with rain..ugh.

Just drain and leave faucets open.
No I am not looking forward to Monday.. high 24 and low 18. They lied about spring.

 

[dvspl]

I agree with what others have said. If it were my coach, I wouldn't winterize; I'd just drain the water lines and leave the faucets open.

 

[klinner28]

Good advice. I'll open the faucet.

It was 4-5 years ago, I ran into similar situation. Same time of year, but my RV was stored outside 45 miles away. It was going to hit mid-20s as high and low teens at night for a few days. Didn't feel it necessary to winterize based on previous experience and on next spring trip, an elbow in water pipe near the outside connection had cracked and spewing water with any water pressure.

Luckily identified the part and found the $2 replacement part at a Camping World nearby.

 

[HAL9001]

Regular water will begin to freeze at 32 degrees F regardless of whether it's in a protected area or not. Simple physics.

How long it takes to freeze solid depends on the total mass involved. If you had just a few ounces of water inside a plastic toilet valve, it could freeze solid at 32 degrees F in just a few hours and destroy the valve. Many gallons of water in a holding tank would take much longer and might not freeze solid if the temperature rose above freezing before it had a chance.

If the temperature goes at or below freezing for over ~3-4 hours where your RV is stored, then you may be taking a chance.

I left my pressure washer out one night when there was just a light frost warning. I woke up to find the steel inlet valve split wide open. Ever since then I respect the damage freezing water can do.

At least winterize whatever very vulnerable areas you can such as the toilet and other plastic valves.

 

[Jagiven]

If you are not using the camper, I would winterize the rig. We camp in those conditions all the time, we circulate a little water periodically, and run a little heat (most of the time). The inside of the TT might be as cool as 60 degrees (boondocking prior to a genny). We never had a freeze up.

Sitting at home, not being used. The inside temps will only be a few degrees different than the outside temps.

At minimum I would drain all the lines and tanks via their low point drain. Personally, I would rather spend a few minutes blowing out all the lines with compressed air, than spend days or weeks trying to locate a water leak.

 

[EJH]

Couple things you could do in lieu of full winterization:

* Keep power going to the trailer and run a small space heater inside set at ~55 degree or so. If no power or space heater available, use the trailer's propane furnace. It only costs a little propane.

* Use an air compressor and blow out all pipes, including the toilet and any outdoor shower/hose connects. Remember to drain the water heater some or all also.

 

[Kim Gass]

We have done the drain the rig and camp anyway several times when temps were below freezing for a few days ( three in Texas last year. High 22 low 9). Generators were not allowed at night and it did get to 40 inside the trailer. our single battery could not power the furnace all night. Not a comfortable three days but tolerable with a lot of sleeping bags.

Lived in may have made a difference but our three day tow from FL was in conditions similar to temps you will experience ( albeit we had snow). We did not winterize in VA as the weather was simply foul. And stayed foul all the way home( we cheated and stayed in motel two nights so the drained TT was exposed to overnight freeze.Daytime temps were in the above freezing 35 degree range.)