Winterizing your Travel Trailer for the winter in colder climates. This is what I do…

Note: This is not hard to do and helps you understand more about your travel trailer. This is also good to know how to winterize in case you are traveling and run into cold weather in the mountains. You may have to winterize on the road. I always carry a gallon on board… just in case!

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You will need…
a small compressor or bicycle pump. (I always keep a small compressor on board)
a 1 1/16″ socket wrench. (for Magnesium Anode rod removal)
- New Camco #11563 9.5″ Anode Rod 3/4″ NPT (Ready for springtime)
at least 2-3 gallons RV waterline Antifreeze.
Blowout Plug (Valterra P23518LFVP — Amazon $3.77)
Camco #11691 Water Heater Tank Rinser (Amazon $9.58)

STEP 1

Make sure your Grey and Black water tanks are empty and flushed out.

STEP 2

Drain your Fresh water tank. Cap when completed.

Complete this step before continuing.

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STEP 3

Close your hot water tank feeds and open the bypass.

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STEP 4

Make sure your hot water tank does not have hot water inside before proceeding!

Pull relief valve to ensure drain pressure is equalized before removing old rod.

Remove old anode rod. (Shown below as a black plug at bottom-center of water heater.

Also shown is the new replacement. (Do not install new rod until spring.) If you have a piece of nylon screen, use this to plug hole for ventilation and keeping bugs out… or a clean piece of cloth.

STEP 5

Locate your lowest point drains. Open and drain.

Open all faucets to allow draining.

Recap when done. Shut all faucets.

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STEP 6

Make sure all faucets are in the off position.

Begin pressurizing you lines with either a hand pump or compressor. (low pressure!) Just enough to blow water out of the lines.

STEP 7

Open faucets 1 by 1 to push out any water still in lines until only air comes out. start with the lowest flushing toilet through shower head. Then reverse the process back down to lowest such as toilet flush. When you finish, close all faucets. Disconnect and release pressure by opening one faucet… then close the faucet.

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STEP 8

Time to pump RV antifreeze into the lines.

There should be a feed from the fresh water tank to the pump with a shut off valve. Close this valve.

There should also be a another hose to put into your antifreeze bottle. This should also have a valve. Open this valve with the hose in your bottle as shown below.

STEP 9

Turn you pump on.

Open highest point (shower head) hot water handle until antifreeze starts coming out of the faucet. Then shut the hot water handle and repeat with the cold water handle.

Do this procedure for all faucets and toilet flush.

(I usually do this twice to fully ensure antifreeze in all lines and no water. Never had a problem yet. I also make sure the P-Traps and drains have antifreeze in them by doing the process twice. This also puts a little antifreeze in your holding tanks and the gates have some by them in case there is a little water near them.)

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STEP 10

Shut off water pump. I now go back and open all handles to make sure there is no pressure in the lines. I add a little extra to the toilet and drains with left over opened gallon of antifreeze.

I reopen the lowest point drains again to make sure I see antifreeze there also.