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Old 08-06-2019, 11:52 AM   #1
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Winterize while traveling in the winter?

Here’s a good question... we are new to the travel trailer scene and wonder about winterizing. We live in Iowa where freezing can begin in Oct. we are leaving for AZ in Jan.
Do we winterize in Oct and then unwinterize once we get south a ways where there is not much freezing threat?
What happens if we dewinterize and then stop somewhere cold like NM mountains? Next stop AZ.
When we leave AZ, we may head for CO where it will be freezing!
How do we handle the cold and hot while traveling?
Thanks
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Old 08-06-2019, 12:06 PM   #2
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You don't want to subject your plumbing to any potential freeze with water in the lines. I wouldn't de winterize until I've reached a point where freezing is no longer an issue. When travelling from warmer weather back to cold, if you're still going to be camping, at the very least blow your lines out and drain tanks in between stops. If you're going to be camping in freezing weather, that brings on a whole other set of challenges. Pex tubing and especially the fittings/connectors don't respond well to freezing with water in them.
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Old 08-06-2019, 02:34 PM   #3
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Dropping below freezing overnight is not generally a problem. When it stays below freezing for 24 hours or more, you start to have a potential for damage. Having a protected belly on your RV, or an Arctic Pkg w/ heaters extends your safe window. Keep a couple gallons of RV antifreeze in the back seat. It's cheap insurance for your p-traps.

Here in Idaho I generally winterize my RV's the middle of October, and keep them that way until we either go south to AZ in March, or about May 1st here at home. It will be freezing all the way down thru Utah until you drop off the bench into Hurricane/St. George area.
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Old 08-09-2019, 08:01 AM   #4
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You can do it along the way. Once you've done it a few times, it really doesn't take very long. Have your antifreeze and tools ready. Set up a routine to bypass and drain the water heater and pipes.

We just made a similar trip last winter. It may also mean adjusting your route. If you were thinking I40, you may want to go farther south. It takes longer, but you can get to warmer weather sooner. Living in MO, we headed south toward I10 and de-winterized in Oklahoma City. Then we were good to go across the south to California.

On the return trip, we watched the weather closely, and winterized in Tulsa before we broke camp and returned home. We dumped tanks and winterized in about a half hour.

You can take along a few extra gallons of water so you can use the toilet, and make other adjustments. If you go to campgrounds with good facilities, you can use their showers, etc. to get by.

We've also traveled with the TT heater on at it's lowest level. There is a duct out of the heater which pumps heat into the underbelly. It also helps when you set up camp with a camper that is not freezing cold.

Enjoy your trip to AZ!
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