Winterizing Our Rigs

[TheNescios]

So, having been born and spent the first 30+ years of life in Alaska, cold weather and the joy of frozen pipes is something I'm unfortunately familiar with.
That said, we are full-timing so doing a job with flushing the water system with anti-freeze isn't really an option.
We're new to full-timing but having a water supply hose that's insulated with an integral heat tape that has a sensor is a given - but what other things do we need to think about?
Hoping to migrate south from western Washington where it will only freeze a little bit during the winter to the Tucson, AZ area for a few months where I've been told freezing weather is about as rare as I can hope for, but it's been on my mind to make sure if we get cold weather here before our migration or run into it while on the road that we don't miss any important steps.

We have a 3740BH so the faucet for the outdoor kitchen with just a solid door and no real heat getting to that area is of concern.
So is the hose connection on the outside by the entry door.
There is heat in the pass-through basement so I'm hoping it's enough to keep the Nautilus center and hose bib connection point in decent shape.
We do have Black, Gray, and Fresh tank heaters and unless it's a prolonged cold snap probably won't need them is my guess?

Any full-timers have experiences with cold weather living in an RV that you're willing to share?
Thank you in advance - this forum is helping me learn!

[mpking]

I do not have a model that has laundry, I'm going to be reaching a bit. The following is based on educated guessing.

There should be a drain of some kind near the washer. If you had a washer installed, where would it drain? I'm continuing as if you don't actually have a drain.

Washer machines accept garden hose connection. I would get two short lengths of garden hose, and a bucket. I would attach the short hoses to the faucets, and put the ends in the bucket. Turn on the washer connections, and let the water go into the bucket till you see antifreeze.

Now here's where I hope other chime in, since I don't know if there are any water shutoff valves that isolate the washer machine.

[Sckarolek]

I notice neither the winterizing nor de-winterizing videos discuss the laundry hookups in my 2021 Momentum 397th.

We have no washer installed so the hookups are just there in the closet. We have no drain there. I assume there is a probability that water got in those lines during the summer and I need to push some antifreeze through them. Then in spring, I need to flush antifreeze out of them. How is this done without making a mess in that closet???

Thanks, Steve

[mpking]

Also, the Water Heater Bypass is in the wrong position in this video. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Normal operation, top and bottom valve OPEN (inline with pipe) and the bypass valve (Middel valve) should be CLOSED, (NOT inline with Pipe).

Winterization, You will CLOSE the top an bottom (Correct in video) but OPEN the bypass valve.

[mpking]

Jim,

You have linked to the *De-Winterization Video*.

However, finding the Winterization Video appears to be really difficult. I ended up having to search for it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJ3lnI_Jqy4

[TucsonJim]

The second video has instructions specifically related to the Nautilus panel. You'll still need to follow the instructions from the first video for winterizing items like your black tank flush, low point drains, and water heater. And don't forget to drain the fresh water tank.

Jim

[TucsonJim]

Well, the Labor Day weekend is a wrap and snow started flying in the Rockies over the weekend. So that means that very soon, you'll need to start thinking about getting your RV ready for freezing temperatures. If you've been on RV forums for very long, you'll have noticed that there are tons of questions every autumn regarding winterizing our rigs. Where can you find information? How do you get ready?

The first place you can get information is from your owner's manual. Fortunately, GDRV has made manual access very easy. Click on the link below and download the appropriate manual for your RV. I'd suggest that you download the version with the latest date for the most up-to-date information.

https://www.granddesignrv.com/owner-...owners-manuals

Grand Design has also made some videos that will give you detailed information regarding winterizing your RV. The first video is focused on winterizing a unit that does NOT have a Nautilus panel. This video is pretty comprehensive, but fails to mention draining the fresh water tank. So don't forget that key step. BTW - GDRV-Emily is the star in these videos, so if you ever run into her at a rally, make sure to get her autograph.

Jim