My outlaw winterizing strategy

[dropframe]

So I want to use my 2007 outlaw year round, and I live in Wisconsin, next to lake Michigan. It gets cold here! I at first was going to do the standard winterizing routine (or rather have someone show me how to), but it hit me - why can't I just set the heater for 50 degrees, throw a trouble light in the water bay and be done with it? It doesn't look like it will go through the propane that quickly.

Our average temperatures don't seem to be insurmountable - we usually have 1 or 2 weeks of sub zero weather sometime in jan/feb, but other then that, its just wet and annoying.

Any thoughts? This is my first RV of any type, so maybe I am just being foolish?

[DGShaffer]

I tried that and I went through quite a bit of propane. You'll need to take it out to get more if you're there a while. I thought about having a 100 pound cylinder dropped off when I thought about doing that as I watched my propane disappearing. If you leave it at the same spot you might consider that. The company that delivers the tank may also come to refill it.

[melving]

Been doing that for years as we usally leave out late January or early February. A full tank will last me usually. Last winter it didn't we had several days below freezing that did us in.

Of course mine isn't exposed to the winds as I have in a shelterlogic tent. I leave all the slides in and set my temp at 45. No light or such in the bays, water drained, but not blown out or such. Your furance should keep the bays warm enough. I've been camping in early January before and only suffered a slight freezing on the fresh water line that's on the outside wall. Of course it got down to -10 that night which didn't help.

[JimM68]

It should be doable, but expensive. You will need electricity. The furnaces blowers will kill the batteries in a day. If you can't plug in, you need a genny with auto start (and stop) based on battery voltage and since you're a fiver without 100 gallons of diesel on board, you'll need a fuel supply.

Skirt it all the way around, that will go a long way on keeping liquids from turning into solids. i'd use 4x8 sheets of 1" foam and lots of tape, won't be too hard to take off when you want to use it.

[gasser 38]

I would think blowing the lines out and a few gallons of rv anti freeze will be a lot cheaper than trying to heat it. It should not take you more than an hour to winterize the water. You should still change the motor oil and gen oil even if you are going to use it. If you invest in a small compressor and carry some a/f you could do it before you leave to go home then pull it in kill the batteries and your done

[TAZ]

I'm with Gasser 38. I used to live outside Chicago and hunt in Wisconsin. Blowing the lines out between trips, open the low point drains and red stuff in all the traps. I used to drain the hot water heater until I found that there was no water in it after blowing the lines. I still pull the heater drain plug to make sure but it is always empty.

[dropframe]

Well everything is still working. It is costing $30-$40 a week in propane tho. That is still cheaper then paying for indoor storage - they want about $180/mo here for that. Of course I have yet to hit the below zero weather I know we will be getting in January and February.

Talked to a propane guy today. He can sell me a 100# tank for $75 (used) and then every week or 2 come out and fill it for me. For $25 he will install an extend-a-stay.

I think I am going to keep this up until after my trip to PA after Christmas. Then I will re-evaulte if I want to keep the outlaw heated or just winterize it and not be able to use it anymore.

[DGShaffer]

That's what I was saying earlier. I travel between Christmas and New Years each year so with that I thought I would do the same thing. Since they wouldn't deliver propane to my house I had to drive it out to get the tanks refilled. The 100 pounder is the same thing I was considering until I bailed and just spent the half hour to winterize it. Also be careful that those cylinders have a life expectancy so check the date stamped on the cylinder before you buy it.

Once I blow the lines out and fill it with antifreeze I put the plug back into the water heater tank and close the bypass. When it's time to go all I have to do is fill the fresh water tank and purge the system which can be done by the wife as we're heading out of town.

[donandmax]

I found out one thing, when its really cold out it is very expensive to heat with propane. Here in Co propane is running $2,50 per gal. We had the grand kids stay with us for about a month and they stayed out in the moho to sleep. Our propane bill was about 600.00 compared to 100.00 for our home. (nat. gas) Full timing in the cold would not be for us. That furnace eats it up very quickly.

[tr21r]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dropframe Well everything is still working. It is costing $30-$40 a week in propane tho. That is still cheaper then paying for indoor storage - they want about $180/mo here for that. Of course I have yet to hit the below zero weather I know we will be getting in January and February. Talked to a propane guy today. He can sell me a 100# tank for $75 (used) and then every week or 2 come out and fill it for me. For $25 he will install an extend-a-stay. I think I am going to keep this up until after my trip to PA after Christmas. Then I will re-evaulte if I want to keep the outlaw heated or just winterize it and not be able to use it anymore.

Wow, only $180 for indoor storage? I'd take that. You're not only saving on propane, but your saving wear and tear on all your components and maybe buying yourself several extra years of exterior finish life by not exposing it to the elements for several months a year.

In the SF Bay area outdoor storage runs $150-180, indoor is another 50%.

Cheers,

[JohnFreyja]

Wow, I'm paying $225 a month just outside Seattle for covered but outdoors with 20 amp plugin for battery.

[Steve N Sal]

I would winterize it for sure. You'll find out how quick you'll go thru the LP gas. Don't what you pay where you are but here in FL just paid $4.25/gallon. Of course that was the delivered price. I could have saved some to drive to get filled but that isn't real handy at this point and time. Good luck.

[dropframe]

Well I am going to winterize this week. Cost is not out of control for me - I go thru a 100# tank a week at 0f - I keep it at 45 and put a small ceramic heater in the wetbay. After talking with my wife, we are not going anywhere this Jan & Feb so it doesn't make sense to keep it heated.

I am trying to learn not to be so paranoid about the RV during winter. I think crowd sourced wisdom can make you nervous about things you might not need to be nervous about.

The Outlaw is resilient when it comes to cold weather, it handles snow just fine when you drive it. I had no issues with lines freezing or water bursting thru the walls.

From talking to other RV owners I am sort of coming to the conclusion that even the the Outlaw is an entry level RV, it is built pretty tough because of all the weight it has to carry. I have only owned it from the beginning of November this year, but it seems to a very useable year round vehicle.

Granted I haven't used it during our -20F cold snaps that are coming this Jan/Feb - but I bet it's doable with a little planning.

[dropframe]

Maybe I should have skipped winterizing? Or at least did it sooner. Brought it to a dealership since I had no idea how to do it. They where actually kind enough to walk me thru the process. Which is now very easy

They had no dump station tho, so I had to go to a state park about 20 min away. When I got to the park the door with the septic hose was frozen. I heated up the key on the stove, put it in the lock and *snap* - the key breaks in 2 :(

Then I remembered the dealership gave me a hose! I run into the RV and get it. It's about 4 feet long. I end up having to almost stratal the dump station just to get the hose to go from the rv to the hole.

Pull the plug and the black tank empties nicely. Pull the valve for the Grey - and frozen!!!!. Ok I'll bring it home and empty the grey onto my lawn. Except it was like 18 degrees out and the septic hose froze to it's mount and wouldn't unmount.

Great.

Drive home, of course when I open the door, there are little pieces of poop on the bottom of the compartment. I put a ceramic heater in for about 5 min. Pull the grey valve and it all flushes out. The dumb hose still won't unhook.

I make sure all the valves are closed. I pull out the heater and I shut the door leaving the hose connected.

I am done with that until spring! I'll get the hose off later!

Now how do I get another outside storage door key made? Hopefully Thor can cut me one because I only had the one set of keys!