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Tuesday, Apr 16, 2024
If you don’t plan on taking your RV anywhere bright and sunny this upcoming winter, you’ll need to prepare your motor home for winter storage — and if you're a new RV owner, you won’t want to make the mistake of simply assuming you can leave your motor home out in the cold all season, ready and waiting for next spring. There are several things you’ll want to do to prep your RV for winter, to keep your motor home in tip-top shape.
The most important part of prepping your RV for winter? Winterizing those pipes. Not thoroughly draining the water from your entire motor home system can result in freezing, breaking and bursting — and if you’ve ever had a burst pipe in your home, you already know how messy, costly and frustrating that can be. Depending on your motor home, you may be able to winterize your RV’s pipes on your own, with a little handy work, but you can also often find providers who’ll take care of the hard work for you.
As you prep your RV for winter, now’s the perfect time to do a little thorough, in-depth cleaning. Don’t put it off until spring. The longer you leave any messes sit, the worse they’re going to get, especially if your RV sits unopened for months. Save yourself from a bunch of dusty, smelly, less-than-ideal motor home conditions by going ahead and cleaning out all the nooks and crannies, from the fridge and freezer to the oven, the couch cushions to the shower corners.
Are there any cracks or leaks in your RV’s exterior? If so, those need to be resealed and re-caulked before winter, as not doing so can lead to moisture seeping into your RV unbeknownst to you, only for you to find potentially mold and serious damage once you open your motor home up again in the spring. Some RV owners can handle this resealing and caulking on their own, but if you’re not sure of your skills, look into how a professional RV pro can help.
Sitting in storage all winter can really wreak havoc on your motor home’s tires. Your tires are accustomed to pulling your motor home from place to place, and usually only sit (at least in the summer) for a few days or weeks at a time. When they sit for multiple months, issues such as tire rot and flat spots arise. To help protect the life of your motor home tires, park your RV on a paved, level pad for the winter months and use jacks to take some of that weight off your rig.
Ideally, we could all store our motor homes in a climate-controlled storage facility that’s specifically designed for RVs. However, you might not have access to such a facility. In those instances, you can opt for a non-climate-controlled storage facility. If you do, though, need to park your RV at your home over the winter months, try to pick a spot that receives some shelter (so like under a roof). If a sheltered space isn't available, use an RV cover and keep your RV away from any trees, as winter storms could cause tree damage that might impact your motor home.
Need assistance getting your motor home ready for winter? Find the perfect motor home services provider via our friends over at My RV Resource. Specifically need help with, or new, motor home tires? Find the nearest Motor Home Tires installer using our handy search feature.
