Winterization Made Simple

For people who want to do a self-drive holiday during Winter, the most common (if not, the most important) obstacle would be Winterization. In some cities of United States and Canada, winterization is required between November to April to prevent freezing of water pipes, fresh water tanks, sinks, toilets, showers, hot water heater and holding tanks. This would be necessary in cities where the temperature could drop below freezing point. When a vehicle is winterized, water must be drained from all tanks and would mean that no water would be available in the vehicles.

Don't let this dampen your holiday spirits. You can still access fresh water when you stay at campgrounds and RV parks, and the toilet can still be used when you pour windshield washer antifreeze to rinse it.

Winterizing Your Vehicle

So how do you get started? Most RV operators like Moturis and Cruise America already have winterized vehicles in locations like Denver, New York, Dallas, Seattle and Atlanta. If you are starting a rental out of one of the warmer locations like Los Angeles or Las Vegas, the vehicle are not yet winterized (there is no need to) but if your itinerary will take you to colder climates, it will be necessary to have the RV winterized. Although some brave souls do the winterizing on their own, it would be best to leave this to the professionals. There are various auto shops that include winterization of RVs as part of their service. Most shops would probably charge between approximately $ 60 to $120, depending on the size of the motorhome.

De-winterizing Your Vehicle

But what if you are starting from New York and wish to see the beauty of California? De-winterization can also be done at these shops. Just make sure to have the vehicle re-winterized when you return it to the colder regions as well.

So don't be disheartened from trying a winter holiday. Although winterization means limited access to fresh water, it also ensures that the RVs will be at their best condition during your hire and even allows you to enjoy the beauty of RV parks and national parks. For more information on winterization, please visit: http://rvservices.koa.com/rvinformation/rvmaintenance/step-by-step-rv-winterizing-checklist.asp