Winter Camping

msubryan · 12-05-2016, 12:39 PM

I am new to the class c rv world and live in the warm south. I also keep my class c stored indoors and travel all winter in the south. I have a ski trip planned for later this month to Colorado for 10 days and really want to take rv to denver. I will then take my toad up into mtns to our cabin. 2007 Sunseeker 31 ft.

I am looking at options on storing rv for those 10 days.

If I store outside what precautions should I take with rv? I have already flushed and replaced engine coolant. Will I be ok with draining lines, or do i need to put rv antifreeze in?

As a last resort I am considering storing at rv park and keeping inside warm with a couple small space heaters and the rv gas heat on lowest setting.

Thoughts???

BooBoo23 · 12-05-2016, 01:52 PM

Probably less trouble if you don't take the RV. I just looked at the current 10 day forecast and it will freeze every night, in fact on Wednesday it is supposed to get down to 4 degrees. Plus you risk snow and ice and pulling a toad in that kind of weather is not what you want. If you still want to take the RV you will need to winterize it about the 2nd day on your trip. We live in the Atlanta area and it is supposed to get into the 20's this Friday.

msubryan · 12-06-2016, 11:52 AM

Thanks, bUT I really want to take rv. I have 4 kids and the rv really helps with travels. I have found a rv park near tx nm border and plan to hookup there and spend one night and leave heat on low with no water hooked up. My rv has artic pkg, so that will keep tanks from frezing. I plan on leaving cabinets open..anything els I should consider?

BooBoo23 · 12-06-2016, 12:24 PM

Are you going to leave your RV there? If you are you will need to keep it hooked up to shore power as neither your battery or propane will keep your tanks heated for 10 days. Good luck. Other than store the RV someplace closer to your destination in a warmer climate I don't know what else to suggest. Shore power hookup is a must then and winterize the plumbing.

msubryan · 12-06-2016, 03:45 PM

Yes sir...rv site has power...will leave rv heat on low with a small space heater to maintain

Oscarvan · 12-06-2016, 05:38 PM

I would winterize it. It's not hard to do and for under $10 of "pink" at Wallymart you can get it done. If you don't know how to do it, find someone who can and will teach you. Pay if you have to. This way you can do it yourself anytime. With the traveling you're doing that sounds like a good skill to have. It takes les than a half hour once you know how.

The shore power can fail, the propane can run out, the furnace can quit, even for simple reasons. The bottom line is, that if your pipes/tanks/drains/valves/faucets/water heater freeze you WILL enter the world of PAIN. It can destroy your RV and any value in it. It WILL ruin your day, and quite a few more. Draining them is NOT enough. There are plenty of places where water sits and WILL do damage. Either the system needs to be blown out with compressed air (not my personal favorite) or you need to get pink in the system. (My favorite and so far I am batting 100% living in serious winter conditions 3-4 months out of the year).

Learn how to do it, then do it.

NoviBill · 12-07-2016, 12:40 PM

*Warning I have done tried nor done this!

My parents would wait until after Christmas to head south from Michigan. My dad wired light bulbs (100 watt) into the underside storage areas where the water lines are. He parked at our house for the week between Christmas and New Years a few years and did OK. We saw 20deg (nothing like 4 deg).

The key here is they were in the motorhome every day.

I think if you are going to leave it, you will need to drain the tanks (fresh, black, grey & heater), blow out the water lines and put anti-freeze in the traps at a minimum.

-Bill

funfinder5 · 12-07-2016, 03:17 PM

I would (and do) bring a small air compressor and use the attachement that connects to your city water line and blow out all the water in the lines before you left. Empty your fresh water tank too and all your holding tanks. Takes 15 minutes and then you don't have to worry about while away from RV. Don't forget about the toliet... Flush that through with air too. Missed that one year and had to replace the flushed valve.

If you do the below you don't even have to worry about leaving in an RV park... Although not sure where else you'd park a motor home for 10 days.

msubryan · 12-09-2016, 09:42 PM

Ok, so I have the rv site to store the camper and keep heat going. I also have the adapter, antifreeze, and pump to try to minimize risk of freezing. What about my water heater? Do I have to have a bypass?

Oscarvan · 12-09-2016, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by msubryan

Ok, so I have the rv site to store the camper and keep heat going. I also have the adapter, antifreeze, and pump to try to minimize risk of freezing. What about my water heater? Do I have to have a bypass?

Most if not all RV's have a bypass. To fill the water heater with anti freeze would be a waste and to get the hot lines full you would have to fill the water heater.....

So what the bypass does is......bypass the water heater.... There usually are three valves. The cold TO the WH, which you would close, the hot FROM the WH, which you would also close and a connector between the two, camper side of the two shutoffs.

So you move all three valves and now pink runs from the cold side directly to all the hot water outlets without going through the hot water heater.

Now there is either a plastic plug or you remove the anode (if installed) to drain the contents of the water heater....(important as you didn't put any pink in it)

Cypressloser · 12-09-2016, 10:03 PM

First of all winterizing is easy, cheap and quick. Let somebody show you how it's done properly and yes, you do need a bypass for the water heater (unless you don't mind filling the hotwater tank with antifreeze

) and you most certainly already have a bypass already.
Do not rely on blowing out the water system with air only, you will probably have some water collecting in low spots somewhere that can give you headaches if you are planning to re pressurize during the trip and do not forget to add a cup or so of plumbing antifreeze to all the p-traps.
There is no need to winterize while you're living in the RV with the furnace turned on but when driving through frigid weather you might have to.

msubryan · 12-10-2016, 09:04 PM

Ok, so I am attempting to do a test run of winterizing before I leave house, to make sure that I have everything I need when I stop. So, On my RV, 2008 Sunseeker Class C, I do no have the standard 3 valve bypass on my water heater. I only have 1 valve...is this correct? will this work?

B D HOWie · 12-12-2016, 04:47 PM

The WH by-pass valves are on the back side of the WH. You may have to remove a drawer or false cabinet panel inside your coach to see and access the valves.
Paul

msubryan · 12-12-2016, 06:21 PM

I did that, but only have one...not the std 3

msubryan · 12-12-2016, 06:32 PM

This is the bottom, cold water valve

msubryan · 12-12-2016, 06:33 PM

This is top, hot water outlet and no valve. If I flip the valve, the cold water will divertical up thru bypass and into WH hot side...correct?

Scrapper · 12-12-2016, 07:01 PM

The valve at the bottom of the WH is a 2 way valve. Turned parallel with the cold water line lets water into the WH, turned with the handle pointing up shuts off the bottom of the WH, diverting the water to the top. The top fitting on the WH has a check valve in it to keep water from entering the WH from the top. These check valves could go bad and let water into the heater. The most common thing I have heard about these valves is the sometimes get plugged restricting flow from the water heater.

msubryan · 12-12-2016, 08:47 PM

Ok, so turn up and I should be bypassed?

Scrapper · 12-12-2016, 09:51 PM

Yes, turning the valve so it is pointing up is the bypassed position.

Oscarvan · 12-13-2016, 09:31 PM

Yes, I have had a WH that had only one valve, and it was a three way as described above.

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