Winterize or not

[jmlocklin]

We are planning on using our trailer at least one week a month throughout the winter. The question I have is what should I do to protect the plumbing for the other 3 weeks of the month during the winter. Is draining the water lines enough? Should I use a small electric heater in the camper when the nights are below freezing? I usually keep it plugged into the 110 volts at home so adding a small heater is no problem. Going through the whole winterization process seems like a lot of trouble when it is not going to be stored for the winter. Any suggestions?

[rhagfo]

How often do you see freezing temperatures in Talladega?
We would blow the lines and put pink stuff in the P traps only if the temps were going below 28 if day time was near 50. If daytime was colder then we would blow if getting to 32. If I traveled for work more than four days, I would check the forecast and if at all cold would blow and do the pink.

[Dave W]

Even Alabama can get pretty chilly. A day or two when it drops to high twentys then goes into the 40s may not hurt anything. If it goes into the 20s overnight and never gets warm during the day - you may be in trouble. Myself, would probably not but have a couple gallons of pink stuff just in case the weather man predicts cold. If you look at today's weather, you will see that even San Antonio, TX area got measurable snow yesterday while we in Upstate NY haven't seen any this year. Our GD loved the Texas snow

[spdracr39]

Blow it out with air each time you come back from camping and put a shot of pink in the ptraps. you are probably looking at a total of an extra 30 minutes of prep time and don't have to lay awake at night worrying.

[Javi]

Originally Posted by spdracr39

Blow it out with air each time you come back from camping and put a shot of pink in the ptraps. you are probably looking at a total of an extra 30 minutes of prep time and don't have to lay awake at night worrying.

That's been my practice for many years...

[ctbruce]

Blow out the lines. Don't forget any outside faucets or your toilet valve. Don't ask me how I know. Partially drain York HW tank to leave room for expansion. You'll be good to go.

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[jmlocklin]

Update...Since we do not have that many nights with temps in the 20's, I decided to just heat the camper on those nights, at least temporarily. As it turned out last night that was a good decision. 8 inches of snow, and when we lost electricity at the house, we just moved into the camper for the night. Worked out great this time.

[Bisjoe]

I winterized in November, since it was the first winter for our new trailer, I wasn’t going to take any chances. I recently put a remote wireless transmitting
thermometer in it, so I can monitor the interior temperature from inside the house. This morning is our coldest so far, 24F outside, and in the trailer it’s 29.
Normally we can get down to about 10F so I’m glad I did the air blowing out the lines and added antifreeze. Apparently the “freezproof insulation” is an exaggeration.

[jmlocklin]

Latest update...Decided to blow out the lines and put pink stuff in the traps. Drained the hot water tank and the fresh water tank. In all it only took 20 minutes or less. After the snow melted temps climbed to 60 but expecting mid 20's tonight. Decided to do this so I wouldn't have to worry about it. I had no idea it was so easy.

[Bisjoe]

Originally Posted by jmlocklin

Latest update...Decided to blow out the lines and put pink stuff in the traps. Drained the hot water tank and the fresh water tank. In all it only took 20 minutes or less. After the snow melted temps climbed to 60 but expecting mid 20's tonight. Decided to do this so I wouldn't have to worry about it. I had no idea it was so easy.

Your water heater must be easier to drain than ours, it took that long just to get the plug out. It’s plastic, and hard to reach, had to remove some metal shields to get vice grips in there. It’s 23 now, 30 inside the trailer, and snow expected in the morning for a white Christmas Eve.

[rhagfo]

Originally Posted by jmlocklin

Latest update...Decided to blow out the lines and put pink stuff in the traps. Drained the hot water tank and the fresh water tank. In all it only took 20 minutes or less. After the snow melted temps climbed to 60 but expecting mid 20's tonight. Decided to do this so I wouldn't have to worry about it. I had no idea it was so easy.

Sounds like I would do sometimes several times over the winter. We camped at SP that didn’t have FHU so flushing pink stuff out of the water lines was not easy!

[jmlocklin]

It was easy to drain. Of course I had to buy a socket wrench set in order to get a socket big enough to fit the plug. I now have lots of sockets that I will never use and spent about $60 for them, just to get the one I needed. Throw in the time I spent going to different stores hunting the sockets...but that's just my luck.

[Dave W]

For those with a plastic plug, there is a steel replacement available with a petcoock. Just make sure you put some thread sealer on it if you want to get it out easily. Oh and that socket size - it's usually a 15/16" which is not included in most common 3/8" drive sets.

[travelin texans]

For those that just need the 15/16" socket you can buy individual sockets at most automotive or hardware stores.
Also if you own a rv at some point you will most likely need/use all those sockets along with lots of other tools.

[oldmanbill]

I have a couger 34 foot. If heated inside is it ok to lower 20's? Or should it be winterized? It is a live in situation. Forcast 25 tonight in sunny Alabama

[ctbruce]

Originally Posted by oldmanbill

I have a couger 34 foot. If heated inside is it ok to lower 20's? Or should it be winterized? It is a live in situation. Forcast 25 tonight in sunny Alabama

Fill your fresh water tank for water and disconnect your hose. Valves may be stuck in the morning but will thaw. If stuck, don't force them or you could mess up the seals.

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[oldmanbill]

Thanks so much for that. Been living in a Dutchman and never drained or winterized, just disconnect water. Just got this one though.

[jmlocklin]

The socket that I needed was 1 and 1/16 inches. I could not buy just the socket because they were out of that size so I was stuck with buying a whole set of larger sockets or ordering one and wait for it to come. Since I thought it needed to be done I choose to buy the set. Just typical luck in this town.

[chuckster57]

Your local AP store (AutoZone) didn’t have it?

[jmlocklin]

Well, I did not check there. I had no idea of the size, except the 1 inch was too small, so went to the hardware store instead. Never thought about the auto store.