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10-24-2010, 07:14 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Vintage RV Owners Club Solo Rvers Club
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Armonk NY
Posts: 308
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Winterize before my Christmas trip to Florida?
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.
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Fulltime workamper traveling with Toy Poodles Cricket and Liza and Standard Poodle Gable
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10-24-2010, 07:23 PM
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#2
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: West Palm Beach, FL. USA
Posts: 27,563
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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.
__________________
Gary Brinck
Former owner of 2004 American Tradition and several other RVs
Home is West Palm Beach, FL
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11-03-2010, 03:37 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 428
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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.
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11-03-2010, 04:31 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 416
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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.
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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.
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11-03-2010, 06:59 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Newmar Owners Club Nor'easters Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 416
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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.
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.....Damdannyboy........
2019 Northwood Arctic Fox 27 5L
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11-03-2010, 09:36 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 428
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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.
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11-04-2010, 05:24 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Vintage RV Owners Club Solo Rvers Club
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Armonk NY
Posts: 308
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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.
__________________
Fulltime workamper traveling with Toy Poodles Cricket and Liza and Standard Poodle Gable
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11-04-2010, 08:43 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Howell, New Jersey
Posts: 360
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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.
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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!
__________________
Tim ,Retired Police Lt. 2002 Winnebago Adventurer+16' Trailer
Harley Road King and Heritage Classic+,Trik-L-start,Hughes Autoformer. Blue Tick Coon hound
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11-04-2010, 09:03 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: CT
Posts: 378
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fossilhog
Instead of bottled water use windsheild washer fluid, it's cheaper than RV antifreeze.
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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.
__________________
2005 National Dolphin 6376 LX
bought used in 2017
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11-04-2010, 12:09 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Damon Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 24,024
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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)
__________________
Home is where I park it!
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11-04-2010, 12:28 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Newmar Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 1,003
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No furnace ?
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
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11-04-2010, 03:45 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Nor'easters Club Workhorse Chassis Owner Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: MAINE, The way Life should be.
Posts: 1,092
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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.
__________________
Tiffin Allegro Bus, 425 Cummins Freightliner XCR, Camp Freightliner, Acadia Denali, tow-N-4 Down, Blue-OX tow bar, TST Monitors, Seelevel II Monitors, Samsung Res Fridge, Progressive 50A-EMS, No Kids-No Pets, Full Time.
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