Van life offers a lot of advantages. This is evidenced by the fact that today there are around 1 million Americans who have made the decision to live in their RVs full time. Nomadic living allows for greater freedom, spontaneity, and financial independence but of course, there are challenges as well.
Weather is one thing that can throw up obstacles to living comfortably in an RV. If you’re in a state that experiences climatic extremes then there are modifications you’ll need to make to your living quarters.
For the colder months, this means knowing how to winterize a motorhome. Luckily, that’s what this article is all about. Read on to learn all about motorhome winterization now.
Motorhome Winterization Tips
Before we get into the mechanics and logistics behind winterizing a motorhome, let’s look at some helpful hints for those new to this process.
Always make sure to create a budget before embarking on this kind of project. Try to make a list of all the modifications you want to make and then cost each item.
Following on from the last point, if you don’t want to break the bank, try some DIY. The more you do yourself the more money you can save.
How to Winterize a Motorhome
The first thing you’ll want to do is drain both of your water tanks. Start with the black water tank and then empty the gray water tank. You’ll also need to drain and flush the water out of your water heater.
When you’ve done this, you need to drain the pipes. You can do this by turning on the water faucets and flushing the toilet.
Now it’s time to add your antifreeze. You need to make sure to bypass your water heater at this step so your heater doesn’t fill with antifreeze. Newer RVs (like some of these from Tiffin) have a bypass built-in but you can check your manual for details.
Pump the antifreeze through your water lines using a water pump winterizing converter. When you think you’re finished, turn on each tap until you see antifreeze appear. Do the same with your toilet by flushing it.
When you’re all done, turn off the pump. Finish by pouring a few cups of antifreeze down each drain to fill the traps and pouring a little into the toilet then flushing.
Aside from these essential steps to stop your engine from freezing, there are some other little things you can do to help winterize a motorhome. Try to insulate your walls and windows as much as possible. You can also use a heater, but always make sure to do so with extreme caution.
Your Motorhome Winterization Guide
This guide is intended as a help to anyone who’s ever wondered about how to winterize a motorhome. We certainly hope it’s helped you in this regard. If you’d like more tips on navigating van life or on travel in general, don’t forget to check out the rest of our site.
