Storing Your RV for the Winter

With the cold months just ahead, many people are looking to retire and store some of their bigger summer activities and gear. This includes your RV, but unlike some of your other summer items, your RV is going to need a little more work to prepare for the long storage ahead. To get you started, Allan Dale Trailers & RVs has touched on some of the basic RV storage prep tips to get you started, but if you need additional help, then stop by one of our locations in Red Deer and Edmonton, Alberta and let our experienced staff know how we can help you with your RV-related needs. 

Fridge

One of the first steps in getting your RV ready for storage is shutting everything down. After all, there’s no reason to pay for energy and power that you’re not actually using. Some appliances can just be cleaned out, but as your fridge powers down, it’s going to warm up. This is known as defrosting and requires some extra steps. Start by removing all the food from your fridge and finding a new home for it. Then give it some time to warm up, opening the doors to help with this process. It’ll still take several hours, but this will make things faster. Also make sure you lay down some towels to catch all the water that’s going to melt and leak out onto the floor. You can let this happen while you’re working on other parts of the camper.

Water Tank

If there’s one thing you can count on around here, it’s cold winters. Like your home plumbing, you’ll need to steel yourself for below freezing temperatures. If there’s water in your RV water system and it freezes, it’s going to expand and potentially damage your pipes. At the very least, you’ll need to purge the water system of any moisture to avoid this.

However, we also recommend putting antifreeze through the system. This has a much lower freezing point and will protect your pipes during the cold months. Make sure, as you’re pumping the fluid through your water system, that you open every faucet and wait for the pink liquid to come through so you know it’s making the rounds. Don’t forget the toilet(s) and shower(s) and to turn on the water heater bypass so you don’t waste gallons of antifreeze unnecessarily. For any appliances that use water, like a fridge or washer, refer to your owner’s manual for a more accurate winterization guide.

How and Where to Store Your RV

Once the RV itself is ready to go, it’s time to find a spot to store it. The best option will provide total protection from the elements, something like an enclosed barn or garage or even a covered area. Something that will keep precipitation and debris from wearing down your roof when you’re not using it. If this isn’t possible, consider renting a large storage unit for the winter. 

At the very least, you’ll want to get a specialized RV cover or tarp and pull it up onto your property. If your backyard is accessible, you can pull it behind your home, or you can keep it in your driveway. Whatever you do, don’t leave it on the street. This not only makes it more vulnerable to thieves, but it can get into questionably legal territory and you might be faced with a warning or fine. 

This should get you started, but there are plenty of other things to do in order to get your rig ready. As you’re working, you might notice a problem area that needs to see a mechanic before you put your RV in storage. If this is the case--or if you’d like some professional winterization tips--stop by Allan Dale Trailers & RVs and talk to our friendly technicians. We proudly serve Red Deer and Edmonton, AB, so stop by today!