RV Winter Maintenance

It would be nice if we could just park our RVs and OHVs and forget about them during winter storage.   Some people do, but they usually pay the price, especially if they live in a cold climate. There are several things you need to do and to monitor to ensure your RV is safe and remains in good condition.

Proper preparation for winter storage (winterizing) is the first step.  We've gone over that in this blog a couple of times already.  The main concern is making sure your plumbing doesn't freeze. Protect tires with tire covers and by parking on wooden "pads" to keep off cold concrete and out of freezing mud.

Some RV insurance plans, like Good Sam, offer a discount while your RV is in storage.   If you have such a plan, be sure to call your insurance company and let them know as soon as you park your RV for the winter so you get maximum savings.

If your RV is a motorhome, you should run the engine about an hour every month.  If possible, take it for a drive.  Driving it helps to circulate lubricants and flex tires to maintain pliability and bring chemicals to the surface to prevent side wall cracking in addition to lubricating the moving parts.  It also gives you a chance to watch for oil and coolant leaks and listen for any other developing problems.  If your insurance allows you a storage option, driving it may not be feasible since your insurance would not be in effect, but starting and running the engine will help maintain the charge on your batteries and circulate fluids.  Most motorhomes have automatic transmissions.  Shifting through all the gears a few times if you can't drive it will help circulate transmission fluid and keep seals from drying out.

Towing your trailer a few miles each month (weather permitting) will exercise the tires and distribute wheel bearing grease.  Listen for any unusual noises and put your hand on the hubs after driving to see if the wheel bearings are overheating.  Some warmth is normal but if any one hub is noticeably hotter than the others it may be dry or damaged and should be removed, inspected and serviced.   Damaged bearings need to be replaced.  Check for proper brake operation each time you drive.  It is also a good idea to check all of the trailer running lights (park lights, brakes, turn signals, and clearance lights) while it is hooked up since insects or rodents sometimes chew on wires and can cause them to short out or humidity and temperature changes may induce corrosion.

Inspect the exterior, especially if it is parked outside where falling or blowing debris might damage it.   Sometimes just changes in temperature can crack glass.  If possible rinse off accumulated dust every couple of weeks or so to protect the clear coat present on many paint jobs.  Dust will trap UV rays within the clear coat and accelerate deterioration.   If you get snow, be sure to monitor accumulation and sweep it off the roof before it builds up deep enough to damage the roof or any of the components up there (storage pods, ACs, vents, antennas, etc.).

Check the interior of your RV periodically, about once a month should be sufficient under normal circumstances, more frequently if you experience extreme weather.   Look for any signs of water, insect, or rodent damage.  Also double check provisions to make sure you didn't leave something on board that was damaged by freezing temperatures or has been attacked by vermin.  See if you need to replace the dehumidifier.  If it is full of water, toss it out and open a new one.

Vandalism is sometimes a problem in RVs in storage.  I've seen units stored at the owner's home vandalized, even with the owner at home.  Storage yards do what they can to ensure the safety of your vehicles, but sometimes people with malicious intent will circumvent security measures and wreak havoc on unattended vehicles.  While your options for physically protecting your vehicle from vandalism may be limited, regular inspection will at least let you detect problems as early as possible. Timely reporting may assist law enforcement in apprehending the culprits and comply with insurance requirements and timely repairs will prevent further damage from bad weather if the integrity of the outer shell has been compromised.

Check your batteries.   Always wear rubber gloves and eye protection when handling lead acid batteries.   If you haven't removed the batteries for storage in a warmer place, check both the charge status and the electrolyte level.  Check the charge status with a volt meter or by testing the specific gravity of the fluid.  A fully charged battery should register about 12.6 volts (half that on each 6 volt golf cart battery) or 1.265 specific gravity using a hydrometer.   Some battery hydrometers use colored balls to indicate charge state instead of a graduated scale.  If you find the electrolyte is low, add only distilled water.  If the temperature is below freezing you'll need to mix the added water to prevent it from freezing.  After you put the caps on, rock the battery or, better yet, take the unit for a hour's ride to charge the batteries and mix the water into the electrolyte.  If you can't take it out, put a charger on the batteries for an hour to help mix the contents.  If the voltage or specific gravity is low, charge the batteries back to full charge to avoid having them freeze.  Fully charged batteries are freeze-protected down to -75°F.  Fully discharged batteries will freeze at just -10°F.   If you have your batteries on an automatic battery tender, they should maintain their charge all winter, as long as the electrolyte doesn't boil off and expose the tops of the plates inside the battery.   The most common reason for boiling off electrolyte is excessive charging voltage.   Deep cycle batteries should be charged at about 14.8 volts. See the charts at PowerStream Sealed Lead Acid Battery Charging Basics for complete charts and detailed testing instructions.

Don't forget the windshield washer fluid in your motorhome and other vehicles.   Summer formulas will freeze.  Most winter fluids are good to at least -20°F, which is usually adequate unless you live in northern Alaska!

We sometimes spend a night in our RV at home during the off season or use it as a guest house for visitors.  This is a good way to make sure it remains inhabitable and to test the furnace and lighting.  Since we live where we get freezing temperatures in the winter, we do not use any of the plumbing during winter months, but if your RV is equipped for winter use you could do so.   Any use, even of winter-capable units, would require re-winterization after use to prevent freezing of water lines and dump valves in storage --- unless you live where you don't have to worry about freezing.

Winter is also a good time to do interior projects in your RV.  Do you want to update or add lighting fixtures?   Repair upholstery?  Add any new gadgets?   Any new entertainment equipment you want to install?  Any appliances that need service or repair?   Any cabinets or drawers that need to be fixed or just reorganized?  Don't we all suffer from the shortage of "round tuits"?    You know, all those things you can't do because you can't get around to it.  Winter is a good time to take care of those things you never got around to during the camping season.  The "off season" is a good time to empty out, clean, and reorganize every closet, cabinet, drawer and tool box.   If nothing else, it is helps us remember what we have on board and where it is.  You can also detect and repair or replace worn, damaged, or outdated items.

OHVs should be properly prepared for winter storage too.   Drain the fuel tank and run out all the fuel in the carburetor or add fuel stabilizer before parking your machine.   Change the oil so it isn't sitting all winter with contaminates that can damage metal parts.  Put a light coating of oil on exposed metal parts.  If it has batteries, they should be removed and stored in a warm place.  Leaving them on a maintenance charger might keep them charged enough to prevent freezing.  Just leaving them sit in freezing temperatures all winter is an invitation to failure.  Park your OHVs in a garage or shed if possible.  If not, cover them with a tarp to prevent damage from the elements.   Tires should be fully inflated and wooden "pads" put under them.

Store it right!