Alternative winterizing

[MickBrennan]

Hopefully everybody knows how to winterize. Blow out the lines, antifreeze, covers, storage. My question is about unusual or alternative techniques we have been hearing about.

Do dryer sheets really keep mice away?

We have seen $150,000 coaches covered with $20 blue plastic tarps attached with bunchy cords. Does that work?

Tennis balls under the wiper arms to keep the blades straight. (I like that one.)

One person in our campground leaves an incandescent lamp operating on a timer to drive off moisture? Heard that one?

Plywood under (and in front of) tires. Protection?

Putting windshield washer fluid in waste tanks and drain traps?

Has anyone heard about these or other non-standard winterizing procedures?

Thanks in advance for your replies.

[Rocky Larson]

Heard tell, directly from an old timer, that the baymen, in times gone past, used moonshine to winterize their boats. At least that's what his pappy told him.

[RV Wizard]

The best way to winterize is to go south for the winter and enjoy the coach! Otherwise one could leave some source of heat; enough to prevent damage.
Just blowing out lines can cause other problems if there was scale in the water or you have peaks and valleys in plumbing and you don't get it all out. This is where the best way to winterize is the wet method with potable antifreeze.
Attached covers will damage the coach in time.
There are many things people do; some work and some don't but I think each scenario has variables that must be considered.

[lostagain]

I have heard of some of those things but don't do any. Just straight forward by the manual winterizing.

[Route 66]

I too believe RV antifreeze is the best method. In the water lines and in the traps and all tanks.

I would only park on plywood if on dirt or sand to prevent sinking in. All wood will absorb water, so there's no advantage there.

No tarp, no cover. They all move and rub the MH.

Tennis balls, yes.

I don't believe dryer sheets or a light bulb do any good.

[AL]

Hi All,

I second what RV Wizard said about going south, which is why I left NJ last Monday!

I was told that the tennis balls was to keep the rubber from sticking to windshild either due to heat or ice?? Guess it depends on who you ask,LOL!!

[wkdwitch]

The dryer sheets keep musty odors at bay, for a fresh smelling departure at a minutes notice. But doubt the mice care. Our electronic pest repellent does seem to really help with varmints,,,,going on 2 years sticky trap free!

Never tried tennis balls. but we park 2 mths at a time and use 'swim noodles' on our wiper blades to protect against UV rays and heat stick to glass in sun problems - only on 2nd set of wipers in almost 8 years of year round use.

Only used wood under the brand new tires this summer due to parking for 2 mths on ASPHALT do nothing on gravel or grass. Best tire care is USE them.

Like so many things we read or hear, try it and see - one can learn in many ways.

[MickBrennan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rocky Larson Heard tell, directly from an old timer, that the baymen, in times gone past, used moonshine to winterize their boats. At least that's what his pappy told him.

Shame to waste moonshine.

[HD4Mark]

The dryer sheets seem to work for our boat. The first winter we stored it with the brand new $900 cockpit cover folded neatly away in the cabin mice chewed holes in it. Since then we have put the dryer sheets in and no mice. Might be a coincidence of course but for the money I'm putting them in.

We use them in the RV also just in case. For winterizing the water system I used to blow out the lines and then fill with antifreeze. Now we will be driving somewhere warm instead

We bought an Adco cover for the RV and discovered the levers on the slide toppers rubbed holes through it. A patch job and good ol' tennis balls with a slit cut in them to put on the levers solved that. A word of caution about covers if you live somewhere that gets rain, snow and ice. If you plan to depart during the winter months, keep the snow brushed off the roof. It can be difficult to remove without damaging the cover if there is snow and ice built up.

I like the moonshine idea. In the spring you could just fill jugs from the tap until it started to get weak.

[ImagineIF]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MickBrennan Hopefully everybody knows how to winterize. Blow out the lines, antifreeze, covers, storage. My question is about unusual or alternative techniques we have been hearing about. Tennis balls under the wiper arms to keep the blades straight. (I like that one.) One person in our campground leaves an incandescent lamp operating on a timer to drive off moisture? Heard that one? Plywood under (and in front of) tires. Protection? Putting windshield washer fluid in waste tanks and drain traps?

Let me speak to a few years of winterizing my boat, this will be the first year for the MH.

I empty the water tank, which is really never totally empty. I put some pink stuff in and run the pump to ensure the pump and lines servicing it are protected. I by pass the hot water heater, drain it and leave the drain open. I blow out all lines, air compressors set to 40 psi. I then take some pink stuff and fill the white hose between the boat's water system and the air compressor and again blow out the lines. This takes care of any low loops and minimizes the amount of pink stuff left in the lines. I use less too. This is the same procedure I'll use for the MH.

Some in this area use vodka instead of pink stuff. The local liquor store gets pallets of cheap vodka so the price is the same as the pink stuff. This gets rid of the spring pink stuff taste. I wondered how they tell if vodka has made it all the way through the lines as it's clear. They say they simply have to taste what's coming out of each faucet--about one shot glass per faucet is all they need to taste

Anything you can do to isolate your tires from standing moisture is a plus. So, yes use the wood if on gravel or other non solid surface.

I see some cut down insulation designed for pipes or swim floatees to keep their wipers off the windshield. This makes sense to me.

On my boat, I use an electric oil heater set on low to combat humidity. It works, much light a light bulb burning.

I too wonder works for rodent control, mice and squirrels can destroy so much.

[dsbike]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MickBrennan Shame to waste moonshine.

I think there is a misunderstanding here. They use Moonshine to keep warm during the winter months when they can't be on thier boats.

[Downsizer]

We have used dryer sheets, moth balls and just about everything else to control mice........ only the good old fashioned TRAP stops them....... They typically "poo" on the sheets and moth balls!!!!!
Nothing like good old fashioned traps!!!

[caymann]

Mice - traps always work, ultrasonic repellent may work, the rest i am not sure...tried peppermint oil, dryer sheets, naphthalene....nothing worked

Wood under the tires - whatever keeps moisture away.

Incandescent light for moisture - you will need lots of them depending on coach size
Better use a dehumidifier and a couple of fans and use timer

Blow out water lines - this method doesn't take away water from low spots, if you have aqua hot then this is is not recommended as your lines will burst costing $7500 for a refurb Aqua Hot

Windshield water is poisonous - when you dump it, some animal (including your pet) can die due to this - environmental hazard as well

Covering the MH - this will keep it look shiny for years. I have tried covers and no covers and now use covers all the time

[MickBrennan]

Thanks everybody. There are a bunch more unusual methods popping up all over during this time of year. Some suggestions make no sense at all! The tennis ball under the wiper arm is very popular.

Anyone have others?