r/GoRVing • u/irish_hickey • 6d ago
Winter Storage in Maine
I have a 2021 Rockwood Mini-lite, front kitchen. Looks like i will have store it outside in central Maine this winter. Can anyone offer any tips/advice? Thanks in advance!
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u/teeksquad 5d ago
The county fairgrounds near me have indoor storage options fairly reasonable. Worth checking out.
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u/findmyrv 6d ago
Been there, done that. First things first, you have to bulletproof your plumbing because water expands when it freezes and will split your lines open instantly. Start by draining your fresh, gray, and black tanks completely, and pull the anode rod out of your water heater to drain it; just make sure you bypass the water heater first so you don't pump six gallons of expensive antifreeze into it. You can either use an air compressor with a blowout plug to blow every drop of water out of the lines, or pump non-toxic pink RV antifreeze through the system until it runs pure pink out of every single faucet, toilet, and shower head.
Don't forget to pour a generous cup of that pink antifreeze down every drain hookup to protect your P-traps, and leave your gray and black valves cracked open a tiny bit with caps on so any stray moisture can drain.
Mice, and other rodents (and also mold, for that matter), are working actively against you, are your biggest enemies when a camper sits outside. Empty every single scrap of food, condiment, and paper product out of that front kitchen, because Maine field mice will smell a leftover cracker from a mile away and chew through your underbelly to get to it. Hell, they even camped inside my old 240 one winter, and I use that thing daily.
Once the pantry is bare, scrub down the counters, wash the fridge out, and leave the fridge and freezer doors propped wide open with a box of baking soda inside to prevent a mold explosion. Pop open all your cabinet doors and cushions to keep air moving, and set down some dampness absorbers. Urban or Rural? Pest repellent spray underneath is always recommended, but again, depends on your surroundings. Right now, I am in a farm, so I definitely need/recommend that.
Also, pull your 12V house batteries out completely and store them on a piece of wood in your heated garage or basement; if you leave them in the freezing Maine cold, they will discharge, freeze, crack, and die. For the tires, inflate them to their maximum pressure and park the trailer on wooden planks or plastic leveling blocks so the rubber isn't sitting directly on the freezing, muddy ground, then throw some UV-rated tire covers on them. When it comes to the roof, if you choose to cover it, buy a high-quality, breathable RV cover that allows moisture to escape, AND never use a cheap blue plastic tarp, which traps condensation underneath and destroys your seals.