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Lil'Darlin1972 · 10-31-2007, 04:23 PM

<span class="ev_code_PURPLE">I know many of you fine people live in places where you don't have to winterize.

But this is for my fellow campers that do...

This week was bittersweet. Chad blew out the lines and worked on winterizing our motorhome. I worked on the inside. I don't know what everyone else does...but when our camping season ends, I pack up just about everything in big tubs with lids and store it inside the garage for the winter. All of the linens and bedding get washed and packed. The medicine, toiletries, batteries and cleaning supplies are brought it to be used up over the winter. The kids games and crafts are put up. I like to wash all the dishes before packing them up too.

Standing in the motorhome looking at all of these tubs, it amazed me that it all FIT in the motorhome at all. I really had a lot of things in there !! Once I got everything out...I gave everything a good scrubbing. The cabinets, drawers and medicine cabinet. I vacuumed places I don't do with a typical cleaning...under the bed and sofa, etc.

So although I was sad about the camping season ending...it is a good feeling to have the motorhome completely cleaned out again. And knowing everything will be fresh and clean in the spring when I load it back in.

I was also thinking that if our schedules and the weather didn't allow for this 5 month break...would I enjoy it as much ?? I have 5 months to reflect on all of the great trips we took this season, and all the places we want to go next year. If I camped 12 months a year would I feel the same way ?? Would I have the same excitement for it ?? I am going to be thrilled when we get to go camping for the first time next spring. I will probably be smiling for weeks before just getting ready for it. Is it true that absence makes the heart grow fonder ??

Thanks to those of you that made it all the way through this. I didn't mean to ramble on so much. And I hope you aren't too sad when you winterize...try to look on the bright side. </span>

Lil'Darlin1972 · 10-31-2007, 04:23 PM

<span class="ev_code_PURPLE">I know many of you fine people live in places where you don't have to winterize.

But this is for my fellow campers that do...

This week was bittersweet. Chad blew out the lines and worked on winterizing our motorhome. I worked on the inside. I don't know what everyone else does...but when our camping season ends, I pack up just about everything in big tubs with lids and store it inside the garage for the winter. All of the linens and bedding get washed and packed. The medicine, toiletries, batteries and cleaning supplies are brought it to be used up over the winter. The kids games and crafts are put up. I like to wash all the dishes before packing them up too.

Standing in the motorhome looking at all of these tubs, it amazed me that it all FIT in the motorhome at all. I really had a lot of things in there !! Once I got everything out...I gave everything a good scrubbing. The cabinets, drawers and medicine cabinet. I vacuumed places I don't do with a typical cleaning...under the bed and sofa, etc.

So although I was sad about the camping season ending...it is a good feeling to have the motorhome completely cleaned out again. And knowing everything will be fresh and clean in the spring when I load it back in.

I was also thinking that if our schedules and the weather didn't allow for this 5 month break...would I enjoy it as much ?? I have 5 months to reflect on all of the great trips we took this season, and all the places we want to go next year. If I camped 12 months a year would I feel the same way ?? Would I have the same excitement for it ?? I am going to be thrilled when we get to go camping for the first time next spring. I will probably be smiling for weeks before just getting ready for it. Is it true that absence makes the heart grow fonder ??

Thanks to those of you that made it all the way through this. I didn't mean to ramble on so much. And I hope you aren't too sad when you winterize...try to look on the bright side. </span>

David K · 10-31-2007, 05:17 PM

Shannone

Look at the positive side -- you have cleaned everything back to its "new condition", you will use up the old stuff over the winter to replace it with new in the Spring, you will have time to add the things that come to mind over the Winter that you wish you had this past season.

I am one of the lucky ones in that living here in Atlanta, I do pump the lines with anitfreeze but, other than that, really don't have to do any other Winterizing. I keep the MH plugged in at the house and run a small heater inside which keeps the heat up at a decent temperature, the batteries are on a battery minder to keep them up. About once a month, I will run the generator for an hour or so and on a good weekend, I will take the MH out and exercise everything.

Look forward to next Spring when the "adventure" begins again.

Y-Guy · 10-31-2007, 05:37 PM

Shannone I feel for you. We still have several trips planned before putting the camper down to nap. We're heading out next weekend for 4 nights in search of mud and maybe snow. I know we're camping through Thanksgiving, then probably not until late January. We generally pull the sleeping bags and bedding but the rest stays in the camper.

While it down I have a few mods planned, like you I'm removing the swivel chair and looking to add a small cabinet.

Kazoo Tom · 10-31-2007, 06:15 PM

As we live in the same area of the country as you, winterizing is required each year. In fact, I just went out and bought the anti-freeze for the job tonight. This weekend it will be complete. We don't clean everything out like you, but a good scrubbing and vacuum of the interior is also done.

I am hoping that next year the winterizing will be comprised of a trip to warmer climates for the winter season. That sound so much better to us.

Gary the Wombat · 10-31-2007, 06:16 PM

Hi Shannone

Although I know what you mean about having a chance to get everything cleaned and squared away, and an opportunity to sit back and reflect on the good times had, I also like the ability to keep on doing small trips through the winter.

In fact next week we are going to Mt. Shasta for a few days, and we (along with our 20 year old son) are going to Pahrump and Death Valley on Dec. 23 for Christmas and the week after. Going to put a small Christmas tree on the dashboard!

Life in CA is tough, but someone's got to do it!

jimandsue60 · 10-31-2007, 07:19 PM

If you Really want to look on the bright side, keep a couple of those tubs with basic essentials in the motor home. Warm cloths,some canned or dried foods nothing that will spoil or bust out of a can in the deep freeze. Put a few gallons of rv anti freeze in a closet. Enough stuff for an overnightor two. Keep the propane tank filled.

You could use the toilet if you flushed the toilet with the rv anti feeze out of the jug.

Now if your schedule permits and all of a sudden a great warm weather weekend happens to come about you could be ready to have a quicky nite out with or without the kids

It is very possible, just start the engine once a week and keep the snow from accumulating around the coach. Once in a while sweep the snow off the roof.

Keep an open mind and go for it if the conditions are right.

Jim

ISLAPP · 11-01-2007, 04:03 AM

So that more of our members can participate in related topics, I am moving this to general discussion forum. By posting in the appropriate forum, you get more people involved.
Mike

Gary the Wombat · 11-01-2007, 08:09 AM

In light of the recent fires in SoCal and a moderate earthquake 2 days ago near San Jose, we always keep our MH moderately stocked and fueled at all times. It is our backup plan in case of an emergency that would make our house unlivable.

WaveMaker · 11-01-2007, 10:38 AM

Living in Arizona ya have a little of both,
we can Drive up north 1-1/2 hours and camp in the snow and freeze your Feet... for a few days, then ya can drive back home and warm up, that i love... i hate the summer, but we can go up north 20-30 digrees difference, but the summer here is realy brutil, 110 - 113, But then i know what its like back in Pennsylvania in the middle of winter and its always COLD

Dean

Moder2 · 11-02-2007, 03:22 AM

Shannon and Chad...

No doubt winter camping can be a great experience. Before we went full-time we made a point of using ours all winter long, mostly because it made me upset to think of making a payment on something sitting in my driveway.

We would winterize, and remove any freeze ables, but everything else stayed inside it, ready to go. We had a small group of friends that loved to go with us, and made some great traditions on a couple holidays! We used to live in Milwaukee, so dealing with the cold is just one of those things you learn to deal with.

Some of the most awesome weekends we had we were the only 2 or 3 rigs in the park, under a couple feet of snow cover. It all depends on what you want out of your RV experiences, but I certainly wouldn't let a bit of cold weather hold me back.

John

j2detoit · 11-02-2007, 03:43 PM

we have had our camper winteized now since oct 6th that was the last weekend we went camping and it was glorious that weekend but we were glad to have it all done for the winter and it has been nice to spend some time at home on the weekends we have our camper at a perminant campsite so we just clean herout and packeverythig away

Ray,IN · 11-03-2007, 01:00 AM

There is another bright side. We all tend to "accumulate" things. When we remove things as you did, it creates a perfect time to sort through everything and remove what was not used last year. My wife found things she didn't remember putting there. I guess we removed about 200# of stuff we haven't used in at least a year.

RVJeeper · 11-03-2007, 09:04 AM

We can sympathize even though we are now living in Florida and no longer have to winterize. When we were living in upstate NY it really hurt to write that payment check out every month while the RV was only good as a hiding place to store the kids' Christmas presents!

Of course RVing in Florida isn't all sunshine and roses year 'round either. We have to really curtail our adventures during the hot summer months or just sit inside the RV in the air conditioning. Our prime camping season is just beginning now that cooler temps have arrived.