The Importance of Winterizing Your RV - Before It Gets Cold

If you are anything at all like most other RV owners, you love your RV or camper. It is what you use every summer to explore America's back roads and small towns... your "ticket" to the freedom of the road. But your RV is also a machine.

As such, you need to take steps to maintain it... and preserve it. That is especially true if you live in a part of America where autumn turns to frigid winter and temperatures drop dramatically.

Cold or freezing temperatures can cause extensive damage to your RV that cost hundreds, even thousands, of dollars to repair.

You can avoid the hassle and the expense by winterizing your RV well in advance of winter's icy grip. To do so, start by adding antifreeze to your RV's engine. That will assure that the water in the engine will not freeze up and turn to ice... an important first step.

In fact, a lot of the winterizing you need to do involves eliminating water. Therefore, you can start by draining all of the water tanks in your RV. Then drain the flushing system and the water heater, making sure you eliminate all of the water held in any tanks.

Open all hot and cold-water faucets and let them run until they, too, are fully drained then shut them and leave them that way for the remainder of the winter.

Another important step you can take to effectively winterize your RV is to remove all food, even canned food items to discourage hungry animals from entering your RV in search of something to eat.

Mildew is often a problem in RVs that remain unused during the winter months. You can avoid this problem by leaving your refrigerator door slightly ajar - for the entire winter. Yes, it will eliminate any risk of mildew forming so that your refrigerator will be clean, dry and ready to use when you need it.

Another way to keep your RV's interior dry and ready for use is to leave the vents open throughout the winter allowing fresh air to circulate so that the interior is clean and fresh when the weather warms up.

Many RV owners also remove the tires from their camper and put the RV up on blocks. Others cover the tires to keep them safe from the ravages of cold winter temperatures. Both options are viable.

Of course, it also makes good sense to remove any and all corrosive materials that may have formed on the undercarriage of your camper - before winter starts. Then, add a cover that protects the entire camper from snow, sleet and other winter problems... unless you are able to store your RV in a garage.

Is there anything else you need to do to winterize your RV? You can remove all batteries and prepare to replace them with new batteries after the long winter ends. Finally, make sure to follow all of the manufacturer's winterizing instructions, some of which may already be noted here.

Do all of these things and your beloved RV will be ready to "hit the road" problem-free and "good as new" shortly after winter turns to spring and the travel bug hits you. So... take the steps now to winterize your RV and avoid costly damage later. It is well worth the effort.

Lastly, if it important to note that while doing all of these things yourself is good, for the RV owner that just wants it done at a fair price you can drop it at a qualified RV shop and most of it can be done for you. This is a great way to eliminate all the dumping as well as the disposal of the unwanted fluids. Whether you choose to winterize your RV yourself or have an RV shop do it for you, make sure that you take the necessary action to have your RV winterized before it is too late.

There is a new e-book currently available that has been written specifically for folks - like you - who want to have fun when they travel by RV. It is called "Putting the WOW Into Your Next RV Vacation" and it includes tips and information you can use to really enjoy your RV. Make sure to get your hands on this informational RV eBook.

For even more information you can visit http://a1-rv.com/blog/ Remember, the better prepared and educated you are about RVs and RV Travel the more fun you will have on your next RV trip.

By Jami Heiskanen