Winterizing your RV With Antifreeze

With the temperature drastically dropping by the day, many RV owners are looking to store their rig for the winter. If this is your plan, don't make the mistake of throwing your RV just anywhere and walking away. If you want to camp again in the spring with minimal hassle and headache, you'll want to take some necessary steps to winterize your RV. One of the most important steps is to add antifreeze to your plumbing supply. With fluctuating temperatures that can drop below freezing, your RV is susceptible to internal damage if the fluids in your plumbing are expanding and contracting at a rapid rate. Antifreeze helps prevent this by lowering the freezing point of the liquid in your water supply to well below zero.

The antifreeze process can be a little complicated, so here at Carolina Coach & Camper, we've provided a breakdown of how to best apply antifreeze to your water supply. If you find your RV needs work before putting it in storage, let our experienced mechanics lend you a helping hand. We proudly serve the areas of Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Hickory, and Lake Norman, North Carolina.

Emptying Holding Tanks

Before you add the antifreeze, you'll want to make sure your water supply system is completely empty. Any extra water can dilute the antifreeze solution and hinder its effectiveness. Start by emptying the holding tanks. The first tank you'll want to focus on is the freshwater tank. When you're finished and ready to empty your black and grey water tanks, go to your local dump station. You'll want to empty and clean out your black water tank, using either a black tank flush or a black tank wand, first. This will then allow you to rinse your septic hose with waste from the grey water tank. Finally, empty the water heater. Make sure it's turned off and not pressurized. Open the pressure relief valve and pull the drain plug. This might take a little longer than the other tanks, but make sure you close the valve and replace the cap when all is said and done. (Note: after you've emptied your black and grey water tanks, you can finish the antifreeze process at home.)

Emptying Pipes

When we said you needed to remove all water, we meant it, so making sure there's no water in the pipes is next. Open the low point drain plug(s) beneath the RV. This will automatically start the draining process, but turning on your water pump can move things along. When there's no more water, replace the cap on the low point drains.

Water Heater Bypass

We're not quite ready to add the antifreeze yet. First, you'll want to bypass your water heater. It's become a common feature built into newer RV models, but if you don't have one, you'll want to buy a bypass kit and talk to one of our mechanics about setting it up. This will prevent you from wasting gallons upon gallons of antifreeze. Make sure you turn all the necessary valves so you don't run into this hassle.

Adding Antifreeze

It's finally time to add the antifreeze! You may need to remove a panel, depending on your RV. Using your water pump, fitted with a converter kit on the inlet side of the pump, drop the inlet side into the antifreeze.

Turn on the water pump and open the faucet closest to the pump, starting with the cold water valve. When the liquid turns pink, turn off the cold water and repeat this process for the hot water side (which may take a little longer). Turn off the valve and repeat this process at the next closest faucet, making your way through the RV until all faucets run pink. This should also include indoor and outdoor showers, as well as flushing the toilets until you see pink liquid.

Once antifreeze is effectively flowing through your water supply, turn off the water pump and pour a cup of antifreeze down every drain and every toilet. Use your city water hookup, remove the screen, and use your finger to depress the check valve.

Finishing Up

Water in your RV may not be limited to what's in the plumbing. You probably have appliances, like an ice maker, dishwasher, or washing machine that uses and stores water as well. Winterizing these appliances can vary depending on the model, so consult your owner's manual or take your RV to a professional.

Adding antifreeze can have a lot of steps, but it'll save you money in the long run when you won't have to take your RV in for serious repairs in the spring. But it's still a good idea to make sure your RV won't have any festering problems for the winter, so bring yours into Carolina Coach & Camper. We welcome all RV owners from the areas of Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Hickory, and Lake Norman, North Carolina.