Winter is Here! How to Winterize your Camper

Well Wintertime is here and of course it's time to get those campers winterized so they don't freeze!  Winterizing is pretty simple really, don't make it more difficult than it is.  Here is a quick universal way to winterize your camper.....

• Relieve the pressure off your water heater

• Drain your water heater

• Open up your low point drains

• Drain your fresh water tank

• Drain your holding tanks

• Bypass your water heater if your camper is equipped with a bypass

• Open up all your faucets including outside shower if equipped

• Make sure to also open your toilet valve, either prop it open or have someone hold it open for you

• Install your blow out plug where your water hose would normally hook up

• Hook your air hose to the blow out plug and blow air through all your water lines until no water comes out from any of the faucets or the toilet

• Finally, pour about 1 cup of RV antifreeze down each drain and in the bowl of your toilet and you're done.

This process should take no more than 15-20 minutes and will save you time and especially money come Springtime!

Here is the process with pics added for those of you that aren't sure exactly what these components are or what they look like....

Winterizing Instructions

• Relieve the Pressure off your water heater by flipping up the lever on pop off valve located at the top of your water heater on the outside of your camper

•   Drain your water heater

                                          Drain Plug/Annode Rod on Suburban water heaters

                                                     Drain Plug on Atwood water heaters

• Open up your low point drains

• Drain your fresh water tank

• Drain your holding tanks

• Bypass your water heater if your camper is equipped with a water heater bypass system 

                                          Three valve system on backside of water heater.  Top
                                          valve and bottom valve need to be closed and middle
                                          valve needs to be open in order to bypass water heater.

                                          Single valve system.  Close this valve to bypass.

• Open up (turn on) all your faucets, cold and hot water side.  Make sure to open up your outside shower faucet as well if your camper has one.  
• Hold your toilet valve open as if you are flushing your toilet.  You will have to use something to prop it open or have someone hold it open for you while you are winterizing.
• Install blow out plug where your water hose normally hooks up at your city water connection

• Hook your air hose to the blow out plug and blow air through all your water lines until no water comes out from any of the faucets or the toilet
•  Finally, pour about 1 cup of RV antifreeze down each drain and in the bowl of your toilet and you're done.