Winter camping ?

[Jayco19]

What do you do after you get back from a winter camp trip to keep pipes from freezing until the next trip? Winterize pipes after every trip-keep heat on in the rv ? We haven't camped in the past during winter months but thinking this maybe something we might want to start doing a few times during winter.

[A32Deuce]

When we return, I make sure tanks are drained, blow the lines out 3 times and AF in all the traps, hopper and some in both waste tanks. Have been doing it this way since 2012 and we have camped in Gettysburg during the winter. Now We go south for the winter!

[Rhagfo]

Well before we went full time we did a lot of winter camping. We live in the PNW so when getting home I would look at the next weeks weather and if temps were going to be above freezing I would do nothing.
Our winterizing consisted of blowing the lines and pink stuff in P traps. Non-perishable food remained in the rig along with cloths. During the week we returned, laundry would be done and bedding and cloths returned to the rig, propane tank(s) refilled, if temps stayed above freezing would never blow the lines.

We had winters with multiple trips where I blew the lines six times, other where only did it once, because just didn't get that cold.

[Busskipper]

Originally Posted by Jayco19

What do you do after you get back from a winter camp trip to keep pipes from freezing until the next trip? Winterize pipes after every trip-keep heat on in the rv ? We haven't camped in the past during winter months but thinking this maybe something we might want to start doing a few times during winter.

IMHO, the blowing out is so easy it just makes sense, to do it and just fill to go right before the next trip.

Winter is a great time to be out and About - issue in the colder areas is finding a CG that might be open.

Best of Luck,

Golden, Co little snow

Eisenhower after a Little Snow

Monument Valley - Winter No Snow and No People

Great time to RV -

[Trekkar]

We winterize at the beginning of the season and dry camp if we're staying in colder climates. We can always find a place to camp all year long. If we go for an extended stay south, we de-winterize. It isn't that hard to make the switch.

[MthwMcIntyre]

So far my experience with winter camping has been great. Fortunately my travel trailer has a heated underbelly so all my pipes remain unfrozen but I made a video on my experience with winter camping so far. If you care to watch it, I'd appreciate any feedback on what else I could be doing in the winter time to better prepare myself

https://youtu.be/df73X9RF1II

[unixdude]

This thread is exactly what I've been looking for. Thanks to the OP!

We just bought a travel trailer -- a 2016 Keystone Summerland Mini 1800BH -- with which we upgraded from a popup, a 2006 Fleetwood Graphite. We are year-round campers who prefer to live outside, and only sleep & change clothes inside, so we have never used the plumbing or gas lines inside our previous camper.

Now that we have a bigger trailer and we are interested in using the kitchenette and bathroom, we are starting to do research on how to continue our winter camping without incurring major costs.

We are debating between getting a Viair RV air compressor and winterizing that way every time, or simply winterizing once with antifreeze and then dry camping for the winter months. I think I prefer the air compressor idea, but I'm interested in learning what others do.

Thanks, OP! Thanks to the others who are commenting so that others of us can learn what you do.

[mrboyer]

You will probably need a compressor that has a bigger tank to supply the volume of air needed to blow out the lines. I use a 150 pound max pressure Porter Cable pancake compressor. One port is 150 pounds to fill tires. The other is variable, and I use 65 pounds to blow out the lines. Open one water valve and connect air line. Open second valve and close first. Continue until I have cycled through all the valves, hot and cold, three times. Antifreeze in traps. We had to travel 3 days when high temperature was 14 F and low 11 F without any problem. We carried gallon jugs of water to flush toilet and heat on stove to wash up.