TECHNICAL | DR POP UP
PREPARING YOUR CAMPER FOR
WINTER STORAGE
For many of us it’ s time to start thinking about what we need to do to get the camper ready for winter. A bit of work will protect your pride and joy from the elements and uninvited visitors. Here are a few suggestions to help you through the winterizing process.
Plumbing
Pop-up campers are plumbed with plastic pipes, faucets, toilets and fittings that can crack if any water left inside them freezes, guaranteeing a nasty surprise come spring. The first step is to drain the system. Look for your camper’ s drain valves or low-point drains, either underneath the camper or inside one of the lower cabinets. Open all of the drain valves and faucets on your camper. Unscrew the water heater anode rod( usually a 1-1 / 16 inch socket; a thin wall socket might be necessary), so the water drains out. If the anode rod is mostly eaten away, its time to replace it. The water heater can be flushed of any crud with a special garden hose attachment. If you have a cassette toilet, open the fresh-water holding tank drain valve. Once you have drained the water lines, close all the faucets and drain valves, and re-insert the anode rod, otherwise it will be hard to get back in later, as the threads will rust quickly. The next step is to use either of the following two methods to complete the process.
Generally speaking, if you live south of the Mason-Dixon Line, you can blow the system out with air by attaching an aftermarket blow-out plug to the city-water hookup on your camper. Connect an air compressor or some kind of an air pump to the blow-out plug and apply a small amount of air pressure, as specified in the instructions that come with your blow-out adapter( usually between 20 and 50 PSI) and then open each drain valve and faucet, one at a time, until dry air is dispensed, then close. Don’ t forget your outside shower and toilet. Run the water pump for about 20 seconds to make sure it’ s dry too.
If you live north of the Mason-Dixon Line, or it gets really cold, then you are better off to use RV antifreeze to displace the water remaining in your system. Never use automotive antifreeze: it’ s toxic. RV antifreeze is usually pink and is nontoxic. You should only need one gallon, more if you plan to
ASK DR POP-UP
draw from the fresh water tank. If you have a water heater and it doesn’ t already have a by-pass kit to prevent filling the water heater tank with antifreeze, you may want to pay a visit to your dealer to get a kit. Usually RV antifreeze is used undiluted. Most people disconnect the intake line from their water pump and can either drop it into the antifreeze bottle or they temporarily add a length of inlet hose long enough to run from the pump and into the jug of antifreeze. Some pumps have this feature built right in, so check your system first. It is not necessary to winterize a drained fresh water tank because there is plenty of room for the water remaining to expand. Whichever way you choose to go, turn on the water pump to circulate the antifreeze throughout the plumbing system by opening one faucet at a time, including outside faucets and the toilet, until the antifreeze starts to come out. Some will go into the drain traps, which is fine. Finally, remove the city-water fill cap and carefully remove the small screen. Gently press on the relief valve, which will allow the pressure in the system to push antifreeze out of the system( hint: stand to the side or at the minimum have someone there with a video camera).
If all this seems a bit daunting, it really isn’ t. But if you’ re not sure, most RV dealers have winterizing seminars, as well as specials if you’ d prefer to have someone else do it. RV Antifreeze, Blow-out Plugs, Water Tank Flush Wands and Water Heater By-Pass Kits are available at most RV supply sources and usually have their own instructions for use.
Interior
After a busy summer of camping, the winterizing process is also a good opportunity to take stock of what’ s in the trailer and fight that“ weight creep” that our campers typically suffer from. Not wanting to give critters a place to get comfy, it’ s best to ensure all clothing, linen, towels are removed, as well as all food from the cupboards and the fridge. Move flashlights, candles, and your weather radio into the house so that they’ re handy during winter storms.
Vacuum the trailer thoroughly, and then give the inside of the cupboards a good wipe with a damp cloth or household spray cleaner. The refrigerator should be turned off and thoroughly
24 Autumn 2009 |