when to un-winterize in colorado

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kimberlyu

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We got our first RV in November, it was already winterized and they had done it Oct 1st so we have an idea when to redo it in the fall but as Colorado weather is always changing, wondering when we would un-winterize it.  I will be taking it to Kansas first week of March but wondering if I will need to re-winterize when I get back around the middle of March.  Our last frost here is mid june.. Not sure if frost is a good measure or not.

Thanks!
Kimberly
 
Not sure where you are in CO, but if your last frost is in June, you definitely need to re-winterize in mid-March. Frost is not necessarily a good measure, per se, but if you have a possibility of frost in May and June, you are likely to have sustained temps below freezing in March and April.  Temps can dip below freezing for a bit at night without causing your pipes to freeze, but when you have sustained temps in the 20s and below you will have problems.
 
I was going to joke and say August. but actually Scott implied the correct answer... Watch the forecases. When the last frost is done you can safely de-winterize. HOWEVER... you can look at the hourly. If it's only dipping below freezing for say an hour or two a night and you have Enclosed plumbing you may be OK.  but if it's going to be sub-freezing for say 8 hours.. Keep it wintereized.

Also learn the "Dry Method" of winterizing. way easier ()And cheaper) you can weekend then blow blow blow the lines out again.

I( do blow outs like 5-10 times when I winterize. Open all valves and blow it out over and over, till no more water comes out.
 
To tag on to John, I was going to make the same suggestion about learning the "dry method" of winterizing.  The first year I had an RV, I pumped the RV antifreeze in.  It's a pain and has some cost to it.  Paying someone to winterize is even more costly.  But if you have an air compressor and the fitting to connect to the system, it is easy, quick (about 5-10 min) and free. I've found it works best if you have an assistant to open and close faucets inside the RV while you hold the air to the system from the outside, but it can be done alone if necessary.  Just make sure you know what valves have to be open, etc., so you do it right and don't leave water in the pipes.

Edit:  And if you don't currently have a portable air compressor for inflating tires, etc., you need one.  Also take time to learn how to determine the correct tire pressure based on weight and manufacturer's recommendation. 
 
To add to the above, basically don't dewinterize for good until you no longer expect below freezing weather. We're in Westminster, and I figure mid-May is the earliest for me to leave it unwinterized 'til October, unless I'm prepared to keep the furnace running.
 
Thanks everyone!  we are in the Wet Mountain Valley, Westcliffe area.

I will look up the dry method, as we do have an air compressor
 
kimberlyu said:
Thanks everyone!  we are in the Wet Mountain Valley, Westcliffe area.

I will look up the dry method, as we do have an air compressor
Click to expand...

You don't mention which rig you have, but if you have Aqua Hot, Oasis or another of the hydronic heating systems, I'd only use air for the cold water stuff, but I'd put pink stuff in the hot water side (there's a warning in the manual). It seems the boilers have sufficiently intricate insides that air wouldn't get all the water out and damage could ensue. But if you have a regular water heater then air shouldn't be a problem.
 
I de-winterize in May, as we like to spend a week on our mountain lot mid-May, but I keep watch on the weather into June just in case.
 
Welcome to the forum...Lot of good information and advice here. Don't be afraid to ask questions....We also live in the Westcliffe area, Bull Domingo to be more specific. Been here for 20 years. Do you by any chance ride ATV's ?
 
We live in far southeast Aurora at 6200 ft. We will often pull the coach out of storage for a trip in March or April when we get some nice weather, but aways empty the tanks and blow out the water lines when we get back and before we put it back in storage. We don't de-winterize for the summer until spring really arrives - sometime after the yearly MayCember snow storm.

I have a portable macerator pump that I use at home to dump the grey and black tanks. I've got 50 ft of 1 inch transparent hose (all the better to watch the....stuff go by) that I run up to our sewer clean out. Then flush the black tank until the water runs (more or less) clear. I picked up an air compressor with a 6 gallon accumulator at a big box store a few years ago and it works great for blowing out the system. I have a Viair compressor for the rig's tires, but have never tried it for blowing out the water lines - not sure if it could develop the volume.
 
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