# To Winterize, Or Not To Winterize?



## WYOCAMPER (Mar 28, 2007)

Cold front is coming thru tonight. Lows are expected to be right around 30. Still thinking that I can get in a weekend or two of camping this season. I'm leaning toward just draining the low points & the hot water heater. Maybe run the heat in the trailer overnight.

What do you all think?

Anyone else faced with this dilemma this time of year?


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## Y-Guy (Jan 30, 2004)

We try to take a trip over Thanksgiving here, so before that I drain the lines then blow the lines out and drain the tanks. After that trip I run some pink stuff through things until we start camping again in February. There are important things to be aware of. Your water pump contains some water in it, so even sucking just enough pink stuff can save it. If you have a toilet rinse nozzle (like a sink) take it off as well.

How long is the cold front expected? If its a brief one you'd probably be fine and even at 30 I'd say you are ok, but never hurts to be cautions too.


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## mmblantz (Jul 1, 2007)

I wouldn't even bother at a low of 30 cuz it's still guna warm in the day. At the most I would just open the low points and open the faucets.---Mike


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

30 degrees overnight is not long enough to cause any concerns. Problems happen when temps are below freezing for multiple days.


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## WYOCAMPER (Mar 28, 2007)

Thanks everyone. I figured it would be ok overnight. To be on the safe side, I drained the hot water heater, opened the low points and opened all the faucets. It actually made it down to 29 last night, but temps are climbing back up into the upper 70's, maybe pushing 80 by Saturday. Fall in the Rockies - go figure... So anyway, we are hoping to take one of our last two trips this weekend. I appreciate all the info!


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## Scoutr2 (Aug 21, 2006)

30* is not a hard freeze and shouldn't hurt anything, due to the short amount of time at night that the air temp is below freezing. But just to be on the safe side, here is what I would do . . .

Open all your faucets and remove the low point drain caps (both HOT and COLD lines) to drain all the water from your system. Not all the water will drain, but if any water does freeze, there will be plenty of room for expansion and the faucets won't break. Also open and drain the hot water heater and all tanks (fresh, gray, and black). Also - run the water pump a little, after the fresh water tank is empty, just to make sure there is no water inside the plastic pump head, lest it freeze and break something. (Step on the toilet flush valve while the pump is pumping air, also, just to clear that water line.)

When you are ready to go camping again after this cold snap, just replace all the caps and close the valves on faucets and tanks and you're good to go!

Mike


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