Before storing your RV for the winter it is extremely important that you take some time to winterize your vehicle. This process will help prevent your RV from being damaged while in storage during the long, cold, months of the year. Winterizing a RV might be time consuming the first few times but completing the winterization process will save you money on repairs in the future.

When the time comes to put your vehicle in storageit is important that you drain your water heater. Make sure that you only drain your water heater when the tank is not under pressure or hot! For best, and safest, results do not drain the water heater until a long period of time has gone by since your last use of the RV. Once the water is drained out of the RV use a water heater by pass kit that will let your RVs anti freeze bypass the tank and go directly to the RVs water lines. These kits are very affordable often costing between $30.00 and $50.00 per bypass kit. When you are adding antifreeze only use pink anti freeze. Using a bypass system will help you avoid having your water lines freeze during the coldest months of the winter. Remember, once the winter is over you will need to flush the anti freeze out of the water lines completely before you begin traveling again.

The next thing you should do is flush and thoroughly clean out your RVs holding tank. This is something that few people look forward to but it must be done before your RV is put into storage for the entire winter. Flushing your RV holding tank will help remove all of the grease and other products that have built up over time. Once you have flushed the tanks use a grease dissolving dish liquid and a cleaning wand to wash out the tanks. Do a good job and wash the tanks more than once to be sure that they are absolutely clean. Not cleaning the holding tanks properly will lead to problems with the tank after the winter and, in many cases, an extremely bad odor when spring comes.

After you have flushed and cleaned your holding tanks purchase fogging oil and spray the oil into the RVs engine intake and generator. This can only be done when using an RV that does not have a diesel engine! Doing this can help protect the cylinder walls of your RV and your manufacturer maintenance instructions might even include suggestions for types of fogging oil to use. If you are not sure where you should be spraying the fogging oil consider seeking outside help.

The next thing you need to do is completely remove the battery from your RV. This will help you avoid a mess with leaked battery acid when spring comes or having to replace a completely cracked batter. Once the battery is removed store it in a safe, warm, place inside your home that people do not sleep in. When spring comes all you have to do is put your battery back into the RV.

The last thing you should do to the interior of your RV is thoroughly clean it. Do not leave any food in your RV even if you are sure it is nonperishable. Wipe down all surfaces, clean all floors, and carefully dry out all cleaned areas to prevent mildew or molding. Once you have cleaned the inside of the RV place vent covers over all air vents to help cut down on musty smells. These covers are easy to install but if you are not sure how to go about installation consider hiring a third party to help you.

When you have completed the winterization process for the interior of your RV it is time to move on to the exterior. Give your RV a good cleaning before putting into storage for the winter months. If possible wax the outside of your RV and then grease the tires to help prevent cracking and other damage. Another thing that you should try to do is place a bit of wood between the tires and the ground of your storage area. If you do decide to place wood below your tire make sure the wood is larger than your tire area.

Winterizing your RV before putting it into storage is an act that will become second nature over time. Taking the initiative to protect your RV from the winter even though it will be in storage will make it easier for you and your family to hit the road when spring comes and it is time to start traveling.

First of all, one of the biggest problems people have is their batteries going dead. Batteries are the key to the electrical system on your RV so they need to be maintained. Don not be fooled, even maintenance free batteries need maintenance. Here is what to do. Check the water in your batteries every three to four weeks. Water evaporates even inside the battery shell. Pull the caps on top of the battery off and refill the cells to about a half an inch below the top of the cell with plain tap water. Nothing will kill a cell in your battery faster than being low on water. This is such a simple thing, yet so many RV owners have the same problem. It can be avoided just by keeping the right water level in the.

Secondly, inspect the roof on your RV at least once every two to three months. Check to see if there are any cracks in the seals or if any seals are rolled up on the edges or even if the roof is dirty. Inspect the seams on the roofing material for cracks or deterioration. If you find any small cracks, fill with a silicone sealant. It is ok to be generous with the sealant as it can not hurt anything. Check the seams on the edge of the roof and make sure there are no visible issues with cracking or seals rolling up. If so coat the area with sealant. BTW, if you do not want to use plain silicone then stop by your RV dealer and get a tube of RV sealant and use that. 
Sunlight, heat and all weather conditions will deteriorate the materials that are in contact with the weather most often. When some complains of the roof on their RV leaking, 99% of the time it is because they failed to inspect their roof. Doing this every so often will save you so many problems. It will take less than an hour to do every three months.

The third thing to do that will save you time and headaches is to check your tires and bearings every three months as well. Most new RVs come with EZ Lube axles, or what they call “buddy bearings,” that allow you to lubricate your axles without pulling the wheels. Just plug a grease gun to grease insert in the center of the wheel and pump two or three times. If you still need help, ask a mechanic to help you out. 
Check your tires for proper inflation and inspect to check for dry rot. Dry rot will affect every tire at some point and is indicated by hairline cracks in the sidewalls of the tire. If you see these cracks, replace the tires. It will save you lots of time and headaches and you will not get stranded by the side of the road with a flat tire.

The issues mentioned here are the things that cause the most service problems for RVers. By taking a little bit of time to properly service your RV yourself, you will save time and money, not to mention you will cut down on the problems you have at the campsite or on the road. Take the time to look at these things, and enjoy your RV for many years to come.