What temperature outside do you winterize?

[Frankandjane]

Obviously,you want to winterize before the temp stays below 32 .... but is it safe to wait to winterize if daytime temps are well above freezing? Any comments most appreciated. We live in northwest Pennsylvania and usually temps occ go below 32 in late October but it doesn't usually stay really cold till late November. Should I winterize in early October or can I wait till later in November when the temp is consistently below 32? Thanks, Frankandjane.

[CasaLoca]

You don't mention your make/model and it does make a difference. How late in the year do you anticipate using your rig? Do you have tank heaters? Are you willing to run the furnace on cold nights? If you have a four season unit you can keep using it well into winter. Otherwise, as soon as you are done using it for the year is the day to start winterizing. That hard freeze that sneaks up on you can be costly.
Chuck Peck in CasaLoca

[SuperD]

It's always a gamble. The temp has to stay below freezing for a while to cause damage because your pipes aren't in the open, but it can happen quicker if it's windy.

If you use compressed air to blow out the lines and then pour Rv antifreeze in the drains you can complete the job pretty quickly. I live in Texas so we don't have much freezing weather but in the north I would be more cautious. I didn't even winterize my coach last year, didn't get cold enough.

[EA37TS]

Here in Virginia when the temps are projected to get into the low 30s I will dry winterize the coach. I remove my whole house water filter, drain the hot water tank, drain the fresh water tank, open the low point drains, and then using my air compressor set at approx 40psi blow air through the lines. opening each faucet one at a time until only air comes out making sure I also get the outdoor shower. I leave the compressor connected for a couple of hours so I get the water out of the refrigerator ice maker line. I then drain the black and grey tanks.

When the night time temps start dropping into the mid to lower 20s and I have no trips planned then I will winterize with antifreeze. For me this is generally late December or early January.

Due to our spontaneous travel I have done as many as 3 dry and 3 wet winterizations in a single year.

[tenbear]

Interesting that all of the replies so far are from "down south".

Here in Northern Vermont we winterize when the forecast says it will get below freezing, the upper 20s, at night. We live at an elevation of 1400 feet so we are colder than the cities that the forecast is for. That usually happens in early October.

[JamieGeek]

Remember too that the "low" of the day will happen right before sunrise. Thus it may be above freezing the entire night except for an hour or so in the early morning (when the lows are near freezing).

Depending on the unit but most of them have all the fresh water plumbing inside: If your unit is plugged in you can leave a small electric space heater running in it for the few nights you'll encounter before winterizing. Open all the cabinets so they can get some heat.

We're usually fully winterized by early October depending on whats going on. Here in MI many of the campgrounds are open until Halloween.

[EA37TS]

Originally Posted by tenbear

Interesting that all of the replies so far are from "down south". ...

Water freezes at 32 degrees in the south just like it does up north. The day it freezes, however, may be a little later.

[EA37TS]

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

Remember too that the "low" of the day will happen right before sunrise. Thus it may be above freezing the entire night except for an hour or so in the early morning (when the lows are near freezing).

Depending on the unit but most of them have all the fresh water plumbing inside: If your unit is plugged in you can leave a small electric space heater running in it for the few nights you'll encounter before winterizing. Open all the cabinets so they can get some heat.

We're usually fully winterized by early October depending on whats going on. Here in MI many of the campgrounds are open until Halloween.

Like you said it depends on the coach. The Challenger for instance has a large portion of the water systems in a heated wet bay storage compartment. A space heater inside would be useless for these areas. I would have to run the coach furnace to keep these areas warm or have an additional space heater. It is less hassle to dry winterize a few times early each winter.

[tnedator]

Originally Posted by dstankov

Like you said it depends on the coach. The Challenger for instance has a large portion of the water systems in a heated wet bay storage compartment. A space heater inside would be useless for these areas. I would have to run the coach furnace to keep these areas warm or have an additional space heater. It is less hassle to dry winterize a few times early each winter.

My brother in law puts a light, I think a crappie light (fishing), in the wet bay of his Tiffen which he says puts out enough heat to keep the temps up. I figure he probably thinks it's safer than space heater and is 12v. That's a guess though, as I never asked him why the light vs a heater.

[Frankandjane]

We have a 2017 Thor four winds class c. The black and grey tanks have heaters . We wouldn't use it in snow but might want to use it into November .

[gmc]

Originally Posted by Frankandjane

We have a 2017 Thor four winds class c. The black and grey tanks have heaters . We wouldn't use it in snow but might want to use it into November .

As dstankov said - 'dry winterizing' is very quick, simple - and really no effort to 'dewinterize'...
Blowing out the lines a few times in the fall (each time you use it and return to storage) just to be safe is quick/cheap insurance.

When I was in (southeast) Michigan - typically did so by the end of October... If I used the rig again - just put the plug back in the hot water heater - open the bypass valve and go...

Only thing I'd add is pouring some RV antifreeze down the drains... insuring the traps - and any liquid left in tanks/drain pipes to the valve after dumping was mixed with anti-freeze.

(Even 'wet winterizing' is simple - but you will use a couple of gallons of RV antifreeze each time - and need to flush the lines with fresh water before using...)

[EA37TS]

Originally Posted by Frankandjane

We have a 2017 Thor four winds class c. The black and grey tanks have heaters . We wouldn't use it in snow but might want to use it into November .

Our prior class c had tank heaters and we camped in the snow a few times. We do the same with the Challenger (no winter pics of it). I sometimes go through 5 or 6 gallons of antifreeze during a winter. I may winterize (dry or wet) the coach one day and three days later the DW says lets go.