One more trip before we close down our Class C for the winter. We have read a lot of information on "how to" and tips from charcoal to absorb moisture, drier sheets in drawers, moth balls, etc. Looking for additional info from "seasoned" RVers like yourselves - We assume we have to drain everything in holding tanks (fresh water, grey & black water) and are aware of the antifreeze addition. - Keep refrigerator doors open - Remove ALL food ... what about dishes, sheets/blankets, etc.? - disconnect house battery? - anything we need to do to generator? - amount of fuel to keep in tank? We were advised to run generator once a month for 30 min. and drive vehicle a little to prevent "flat" spots on tires - propane in tank? Anything else? Thank you for your help
QUOTE(pkd31780 @ Oct 2 2012, 12:35 PM) [snapback]31361[/snapback] One more trip before we close down our Class C for the winter. We have read a lot of information on "how to" and tips from charcoal to absorb moisture, drier sheets in drawers, moth balls, etc. Looking for additional info from "seasoned" RVers like yourselves - We assume we have to drain everything in holding tanks (fresh water, grey & black water) and are aware of the antifreeze addition. - Keep refrigerator doors open - Remove ALL food ... what about dishes, sheets/blankets, etc.? - disconnect house battery? - anything we need to do to generator? - amount of fuel to keep in tank? We were advised to run generator once a month for 30 min. and drive vehicle a little to prevent "flat" spots on tires - propane in tank? Anything else? Thank you for your help THIS SHOULD BE NUMERO UNO ON YOUR LIST. Move south for the winter!
QUOTE(pkd31780 @ Oct 2 2012, 10:35 AM) [snapback]31361[/snapback] - We assume we have to drain everything in holding tanks (fresh water, grey & black water) and are aware of the antifreeze addition. Anything else? Thank you for your help You have a good "starter" list of things to do. You may find in various magazines and websites other things to do like completely clean the outside, block up the tires on something (wood, plastic, etc. you will find some debate on this). Check the fluids in the engine & generator. Make sure the coolant in the radiator will withstand the temps it will encounter. One thing I would really suggest is that you make sure the RV antifreeze touches all plumbing areas. Make sure it goes through the shower, toilet, outside drains, etc. Some people prefer using compressed air and are successful with it, but I just feel more comfortable seeing the pink stuff come out of the faucet.
QUOTE(pkd31780 @ Oct 2 2012, 10:35 AM) [snapback]31361[/snapback] - disconnect house battery? Batteries? My favorite subject (*snort*) Make sure your batteries have a full charge and, depending on how harsh the winters are where you live, it might be advisable to remove your batteries and store them in a dry, warm(er) place. If you're going to have power running to your rig all winter, make sure that your converter/charger is the type that can monitor and adjust the charge going into your batteries so that you don't overcharge them (or, worse yet, boil them dry). We found out the hard way that our converter/charger is not of that sophistication. So now when we're not traveling for awhile, we take the batteries out and put 'em on our Battery MinderPlus. Personally, we're taking fpullanosrjr's advice and going south again this winter
My husbands dream is Arizona but I am still working . Is there a particular reason people cover their RV's and tires? We really like the idea of moving it once a month to prevent the flat spots on the tires. We live in NW Ohio so sometimes our winters can be bad; except for last year when it was very mild. REally appreciate the input so far.....keep them coming please
Gas Tank: This is what I heard. Fill it up or make sure it's close to full. Something about condensation if it's not full? This is what I heard. If this is wrong, let me know.
QUOTE(DXSMac @ Oct 2 2012, 10:54 PM) [snapback]31372[/snapback] Gas Tank: This is what I heard. Fill it up or make sure it's close to full. Something about condensation if it's not full? This is what I heard. If this is wrong, let me know. I've heard the same. Less room for moisture. A little Stable won't hurt. Gen. I would do like I do with my boat motor. Get the gennie running and shoot some winterizer down the carb. Turn off the fuel and let it run the fuel out. Pull the plugs and squirt some Marvel Mystery Oil in. Crank it over a few times. I have a portable one. I do this every winter. I also run it out a gas when I'm not going to be using it for awhile. Gas goes bad in the smaller carbs quickly. Water lines: I blow mine out and then pump the pink stuff through. I put some in the HWH before I turn the bypass valve. Don't forget the outside shower. Pink stuff everywhere. Holding tanks: Drain and flush. I don't leave my tanks dry. I put windshield washer fluid in them. A gallon in each. Pink stuff in the fresh tank. Battery: A charged battery won't freeze. If you have a disconnect switch turn it to off. There is always something running in the rig that will wear down the battery. I take mine home and keep it taken care of. I hope its a short winter. I'm another that can't go south. Maybe one day.
I don't know why one would use moth balls for winterizing, but please know that they can be carcinogenic as stated by the U.S. Department of Health. Handle with care. Water collects in the P-Traps of your shower and sinks so put a bit of anti-freeze into those. I prefer DampRid to absorb moisture. It works well and visually you can see the water that it is collecting.
QUOTE(RLM @ Oct 3 2012, 08:17 AM) [snapback]31375[/snapback] I prefer DampRid to absorb moisture. It works well and visually you can see the water that it is collecting. DampRid is good, but the "water" (from what I read) is not potable. In fact, one time I spilled it accidentally and it felt... "oily." I found a neat device. Rather pricey, about $25-$29 depending on which model you get. It's called an Eva-Dry. I got it an an RV store. Depending on the amount of humidity you have, you set it out for 30 days. When the blue crystals turn pink, you take it out, plug it in somewhere (like your house) and the moisture is released. Then you reuse it again. Supposed to last 10 years. However, I dropped one once, and the little window broke and the crystals fell out. I have a hanging one (with a hook) and a stand alone one. The stand alone one seems to absorb more moisture.
QUOTE(RLM @ Oct 3 2012, 08:17 AM) [snapback]31375[/snapback] I don't know why one would use moth balls for winterizing... Dryer sheets and mothballs are 'supposed to' keep various critters from making your rig their home, while it is in storage. I grew up in an era where mothballs were used in EVERY closet to store clothing. Gastly stuff. Some incredible, hallucinogenic events before everyone learned what this stuff was. Needless to say, I refuse to use them. h34r: HOWEVER, I've had great success with dryer sheets.
QUOTE(FosterImposters @ Oct 3 2012, 11:37 AM) [snapback]31381[/snapback] I grew up in an era where mothballs were used in EVERY closet to store clothing. Gastly stuff. Some incredible, hallucinogenic events before everyone learned what this stuff was. With the current reports of mothballs being highly carcinogenic, I would DEFINITELY skip using them. Personally, I cannot stand the smell, which never seems to go away after mothballs are used. A storage/houskeeping suggestion: Remove anything that a mouse would find edible or attractive for nesting (linens, towels, soap). An alternative is keeping that stuff in your rig, but in plastic bins that have latching handles. I know mice will eat anything (even wiring), but no sense in making it easy for them. We also zip a heavy-duty mattress cover over our mattress. I'm a fan of DampRid.
QUOTE(RLM @ Oct 3 2012, 11:17 AM) [snapback]31375[/snapback] I don't know why one would use moth balls for winterizing, but please know that they can be carcinogenic as stated by the U.S. Department of Health. Handle with care. Water collects in the P-Traps of your shower and sinks so put a bit of anti-freeze into those. I prefer DampRid to absorb moisture. It works well and visually you can see the water that it is collecting. Ditto. I put 3 Damp Rids in the trailer and 2 in the boat. I found that moth balls don't work anyway. Plus if the p trap dries out you get those annoying little fly's. I guess they come out of the tanks.
QUOTE(pkd31780 @ Oct 2 2012, 10:35 AM) [snapback]31361[/snapback] - Remove ALL food ... what about dishes, sheets/blankets, etc.? Oops, forgot about the dishes. We leave ours in the cabinets, but put them in big plastic zipper bags. Each kitchen drawer's items will fit in a 2.5 gallon size and then it's easy to clean the drawer and plop everything back in where it belongs when it's time to go. By putting stuff in bags, there won't be any "surprise visitors" hiding in between the plates when we bring them inside to dishwasher* them pre-trip. Earlier today I was REALLY glad I'd done that because when I went out to the camper I found stink bugs inside. Those things are EVERYWHERE around here this time of year. UGH! I set up G's lighted stinkbug trap to get rid of any that were still hiding. It seems to take care of those dreadful fly/gnat things, as well. (*Yes, we made up that word)
An extremely effective deterrent for mice and other type critters is to put some Peppermint oil on cotton balls and place one in each drawer or cabinet. When you no longer can smell the oil, then dab a bit more on the cotton ball. A small 2 ox bottle will last for the season. Since using that system, I've never seen a hint of mice in my rig.
Drain all coach tanks, including water heater. Leave drain on the water supply tank open. If your coach water system is equipped with an antifreeze siphon and a water heater bypass, the potable antifreeze is the easiest way to go. If not, use a blow-out plug on your city water inlet. First drain the water heater, and replace the plug. Then raise the air pressure to about 60PSI and open individual water valves until no more spray comes out. Start with the valve farthest from the water supply, and work toward the supply. I used a ¾” male hose fitting with a tubeless tire valve stem pushed through it. Just thread it into the city water fitting and tighten it down. It shouldn’t have to be too tight. The pin in the check valve on the water inlet should protrude into the hole in the valve stem, so no damage should occur. I used to take my coach to a nearby filling station and use their air to blow the system out. Put the air hose on, bring the system up to about 60PSI, go inside and open the valve that you want to bleed. Close valve, and repeat until everything is dry. Don’t forget the toilet line. Lastly, while the water lines are pressurized, remove the drain plug from the water heater. I blow out or use antifreeze even if the coach has water system drains. One low spot in the lines could ruin your spring. Don’t forget antifreeze in drain traps. Auto antifreeze can be used here. A little extra antifreeze in the drains will go to the lowest parts of the holding system and prevent possible freeze problems there. Waste water tanks can be drained before blowing out the water system or filing it with antifreeze. Only a small amount of water will will accumulate due to the winterizing process. Remove all perishables, including canned goods. Don’t forget “dry” perishables. We left a clove of garlic in our unit one winter. It had fallen down behind some other items in the cupboard. We were half way through the next summer before we figured out what the odor was. Crack the roof vents just enough to get a little air circulation. If you have access to power, put a low wattage heat source in the coach. Just an incandescent table lamp or a low wattage heater is sufficient. The idea is to raise the air temperature in the coach just a little higher than the outside temperature. This will promote air circulation through the cracked vents, and help dissipate accumulated moisture. (Works in boats too). We leave dishes and silverware right where they are. Wash the refrigerator out with water with baking soda in it. Remove all components and make sure to clean out the groves in the sides of the cabinet where the shelves go. Leave a little soda residue on everything. Prop doors open. It is not necessary to have them wide open. Just make they don’t seal closed. If moisture is going to be a problem, remove all bedding, towels, and linen. I have had no problems with Flat spots on tires. When spring comes, the tires will warm up and even tires with hard nylon cord will lose their flat spots in just a few miles. I leave my propane on except when I am filling the tank. I figure if the tank is empty in the spring, I have a leak to find. I’d rather do that than discover, and try to troubleshoot a leak in the middle of a trip someplace. I once had a leak in a propane line that was in the same compartment as the water pump! Not a good situation. Another consideration is tires. Tires contain a compound that retards the action of the sun. This compound is released, in very small quantities by the flexing of the tires as you drive. Tires designed for continual use, (car, light truck, etc.) contain the least of this compound. Occasional use tires, (Specialty RV tires and trailer tires) have more of this compound, because they are not used as much. Anyway, no driving, no flexing, so the tires don’t get the protection they need. Therefore, it is a good idea to protect the tires from the sun during storage. Vinyl covers, pieces of plywood, shade are some of the ways to protect the tires. Fill fuel tank(S) to minimize condensation. Treat fuel with a stabilizer. I use PRI-G (PRI-D for diesels) from Power Research Inc. (I have a friend that uses the same product in his airplane). I believe PRI-G is now available at some Camping World stores. Run the genset and engine long enough to get the stabilizer into the entire fuel system. PRI is a good idea any time a vehicle is going to sit for more than a month. It costs about $600 to change an in-tank electric fuel pump. I replaced them in five different vehicles before I got educated about fuel stabilizers. Change the oil in the genset (1) when you winterize, and (2) when you get ready to use your coach in the spring. (My Onan technician says, ”you can pay me now, or you can pay me later”). Consider removing chassis and house batteries and store them someplace where it will be above freezing, (I am more a proponent of “dead” storage, than the “run everything every month” storage. Even running an internal combustion engines, with no load, for 30 minutes will not clear the acids from the exhaust system. Exhaust acids can raise cain with the exhaust sensors that are on many modern (post 1970) engines. Don’t place Storage batteries directly on a cement floor. This will increase discharge. Instead, place them on 1” wood strips. If you are going to run power to your motor home with the batteries removed in storage, make sure the positive battery cables are not grounded. I wrap them in a rag and tape the rag in place. As far as rodent control, I use a Riddix plug-in rodent repeller in both my house and the motor home. We have had no problems in the house, even though roof rats and mice inhabit the area, and no problems in the motor home, even though our storage area has no power to the sites. If you can use shore power for humidity control, you will have an operational Riddix also.
