Winterize before my Christmas trip to Florida?

[decodancer]

I live in south eastern New York and would normally winterize in November but have a ten day Christmas trip to central Florida planned. I can plug in at night and run a ceramic heater if we get frigid weather before then, will that be enough? I will be camping two nights on the way down and two on the way back. Obviously the vehicle heat will be on so I figure I won't have any problem while traveling but not sure what to do when I arrive home. I think I can do without running water on the trip. I use bottled for my coffee and can eat out or do sandwiches if needed. I will need the black water tanks obviously (bottled water to flush?) and hopefully the campground showers will be heated. I am not taking 95 south as I hate city traffic so it will be colder inland. This native Floridian is pretty new to the whole winterizing routine so any help would be appreciated.

[Gary RVRoamer]

If you don't freeze before you get out of PA you should be ok. You aren't likely to encounter much sustained below freezing weather from Virginia south. Low 30's at night, but not the hours below freezing it takes to make trouble.

Watch your icemaker water line if you have one. It is rather exposed by the vent in the back of the fridge. If the fridge is not running t keep things warm back there, it gets mighty cold.

[Poptop]

As for flushing into the black tank we use a little rv antifreeze for that. A $4-at-wally-world-gallon goes further than you would think and we feel better knowing the freeze point has been lowered. Some may not like the price but it gives us a warm fuzzy so we do it when winter traveling/camping.

[edj]

Quote:

Originally Posted by decodancer I live in south eastern New York and would normally winterize in November but have a ten day Christmas trip to central Florida planned. I can plug in at night and run a ceramic heater if we get frigid weather before then, will that be enough? I will be camping two nights on the way down and two on the way back. Obviously the vehicle heat will be on so I figure I won't have any problem while traveling but not sure what to do when I arrive home. I think I can do without running water on the trip. I use bottled for my coffee and can eat out or do sandwiches if needed. I will need the black water tanks obviously (bottled water to flush?) and hopefully the campground showers will be heated. I am not taking 95 south as I hate city traffic so it will be colder inland. This native Floridian is pretty new to the whole winterizing routine so any help would be appreciated.

First you have to find out if the under-floor area where the tanks/plumbing are covered so a furnace heat outlet can warm it up. Assuming this is the case, you must use the furnace to keep it warm. An electric heater in the trailer will not stop the plumbing and tanks from freezing under the floor. Run an electric line from the house to supply 120vac to the trailer, set the furnace thermostat to about 40-45 degrees and just let the furnace keep the trailer from freezing. You will have to check the propane tanks from time to time and refill as needed.

If you do not have a sealed area under the floor for the furnace heat to keep the tanks warm or you can not get electric to the rig, winterize it. When you are coming back up north, winterize the trailer the last stop before you get home. When we did this, we would usually stop in VA, winterize the trailer and head home the next day.

[damdannyboy]

Really? SE/NY is not very warm in Nov, Dec. I live in Rhode Island and seen it get down right Arctic in November, so we won't talk about Dec. On that note, forget the ceramic heater it's 7 weeks til Christmas. It would be a good time to get better acquainted with winterizing your rig. once you get the hang of it, it's a breeze.(almost) That way you do it all over again when get back ! Well enjoy yourself and have a safe trip.

[Poptop]

And when checking to see if your water, grey, and black tanks are in heater compartments, be sure to check the drain plugs/outlets to make sure they are also enclosed. Many RV units I've seen have these exposed to the elements.

[decodancer]

Thanks for the advice. I do not have a propane heater, a previous owner must have removed it when remodeling. Propane does run the hot water heater, stove, and fridge, is there an aftermarket heater I could add? It does get chilly with just the ceramic heater and prohibits me from boondocking at Wal-Mart. Don't know if the roof air has a heat strip but would guess that the batteries would run out as I have no generator. I'm not apposed to buying one (will have to keep it outside at night) if not too expensive. From most of your responses, Im thinking I should go ahead and winterize all except the black water tank. The antifreeze for flushing sounds like a good idea. I will be staying in the motorhome in Florida but will be eating with and can shower in the family home. After a long day of solo driving, don't know that I'll have the energy to winterize on the way back home but can dump the tank at my last stop.

[Fossilhog]

Quote:

Originally Posted by decodancer I live in south eastern New York and would normally winterize in November but have a ten day Christmas trip to central Florida planned. I can plug in at night and run a ceramic heater if we get frigid weather before then, will that be enough? I will be camping two nights on the way down and two on the way back. Obviously the vehicle heat will be on so I figure I won't have any problem while traveling but not sure what to do when I arrive home. I think I can do without running water on the trip. I use bottled for my coffee and can eat out or do sandwiches if needed. I will need the black water tanks obviously (bottled water to flush?) and hopefully the campground showers will be heated. I am not taking 95 south as I hate city traffic so it will be colder inland. This native Floridian is pretty new to the whole winterizing routine so any help would be appreciated.

Instead of bottled water use windsheild washer fluid, it's cheaper than RV antifreeze. When I winterize I use 2 gallons of the pink stuff for the system and also pour some in my sink traps and then the rest of 2 gallons into the holding taks just to be sure...overkill? Maybe....Have a good trip!

[Ken-55]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fossilhog Instead of bottled water use windsheild washer fluid, it's cheaper than RV antifreeze.

We remodeled the stick house's only bathroom last winter . . . the winterized RV toilet in the driveway was a lifesaver.

We used the blue winter windshield wiper fluid to flush with no problems at all.

[wa8yxm]

I would go ahead and blow out the lines (Air) use the heater if you don't want to pink up the traps.. This is easier than using pink in the lines.. Then when you leave carry bottled water (5 gallon jerry cans or whatever) inside the rig to "Manually" flush or wash or whatever. Perhaps a couple of gallons of drinking water as well (Gallon bottles)

Water up long about South Carolina/Georgia.

(Which happens to be where I"m parked just n0w)

[TW]

Did I read right, you have no Furnace in the MH ? Even in Florida you need in the morning a furnace for a short time? I / We just love it toasty warm.

Have a safe trip
TW

[bdaball]

We leave Maine in January. Aside from shoveling the roof off,(MORE TIMES THAN ONCE!!!), we do winterize. Done it so often it's a breeze. For the price of two or three gallons of anti freeze there is no question that you'll be protected. It is really not hard or complicated once you have done it.

We tape pink insulation boards up over the overhead vents and fans. Keep the night shades down and run like He!! for Pedro's South of the Border. Once there we dump the antifreeze, take on water and get out the sun block!

Ditto on the windshield washer fluid as a flush fluid. Never had an issue.