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How to Protect Your RV From Winter Damage While in Storage

Many owners learn painful lessons when their campers freeze. Summer trips through RVs bring immense joy to families and make great memories. But the cold season brings completely new problems. Freezing weather causes massive damage for motorhomes. For example, ice breaks small pipes in seconds, heavy snow ruins expensive roofs, and pests chew through basic power wires. You surely need proper preparation to stop such big and small troubles. You need a solid plan to protect your RV from the harsh elements.

What Keeps Your Exterior Safe?

You must shield the outside of your camper from ice. The roof takes the hardest hit during cold winter months. You should inspect every single inch of the top surface. Look for tiny cracks near the plastic vents. Seal any holes you find with a good quality roof paste. Then you need to wash the whole exterior thoroughly. As dirt traps bad moisture against the clear coat and paint, you should apply a thick coat of wax.

What Winterizing Mistakes Should You Avoid?

  • Skipping the roof check completely. People assume the roof holds up perfectly and ignore small cracks. However, the water enters these cracks and destroys the ceiling rapidly. You must inspect the roof closely.
  • Forgetting the soft tires. Owners park their heavy campers on bare dirt. The damp dirt moves moisture directly to the rubber. To avoid this, you should park the wheels on wooden planks.
  • Ignoring the outside vents. Birds build messy nests inside open vents. Mice use these openings to enter. You must put solid covers on the vents and keep the pests outside.

How Do You Prepare the Interior Cabin?

You want to return to a fresh smelling camper in the spring. For this, you must remove every piece of food from the wooden cupboards. Even sealed canned goods freeze and explode violently. Mice smell tiny food crumbs from miles away. You should vacuum the soft carpets and wipe down the hard counters. Make sure you leave the inside completely clean and dry.

Here are a few more chores you can do:

  • Remove all bedding to stop mold.
  • Leave cabinet doors wide open.
  • Place strong moisture catchers inside.

Why Do Water Systems Need Special Care?

Water turns to solid ice when outside air gets cold rapidly. It is seen that freezing temperatures destroy pipes fast. Ice expands outward with massive physical force. That sudden expansion destroys your plumbing systems in a matter of seconds.

You must empty out the dark holding tanks completely. Next, you should flush both waste tanks with fresh clean water. Then, you must tackle the small water lines and pump pink antifreeze through the whole water network. You must winterize your RV before the first heavy frost hits your local town.

Where Should You Keep Your Camper?

You have two main choices for parking during the dark winter. Either use your home driveway or you can use professional storage facilities. Your driveway exposes the expensive vehicle to falling tree branches and careless neighborhood hazards. A dedicated place offers far better security and ample parking space. Owners of large recreational vehicles need reliable locations. You want a place that gives you deep peace of mind all winter long. Professional lots provide tall metal fencing and bright security cameras. Many locations offer specific RV storage areas.

Let Us Protect Your Investment This Cold Season!

We know you deeply value your free time and your expensive property. That’s why we provide absolutely perfect space for heavy motorhomes in Fenton, Michigan. All Lakes Storage has large acres of property with advanced security cameras recording constantly. We give you easy gate access every single day of the year. We eliminate all winter prep stress today.

Frequently Asked Questions

You should start the engine once a month. You must let the motor run until it reaches normal operating heat. This action keeps engine parts fully oiled.

You must go for a breathable fabric cover. Plastic traps moisture against the paint and causes mold. Breathable materials let water vapor escape into the open air safely.

You absolutely need to remove the battery safely and store it in a warm garage. You must connect it to a trickle charger to maintain its charge level.

Yes, you must open the drain plug on the hot water heater. You should leave the plug out until spring. This way, you’ll succeed in stopping the cold metal tank from splitting open.

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