# Winterizing And Year Round Use



## o0jonna0o (Oct 29, 2008)

Ok, as most of you know, this is my first year with our TT. I've been reading a lot about winterizing and I know my husband and I were talking about possibly using our trailer during the winter as a base camp for hunting.

So, here's the question. Do we winterize? If we do, what do we do when we want to use the trailer in the winter, do I need to go through the sanitation process and then winterize again when we are done? Do we need to worry about doing anything special during the night?

Or do you only winterize when you are ready for storage?

Sorry if this has been asked before I tried to search for it first.


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

you live in SC... do you have to winterize there? can you just get away with blowing the lines with air?


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## Colorado Outbacker (Jun 6, 2005)

Hi









My DD and I are getting ready to go winter camping for a week in central Colorado this next week. It will warm up to the high 20's during the day and dip to below zero at night. We will be completely winterized. We have a 5 gallon jug of water on the kitchen counter, a bucket in the bathroom for, well you understand, and a generator running all night long. The gen. will be hooked to several RV's so we tag along. We will be 40 miles from the nearest town so there are no, what do ya call them, hook-ups. We do this every year in November Elk hunting and enjoy every day it snows. I do have chains for all four on the TV and chains for all four on the OB as well if needed. I will post photos when we return. There is a heavy winter storm warning out tonight for most of the state! YEA, can't wait!!!!! Started packing today!

Take care
T.


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## Y-Guy (Jan 30, 2004)

We only take off January and February, and this year we'll be camping in February.

I blow the lines out, drain the water heater, tanks, etc. I then pour some RV antifreeze down the P traps, a bit in each tank and suck just enough into the pump so water doesn't freeze in it. I usually buy 3 gallons of RV antifreeze when its on sale and go through that process after each trip.

It all really depends how cold it gets in your area, but if it drops down to freezing you want to take steps to protect it.


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## Eagleeyes (Aug 1, 2007)

Y-Guy said:


> We only take off January and February, and this year we'll be camping in February.
> 
> I blow the lines out, drain the water heater, tanks, etc. I then pour some RV antifreeze down the P traps, a bit in each tank and suck just enough into the pump so water doesn't freeze in it. I usually buy 3 gallons of RV antifreeze when its on sale and go through that process after each trip.
> 
> It all really depends how cold it gets in your area, but if it drops down to freezing you want to take steps to protect it.


Exactly...
How cold does it get there? And for how long at a stretch?
Bob


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## battalionchief3 (Jun 27, 2006)

Where you live I would just blow out the lines and faucets. We winterize but we have the quick winter kit. http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/...erizer-kit/6279

It uses the pump to suck up the pink stuff. I also reuse the pink stuff. I empty the water system the best I can and pump in the pink stuff. Then I go to the low point drains and recollect as much as I can, usually 1.5 gallons or so of the 3 I use. We go to Florida for christmas and I usually do this around SC when we stop for the night. Then when we leave FLA, I just rewinterize it. Only takes about 15 minutes.


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## o0jonna0o (Oct 29, 2008)

Ok good info, thanks very much!

Usually here in the winter it will get below freezing at night only for a few weeks and it's very sporadic. I figured blowing the lines out would be enough, but it makes me a little nervous that "what if" factor kicks in and I start thinking that maybe we should just put some pink stuff in between trips, just in case. I'd hate to have to replace anything, already! LOL!

Colorado Outbacker, that sounds like it will be an exciting trip! I don't know if I'm _that_ hardcore!


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## Lmbevard (Mar 18, 2006)

o0jonna0o said:


> Ok good info, thanks very much!
> 
> Usually here in the winter it will get below freezing at night only for a few weeks and it's very sporadic. I figured blowing the lines out would be enough, but it makes me a little nervous that "what if" factor kicks in and I start thinking that maybe we should just put some pink stuff in between trips, just in case. I'd hate to have to replace anything, already! LOL!
> 
> Colorado Outbacker, that sounds like it will be an exciting trip! I don't know if I'm _that_ hardcore!


Personally I would winterize. If you are using just on weekends, I would carry in a 5 gal. jug of water and use an outhouse if possible. On the other hand, I just got done winterizing (30's forcasted for the weekend, it was 70's last weekend) and it took me less than 15 minutes and 1 1/2 gal of pink stuff to get everything done. If it don't get much below freezing and warms up during the day, you could just blow out the lines, empty all the tanks and open the caps to the low points and you should be Ok. but then again not knowing the area you might want to be safe and winterize.


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## Collinsfam_WY (Nov 9, 2006)

Last winter we drained our lines but didn't blow them out. It turned out that there was enough water in there that when we got 1 really hard freeze towards the end of the winter it busted our kitchen faucet and that was the only damage. When I went to buy the replacement I was prepared for a couple hundred dollars for a replacement and perhaps having to get the install done at a shop. The faucet was $30 and it just screws on - we were lucky.

I would say blow out your lines and use some pink stuff just to be safe. We don't use the fresh water tank at all so we don't have to rinse and sanitize it for winter camping. When we want to go we go and don't worry about draining anything before using it and then just blow out the lines and use more pink stuff when we get home.

Micah


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## o0jonna0o (Oct 29, 2008)

Definitely from everything I've read I'm going to make sure we use pink stuff just as a reassurance. I'd rather be safe than sorry LOL!


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