Spring is just around the corner. For those who have stored their RV (since the Dogwood Christmas party, right?), this article might be a refresher of “de-winterization”.
My RV manual probably has a few paragraphs on how to de-winterize, but I forget where that manual is. Websites help. YouTube has several good videos on the topic. My plan for this article: Keep it short. Some generic ideas are universal.
Primary focus: The fresh water system. Using antifreeze for potable water systems is probably the most common method. Blowing-out the system with compressed air was a method I used some years back, but one nasty winter, I was forced to discover that I had a “low point” in the plumbing. Blowing didn’t clear ALL the water. Ouch. Failed was a 90-degree elbow that water had settled into even though I thought the blow-out was successful. To find the damaged pipe, I had to rip out a panel in the wet bay. As for freshening the system overall, adding a bleach solution (1/4 cup per 15 gallons water) to the freshwater tank, letting it sit for several hours, then flush thoroughly and refill. I also run this bleach solution through all hot and cold water pipes. The flushing-out of antifreeze and/or bleach causes water to not be potable for a while, but bathing and flushing and thus using several tank-fills will eventually take the smell and/or taste out of the water system.
Once using sinks, check underneath to ensure the p-trap didn’t suffer damage.
Were batteries disconnected? Taken “home” to the basement? Reconnection will be needed of course. For those of us who merely turn the MASTER switches off, there is still a common action warranted: Check and secure the battery terminals. Remove corrosion if present. Perhaps load-test the batteries individually with a device that can be had for $30 to $50. Very handy … and might point out that a battery that is in parallel with others has weakened but the others are still strong.
Generator onboard (or portable)? Check the oil level and for the adequate cooling method (coolant fluid if not air-cooled). Then run the generator with a load applied (toaster oven for smaller gensets) or roof air conditioners that need 12 to 15 amps each to get started and run for several minutes.
Tires? Check for cracking or evidence of rot. Check tire pressures. Hint: Once the tire pressure is checked, check the valve stem Schrader valve to insure it is not leaking slowly. If a TPMS is used, disregard the “Hint”.
Replace batteries in smoke and CO detectors. Take fire extinguishers out of their holding brackets and give them a good shake or tap (to keep any chemicals from solidifying and diminishing the extinguisher’s effectiveness).
Then? Hit the road.
THINK
SAFETY
EVERYDAY!
Wishing everyone safe travels.
FRVA Dogwood Chapter
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