If you do one thing for your camper this fall, winterize it before the first hard freeze - in our part of South Dakota, that can show up as early as late September. Water left in your lines, water heater, or pump will freeze, expand, and split fittings you won't discover until spring, when the damage is already done.
I've been fixing campers around Roscoe for 15 years, and every April the same trucks roll in: cracked water pumps, split PEX lines, burst water heater tanks. Almost all of it was preventable with an afternoon of winterizing in October.
What winterizing actually involves
Done right, winterizing means getting every drop of water out of the system and protecting what's left:
- Draining the fresh water tank, water heater, and low-point drains
- Bypassing the water heater so you don't waste antifreeze filling a 6-10 gallon tank
- Pumping RV antifreeze through every line - hot and cold, every faucet, toilet, and shower, inside the RV
- Protecting P-traps and the toilet seal with antifreeze
- Checking the furnace so it's ready if you use the rig in shoulder season
Can you do it yourself?
Sure - plenty of owners do. If you're handy, the job takes a couple hours with a water heater bypass kit and 2-3 gallons of RV antifreeze (the pink stuff - never automotive antifreeze, which is toxic).
Where DIY jobs go wrong: a missed low-point drain, an outdoor shower nobody remembered, or an ice maker line that never got antifreeze. One forgotten line is all it takes. That's the reason a lot of folks have us do it - we work off a checklist, and if something splits over winter on a system we winterized, you know who to call.
What it costs vs. what a freeze costs
Professional winterizing is one of the cheapest services we offer. A burst water heater or a split line inside a wall is one of the more expensive repairs we do - and freeze damage often hides until you pressurize the system in May. Spending a little now beats a plumbing rebuild later.
We come to you
You don't need to tow your camper anywhere. Camper Care runs a mobile service within about 100 miles of Roscoe - we winterize rigs in storage lots, machine sheds, and driveways from Aberdeen to Mobridge. Slots fill fast once the forecast turns, so book early.
Winterizing FAQ
When should I winterize in South Dakota? Before the first sustained hard freeze - for most of us, that means late September through October. Don't gamble on a warm November.
Do I need antifreeze if I blow out my lines with air? Air can work if done thoroughly, but antifreeze in the traps and toilet is still smart. We typically do both for belt-and-suspenders protection.
Can I still use my camper after winterizing? For dry camping, yes - you just can't run the water system until it's de-winterized in spring.