# Winterization



## bridge bandit (Apr 29, 2006)

The upcoming winter is the first for my trailer and I'll need to get it winterized. I have never done it before so do you guys recommend letting the local rv place do it or is it easy enough to on our own. Also does anyone know where I get instructions to do it that are very detailed for the outback.
thanks


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

Its not that time already , is it?









You can handle it yourself. It is not difficult.

There are numereous threads with instructions in them, I can try and find one for you or someone who is better at simple but good directions will post them for you. I even made my own pick up hose for the antifreeze

John


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## HootBob (Apr 26, 2004)

Go to your RV dealer and get a winterizing kit instruction will explain how to do it
Then you have the rest of the TT

The rules of thumb
Â· If it contains water â€" take it out.
Â· If it will attract rodents â€" take it out
Â· If it has an expiration date â€" take it out
Â· If youâ€™re not sure â€" take it out. Think â€" Do I want to replace this item
or clean it up if it does not survive the winter?

Letâ€™s start in the kitchen. Go through your food cupboard, under the kitchen
sink and any other place where you tuck things. Look for things like:
Â· Jars of food
Â· Beverages
Â· Bottled water
Â· Cleaning products (sprays contain water)
Â· Any food that will attract rodents or expire
Â· Paper towels and napkins that rodents use for nesting

To keep your refrigerator smelling clean and free of mold, place pure
charcoal (not charcoal that contains fire lighter) on pieces of newspaper
on a shelf inside the refrigerator and freezer.

Moving on to the bathroom. Let me tell you that a can of shaving cream
which has been frozen will never be the same. When water freezes, it
separates from the other ingredients. Donâ€™t forget to check under the
bathroom sink.
Â· Toothpaste
Â· Shaving cream
Â· Liquid makeup
Â· Face, hand and medicinal creams
Â· Anything with an expiration date
Â· Toilet paper and tissues that rodents use for nesting

Head to the bedroom. Check your bedside drawers. Do you have any hand
cream or other health and beauty aids in there? Do you have an iron
with a water reservoir? Is there anything in the closet that you will
need over the winter? To keep bed linens and towels smelling clean,
place them inside a large plastic container with a tight fitting lid.
Add dryer sheets.

I rarely find anything in the living room or front of the RV, but since
your rig is different from mine, check anyway.

We have a chronic problem with mice, perhaps because we live in the woods.
Regardless of how hard we have tried to plug every hole, they still find
a way in. They routinely get into my silverware and utensil drawers during
the winter months. So I actually take those drawers right out as well.

Now you are ready to shampoo the rugs and remove any stains from furniture.
If you let this wait until spring, the stains will be much harder to get out.

OK. Now you have all this stuff out of the RV. What do you do with it?
I generally circulate the food and health products into my household supplies
because they have expiration dates. Then, I got my husband to build shelves
in the basement and I store everything else in boxes.
Keeping the shelves empty during the summer is the challenge. I try to keep
the empty boxes on the shelves to remind myself not to use that storage space
for anything else.

Last but not least, have someone else go through the cupboards after you are
done. I missed a whole gallon of bottled water last year. I do wonder where
all that water went because it wasnâ€™t in the jug when I found it!

Hope this helps

Don


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## RizFam (Feb 25, 2006)

I recently came across this thread & found it to be very helpful. I will use it when it comes time for us to winterize









http://www.outbackers.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=2015

Tami


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

Personally...I like this site for winterization training.

WINTERIZING PICS

PS...don't feel bad. My OUTBACK is already winterized...and stored as of today!









PSS....it was hotter here in ND today than in Miami, FL. (but the low will be 39 degrees) Big change.


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## Scott Z. (Jul 13, 2006)

You can also try www.rveducation101.com You can buy dvd's/vhs for the winterizing process and it also comes with a checklist. I found it very helpful the first time I had to winterize a couple of years ago.


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

Pretty easy. Maybe this will help -- has pics.


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## Lady Di (Oct 28, 2005)

Looks like some really god info when the time comes. Thank you all.


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## bridge bandit (Apr 29, 2006)

As usual - great info.
thanks folks


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## mswalt (Sep 14, 2004)

> Then, I got my husband to build shelves
> in the basement and I store everything else in boxes


Hootbob,

I didn't know.









Mark


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

bridge bandit,

This is something you can easily do yourself. What you do, however, depends a lot on the climate you live in. Our winterizing requirements here in Oregon are much less stringent than those for someone living in the Michigan U.P., or the sunny Southwest for that matter!

HootBob laid out some great info here, and that will be a good place to start from. Well done, Don!









Happy Trails,
Doug


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## bridge bandit (Apr 29, 2006)

Doug 
We live in Alberta where winters can vary from mild to getting down to -30's C and windchill into the -40 C at times so we need to make sure everything is done.
thanks


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## GoVols (Oct 7, 2005)

Don't forget to take your battery out and store it in a garage or basement -- preferrably where it won't be subjected to freezing temps.


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

This is a great collection of multiple resources. As most of us will have to - but don't yet need to - deal with this, is there some way to tag this to stay on top" so it can be easily found again without searching?

Jolly - my condolences. We've been getting down to high 40s at night (so the talk is in the air). Didn't realize you'd be that much colder yet.


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

I save in favorites some of the threads for later. Easier than searching them down


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

tdvffjohn said:


> I save in favorites some of the threads for later. Easier than searching them down


Thanks, John. Done.


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## HootBob (Apr 26, 2004)

tdvffjohn said:


> I save in favorites some of the threads for later. Easier than searching them down


Nic thinking that will sure make it easier later on

Don


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## 3athlete (May 14, 2006)

Bridge Bandit,

Get some of the "smelliest" Bounce dryer sheets and put them everywhere in the camper...under the mattresses, in cabinets, under the couch, in the bathroom...it keeps the rodents awy, at least that's what we were told, and we've done it and never had a rodent in the camper, just in the house





















!

just a note, Bounce puts a meter on the front of their boxes, look for a #4 strength.


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## HootBob (Apr 26, 2004)

3alete said:


> just a note, Bounce puts a meter on the front of their boxes, look for a #4 strength.


I didn't know that
Thanks for the tip

Don


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