With winter approaching and camping season coming to an end, it’s time to start thinking about putting your RV in storage for the winter. If you’re looking to save money or you’re just a do-it-yourself kind of person, you can skip bringing it to the shop and learn how to winterize it yourself. Regardless of how you prepare your RV or camper, if you live in a location that sees winter weather, it's important to take steps to get your RV ready for the off-season. Proper maintenance and weather appropriate preparation can help keep your camper or RV in top shape all year long.

Preparing Your RV or Camper for Winter

Prepare the exterior

Family Motor Coach Association recommends cleaning the exterior of your motorhome thoroughly and checking all seams and window sealant for cracks that could let water in. You should also spray all locks with a lubricant and lubricate all hinges.

Prepare the interior

According to FMCA, you should defrost and clean the refrigerator and freezer and use baking soda to absorb odors. Turn off the LP-gas supply valve and switch off the main breaker in the distribution panel. Clean the air conditioning filters and remove batteries from any electronics.

RV batteries

If you’re able to fire up your RV while it’s in storage and plug it into shore power, you can leave the batteries in during the winter, according to FMCA. Just make sure you plug it into shore power once a month for about eight hours. To prevent batteries from discharging and freezing, check and adjust the water levels periodically.

If your RV is in long-term storage, FMCA recommends removing the batteries and storing them in a place where they won’t freeze – just make sure they’re fully charged.

Tires

Inflate tires to the recommended pressure and cover them to block out sunlight, which could cause damage. FMCA says that you should also put something between the ground and the tires, since frozen ground can damage tires over time.

Store your RV in the right location

According to FMCA, ideally you should store your rig under a covered area and on a solid surface. Avoid leaving it under trees or in tall grass. If you don’t have access to a covered shelter, consider investing in a cover made of a breathable material.

Drain the plumbing system

Even the smallest amount of water can freeze, expand and burst the pipes in your RV, so it’s important to completely drain the entire system. According to reserveamerica.com, there are two ways to do this – blow out the system with compressed air or fill the system with special RV antifreeze.

The first method is easier, but you’ll need an air compressor and a special “blow out plug” that you can buy from RV part suppliers.

Here’s what reserveamerica.com says to do:

You’ll need to disconnect your RV from its outside water source, turn off all power to the rig, bypass your water heater and check your owner’s manual for instructions on how to winterize your refrigerator, ice maker, washing machine and dishwater.

Next, open all the faucets to drain the system and flush the toilet to remove water from the line. Then, connect the blow out plug to the city water inlet and adjust the air compressor to no more than 30 psi. Connect the air compressor hose to the blow out plug and turn the compressor on and let it run until all the water is blown out from the faucets.

Finally, flush your black and gray water tanks, empty the fresh water tank and close the drain valves. Pour a quart of RV antifreeze (it’s pink) into the gray and black tanks, through all the sink and shower drains, and add a pint to the toilet bowl. Empty the water heater tank and leave the drain plug open until spring.

Your second option is to fill the system with RV antifreeze, which is more reliable, according to reserveamerica.com.

You can pump it through the system using an external hand pump or using you RV’s internal water pump. For the later, you’ll need to install a pump bypass kit if your rig isn’t already equipped with one, according to reserveamerica.com, because it draws from the fresh water tank (which you don’t want antifreeze in).

If you’re using a hand pump, attach the pump’s intake siphon to the antifreeze bottle and connect the output hose on the pump to the city water inlet. Close all faucets and drain valves and open the hot side of the highest faucet first, pumping the antifreeze into the system until it comes out the faucet bright pink in color. Close the hot side and repeat with the cold side. Do this for all the faucets.

If you’re using your RV’s internal water pump, the water pump bypass valve will be used to draw antifreeze into the pump and throughout the water system, according to reserveamerica.com.

Camco also has a step-by-step guide with pictures that may help with the process. 

Save on RV insurance

Since your vehicle won’t be on the road during the winter months, you’ll really only need to pay for comprehensive coverage while your RV is in storage. This will protect you from theft, vandalism, fire, etc. You should also talk with your agent about raising your deductible to reduce your premium during the winter, but only if that makes sense for your budget.

Give one of our insurance advisors a call today to review your current coverage and put the right winter coverage in place. We can help you look for discounts for even more savings during the off-season. Call today at (844) 824-2888.

Finally, check the owner’s manual

Every RV is different, so you’ll want to check the owner’s manual for winterizing instructions specific to your model.

The Bottom Line

Preparing your RV or camper for winter can help keep it in good shape until next riding season. Properly winterizing your RV can help you reduce the chance of insurance claims during the off-season. After winterizing your RV, check with an insurance agent to make sure you're not overpaying for RV insurance coverage while your RV sits in the garage.

Compare RV quotes today with the help of one of our expert insurance advisors. Call us at 844) 824-2888 now!

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