When is OK to deWinterize?

[OREddie]

We've had a warmer and dryer winter than normal this year in central Oregon and we're considering de-winterizing earlier than our regular first week in May.

Forecast for the next 10 days has our area mostly in the upper 50's though still below freezing (25-27F) in the early morning hours.

If I run heat with cabinets open overnight do y'all think it's safe to remove antifreeze and fill the fresh water tank under those circumstances?

Another reason we're considering this is that our rig will be our bug out resource should CV19 become an issue in our region. Having 28 gallons of fresh water in the rig would be comforting if/when we have to head for the wilderness or hunker down at home for an extended period.

Thanks!

[cmysstailights]

I wouldnt worry about the virus no more than the flu. With freezing temps ur system will freeze unless you have the heated tanks.

[cavie]

If the MH is heated then it can with stand a couple of hours of below freezing temps. But why take the chance. Wait till you bug out. It doesn't take long to flush out antifreeze. FW tank will only need about 5 gal to get you down the road. I don't put anti freeze in my tanks. They are empty.

[Iwritecode]

Originally Posted by OREddie

We've had a warmer and dryer winter than normal this year in central Oregon and we're considering de-winterizing earlier than our regular first week in May.

Forecast for the next 10 days has our area mostly in the upper 50's though still below freezing (25-27F) in the early morning hours.

If I run heat with cabinets open overnight do y'all think it's safe to remove antifreeze and fill the fresh water tank under those circumstances?

Another reason we're considering this is that our rig will be our bug out resource should CV19 become an issue in our region. Having 28 gallons of fresh water in the rig would be comforting if/when we have to head for the wilderness or hunker down at home for an extended period.

Thanks!

Even if you did have to hunker down at home for an extended period, would there be any reason you wouldn't still have running water?

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by OREddie

We've had a warmer and dryer winter than normal this year in central Oregon and we're considering de-winterizing earlier than our regular first week in May.

Forecast for the next 10 days has our area mostly in the upper 50's though still below freezing (25-27F) in the early morning hours.

If I run heat with cabinets open overnight do y'all think it's safe to remove antifreeze and fill the fresh water tank under those circumstances?

Another reason we're considering this is that our rig will be our bug out resource should CV19 become an issue in our region. Having 28 gallons of fresh water in the rig would be comforting if/when we have to head for the wilderness or hunker down at home for an extended period.

Thanks!

I'd leave the antifreeze in until you're more certain you'll need to use it. If you do flush it out then just remember that it takes time for water to freeze when temperature swings like the forcast calls for. Where I live it's pretty much the same forecast and actual temps follow closely. Yesterday it was 52 at my house and this morning it's 26. Nothing has frozen other than maybe the hose I used yesterday and didn't bother to drain. I keep a heater in the trailer that's set to keep the inside around 45 degrees so P-Traps, water pump, and filter don't freeze.

Unless a "Polar Vortex" causes the temps to drop into the 20's during the day you shouldn't have any issues. If you have tank heaters and power connected just turn them on. They'll keep the water tank from freezing.

[DustyRoads]

I would wait until temps are more consistently above zero. Are you in a high threat area?
I hope everyone stays healthy this coming year.

[MOODMAN]

I just returned today from camping in central NC. We had the coldest night yet (20) where even my outside hose froze, and stupid me, although I had the heat on, I left my rear Maxx Fan running, and it was REALLY cold while I was sleeping. I didn't think to get up and check, because the furnace was running and I just figured it was really cold outside

Anyway, beginning today around here, the night time temps are predicted to not go below low 40s for the next 10 days, so I am not going to do the antifreeze thing and just watch the temps carefully.

[BriaBeck]

One thing you could do is look up the "Last Frost Date" for your locale. That is more of an agricultural thing, but perfect for answering this question.



Here's a website where you can look it up by zipcode...


Last Frost/Freeze date Lookup

[lacamastraveler]

Thanks for the web site

[5picker]

Originally Posted by DustyRoads

I would wait until temps are more consistently above zero. Are you in a high threat area?

I hope everyone stays healthy this coming year.

Above 25° to 28° for the few hours the OP mentioned and temperatures above 0° are two entirely different scenarios.

I never get too concerned about things freezing on the R/V until temperatures get below 30° or so and stay there for 24 hours straight or more.

Things don't freeze (or at least solid enough) to hurt anything the 'instant' temperatures drop below freezing. It takes hours for that to happen and if the temperatures rise during the day... no issues.

It is good to think about preparedness but there seems to be a tremendous overreaction to COVID-19 at this point in the process.

[lacamastraveler]

5picker ~ I too live in Bend. The service manager at one of our RV dealers told me blowing out the system with air is enough for Spring and Fall, though I wouldn’t put water in the tank.

[Iwritecode]

Originally Posted by 5picker

Above 25° to 28° for the few hours the OP mentioned and temperatures above 0° are two entirely different scenarios.

I never get too concerned about things freezing on the R/V until temperatures get below 30° or so and stay there for 24 hours straight or more.

Things don't freeze (or at least solid enough) to hurt anything the 'instant' temperatures drop below freezing. It takes hours for that to happen and if the temperatures rise during the day... no issues.

^This.

Looking at the weather history for the OP's location. They don't get too many below zero days to begin with. Heck even where I'm at I'm not sure we got more than a couple of below zero days all winter long.

[Qwkynuf]

Originally Posted by 5picker

It is good to think about preparedness but there seems to be a tremendous overreaction to COVID-19 at this point in the process.

Everything seems to be a tremendous overreaction to COVID-19 at this point in the process.

My cousin went to a Costco outside of Astoria, Oregon yesterday. He was told that they sold out a *truckload* of toilet paper in ONE day!

[MT Biker]

We live in Rhode Island and have always dewinterized on the first Saturday in April, never had an issue.

[petrx]

I'm leaving in my Isata 3 March 20th for a dog show in Iowa. I have to de winterize, just keeping my fingers crossed that the temps will be OK. I would like to use the water. I have RV'd in 28degrees at night with no problems with the heat on & cozy warm, so I think it will be ok?

[Adrian Gordon]

If you have to "head for the wilderness" do you expect it to be such a sudden thing that you won't have time to put 28 gallons of water in the tank and pump out the antifreeze? If you have to "hunker down at home for an extended period" are you expecting that the water company is going to shut down the water?

[pdqparalegal1]

Originally Posted by Qwkynuf

Everything seems to be a tremendous overreaction to COVID-19 at this point in the process.

My cousin went to a Costco outside of Astoria, Oregon yesterday. He was told that they sold out a *truckload* of toilet paper in ONE day!

Always been curious how early settlers cleaned their bottoms. Never saw an obituary saying: Deceased yesterday is Sue Cutt, died of s dirty butt. 🙀

[Scrapper]

Originally Posted by pdqparalegal1

Always been curious how early settlers cleaned their bottoms. Never saw an obituary saying: Deceased yesterday is Sue Cutt, died of s dirty butt. 🙀

Corn cobs works wonders.

[DouglasReid]

Originally Posted by OREddie

We've had a warmer and dryer winter than normal this year in central Oregon and we're considering de-winterizing earlier than our regular first week in May.

Forecast for the next 10 days has our area mostly in the upper 50's though still below freezing (25-27F) in the early morning hours.

If I run heat with cabinets open overnight do y'all think it's safe to remove antifreeze and fill the fresh water tank under those circumstances?

Another reason we're considering this is that our rig will be our bug out resource should CV19 become an issue in our region. Having 28 gallons of fresh water in the rig would be comforting if/when we have to head for the wilderness or hunker down at home for an extended period.

Thanks!

You better ask your weatherman when it isn't going to freeze again.

But keep in mind he is Wrong 90% of the time and still has his job!

[Qwkynuf]

Originally Posted by DouglasReid

You better ask your weatherman when it isn't going to freeze again.

But keep in mind he is Wrong 90% of the time and still has his job!

Funny story about that. When I was much younger I got to spend about a month hanging out with a well known TV weatherman (at least in my TV market). I was working as an assistant sound engineer/effects designer for a small playhouse, and his girlfriend was one of the stars in the play that we were working on. I asked him one day how they could be so consistently wrong.

He replied that it wasn't really a matter of being right or being wrong, but about misunderstanding the context. He said that when he is on TV and talking about a 70% chance of rain tonight, he is not talking to ME, about MY experience, in MY location - he is talking to a region. When he says that there is a 70% chance of rain - that means that there is a 100% likelihood that it will rain - over 70% of the forecast coverage area. Similarly, at 10% chance of rain means that it WILL rain, but it will only affect a small number of people/small area.

Now, we didn't get into snow forecasting, because we were in Mobile, AL, and it doesn't get around to snowing very often there. But I will say that the people responsible for forecasting snow in the Portland, OR area have absolutely no idea what is happening. They would be more accurate if they abandoned their forecasting computers and just invested in some freaking *windows* for their building, so they could SEE what is happening!