How to winterize a travel trailer without antifreeze to begin, empty and clean your black and gray tanks as usual. Ensure they are particularly empty and clean to minimize odors building up in the RV throughout the winter. Then, Switch off the water heater, Drain the freshwater tank and its associated pipelines, Override the water heater, ensure All faucets should be opened, Switch on the pump, Empty the tank of the water heater, Connect the compressor to the water supply line, Eliminate the lines and many other steps we will be listing shortly.
How To Winterize An Rv Without Antifreeze
The winter season has arrived. Most RV owners have undoubtedly already begun winterizing their camper. If you haven’t already, now is the moment. After all, nobody wants to deal with burst water lines or ruptured tanks at the end of the winter, but unless you live in an extremely warm climate where the ground never freezes, that is likely what you will face.
Of course, in order to winterize your rig properly, you must first understand how to do it. This may leave you perplexed as to how to winterize an RV in the absence of antifreeze. Surprisingly, it is possible and unquestionably effective.
We’re going to explain how to winterize an RV without using antifreeze in this article, as well as why you might want to do so. This will assist you in determining whether this strategy is right for you, allowing you to start to work before the first major freeze.
Two Techniques Of Rv Winterization
If you’ve been RVing for any length of time, you’re undoubtedly already familiar with the more traditional method of RV winterization. This includes injecting a specific, non-toxic RV antifreeze into the water lines, which keeps any remaining water from freezing.
If you choose this technique, you would also dump some of the same antifreeze into your holding tanks and completely empty your water heater and fresh water tank to safeguard them.
Read Also: How To Become A Travel Advisor [Courses Tips]
Having stated that, some individuals prefer to forego antifreeze. Meanwhile, there are individuals who require emergency winterization and lack access to RV antifreeze. Whatever reason you have for winterizing your RV without antifreeze, the procedure remains the same.
The purpose of this winterization process is to remove as much water from the lines and tanks as feasible. This is accomplished by blowing out the lines using an air compressor following the emptying of all tanks. Yes, this will leave traces of water behind, but not enough to cause damage when it freezes.
Read Also: How To Winterize A Travel Trailer With Antifreeze [Full Guide]
Why Would You Want To Winterize Without Antifreeze?
Why would someone opt not to use antifreeze while winterizing an RV? Of course, there are instances when a person cannot obtain RV antifreeze in time to winterize the RV prior to a severe freeze. Having said that, as previously stated, some folks just prefer to avoid using RV antifreeze.
This could be for a variety of reasons, including the following:
A preference for little chemical use.
Concerns about the antifreeze leaving a strange taste.
Concerns about animals or children consuming antifreeze (it smells and tastes sweet).
A desire to save money (while antifreeze is not expensive, the cost can add up if your RV is in and out of winterization numerous times a year.)
A water pump has failed. (Without a pump, antifreeze cannot be pumped through the pipes, but they can be blown out.)
Read Also: How To Winterize A Travel Trailer/RV [Complete Guide]
How To Winterize A Recreational Vehicle Without Using Antifreeze
You’re probably wondering how to winterize an RV without antifreeze at this point, so let’s get started. The following are detailed methods for winterizing your RV plumbing system without ever purchasing a bottle of RV antifreeze.
What you require
- Air compressor
- Adapter with blowout
- Disposal and cleaning tools for holding tanks
Dispose Of Your Black And Gray Tanks
To begin, empty and clean your black and gray tanks as usual. Ensure they are particularly empty and clean to minimize odors building up in the RV throughout the winter. T
hen, Switch off the water heater, Drain the fresh water tank and its associated pipelines, Override the water heater, ensure All faucets should be opened, Switch on the pump, Empty the tank of the water heater, Connect the compressor to the water supply line, Eliminate the lines and many other steps we will be listing shortly.
Read Also: How To Winterize A Travel Trailer Using Air
Switch Off The Water Heater
Switch off the water heater and allow it to cool completely before proceeding with the next procedures.
Drain The Freshwater Tank And Its Associated Pipelines.
Locate and open the fresh water drain valve and the low point drains. Allow all water to drain to the ground and keep the valves open.
Override The Water Heater
Locate and activate the water heater bypass valve. If you do not already have a bypass for your water heater, you can install one using a kit such as this.
All Faucets Should Be Opened
Open all faucets, including those in the sinks, as well as those in the indoor and outdoor showers. Additionally, flush the toilet until the water stops running to ensure that the majority of the water has been evacuated from the toilet pipes. Maintain open faucets even after the water stops flowing.
Switch On The Pump
Switch on the water pump to remove any remaining water. When no more water is flowing through the lines, turn off the pump.
Read Also: How To Winterize A Travel Trailer For Storage [Complete guide]
Empty The Tank Of The Water Heater
Allow all water to drain from the water heater drain. Leave the anode rod out and make a mental note to replace it next season. Alternatively, you can replace the plug with a little piece of Teflon tape.
Connect the compressor to the water supply line.
Connect the blowout adapter to your air compressor via the air compressor’s hose. This is then connected to the city water inlet on the RV.
Eliminate The Lines
Ascertain that all valves and faucets are open. Adjust the air compressor’s pressure setting to between 30 and 50 psi (DO NOT go higher) and run it in 30-second increments until no more water comes out of the faucets or valves.
All Valves Should Be Closed.
Switch Off Sinks And Showers And Plug Low-Point Drains.
As you can see, winterizing an RV without antifreeze is quite simple. Having said that, antifreeze is not difficult to use either. Whichever solution is preferable for you is entirely up to personal preference and the ease with which you can get RV antifreeze or an air compressor.
Maintain an online program such as Maintain My RV to keep track of all your RV maintenance and repairs. Not only will you be able to save all of your paperwork in one location, but you’ll also receive timely notifications about upcoming maintenance, which will help you prevent costly repairs and perhaps serious accidents.
