Heretical Thoughts on "Winterizing"

I actually use both the "pink stuff" and a small thermostatic heater. I like to work on projects inside our camper during the long Wyoming winters. I'm in there just about every day tinkering with something or just doing a visual inspection. Without that little heater it really wouldn't be very peasant to do that. I don't depend on that little heater to keep the pipes from freezing   ...but I'm certain it helps. Honestly, most often when I go inside the heater isn't even running and it's reasonably comfortable, which says to me that the camper is fairly well insulated.

I'm sure the heater bumps my electric bill up a tad    ...but the risk is worth the reward. Been using a small ceramic heater inside our campers now for 4 seasons and (fingers/toes crossed) have never had an issue.

MJ

I air blow the water lines and then pump some RV antifreeze through them.  I also have found that some water does stay in the pipes.  You would need to blow 'dried' air through the pipes until all moisture is evaporated and blown out to get rid of all pipe moisture.  The antifreeze also protects the water pump impeller.  I don't put any antifreeze into the fresh water tank...I make sure that the tank has been drained as much as possible.  The remaining water is usually a fraction of an inch deep and when it freezes it does not expand enough to do any damage.  I let enough antifreeze pump through the lines so that it flushes out the P-traps under the sink and shower.  The excess antifreeze can then sit in the holding tanks and help protect the gate valves.

As mentioned, I have found that just blowing out the pipes leaves some moisture.  Enough to collect in any low spots in the pipes and potentially bust them.  I blow out the pipes to get rid of the fresh water...so when I add the RV antifreeze I am not diluting the fluid. When pink fluid comes out of the faucets I know that it is undiluted and I don't have to waste antifreeze to flush all of the fresh water out of the lines. Air is cheaper than RV antifreeze.  The more dilute the antifreeze the less protection.  I live in MN and store the Pod in an unheated machine shed.  It had gotten below -30F in there some winters.
Besides, I have a quick coupling which fits on the water intake line and my air compressor...only a couple of minutes to blow all of the lines. 
I have learned that taking a few extra minutes is not a waste of time. A line that has burst during the winter...a lot more time and money involved.

You must blow out the lines through the city water connection.  The section of hose between the connection and where it is T'd into the rest of the water system won't readily drain otherwise.  There is one way around this w/o using air, you have to remove the screen on the connection and then press in the backflow valve right behind it while the pump is on and connected to the RV antifreeze bottle.

Originally posted by techntrek You must blow out the lines through the city water connection.  The section of hose between the connection and where it is T'd into the rest of the water system won't readily drain otherwise.  There is one way around this w/o using air, you have to remove the screen on the connection and then press in the backflow valve right behind it while the pump is on and connected to the RV antifreeze bottle.