Winterizing and storing your RV
Winterizing your RV involves not only getting it ready for the winter and the tempratures that it may be facing but also the period of down time that it won't be in use for. This article briefly mentions a few things that will help with this process. One of the first things that you will want to do is remove all the food, all the perishable items, even the non perishable items. You won't want anything that will spoil or attract insects, things that could create pressure and explode under different extreme temperatures. Be sure to take your valuables home before storing your RV, as well as taking home your clothe items that need to be washed.
Next you will need to take a look at the plumbing. liquids that stay in the pipes can freeze and crack tanks and seals, not to mention gross water and other things can pollute your RV Tanks. Drain all the tanks and then clean them the best you can, there are different cleaning supplies that will aid in this project. If your worried about water that has been left in pipes and tanks, you can use compressed air to push and dry out the lines. Or there is an anti freezing liquid that you can poor in to help protect against freezing.
Usually when RV's, Campers etc are stored for long periods of times, Little animals and varmints will find their way into your RV to set up camp. What you need to do to prevent this is to block off all the entry ways into the RV such as vents, AC openings, etc.
Keep your propane lines blocked off but make sure you disconnect the lines from the tanks. Keep all the appliances turned off.
When it comes to the Battery, remove the battery and place on a trickle charger, Also locate the breaker box and flip to off. Take care of the tires of your RV. Be sure to replace them when needed, however if sitting in storage for a while it may be good to relieve some pressure on the tires by jacking the RV up on it's stands.
Finally check the engine if it has one make sure that you top of the gasoline tank and add some fuel stabilizer, the more fuel you have the less likely it is to freeze. Make sure the anti-freeze is a matched for the location and climate that your located in. Also check all other levels of fluid in the engine, oil, windshield wiper, brake fluid, transmission, etc.