Winterizing (Not about the water lines though)

[scubajosh77]

On our last trip for the year and talking to the wife about what we’ll leave in and what we’ll bring in the house.

I’m of the opinion that pretty much anything that isn’t food can stay.

What say you?

[Wiscampsin]

We always remove bedding, towels, clothes, etc too. Great places for nest building.

[heavynlori]

Leave no paper products

[YardDog]

Originally Posted by scubajosh77

On our last trip for the year and talking to the wife about what we’ll leave in and what we’ll bring in the house.

I’m of the opinion that pretty much anything that isn’t food can stay.

What say you?

I'm still a newbie. But all food and anything liquid will be taken out. Camping season is pretty much over for me, but I'm using it as a man cave for just a bit longer because I'm not ready to accept seasons end yet. Can't afford to heat it all winter long, so me and the beer will be the last to leave

[russhd1997]

We take all food and anything that can freeze, like the Keurig, out. Bedding, linens and other camping gear stays in the camper.

[scubajosh77]

Originally Posted by heavynlori

Leave no paper products

Why?

[Mr. Dan]

Originally Posted by scubajosh77

Why?

We remove paper towels and napkins because - where we store them - mice have made entry in the past.


We don't remove paper plates nor toilet paper because mice can't get to them.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by Mr. Dan

We remove paper towels and napkins because - where we store them - mice have made entry in the past.


We don't remove paper plates nor toilet paper because mice can't get to them.

Same with us. If the paper products are stored in a cabinet high on a side wall, we don't remove but if under the sink or any cabinet with electrical, plumbing or heat vents where mice can follow they will and they will use it to build nests.

We also remove our single serve Keurig type coffeemaker as I'm not 100% sure every drop of water boils out during use.

[scubajosh77]

Originally Posted by Mr. Dan

We remove paper towels and napkins because - where we store them - mice have made entry in the past.


We don't remove paper plates nor toilet paper because mice can't get to them.

That makes sense. I wasn’t sure if moisture was a concern

[omahagirl]

We take out all liquids and food. We haven’t had problems with anything but those stink bugs. I keep all liquids together in a box and store in our house basement. Most goes back on in spring. Sometimes it gets borrowed from. I only take off the used sheets and towels as an usual trips. I have a small laundry basket that always holds those clean waiting to go back on

[TitanMike]

Only things left in my TT when I quit for the season are the dishes, cookware, utensils. Things that don't freeze or pick up a stale smell/taste.

I kind of like the fresh start in the spring as I know that everything is dry, clean, and fresh smelling. All the things one just takes for granted (condiments/seasonings/paper goods) are the things I forgot I ran out of last season and overlooked in my walk through at the beginning of the new season.

By not leaving anything in but the basic household items I find I don't have a bad case of "Load Creep". When I unloaded my last trailer I found stuff I put in it when I had purchased it 22 years prior and do not recall ever using. One small example, a box the size of a case of beer full of flashlights. Every time I ran across a free one or saw one I thought might be useful I took it to the trailer.

[dalford]

Originally Posted by 5picker

Same with us. If the paper products are stored in a cabinet high on a side wall, we don't remove but if under the sink or any cabinet with electrical, plumbing or heat vents where mice can follow they will and they will use it to build nests.

We also remove our single serve Keurig type coffeemaker as I'm not 100% sure every drop of water boils out during use.

I live in Florida so I don’t winterize but I do own a home in NC and have had the mice use the TP to build nests. When there is no TP, they still build nests but now they use insulation, stuffing from furniture, etc.

Maybe leaving some sacrificial TP would be better.. don’t know, just a thought.

[dduncan]

Originally Posted by russhd1997

We take all food and anything that can freeze, like the Keurig, out. Bedding, linens and other camping gear stays in the camper.

Can a Keurig freeze?

[Rmstack]

Originally Posted by scubajosh77

On our last trip for the year and talking to the wife about what we’ll leave in and what we’ll bring in the house.

I’m of the opinion that pretty much anything that isn’t food can stay.

What say you?

In over 50 years of camping in an RV, we have only ever brought in food, liquids or anything that would freeze. The bed is even made so it is ready in the spring. RV is cleaned and scrubbed inside.

I was just told that one sure way to keep mice out is to cut up a couple bars of Irish Spring soap and place it in the camper. Luckily, for us, as we have never had rodents in our RV, but I do know of many other people who have. Not at least worried about beddng, towels, etc. left in the RV over winter.

[VN Warrior1966]

My TT is pretty well buttoned up during storage outside so I've only been concerned with removing all food (canned & boxed) as well as any other liquid than can freeze. I make sure to remove my canned cooking sprays as well. I sure don't want any surprises come spring.

[FleckDreher]

We take out as much stuff as necessary to make room for all the MOUSE TRAPS!

[PenJoe]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

Only things left in my TT when I quit for the season are the dishes, cookware, utensils. Things that don't freeze or pick up a stale smell/taste.

I kind of like the fresh start in the spring as I know that everything is dry, clean, and fresh smelling. All the things one just takes for granted (condiments/seasonings/paper goods) are the things I forgot I ran out of last season and overlooked in my walk through at the beginning of the new season.

By not leaving anything in but the basic household items I find I don't have a bad case of "Load Creep". When I unloaded my last trailer I found stuff I put in it when I had purchased it 22 years prior and do not recall ever using. One small example, a box the size of a case of beer full of flashlights. Every time I ran across a free one or saw one I thought might be useful I took it to the trailer.

X2 and because of that, we have never had mold or critters. An oz. of prevention.

[mjones12]

Originally Posted by dduncan

Can a Keurig freeze?

Yes, even if you remove the water reservoir, there is an interior tank where the water goes to be heated.

We forgot about that, and it froze and cracked the interior tank....total loss. Still can't figure how to drain that tank, so just take it in the house when freezing is expected (we camp off and on all winter).

[jimmoore13]

For what it's worth, many products survive sub-zero temps either because the contents don't freeze easily or the containers can "stretch" to accommodate freezing.

I do not bring in:

• liquid hand soap in pump bottles;
• liquid dishwashing soap;
• sunblock - liquid and aerosol;
• bug repellent;
• charcoal lighter fluid;
• aerosol lubricants - e.g. WD 40;
• pump spray cleaners such as Clorox Cleanup and a peroxide-based sanitizing cleaner from Lysol;

All of these items have survived Colorado winters...with temps as low as -15 degrees F. I'm not sure how they'd do in Minnesota or North Dakota...or Maine.

I agree that "nesting materials" that are attractive to rodents might get attacked if there is an infestation. I've had good luck with FreshCab rodent repellent...readily available and as far as I can tell neither attractive to pets or toxic to pets. Caution: My brother lives in NY, and he tells me this product is not available/banned there. I can't imagine why, but it may be hard to get in some locations.

Bringing in the bedding is kind of a given to launder it, but that leaves behind upholstered cushions, mattresses, curtains, shower curtains, and so on, so unless you plan to strip the unit bare of all fabrics and foam padding (all very attractive nesting materials), some sort of repellent is desirable, and investing some time in sealing off all possible entry points is crucial. Bear in mind that foam and aluminum are NOT barriers. Rodents' teeth are just shy of steel on the hardness scale. Aluminum (or copper) flashing and foam are useless. Barriers must be steel flashing, hardware cloth, or steel wool/stainless scrunge pads firmly jammed into crevices and then sealed with foam.

I can't speak to mold and mildew, because Colorado is very dry. So long as there are no leaks and things are closed up dry, humidity is so low here that it's not a problem. I used to live in NY, and humidity could be a problem almost any time of year. But I didn't have an RV in NY, so no experience.

[Johnfort]

Originally Posted by dduncan

Can a Keurig freeze?

YES!!!!! Just brought mine in from the camper after a dozen nights below freezing to temporarily substitute for my crapped out house unit till I could replace it. It took 6 hours to unthaw and start working. Luckily it didn't break.