Winterizing

[Cap'n Jack]

Hi All,

Does anyone know if there is a service that will come out and winterize? We are coming from the north and want to winterize before heading north. We are new campers and don't know how or want to figure it out while at the Fort.

Thanks in advance.

 

[North of Mouse]

Hi All,

Does anyone know if there is a service that will come out and winterize? We are coming from the north and want to winterize before heading north. We are new campers and don't know how or want to figure it out while at the Fort.

Thanks in advance.

There are RV specialists, assistants, repair places in Orlando. I'm sure if you call one of them you can get the help you need. They 'do' come out to the CC and assist in whatever you need them for. They usually charge by the hour depending on what you need them to do.

Happy 'Wintering'!

 

[Born 2 Fish]

Winterizing really isn't all that tough.
If we are at the Fort at the same time I'd be happy to show you.

If you don't have papers with your RV that explain it, I'm sure you could google your RN with Winterizing on line and get the info.

Welcome to the Camping Boards !! First time to the Fort ?

 

[KristinU]

When do you head down? Are you winterizing before you go, then de-winterizing, then winterizing again on your way back up? That's what we did last year for a Christmas trip to FL.

I ask because maybe you can have a friend guide you the first time when at home, then you'll not worry about doing it on the way home.

As someone who was super freaked out about the whole water system/winterizing thing and paid for it to be done the first year, I promise you that the first time you do it yourself you will say "that's it???" Easy peasy and I'm sorry that we paid so much that first season rather than reaching out to friends who would have been happy to walk us through it for the price of a beer. Or I bet there are videos to be found on youtube.

Not knocking the concept of hiring it done, peace of mind is worth a lot. But I'm sure it will be over $100 easily, especially if you're looking for someone to come to the Fort to do it...and the cost of a few jugs of the pink stuff at any Walmart is about $10-$15.

Maybe post your dates and someone would be willing to meet up!

Best of luck!

 

[hoosll]

We usually winterize as we head north because we still plan to use our RV facilities for at least 1 or 2 nights on the road ...

If you do not feel comfortable doing it yourself at a campground, then you might search out a Camping World on your route and set up an advance appointment to get winterized during your trip north. It may take a couple of hours but often they will be willing to show you what they are doing so you can do it in the future.

 

[4mickey2]

i agree with frank-if we were there at the same time we'd help you out. it isn't that hard to do. we winterize when we head back north in the cold months, too. why don't you take your antifreeze along and just ask one of your friendly rv neighbors -- you will meet someone that would give you the 15 minutes to show you how.. it's the rv way!

 

[jbrostek]

Agreed. Winterizing is not all that hard to do. I would be on the same boat as the rest, if you where there the same time as I was, I would stop by and help you out. You are new, but winterizing is not all the hard. Everyone has nuances to how they prefer to winterize, me included. But it is not that hard and depending on your RV would take 3-5 gallons of winterizer depending on your water system (I average 2.5 gallons each time I winterize.)

 

[veraletta]

I know how you feel Cap'nJack,
That's why I've decide to winterize our RV this month myself.

My daughter has a friend that worked in a RV shop. I'm paying him to come over and show me how to do it.
Now I can tell you that I did buy a DVD that shows you how to winterize on ebay... That way once I'm at the fort before we leave, I can watch how to winterize again.
It looks really easy on the DVD

 

[Jaylens Papa]

If you winterize down in Fl won't that prevent you from using any water on your trip home? It looks like you live in Chicago, that would be a long trip without the full use of your mh.

 

[bama_ed]

Cap'n Jack,

If you are certain you want to still have someone winterize your unit at the Fort, there is this:

From past reports the Fort has a "short list" available at the Front Desk of RV/trailer companies that will come to the Fort to make repairs, etc. ("They make house calls").

You might call the Front Desk to get those names/numbers and then contact those vendors to see if they will come to the Fort and winterize your unit. While winterizing does not sound hard, if you want someone else to do it there is probably a way to get it done.

Bama Ed

 

[2goofycampers]

I second asking for the list of repair people from the front desk.
There is also a Camping World not too far, you could make an appointment and bring it there.

 

[jbrostek]

Of course if you know how to winterize yourself, you can do it when you are closer to home on the trip back. I go down to FL every January, and I do not winterize the RV until the morning of my last leg heading home. Friends who live in PA do not winterize until they get to their own house. Neither of us have had any issues with freeze up.

 

[veraletta]

Cap'nJack we just learned how to winterizing our RV and let me tell you it is really easy... We took more time learning or finding were everything was then winterizing...
If you can maybe call an RV place close to your home and maybe bring your RV in and ask them if you can come in and learn how to do it.
Just make sure your RV has water heater by pass...
I was worried just like you and once I saw it first hand I said is that all...

 

[jaredjohn4]

I snapped a lift cable setting up my popup at the Fort last year. I had hear about the "list" and went to check in to get it. Maybe it was a cast member not in the loop, but the list was over 20 names long with no recommendations, and some are in shop only. After about 5 calls one company told me the names of three others working in the Fort that day. I told him to bring a 2x4 and a saw. $300 for an on site call, and $50 for the actual work. Scheduling a stop on the way home might be cheaper. Good luck.

 

[veraletta]

jaredjohn4
I wonder if you had the same guy we had, I was charge $300 for coming to the site too.
It was $430 to unblock the grey tank, brand new RV, but I didn't know what was wrong or what to do.
They charge me $300 to come site and $130 to unblock, found out that it must have been a disk or what they call a cutout from putting in shower. RV place never checked to make sure anything would empty.
$300 seems to be the magic number for coming to sites...

 

[Cap'n Jack]

Thanks for all the offers of help! You guys have convinced me. I take it that i only need an compressor and the antifreeze. I am looking at the following compressor - I assume it can be good enough.

BOSTITCH CAP1512-OF 1.2 Gallon Oil-Free High-Output Trim Compressor

Thanks again, sorry to have not responded for so long - I've been busy at work.

Getting excited about our trip.

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

We winterize in FL on the return trip by opening the low point drains and pulling the plug on the water heater (I just installed a valve on it to make that easier) the bouncing around will get most of the water out of the lines, as the weather gets colder we just use RV anti freeze to flush the toilet.

 

[KristinU]

Thanks for all the offers of help! You guys have convinced me. I take it that i only need an compressor and the antifreeze. I am looking at the following compressor - I assume it can be good enough.

BOSTITCH CAP1512-OF 1.2 Gallon Oil-Free High-Output Trim Compressor

Thanks again, sorry to have not responded for so long - I've been busy at work.

Getting excited about our trip.

You don't even need to have an air compressor and do the air blow thing. You can simply use your pump to make sure the pink stuff is through all of your lines. A few jugs of the pink stuff and you're all set. We don't use an air compressor and we do just fine

 

[KristinU]

This is basically what we do, except we never had to install a water pump converter kit nor a water heater bypass kit because both of our campers came with those already in place.

http://www.fmca.com/polks-top-7/2807-top-7-steps-for-winterizing-your-rv-plumbing-system

Also to note, he skips the water heater bypass in step 1. If you don't bypass it, it isn't the end of the world...you will just fill it up with antifreeze and need a whole lot more antifreeze than if you bypass it.