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Old 10-03-2021, 09:45 AM   #1
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Join Date: May 2021
Location: Manitoba
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Winter storage

Hello all.
Can anyone advise me on the best way to winter store my 2021 sunset trail 291RK?
Live in Canada and winter can be long and sometimes nasty.
Have done the plumbing and mouse proofing work. Just wondering if I should be reducing the load weight on the tires/ wheel bearings? Maybe some frame or axle blocking? Should I leave the trailer stabilizer stands / jacks up or put them down? I’m thinking; park as is, cover wheels and only hitch jack down. Like the way it is on a dealer lot. Sound reasonable?
Let me know.

Thx.
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Old 10-03-2021, 05:14 PM   #2
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I live in Missouri so we have mild winters compared to yours but this is what I do. let rear stabilizers down and cover the tires. The vents that have covers we open a inch or so to circulate some air. It sets on a concrete pad and stays plugged in to 50 amp. Check the batteries water level every couple months. We live out in the country and there are no shortage of feral/barn cats so mice is not too much of a problem but we do put down some sticky traps.

This works for our location and our situation but everyone is different so you probably will get several different answers. Hopefully someone from your area will respond.
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Old 10-03-2021, 08:01 PM   #3
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Winter storage

Thanks for the advice. I was planning on removing the batteries as well. Just forgot to mention it in my original comment. Good reminder just the same.
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Old 10-05-2021, 02:45 PM   #4
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Winter storage

I’m in Canada too. I park mine so tires are on planks. When I had a TT I just left it on tongue jack. Whether one believes they work I laid out about 20 Bounce sheets all over the camper. In all my years of living in the country I have never had a mouse issue. Battery is always removed and stored in my heated garage. Camper is thoroughly washed inside before storage. BBQ is never left in it. Procedure will be the same with my fifth wheel.
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Old 10-05-2021, 07:51 PM   #5
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I’m in Canada too. I park mine so tires are on planks. When I had a TT I just left it on tongue jack. Whether one believes they work I laid out about 20 Bounce sheets all over the camper. In all my years of living in the country I have never had a mouse issue. Battery is always removed and stored in my heated garage. Camper is thoroughly washed inside before storage. BBQ is never left in it. Procedure will be the same with my fifth wheel.
I had used bounce sheets in the boat and jet skis in the past. Only had a mouse once ever in the boat. Interesting, you mentioned tires on planks. Did you find tires lasted longer?
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Old 10-05-2021, 08:46 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by Lakelife21 View Post
I had used bounce sheets in the boat and jet skis in the past. Only had a mouse once ever in the boat. Interesting, you mentioned tires on planks. Did you find tires lasted longer?

I have them on planks so it wouldn’t sink where I stored it. It was more a grass / dirt area.
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Old 10-07-2021, 03:01 PM   #7
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I live in Canada. Each fall I blow out all water lines with compressed air and split a 4L jug of antifreeze among the black & 2 grey tanks. Fresh water tank gets drained & the line sucked out with a wet vac.

Battery levels checked and fully charged. It stays in the trailer. It doesn't seem to hurt the battery any because it's still mostly charged in the spring. I replaced the original one after 11 years.

4 or 5 mouse traps are distributed throughout. Some years they catch mice, most years they don't. Mice will just use Bounce sheets for bedding, or ignore them entirely.
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Old 10-07-2021, 03:59 PM   #8
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Hey Lakelife-

We live in Wisconsin, which I guess is like the tropics compared to the Great White North. I agree with the above posters - especially about covering tires and using bounce sheets. Don't forget to add bounce sheets to the cargo bays and the outdoor kitchen (if you have one). We've used them for years to store outdoor patio cushions, umbrellas, etc. and have never had a rodent problem. One thing I would urge you to do is make an appointment at Camping World and have them winterize the tanks, water lines, faucets, toilets, and other critical systems. I'm very handy, but our trailer is a big investment and I like to rely on those more experienced with thigs like this. See you on the road next year!
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Old 10-07-2021, 04:31 PM   #9
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We are in Calgary, so it gets cold here as well.

Sandwich a plastic (black one) bag over the cover for the fridge and hot water tank. (Sort of like covering those holes with the bag) I believe that this will keep snow and water and dirt from getting into the electronic control boards. Touch wood so far after 8 years we have had no trouble with them. The bag is on the inside of the cover for these appliances, once I put the cover back on (closed) I trim the excess of the bag off, leaving very little bag showing on the outside.

I pull the drain plug for the Hot Water heater and put it in a safe place (ready for next spring) I leave it out over the winter.

Switch the water system valves (there should be 2 ball valves in where your water pump is) to bypass the heater, open the auxiliary input valve (this is so the pump will draw RV antifreeze into the water system. I use approximately 6-7 liters (1-1.5 gallons for you below the 49th). When I have the valves switched and the aux input hose inside a 4 liter jug of RV antifreeze I switch the pump on (I forgot to mention that the 3 water system drains (valves or plugs) are closed, like you would do to go camping. Then I start the pump, at this point the pump should be drawing antifreeze from the jug. Then I open the kitchen cold water tap and run it til I see pink stuff coming out, don't shut it off immediately, as the first bit is mixed with any water in the cold water system, once I have pink, then open the hot water tap and wait til pink shows. I let this stuff run into the sink and hopefully fill or drive out any residual water in the "P-Trap" below the sink, if you have dual kitchen sinks you need to get antifreeze into BOTH "P-Traps". Once the kitchen is done I move to the bath room and repeat for the cold and hot in the vanity, remember it has a "P-Trap also. Then the tub cold and hot, the tub drains directly (at least ours and I believe all RV's are the same) directly into the grey water tank no "P-Trap" then I switch to the shower appliance and make sure pink stuff comes out it.

The reason for switching the bypass valves is so anti-freeze does not get into the hot water tank. Apparently if that occurs it is a real pain, in the spring to flush out the HWT. The antifreeze seems to react with hot water and is troublesome to get rid of. I don't want a cracked HWT that is why I pull it's drain plug. I thought that the low point drain valve would pull all water out of the system, yet the 1st year we had out trailer my buddy told me about pulling the HWT plug, when I got home I went out and removed it thinking no water would come out well about a liter (quart for those others) came out of the tank.

Then the toilet run it so pink stuff comes out the water fill hole. It dumps (hahaha) directly into the Black Water tank.

Then I move on to the outside shower and run both cold and hot taps till pink comes out the shower handle.

Remember to check occasionally to make sure the pump is still sucking anti-freeze., switch in a new jug if necessary.

RV antifreeze is a whole lot cheaper than a repair in the water system, drain or supply.

I do not open the water system drain valves or plugs, I leave antifreeze in the lines all winter. As well I leave the Black and Grey water tank valves closed to retain antifreeze in them which hopefully mixes with any left over gung and prevents a solid ice cube.

If you have laundry machines you also need to get those lines full of antifreeze, AS WELL the pump for the washer (this would also go for a dishwasher) a frozen water pump in the spring on these appliances would be ugly.

When I park it (at storage) I do not put stabilizer jack down only hitch jack.

Tires up on planks as my storage is a friends acreage (read bear dirt). some mouse deterrent stuff inside and inside all outside storage cupboards.

Fridge and Freezer doors propped open.

Vents (have outside covers) so the actual covers are wide open.

ALL food out, or stored in PLASTIC bins with tight sealing lids.

ALL booze out, it goes bad over the winter, therefore it needs to be consumed.

Batteries are removed and stored inside at home, not on a cement (concrete for those below the 49th) floor. Batteries will freeze if a cold enough, long enough cold snap occurs. Taking them out is cheaper than a new battery in the spring and leaving them plugged in is not an option. If one can leave the unit plugged in and regular inspection of the electrolyte level is possible, they should be OK.

Oh I also put painter paper over all windows (inside) to keep the sun off the window curtains. UV light especially reflected light in the winter raises hell with cloth/plastic.

Wax and Polish the outside (3-day job).

There I think thats it.
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Old 10-07-2021, 05:17 PM   #10
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Very nice write up egrum. I do disagree with not draining all low points and then putting the plugs back in prior to antifreeze . The antifreeze will not protect the lowest points if they have any pure water in them. The pump will fill the line at the "T" above the low point but cannot circulate down into the water below the "T" and above the drain plug.
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Old 10-07-2021, 05:32 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by jmnsn57 View Post
Very nice write up egrum. I do disagree with not draining all low points and then putting the plugs back in prior to antifreeze . The antifreeze will not protect the lowest points if they have any pure water in them. The pump will fill the line at the "T" above the low point but cannot circulate down into the water below the "T" and above the drain plug.
Thanks for the input.

In my case, when we are returning from any trip, I open all low point drain valves, that way I feel all water is out of the system.

For this reason it is important to close all those valves in order to get anti-freeze thru the system, also you can pump a whole lot of antifreeze on the ground in a big hurry (ask me, I did this once) if those valves are not closed.
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Old 10-09-2021, 11:04 AM   #12
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X2 about closing low point drains. Learned the same way..the hard way.
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Old 10-11-2021, 03:01 PM   #13
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egrum,


I never considered opening the low points every trip. I will certainly do that now. Having thought about what you do, I concluded that leaving them closed all season might just might be the solution to my problem of water going sour occasionally. If not purged, That little stub T'd down through floor will never clean itself and probably is the cesspool of stagnant water that is growing the bad stuff.
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Old 10-11-2021, 08:04 PM   #14
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I would certainly agree.

I took the original caps off and put extension pipes on to get out to the edge of the frame and then I put ball valves on.
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