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01-14-2019, 12:53 PM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 16
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Re-winterizing on the road
We will soon be off on our first ever snowbird excursion to Florida. I have a question about re-winterizing on the way back home in March.
Is RV antifreeze readily available at a store like Walmart or should I lug it from Wisconsin to Florida for the return trip?
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I may not have lost all my marbles yet, but there's a small hole in the bag somewhere. 
2014 Georgetown XL 378TS
2002 Porsche 911 Cabriolet (...just for fun!)
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01-14-2019, 01:25 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 386
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You should not have a problem finding it at any Walmart.
As a rule, i winterize mine as part of my breakdown procedure the morning I leave. That way I'm done, i don't worry about when i get home. With my new camper it takes five minutes with my sweetie helping inside!
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2018 Flagstaff 832IKBS Travel Trailer.
2015 Silverado High Country.
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01-14-2019, 01:32 PM
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#3
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Member
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Cleveland
Posts: 54
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Very easy to find here in Ohio, I think I've even picked some up at a drug store once. I'm not sure how common it will be in the warmer parts of the US, that might be the question.
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2017 Avenger ATI 26BBS
2012 Chevrolet Surburban
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01-15-2019, 10:25 AM
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#4
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Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jackhartjr
As a rule, i winterize mine as part of my breakdown procedure the morning I leave. That way I'm done, i don't worry about when i get home. With my new camper it takes five minutes with my sweetie helping inside!
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Thanks jackhartjr. That is a good idea. I was planning to stop at an open campground after a days drive but your plan makes more sense.
__________________
I may not have lost all my marbles yet, but there's a small hole in the bag somewhere.
2014 Georgetown XL 378TS
2002 Porsche 911 Cabriolet (...just for fun!)
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01-15-2019, 10:27 AM
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#5
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Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jayrodoh
Very easy to find here in Ohio, I think I've even picked some up at a drug store once. I'm not sure how common it will be in the warmer parts of the US, that might be the question.
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My question exactly jayrodoh!
__________________
I may not have lost all my marbles yet, but there's a small hole in the bag somewhere.
2014 Georgetown XL 378TS
2002 Porsche 911 Cabriolet (...just for fun!)
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01-15-2019, 10:41 AM
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#6
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Denver To Yuma In 90 Days
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Yuma, Arizona
Posts: 3,882
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wslow57
We will soon be off on our first ever snowbird excursion to Florida. I have a question about re-winterizing on the way back home in March.
Is RV antifreeze readily available at a store like Walmart or should I lug it from Wisconsin to Florida for the return trip?
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I live in Yuma, Arizona...the hottest city in the US of A...
And you can even get RV antifreeze at all of the Walmart stores here...even the Walmart in San Luis, which is 100 yards from the Mexico border wall!
Stacks of it!
As for when to do it, just keep an eye on the weather!
Before I moved to Arizona from Colorado I used to make a winter trip to Arizona or New Mexico and I was able to keep the plumbing going until the last campground before getting home and would winterize before I left to make the last leg home to Denver.
Unless the weather in Denver was predicted to be warm for a few days after getting home...then I would wait until then to re-winterize.
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01-15-2019, 11:13 AM
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#7
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Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnD10
I live in Yuma, Arizona...the hottest city in the US of A...
And you can even get RV antifreeze at all of the Walmart stores here...even the Walmart in San Luis, which is 100 yards from the Mexico border wall!
Stacks of it!
As for when to do it, just keep an eye on the weather!
Before I moved to Arizona from Colorado I used to make a winter trip to Arizona or New Mexico and I was able to keep the plumbing going until the last campground before getting home and would winterize before I left to make the last leg home to Denver.
Unless the weather in Denver was predicted to be warm for a few days after getting home...then I would wait until then to re-winterize.
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JohnD10 thanks for sharing your experience. You told me what I need to know!
__________________
I may not have lost all my marbles yet, but there's a small hole in the bag somewhere.
2014 Georgetown XL 378TS
2002 Porsche 911 Cabriolet (...just for fun!)
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01-15-2019, 11:42 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Franklin County, MO
Posts: 2,652
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wslow57
We will soon be off on our first ever snowbird excursion to Florida. I have a question about re-winterizing on the way back home in March.
Is RV antifreeze readily available at a store like Walmart or should I lug it from Wisconsin to Florida for the return trip?
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We spent last winter in Florida and started home on the day after Easter. Should have been plenty warm in Missouri, but as we came north, temperatures began to drop, and St. Louis was predicted to have below freezing temperature by the time we got there. We winterized in our final campground, in Sikeston, MO, before we left to make the last leg of the trip. Anti-freeze was readily available at Walmart and many other places - including the campground office - in the Missouri bootheel in April.
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Mike and Yvonne
and Sophie, the little white dog
2017 Columbus 320RSC
2021 Chevy Silverado 3500HD DRW 4X4 Duramax
“It's not how old you are, it's how you are old.” ― Jules Renard
"It's not the years...it's the mileage." - Indiana Jones
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01-15-2019, 02:18 PM
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#9
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Member
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 89
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On our last trip to Disney's Fort Wilderness in November returning home to St. Louis we just winterized it there at the Fort. We brought the antifreeze with us on the trip, that way we knew we had enough to do the job.
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01-15-2019, 03:22 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 116
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You can find RV antifreeze many places in FL but it is not the same as what you find in the upper Midwest (same with windshield washer fluid). They are not meant to protect down to -40F. Take a gallon with you and save yourself the hassle.
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01-15-2019, 04:29 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Ontario
Posts: 521
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we are going south as well and I am just going to take some with us so I will have it when I need it.
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Orval and Yvonne
2016 Flagstaff 27RLWS Emerald Package
2011 F150 SCrew XTR 5.0L 4x4
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01-15-2019, 05:00 PM
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#12
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Denver To Yuma In 90 Days
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Yuma, Arizona
Posts: 3,882
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DRiveWell
You can find RV antifreeze many places in FL but it is not the same as what you find in the upper Midwest (same with windshield washer fluid). They are not meant to protect down to -40F. Take a gallon with you and save yourself the hassle.
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Not true...
Here in Yuma Arizona we have the same RV antifreeze at Walmart that I bought in Denver Colorado for many years.
And it gets cold in Colorado...
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01-15-2019, 05:22 PM
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#13
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Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Waukesha, WI
Posts: 68
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Few years ago we were returning to Wisconsin from Florida late Feb. I could not find antifreeze any place we looked. Finally found it at a Walmart just South of Chicago. Winterized in their parking lot at 8PM at night with outside temp about 30.
Several years later I did the same thing  . Drove home to Wisconsin parked in the drive and temp was down to 20. Spent the next morning outside with a hair dryer trying to find all the frozen water lines. Lucky I didn't crack a line. Leaving for Florida Feb 2nd. Ill be taking anti freeze with me. (I think)
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Northtrail 25RKSS
2020 Ecoboost F-150
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01-16-2019, 10:28 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 116
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JOHND
I wasn't considering CO nor AZ. I was talking from experience about Fl.
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01-16-2019, 10:29 AM
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#15
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Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Canadiancrew
we are going south as well and I am just going to take some with us so I will have it when I need it.
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Canadiancrew that was my original inclination. I purchased enough antifreeze for my original winterization and the re-winterization and was planning to take it with to Florida. Then I started thinking about the weight and all of the things we want to take. I guess it comes down to convenience in the end.
Thanks for the response!
__________________
I may not have lost all my marbles yet, but there's a small hole in the bag somewhere.
2014 Georgetown XL 378TS
2002 Porsche 911 Cabriolet (...just for fun!)
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01-16-2019, 10:59 AM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Central Ontario
Posts: 432
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One further thought if you're concerned there's allways amazon or ebay
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01-16-2019, 11:14 AM
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#17
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Pickin', Campin', Mason
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: South Western PA
Posts: 19,149
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DRiveWell
JOHND
I wasn't considering CO nor AZ. I was talking from experience about Fl.
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Not sure about your experience but the R/V antifreeze I have purchased in two different parts of FL at Wally World was the exact same brand/bottle/mixture as the stuff in our home state of PA.
I would have a hard time understanding Wally World's position of buying/supplying a different R/V antifreeze for their southern stores than for those in the north.
__________________
2022 Cedar Creek 345IK 5th Wheel•Solar & Inverter•2024 Ford F-Series SCREW•7.3L•4x4•Factory Puck•B&W Companion•TST Tire Monitor w/Repeater•Sinemate 3500w Gen.
F&AM Lodge 358 Somerset, PA - JAFFA Shrine - Altoona, PA
Days Camped ☼ '19=118 ☼ '20=116 ☼ '21=123 ☼ '22=134 ☼ '23=118☼ '24=90
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01-16-2019, 11:29 AM
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#18
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Insert witty title here
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: About 30 miles west of Beantown.
Posts: 4,034
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The only draw back for me is that winterizing on the road takes more antifreeze.
Normally, I blow the water out of the lines before pumping in antifreeze. Without my compressor, it will take more antifreeze to push the water out.
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2021 Transcend Xplor 247BH
Husky WDH with Sway Control
2021 Chevy Silverado 2500HD LT 6.6L V8 Duramax
Forever in my memory. Forever in my heart.
Laurie J. Wood 3/22/67 - 8/23/19
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01-16-2019, 03:18 PM
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#19
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Denver To Yuma In 90 Days
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Yuma, Arizona
Posts: 3,882
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Quote:
Originally Posted by timfromma
The only draw back for me is that winterizing on the road takes more antifreeze.
Normally, I blow the water out of the lines before pumping in antifreeze. Without my compressor, it will take more antifreeze to push the water out.
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Tkes the same amount of antifreeze either way.
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01-16-2019, 03:20 PM
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#20
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Pickin', Campin', Mason
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: South Western PA
Posts: 19,149
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnD10
Tkes the same amount of antifreeze either way.
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Not really... the antifreeze tends to 'mix' with the water in the longer runs before pushing out all the water. To get 100% antifreeze, you have to push more through the system.
Low lying places in the plumbing and the water filter canister are very susceptible to 'mixing.'
__________________
2022 Cedar Creek 345IK 5th Wheel•Solar & Inverter•2024 Ford F-Series SCREW•7.3L•4x4•Factory Puck•B&W Companion•TST Tire Monitor w/Repeater•Sinemate 3500w Gen.
F&AM Lodge 358 Somerset, PA - JAFFA Shrine - Altoona, PA
Days Camped ☼ '19=118 ☼ '20=116 ☼ '21=123 ☼ '22=134 ☼ '23=118☼ '24=90
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