Do You Really Need to Winterize Your RV in the South?
If you live in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, or elsewhere along the Gulf Coast, you may wonder every fall: Do I need to winterize my RV in the South?
Yes, you still need to protect your RV from freezing temperatures, but that doesn't necessarily mean pumping RV antifreeze through the plumbing every time the temperature dips below 32 degrees.
For a Southern RVer, winterization is often about preparing for an occasional cold snap rather than putting the RV away for an entire winter. How much protection you need depends on your RV, how it's built, how cold it's going to get, and how long temperatures will stay below freezing.
A Few Hours Below Freezing Is Different From a Hard Freeze
It might be 70 degrees today with a forecast calling for 27 degrees Thursday night. That's very different from several days where temperatures don't get above freezing.
The colder it gets and the longer your RV is exposed, the greater the risk. Wind, sun exposure, whether the RV is heated, and where the plumbing is located can also make a difference.
Water expands when it freezes, and trapped water can damage fittings, valves, faucets, filter housings, water heaters, and other plumbing components.
Instead of asking, "Do I need to winterize because I live in the South?" ask:
"What level of freeze protection does my RV need for the weather that's coming?"
Not Every RV Has a Heated Underbelly
This can make a huge difference.
Some RVs have an enclosed and heated underbelly where furnace heat is directed around plumbing and holding tanks. Others have an enclosed underbelly that isn't necessarily heated.
Some entry-level RVs don't have an enclosed underbelly at all, leaving tanks, water lines, valves, and plumbing exposed underneath the RV.
Know how your RV is built before assuming the furnace will protect everything.
Can I Just Leave the Furnace Running?
If you're actively using the RV, running the furnace can be part of your freeze-protection plan.
In an RV with an enclosed, heated underbelly, furnace heat may also help protect plumbing below the floor. It won't necessarily protect exposed plumbing, exterior fixtures, or components in unheated compartments.
You're also relying on propane, batteries, and the 12-volt electrical system to keep the furnace operating. If one of those goes away during the night, so does the heat you're counting on.
Where Your RV Is Stored Matters Too
Two identical RVs in the same town can experience a cold snap differently depending on where they're parked.
An RV sitting outside in an open storage lot can be exposed to wind and cold from every direction. An RV parked beside a house or in a more sheltered location may have less exposure, while one stored inside an enclosed building may have considerably more protection.
That doesn't mean a covered or sheltered RV can't freeze. A roof-only RV cover, carport, or storage canopy isn't the same thing as a heated building.
The point is to consider the actual environment around the RV, not just the temperature showing on your weather app. If the RV is sitting unattended in an exposed location during a hard freeze, we'd be more conservative with our winterization plan.
Don't Forget the Easy-to-Miss Components
The kitchen faucet and shower are obvious. Other components are easier to overlook:
Exterior showers and spray ports
Outside kitchens and faucets
Toilet valves and foot-pedal assemblies
Water filter housings
Low-point drains
Black tank flush connections
Ice maker and refrigerator water lines
Washing machine connections
Dishwashers
Tankless water heaters
Plumbing in exterior or unheated compartments
Small amounts of water can remain trapped in components such as toilet valves and filter housings even after much of the system has been drained.
Every Manufacturer Is Different
There is no single winterization procedure that applies to every RV.
The information here is based on common recommendations and procedures used across the RV industry. Your RV manufacturer may specify different steps, compressed-air pressure limits, restrictions, or additional procedures. Your manufacturer's instructions always take priority.
Also check the manuals for individual equipment such as your water heater, refrigerator, ice maker, washing machine, dishwasher, and water filtration system.
With that in mind, Southern RVers generally have three levels of freeze protection to consider.
Option 1: Drain the System
For a short, relatively mild freeze, some Southern RVers may choose to drain the plumbing rather than perform a complete antifreeze winterization.
That can include draining the fresh water tank, gray and black tanks, water heater as required, low-point drains, and opening fixtures to remove as much water as possible.
The catch is that draining doesn't guarantee everything is empty. Water can remain trapped in valves, fittings, filters, toilets, outside fixtures, appliances, and low spots in the plumbing.
Option 2: Blow Out the Plumbing
For many Southern RVers, blowing out the plumbing can be a practical middle ground when the RV isn't going into long-term winter storage.
After draining the system, regulated compressed air is connected through the city water connection to help remove remaining water.
You'll commonly see relatively low air pressures recommended for RV plumbing. Around 30 PSI is a good conservative reference point and is specified by some manufacturers, but it is not a universal number. Follow the pressure limit for your RV.
A typical procedure may include draining the water system and water heater, opening the low-point drains, draining or removing filter housings as required, connecting a blowout adapter, and working through each fixture individually.
Remember the hot and cold sides, toilet, exterior shower, outside kitchen, and other water-fed equipment.
Never connect an unregulated air compressor directly to the RV plumbing.
Option 3: Full Winterization With RV Antifreeze
For harder or prolonged freezes, or an RV that's going into storage unattended, a complete winterization provides another level of protection.
This generally involves properly draining the system, bypassing the water heater where applicable, and using the RV's water pump or winterization system to pull RV/marine antifreeze through the plumbing.
Drain traps and other components also need to be protected according to the manufacturer's procedure.
Never use automotive antifreeze in an RV's fresh water plumbing system.
Pay Special Attention to the Water Heater
Traditional tank-style and tankless water heaters can have very different winterization procedures.
Tank-style heaters generally need to be turned off, allowed to cool, depressurized, and drained according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Some tankless water heaters have built-in freeze-protection features, but don't assume that means your RV is protected. Those features may depend on available 12-volt power, propane, or other operating conditions, and they only protect the components they're designed to protect.
Your outside shower, toilet valve, water filter, and exposed plumbing still need attention.
What About the Fresh, Gray, and Black Tanks?
Your tanks should be addressed according to the RV manufacturer's winterization instructions.
Don't forget that you're also protecting the plumbing around them, including valves, drain piping, fittings, and low points.
This is especially important on RVs where those components are exposed underneath.
A Typical Southern Cold Snap
Let's say it's 70 degrees today, but tomorrow night the temperature is expected to fall to 27 or 28 degrees for a few hours before warming back into the 40s.
Do you automatically need to pump RV antifreeze through the entire RV?
Not necessarily.
Depending on your RV and its manufacturer's recommendations, draining and properly blowing out the plumbing may provide the protection you need without performing a complete antifreeze winterization.
Now change that forecast to temperatures in the teens or low 20s with a long stretch below freezing. That's when we'd get much more conservative.
Also pay attention to the entire forecast, not just the overnight low. If temperatures fall below freezing at 8 p.m. and don't climb back above 32 until late the following morning, your RV may be exposed to freezing conditions for considerably longer than the single low temperature on your weather app suggests.
The harder and longer the freeze, the more protection you should consider.
What If You're Camping?
If you're using the RV during freezing weather, you have more options because you can operate the furnace, monitor the RV, and maintain your propane and electrical supply.
If you're connected to campground water, don't forget about the hose outside. Your RV furnace isn't going to keep a regular freshwater hose from freezing.
Depending on conditions, disconnecting and draining the hose and operating from your onboard fresh water tank may make more sense.
If you're relying on the furnace or an appliance's built-in freeze protection, make sure you have enough propane and reliable 12-volt power to keep those systems operating.
So, Do You Really Need to Winterize Your RV in the South?
Yes, you need to protect your RV from freezing. No, that doesn't always mean a complete antifreeze winterization every time the forecast touches 32 degrees.
For a brief, mild freeze, draining the system may be enough for some RVs. Blowing out the plumbing with regulated compressed air can provide additional protection when allowed by the manufacturer.
For harder freezes, extended periods below freezing, or unattended winter storage, a complete winterization with RV antifreeze may be the better choice.
Know how your RV is built, pay attention to the forecast, and follow the winterization procedure specified by your manufacturer.
Don't let one cold Southern night turn into an expensive plumbing repair.
Don't Want to Winterize It Yourself? Let Us Handle It.
Not sure which winterization method is right for your RV, or just don't want to deal with it yourself? Great American RV SuperStores offers professional RV winterization service at all 9 of our locations.
Our service teams can winterize your RV based on the unit and equipment installed, helping make sure those easy-to-miss components are addressed before freezing weather arrives.
The biggest advice we can give you is don't wait for the freeze warning. Here in the South, that first real cold snap can seem to come out of nowhere, and once freezing temperatures hit the forecast, service appointments can fill up quickly.
Schedule your winterization ahead of time at any of our 9 Great American RV SuperStores locations and have your RV ready before the temperature drops.
Because spending a little time preparing for winter is a whole lot better than spending your spring camping budget repairing freeze damage.
Great American RV SuperStores, making memories one weekend at a time.
